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Gisele Bundchen says Tom Brady divorce was 'death of my dream' - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Brazilian supermodel and US football star split after 13 years of marriage last October. | US & Canada | Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady at the Met Gala in New York City in 2017
Model Gisele Bundchen has opened up on her divorce from NFL player Tom Brady, describing it as "the death of my dream".
The Brazilian supermodel and American football star split after 13 years of marriage last October.
"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.
Bundchen also dismissed speculation about why the marriage had ended.
She 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.
"What's been said is one piece of a much bigger puzzle. It's not so black and white," she told Vanity Fair.
"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."
Brady, who won a record seven Super Bowl titles during his 23-season career, said last month he was retiring "for good".
The pair were married for 13 years before divorcing in October 2022
Brady, 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.
Bundchen 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.
"Sometimes you grow together; sometimes you grow apart," she said.
"When I was 26 years old and he was 29 years old, we met, we wanted a family, we wanted things together.
"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."
Bundchen, one of the highest-paid models in the world since 2001, added that she had "no regrets" about her life with Brady.
Announcing the separation in October 2022, Brady said the decision was "painful and difficult".
"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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65047375 |
MPs back Rishi Sunak's new Brexit Northern Ireland deal - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | But former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss joined 20 other Tory MPs and the DUP to vote against the agreement. | UK Politics | Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland has been passed by MPs, despite a rebellion from 22 of his backbenchers.
Ex-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were among Tories joining Northern Ireland's DUP in voting against the agreement.
But it passed by 515 to 29 overall, with the backing of other Tories, Labour and the SNP.
The deal, unveiled last month, rewrites the Brexit accord agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019.
Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker denounced the two former PMs for opposing it, saying he thought "they're both better than this".
Mr 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.
Former Brexit leader Nigel Farage fired back on Twitter, saying Mr Baker had betrayed his Brexiteer credentials and was a "weasel" for supporting the deal.
Mark 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.
As 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.
Priti 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".
The 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.
The vote is likely to be the only vote MPs get on Mr Sunak's renegotiated deal, known as the Windsor Framework.
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Around 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.
The 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.
Despite 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.
The changes negotiated by Mr Sunak aim to streamline the checks process, which have also proved highly unpopular among unionists in Northern Ireland.
Speaking 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.
But in a statement issued before the vote, Mr Johnson said it was "unacceptable".
"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.
He 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.
Ms Truss is also said to believe the new framework "fatally impinges" on the UK's ability to diverge from EU rules.
Democratic 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.
The European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptic Tory MPs has criticised the Stormont brake, with legal experts advising them it was "practically useless". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65034260 |
Guide dog campaigner urges Rishi Sunak to sort out shortage - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Activist Jill Allen-King says she gripped Rishi Sunak's hand as she told him about waiting lists. | Essex | Jill Allen-King with her guide dog and Southend MP Anna Firth meeting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at an event for community champions
A campaigner for blind people has urged the prime minister to help sort out the shortage of guide dogs across the UK.
Jill Allen-King, 82, from Westcliff, Essex, met Rishi Sunak at an event to celebrate community champions on Wednesday evening.
She is facing the possibility of her own dog, Jagger, being retired due to his age in June.
The Guide Dogs charity said there had been a shortage due to the restrictions of the pandemic.
"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.
"He said to Anna, my MP, 'let me know how I can help', and I'm sure she will let him know."
The lockdown in 2020 meant a pause on breeding and puppy training was difficult due to the closure of restaurants and other public spaces.
Mrs Allen-King, who has had seven guide dogs in the past 51 years, said she was worried about losing her independence.
Jagger 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."
Jill Allen-King with Jagger and MP Anna Firth outside No 10 Downing Street
Her 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.
Jagger has been assessed by the charity and she is waiting to hear the outcome.
Source: Guide Dogs - a working name of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Peter 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.
"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.
The 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.
She came up with the idea for textured pavements at road crossings and was given an OBE for her services to disabled people.
You 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.
Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-65045697 |
Profound honour to lead country I love - Nicola Sturgeon - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Her voice shakes as she delivers a long list of thank yous, including to outgoing deputy first minister John Swinney. | Scotland | Party leaders took rather contrasting approaches to waving farewell to Nicola Sturgeon.
Douglas 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.
Anas Sarwar clearly has a far better relationship with the outgoing first minister, and made a much better fist of being magnanimous.
But given how comprehensively the SNP has routed Labour under her leadership, he too will be glad to see her heading for the exit door.
Ms Sturgeon’s own valedictory address was entirely different - heavy on thanks to friends and colleagues, with only a side-order of legacy-burnishing.
The other parties are looking to the future in the hope of opportunities in the post-Sturgeon era.
But she is looking ahead in a completely different fashion – to a life beyond the Holyrood chamber. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-65039369 |
US raises interest rates despite banking turmoil - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Federal Reserve moves borrowing costs higher as it focuses on efforts to stabilise prices. | Business | 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.
The Federal Reserve increased its key rate by 0.25 percentage points, calling the banking system "sound and resilient".
But it also warned that fallout from the bank failures may hurt economic growth in the months ahead.
The Fed has been raising borrowing costs in a bid to stabilise prices.
But the sharp increase in interest rates since last year has led to strains in the banking system.
Two US banks - Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - collapsed this month, buckling in part due to problems caused by higher interest rates.
There are concerns about the value of bonds held by banks as rising interest rates may make those bonds less valuable.
Banks 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.
Authorities 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.
Last week, the European Central Bank raised its key interest rate by 0.5 percentage points.
The 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%.
Federal 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.
But he acknowledged that the recent turmoil was likely to drag on growth, with the full impact still unclear.
Forecasts 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.
The announcement from the Fed also toned down earlier statements which had said "ongoing" increases in interest rates would be needed in the months ahead.
Instead, the Fed said: "Some additional policy firming may be appropriate".
The moves "signal clearly that the Fed is nervous", said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.
Wednesday'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.
Higher interest rates mean the cost to buy a home, borrow to expand a business or take on other debt goes up.
By making such activity more expensive, the Fed expects demand to fall, cooling prices.
That 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.
But overall the economy has held up better than expected and prices continue to climb faster than the 2% rate considered healthy.
Inflation, 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.
Before the bank failures, Mr Powell had warned that officials might need to push interest rates higher than expected to bring the situation under control.
The bank projections show policymakers expect inflation to fall this year - but less than expected a few months ago.
Still, 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.
Mr Powell described the effect of the recent turmoil as the "equivalent of a rate hike".
He 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.
But he repeated that the Fed would not shy away from its inflation fight.
"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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65041649 |
Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal forward on brink of more international history - BBC Sport | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | null | Cristiano Ronaldo will become the most-capped men's international footballer if he plays for Portugal on Thursday. | null | Last updated on .From the section European Championship
Cristiano Ronaldo will become the most-capped men's international footballer if he plays in Portugal's Euro 2024 qualifying opener against Liechtenstein on Thursday.
Ronaldo, 38, moved level with Kuwait forward Bader Al-Mutawa on 196 caps when he faced Morocco at the World Cup.
And he is now part of new Portugal manager Roberto Martinez's first squad.
Ronaldo - now playing in Saudi Arabia for Al Nassr - has scored a men's record 118 international goals.
There 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.
He 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.
Martinez has said Ronaldo, who made his international debut in 2003, "is very important for the team" and "I do not look at the age".
"Records are my motivation," Ronaldo said on Wednesday. "I want to become the most-capped player in history. That would make me proud.
"But it doesn't stop there. I still want to be called up very often."
Kristine Lilly is the most-capped female footballer of all time, having played 354 times for the United States.
Ronaldo's latest record will further cement his status as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
The 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.
The 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.
He 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:
• None Only player to score in three Champions League finals
• None The first player to score 10 hat-tricks in men's international football
• None Enter the world of the social media personality’s multi-level marketing scheme and webcam business
• None The rise and fall of the jeweller-turned-criminal: Listen to Gangster: The Story of John Palmer | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65037274 |
Lola James: Mum told police she would not have hurt daughter - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A mother accused of causing or allowing the death of her two-year-old daughter denied hurting her. | Wales | Lola James died at the Noah's Ark children's hospital in Cardiff on 21 July, 2020
A 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".
Lola James died in hospital as a result of a "catastrophic" head injury in July 2020.
Swansea Crown Court heard Sinead James told officers she was not responsible for her daughter's injuries.
The 30-year-old denies causing or allowing the death of Lola four months after her partner moved in.
Her partner, Kyle Bevan, 31, of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, denies murdering Lola at their home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Ms 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."
Ms James said Mr Bevan later told her the family dog had jumped on Lola and knocked her down the stairs.
She said she called her mother and an ambulance.
She then went downstairs to see Lola, who was on the living room sofa.
Ms James said she told Mr Bevan to put her down as he began to pick her up.
The court heard she told police: "I haven't done anything to her, she's my baby."
She told officers Lola was accident prone with "two left feet" and that she "doesn't sleep and falls over everything".
She said: "I wish I was there, I wish I could have stopped it."
When asked about her relationship with Mr Bevan, Ms James said they had met online and were sleeping together.
She said: "I don't believe for a second he would have hurt her."
She said he was "amazing" with Lola.
Ms 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."
When she saw video during a police interview of Mr Bevan holding Lola up she wanted to "punch him in the face".
Police said the footage depicted Bevan picking her up and letting her "flop back" to "show his mother she couldn't stand up".
The court heard he had not yet called an ambulance when it was filmed.
Before seeing the footage, Ms James said: "Why didn't he call an ambulance straight away?"
As she watched, Ms James said: "He's not even holding her properly, I feel sick.
"I want to punch him in the face. He's probably caused her more damage. Why would he do that to a baby?"
She said he should be protecting her and called the video "sickening".
The court heard she told police: "If he can do that what has actually happened to my baby?"
She told them she did not know whether she thought Mr Bevan's behaviour was controlling. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65052705 |
Baby's remains brought to mum in supermarket bag - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lydia Reid's son Gary had his organs removed without her permission when he died while a week old in 1975. | Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland | Lydia Reid was "horrified" when officials arrived with a plastic carrier bag
A terminally ill mother says she was "horrified" after her baby's remains were brought her in a supermarket carrier bag by NHS officials.
Lydia Reid's son Gary was a week old when he died in 1975.
She 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.
NHS Lothian said it had since apologised to Ms Reid.
The 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.
"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.
Inside the carrier bag was a six-inch box containing samples taken from Gary which had been used in tests without her permission.
"It knocked me for six and was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life," Ms Reid said.
"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?'
"I was absolutely horrified. When I told my son, Steven, he was dumbfounded."
The officials then took the remains back and they were sent to the undertaker.
The exhumed coffin in 2017, which was not prepared by NHS Lothian, contained items including a shroud and a cross
An NHS Lothian spokeswoman denied Ms Reid's claim that she was asked to look inside the box by the officials.
Tracey 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.
"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.
"This was then placed within a plastic bag to avoid drawing attention as they walked through the hospital.
"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."
Ms Reid checked out of hospital for a day to bury her son's remains in Saughton Cemetery in Edinburgh on Saturday.
The coffin was exhumed from a plot at Saughton Cemetery in Edinburgh
Ms Reid has been a leading figure in the Scottish campaign to expose how hospitals unlawfully retained dead children's body parts for research.
The NHS in Scotland was forced to admit the widespread practice after an investigation into organ retention at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool.
About 6,000 organs and tissues were kept by Scottish hospitals between 1970 and 2000, many from children.
Ms Reid said that when she asked to see her son a few days after he died in 1975, she was shown a different child.
Over 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.
Ms Reid said she still does not know what happened to the rest of Gary's body.
Prof Sue Black said she had never seen anything like it
In September 2017, a court order was granted which allowed an exhumation to be carried out at Saughton Cemetery in Edinburgh.
Forensic anthropologist Prof Dame Sue Black concluded the coffin had been buried without containing any human remains.
A 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.
Prof 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."
However, the Crown Office said a new investigation by independent experts had concluded Gary had been buried at the time of his death.
It also found no evidence of criminality or unlawful organ retention.
Ms 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.
She said finally she had her son's remains returned when Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury and his assistant, Liz Catterall, intervened.
Mr 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.
"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.
"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.
"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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65043591 |
Sir Keir Starmer says he would scrap his own pension tax perk - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Labour leader says he would include himself in plans to reverse high earner tax breaks. | UK Politics | Sir Keir Starmer has said he will include himself in plans to scrap a pensions tax break for high earners if he wins power.
The Labour leader has pledged to reverse government plans to end the £1m cap on lifetime pensions savings.
He was accused of hypocrisy by the Conservatives when it emerged he was set to benefit from a similar scheme himself.
He said he had not taken advantage of the perk and did not want to.
He 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%."
He added: "I don't intend that to exclude me."
As 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.
Sir 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.
The 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.
The legislation means Sir Keir would be exempt from paying additional tax on pensions savings over £1m.
Sir Keir said he had not taken advantage of the tax break, adding: "Nor do I want to."
Under plans announced last week by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, the £1.07m limit on how much individuals can put into their pension pot before having to pay extra tax will be scrapped.
The annual tax-free allowance on pensions will also increase from £40,000 to £60,000.
Labour voted against the changes, prompting accusations of hypocrisy from Conservative MPs, including former work and pensions secretary Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
Labour says the tax break should only be available to NHS doctors, to encourage them to keep working and not take early retirement.
Hitting 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.
"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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65052706 |
UK airstrikes on IS may have killed 26 civilians, charity says - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Action on Armed Violence say they have evidence that RAF strikes may have caused civilian deaths. | UK | RAF Tornado jets were involved in the campaign against the Islamic State group
UK airstrikes in Iraq and Syria may have killed at least 26 civilians, research by a charity suggests.
Action on Armed Violence says it has found evidence that at least nine RAF strikes resulted in civilian deaths between March 2016 and March 2018.
A 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.
The MoD said "no evidence" of civilian deaths had been found in the strikes.
A spokesman said military personnel examine all available evidence, including mission data from every strike.
The 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.
Based 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.
Most 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.
Reports of civilian deaths were deemed "credible" in all but one of the nine strikes examined - with civilian casualties believed "likely" or 'highly likely".
AOAV 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.
One 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.
The 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."
The RAF has never accepted that civilian casualties were caused by its strike.
AOAV'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.
A 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.
The MoD still does not accept that any civilians were killed, even though the coalition now says those reports of civilian deaths were "credible".
In 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.
Definitive 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.
The US military estimates that 1,437 civilians may have been killed in the bombing campaign against IS between August 2014 and May 2022.
In 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… but no evidence has been identified in these instances." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65042704 |
Israel's Netanyahu to visit UK amid growing turmoil at home - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Israeli PM's trip comes as divisions deepen over a judicial plan and fears grow in the West Bank. | Middle East | Protester Shay Noter suffered a broken nose after being attacked while blocking a road outside the British embassy
The 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.
The crowd started to block traffic - by now a frequent tactic of protesters - when a driver attacked one of the demonstrators.
They respond by subduing the driver, beating him back with an Israeli flag pole.
It was week 11 of mass anti-government protests, ahead of a trip to the UK today by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"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.
"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."
Opponents of the judicial overhaul describe it as an attempted "regime coup" by the prime minister and his coalition
Part 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.
Protesters 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.
Critics 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.
The 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.
"Our democracy is literally under attack by the government," said demonstrator Avinoam Brog.
"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.
His daughter, Nitzan Weisberg, said they were protesting against a "post-Zionist, messianic government".
"What were [we] fighting for? What were all the sacrifices made for?" she asked.
"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.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday that he would not accept "anarchy"
Mr Netanyahu is travelling to London on Thursday evening for talks on trade and security.
He 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.
The 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".
After his election win, he argues, the changes are the will of the people that should not be thwarted by unelected judges.
He has previously denied that minority rights would be affected by his far right coalition partners, saying he has "both hands on the steering wheel".
And speaking ahead of his cabinet meeting on Sunday he said his government would not accept "anarchy".
"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.
In the occupied West Bank, the protests feel a world away amid a growing numbers of Israeli army patrols
But 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.
Israel'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.
Earlier 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.
Under pressure, Mr Smotrich later said he didn't mean it.
Nawal al-Dumaidi says she was trapped for three days in her home in Hawara after settlers burned its entrance
In the occupied West Bank, the protests feel a world away amid Israeli military outposts and growing numbers of army patrols.
Homes in Hawara still bear the scars of violence, with burned out buildings and vandalised shopfronts yet to be repaired.
Nawal al-Dumaidi, 70, showed the BBC inside her apartment which overlooks the main highway.
She 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.
Now, her family fears a deteriorating atmosphere, with the settlers emboldened by their far-right allies in government.
"We are suffering all the time. Settlers descend from the mountain, burn olive trees and attack homes," said Mrs Dumaidi.
"I am afraid that they will occupy Hawara because of its strategic location on the main road," she added.
There have been international efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region ahead of Ramadan and Passover
Her nephew, Jehad Shurab, talked about the weakness of the official Palestinian leadership, adding that "only God" can help the residents.
"The prime minister of Palestine came here. While he was here, the IDF [Israeli army] is down there [on the road]," he said.
He believes that Mr Smotrich and Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, are helping create an atmosphere of chaos.
"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.
In 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.
In 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.
A 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65052927 |
UK interest rate raised to 4.25% after jump in inflation - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Bank of England puts up the base rate by 0.25% after UK prices rose by 10.4% last month. | Business | Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, has said he is "much more hopeful" that the UK can avoid a recession.
Mr Bailey was speaking after the Bank decided to raise rates for an 11th consecutive meeting.
The 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.
He warned however that the UK economy is "not off to the races".
Mr Bailey refused to say whether he thought UK interest rates has reached a peak.
"We don’t know if it is going to be the peak, but what we can tell you is that we’ve seen signs of inflation really peaking now, but of course it is far too high," he said.
The governor said he did not think the current turbulence in global banking was likely to be a re-run of the 2008 financial crisis.
"I think we've got a banking system that is safe and sound and of course, it's one that people can rely on.
"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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-65046301 |
Mosque fire suspect arrested over second attack - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A man accused of setting a pensioner on fire as he left a Birmingham mosque is held over an attack in west London. | Birmingham & Black Country | Mr Rayaz has undergone a skin graft in hospital, his family said.
A 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.
An 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.
Mr Rayaz, 70, suffered severe burns to his face and arms.
Detectives, supported by counter-terror police, are questioning the suspect on suspicion of attempted murder.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said both incidents were now being linked and the man had been arrested over the Ealing attack on Wednesday.
Detectives from the Met and West Midlands Police were working closely together to establish the full circumstances.
While counter-terror police were involved, officers were keeping an open mind as to any potential motivation.
"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.
Mr Rayaz was set alight just after he left this mosque in Dudley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham.
The victim in Ealing received hospital treatment for severe burns to his face and arms in the attack.
West Midlands Police said the suspect engaged the man in conversation as they both left the West London Islamic Centre.
They spoke for a few minutes before the victim was doused in a liquid, believed to be petrol, and then set on fire.
In 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.
"As we commence the blessed month of Ramadan, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," a spokesperson said.
The victim, whom they named as Mr Hashi, had been recuperating from his injuries following his release from hospital the next day.
He 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.
Mr Rayaz remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital following a skin graft operation.
The 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.
Scorch marks are on the pavement in Edgbaston where the attack happened
MP 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.
Family lawyer Shahbon Hussain said he got a text message from Mr Rayaz's son moments afterwards.
"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."
Neighbours, who said they were concerned by the attack, also helped to put flames out and carry Mr Rayaz to his home.
Ms Mahmood, member for Birmingham Ladywood, organised a community walkabout on Wednesday with police to reassure Muslim communities on the eve of Ramadan.
Mr Hussain, who also chairs the local StreetWatch group, said he collated CCTV and doorbell footage for police via a WhatsApp group of 160 residents.
He added it would take a while for residents to feel safe as Ramadan got under way.
MP Shabana Mahmood said Mr Rayaz was "touched at the outpouring of love and support" he had received since the attack
Regarding 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.
"Despite a man having been arrested, we continue to be vigilant and urge local people to do the same.
"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."
Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-65045660 |
Nicola Sturgeon defends her record at final FMQs - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The first minister was accused of failures on education, the NHS and ferries in her 286th and final session. | Scotland politics | 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
Nicola Sturgeon has defended her record in government during her final First Minister's Questions.
The first minister was accused of failures on education, drug deaths, NHS waiting lists and ferries in her 286th weekly session.
Ms Sturgeon said she was "very proud" of her party's eight election wins and policies including the Scottish Child Payment and progressive income tax.
However she said her successor would have a tough job ahead.
The winner of the contest to succeed Ms Sturgeon as SNP leader will be revealed on Monday afternoon.
They will then face a vote in the Scottish Parliament the next day before being confirmed as first minister.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross opened the session by accusing the SNP of having "lied" to the press over its membership numbers.
The 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.
The row saw Peter Murrell - Ms Sturgeon's husband - quit as the party's chief executive, with SNP media chief Murray Foote also resigning.
Nicola Sturgeon took part in her 286th and final FMQs
Amid 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."
Ms 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.
Mr 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.
He 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.
The first minister has "ignored Scotland's priorities in favour of her obsession with independence. Isn't that the truth of her legacy?" he added.
Nicola Sturgeon at her first FMQs in 2014 flanked by John Swinney, Shona Robison and Mike Russell
Scottish 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.
But 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.
The first minister said the NHS had received record funding and that Scotland was leading the way on climate change.
"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.
She 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.
"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.
"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."
Nicola Sturgeon has faced more than a few lines of inquiry in her 286 sessions of FMQs.
Given she also asked them for the opposition for three years prior to 2007, she knows this format inside out.
There have been countless questions about the NHS for the former health secretary, from the Covid pandemic to waiting time issues.
The 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.
As in most other sessions, she will likely rely on her big binder of statistics, as well as her own quick wit and political instincts.
There 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.
Ms Sturgeon had served as a cabinet minister and deputy first minister under her predecessor Alex Salmond since 2007.
When the Scottish electorate rejected independence by 55% to 45% in September 2014 Mr Salmond resigned, leading to Ms Sturgeon taking the role unopposed.
She was formally sworn in on 20 November that year, after which she held her first FMQs.
Her last official engagement as first minister will be on Friday.
Ms 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.
Mr 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.
The 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.
Interim 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.
She insisted that the party was merely going through "growing pains" which she said were "necessary but difficult".
She 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65051038 |
Prince William praises Ukrainian refugees' resilience on Poland trip - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Prince of Wales met Ukrainians who have fled the war on the second day of his visit to Poland. | UK | Prince William is on a two-day trip to Poland
The resilience of Ukrainian refugees "shines out", the Prince of Wales has said during a visit to Poland.
Prince 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.
He said: "It's amazing how resilient you are. That shines out."
The heir to the throne also met the Polish President Andrzej Duda to lay a wreath commemorating the nation's war dead.
During 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."
The prince also thanked people who have hosted refugees.
Prince 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.
His trip to Poland marks him renewing that support.
The prince visited a food hall in Warsaw where he spoke to Ukrainian refugees
Earlier, 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.
A 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.
On Wednesday, Prince William made a surprise trip to visit British troops in Rzeszow in south-east Poland - roughly an hour from the Ukrainian border.
He 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.
The prince met with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace
Prince William was greeted by a guard of honour before laying a wreath
It is the prince's second visit to the country
The trip is the prince's first to Poland since a visit in 2017 with his wife Catherine.
Last 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.
Poland is a strong ally of neighbouring Ukraine and one of its largest suppliers of military equipment.
It recently pledged to supply Ukraine with fighter jets. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65055847 |
Splitting parents face fine for refusing mediation - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ministers say mandatory mediation will cut court backlogs, but fears for coercive control victims are raised. | UK | Separating parents in England and Wales could face fines for refusing to try mediation under new proposals.
The government is set to make sessions mandatory and offer funding support in an effort to divert cases away from under-pressure family courts.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said "lengthy and combative courtroom battles" were harmful for children.
But the Law Society said the plan could put victims of undetected coercive control in a vulnerable position.
The government has launched a consultation on the policy, which it hopes will help to deal with backlogs in the family courts system.
The 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.
Mediation, 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.
Under 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".
The new rules, which apply to couples with children who are married or in civil partnerships, will exclude relationships where there has been domestic abuse.
But the Law Society, which represents solicitors in England and Wales, has warned the policy "risks sending people to mediation who should not be there".
Richard 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".
He 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."
Dominic Raab said the plans would save the courts time and protect children
Women'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.
The charity's head of policy, Lucy Hadley, said survivors "frequently fear they will be accused of parental alienation" if they raise domestic abuse.
"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.
"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.
Mr 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.
It 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.
The consultation on the proposals is also expected to look at whether divorce should be funded under legal aid thresholds.
The 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.
According 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.
Mr 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."
The announcement was welcomed by the Family Mediation Council (FMC), which said it would help families avoid "the stress and delays of going to court".
Under the plans, sessions with a qualified mediator would be part-funded by the government with a voucher worth up to £500.
According to the FMC, its registered mediators charge an average of £140 per person per hour, but rates and the number of sessions needed vary.
A mediation funding scheme has already supported 15,300 families, the MoJ said, and will be expanded with an extra £15m of government money.
More 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.
A 12-week consultation on the plans began on Thursday and will close on 15 June. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65049700 |
World Athletics bans transgender women from competing in female world ranking events - BBC Sport | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | null | World Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events. | null | Last updated on .From the section Athletics
World Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events.
The 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.
A working group will be set up to conduct further research into the transgender eligibility guidelines.
"We're not saying no forever," he said.
Under 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.
Lord Coe added the decision was "guided by the overarching principle which is to protect the female category".
He noted that there are currently no transgender athletes competing internationally in the sport.
"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.
"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."
The Council agreed to set up a working group for 12 months to "further consider the issue of transgender inclusion".
An 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.
It will consult specifically with transgender athletes, as well as review and commission research and put forward recommendations to the Council.
The 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.
DSD 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".
DSD 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.
Under previous regulations, DSD athletes were only restricted in events ranging from 400m to a mile.
Interim 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.
Coe 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.
He 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".
Semenya, 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.
As 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.
It 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.
However, 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.
Many 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.
The 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.
The 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.
In 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.
The governing body said all transgender athletes should be allowed to compete with men in an open category to "ensure fairness" in women's competition.
What are the rules in other sports?
In 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".
Fina'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.
Fina, 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.
In 2022, British Triathlon become the first British sporting body to establish a new 'open' category in which transgender athletes can compete.
The Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union also banned transgender women from competing in female-only forms of their games.
It 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.
Some critics have said that these rules are discriminatory.
Olympic 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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/65051900 |
Boris Johnson challenged in hearing: Key moments - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | null | The former prime minister faces a committee of MPs on whether he intentionally misled parliament. | null | Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced a committee of MPs looking at whether he intentionally misled parliament over lockdown-era parties.
Here are the key moments from Johnson's Partygate grilling. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65043513 |
Seoul zebra escape: Animal back at zoo after hours on the loose - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The young animal was unharmed after exploring some residential streets before being tranquilized. | Asia | 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
A zebra has been returned to its home at a zoo in South Korea's capital, Seoul, after spending three hours on the loose.
The male zebra, named Sero, which means vertical in Korean, broke free from Seoul Children's Grand Park Zoo on Thursday afternoon.
Police, fire officials and zoo staff were all involved in trying to safely capture him.
Sero 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.
This 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’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
The 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.
Sero was eventually trapped by officials using a safety fence after he entered a narrow alleyway.
He was tranquilized before being taken back to the zoo in the back of a truck.
An 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.
According to its website, the zoo houses more than 400 animals from 38 species, including Korean dogs, monkeys and donkeys. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65056899 |
UK monkeypox vaccine rollout to wind down - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Clinics are set to stop offering vaccinations to those at risk, as the number of cases falls. | UK | The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced its vaccination programme against mpox will end this summer.
Cases 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.
First doses of the vaccine will remain available to those at highest risk until 16 June, with second doses available until the end of July.
The UKHSA says it will monitor cases and restart the programme if needed.
While the mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, virus can infect anyone, most UK cases were among men who have sex with men.
Anyone eligible who has not yet received a vaccine is being encouraged to book an appointment to protect themselves before summer.
Greg 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.
"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."
Since the vaccination programme launched, in July, 67,898 people have received their first dose of the vaccine and 26,619 their second. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65052626 |
Multiple injuries after ship tips over at Edinburgh dockyard - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Twenty three people were treated to hospital and another 12 at the scene of the incident in Leith. | Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland | 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
Thirty-five people have been injured after a ship tipped over at an Edinburgh dockyard.
NHS Lothian said 23 people had been treated in hospital and 12 people at the scene of the incident at Imperial Dock, Leith.
A major incident was declared after the research vessel Petrel became dislodged from its holding on a dry dock.
People have been asked not to attend A&E at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI) unless it is an emergency.
Pictures posted on social media showed the 3,000-tonne vessel, which is owned by the US Navy, leaning at a 45-degree angle.
The US Consulate in Edinburgh said it was monitoring the situation and offering support to US citizens who were involved.
"We thank the emergency services for their prompt response. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident," it added.
Images on social media showed the vessel at a 45-degree angle
The Scottish Ambulance Service said it was called at 08:30.
Five 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.
NHS 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.
Another 12 people were treated and discharged at the scene.
A 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".
Jacquie 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."
NHS Lothian has advised other people who require urgent care to contact their GP or call NHS 24.
Police Scotland urged the public to avoid the area to allow access for emergency services.
Supt Mark Rennie said all casualties had been accounted for by 13:20.
He explained: "There is no risk to the wider public and inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened.
"I would also like to thank the public for their patience while the emergency services undertook a very difficult job aiding casualties."
HM coastguard sent teams from Fisherrow, South Queensferry and Kinghorn to the scene as part of the multi-agency response.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it had sent four fire engines and "a number of specialist resources".
The Health and Safety Executive said it was aware of the incident and was making inquiries.
Sailors' 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.
She 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.
"There is shock, horror, pain - every emotion you can imagine is being shown by staff. "
The Sailors' Society also said it was supporting people affected by the incident.
"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."
James Welsh hear a loud noise as the ship fell in the dry dock
James 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".
He 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.
"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.
"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."
Cammy 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.
Leith councillor Adam McVey described the incident as "terrifying" for those on board.
He 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.
"My thoughts are with those who've been injured and hope everyone recovers quickly. Please avoid area."
A spokesperson from Forth Ports said the incident happened at the facility of its tenant, Dales Marine Services.
They 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.
"Our thoughts are with everyone involved in this incident."
Dales 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.
A 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."
A 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.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and their families, with hopes for a quick and full recovery."
The weather was windy overnight with gusts of up to 38mph (61km/h) recorded inland at Gogarbank at 08:00, according to Met Office data.
Iraklis Lazakis, from the department of marine architecture and engineering at the University of Strathclyde, said it was a "very, very unusual" incident.
He told BBC Scotland's The Nine he believed the strong winds were unlikely to be the root cause of the incident.
The Petrel was pictured in an neighbouring berth in January, before being moved into the dry dock
Leith 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.
The 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.
The 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.
The vessel was previously owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
It was placed into long-term moorage in 2020 as a result of "operation challenges" during the Covid pandemic, and has not been used since.
Before 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.
The 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65038617 |
Into the ‘lion’s den’: Questions the TikTok CEO will face from Congress today over a possible ban - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The video-sharing app's chief executive will testify to US lawmakers in a much-anticipated grilling. | US & Canada | 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
On Thursday, TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, will be opening a lion's mouth and placing his own head into it.
He's giving testimony in the US Congress for the first time, a scary thing to do.
And at stake is the future of the phenomenally popular video-sharing app in the US.
"I think that there is a real risk that if this hearing doesn't go well… that could have a massive impact on the future of TikTok," said Chris Stokel-Walker, author of TikTok Boom.
Mr 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.
He'll also be quizzed on why several journalists were spied on by ByteDance employees - something TikTok has already admitted.
Mr Chew will say user data is safe - away from the reach of the Chinese government.
He knows politicians from all sides want to see the platform either sold - or outright banned in the US.
"He's going into the lion's den," said Mr Stokel-Walker.
Mr 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.
TikTok's boss, who has had a range of senior positions in the world of finance, generally sports a suit jacket and tie.
But on Tuesday, he posted a TikTok with a very different look.
Instead of a suit, he was wearing a white T-shirt and hoodie - the uniform of the nonchalant tech founder.
The 40-year-old was suddenly speaking like a teenager too - talking of being "super excited".
"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.
"He's actually been starting to gain a bit more of a public profile, especially leading up to this hearing."
The Singaporean has generally kept a low profile since taking over at TikTok in 2021.
However, that approach appears to have changed. TikTok is fighting for its life, and Mr Chew knows it.
The big problem TikTok has in the US and Europe is that it is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance.
And in China, there are specific laws that require companies to hand over information to the Chinese Communist Party if requested.
Shou Zi Chew and his wife, Vivian Kao, attend the 2022 Met Gala in New York City
TikTok holds reams of data about its users, including location information and biometric data.
For years TikTok has argued that it would never hand over user information.
It has spent tens of millions of dollars on lobbying efforts and strategies to appease governments.
At the heart of its attempt to convince US lawmakers is "Project Texas".
This is the company's commitment to store US data in the US - on servers run by a US company - Oracle.
The company says so far it has spent $1.5bn on this project - and describes it as a "firewall" that protects data from foreign governments.
TikTok had hoped it would satisfy politicians on all sides.
Last year Mr Chew wrote to politicians saying he believed the project would "safeguard user data and US national security interests".
But sadly for TikTok, Project Texas has been looked at sceptically by both Republicans and Democrats.
For many US politicians, for as long as TikTok has a Chinese owner, it will be considered suspicious.
Last month FBI director Christopher Wray didn't mince his words about the platform.
"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.
For most US lawmakers, TikTok would be a far more palatable platform if it were not owned by a Chinese company.
Last week it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration had requested the company be sold for this reason.
This 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.
This is the backdrop to Thursday's congressional hearing.
We already have a fair idea of what Mr Chew is going to say from TikTok briefings.
He'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.
He'll push back on the idea that ByteDance is Chinese-owned - saying the company has many international investors.
And 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.
But often these hearings make headlines for one or perhaps two specific exchanges.
Mark Zuckerberg's famous Senate hearing in 2018 is often remembered for one brilliant question from Senator Richard Durbin.
"Mr Zuckerberg, would you be comfortable sharing with us which hotel you stayed in last night?" he said.
The Facebook boss looked visibly uncomfortable before saying "no".
"I think that might be what this is all about…your right to privacy," the senator said.
It's these curveball questions that Shou Zi Chew should fear most. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65045804 |
Commercial development of gene-edited food now legal in England - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The law has changed to allow the commercial development and sale of gene-edited food in England. | Science & Environment | Researchers in Cambridge are developing gene-edited potatoes that don't bruise in order to reduce food waste
Gene-edited food can now be developed commercially in England following a change in the law.
Supporters of the technology say it will speed up the development of hardier crops that will be needed because of climate change.
Critics say that the change could bring ''disaster'' to our food production and the environment.
Gene editing involves making precise changes to an organism's DNA to enhance certain characteristics.
The 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.
The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments have not permitted the commercial use of gene editing.
Scientists say that gene editing can help to produce new climate-change resistant crops quickly
Gene 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.
The 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.
"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.
The 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.
Gene 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.
The 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.
Gene-edited tomatoes rich in a chemical with calming effects are on sale in Japan
Critics 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.
"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.
"History has shown that when you remove regulatory control, particularly for food and the environment, there is looming disaster on the horizon.''
Defra'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.
There 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.
A US firm is gene editing blackberries that don't have seeds
A Welsh Government spokesperson said that this would create "unavoidable consequences for Wales".
"Gene-edited plants, animals and products from England will be marketable here without the authorisations our law requires," they said.
"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."
The 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.
The 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.
There is however enthusiasm for the use of gene editing among some plant breeders in England.
The National Institute of Agricultural Botany, just outside Cambridge, has been breeding new varieties of crops for UK farmers for more than a hundred years.
They 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.
"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."
A 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.
The 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.
Bayer Crop Science has developed GM crops for use across the world, employing more than 30,000 people.
But 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.
"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."
The 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.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64596453 |
Premier League domestic flights: BBC Sport research shows 81 flights from 100 games - BBC Sport | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | null | BBC Sport research shows the scale of short domestic flights to and from games involving Premier League teams from 100 fixtures in 2023. | null | 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.
Whether 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.
Now, 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.
And 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.
• None The Sports Desk podcast: Should Premier League clubs stop flying to domestic games?
• 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
• None The shortest flight was just 27 77
• None The average duration of these 81 flights was 42
BBC Sport contacted all Premier League clubs with the flight information.
In addition to these 'player movement' flights, the research also suggested a significant number of connected 'positioning' flights. The study found:
• 37 of the 81 player flights had a flight marked as 'positioning' beforehand
• None The average duration of the 37 'positioning' flights in the study was 42
Flights produce greenhouse gases - mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) - from burning fuel. These contribute to global warming.
Emissions 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.
• None Should clubs stop flying to domestic matches for environmental reasons?
• None Find out more about sport and climate change
What about these 'positioning' flights?
'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.
BBC Sport contacted the airlines involved but received no confirmation as to the number of passengers on these flights.
As 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.
But 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.
In 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.
• None Green Football Weekend: What are clubs, players and fans doing?
The 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".
The 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."
Those policies, the Premier League pointed out, include more sustainable fan travel initiatives, use of renewable energy and conservation projects.
The scale of the emissions
The 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.
Arsenal told BBC Sport that domestic flights of this type "accounted for 0.25% of the club's total emissions for season 2021-22".
An 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."
The 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.
However, 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"
Vince believes the Premier League and its clubs should lead the way.
Vince said: "The carbon impact is one thing… 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.
"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."
The 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.
The 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."
What are the factors?
Premier 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.
It 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.
As 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.
With 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?
Matt 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.
He 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.
"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."
There 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.
With 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.
Chelsea 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."
Nottingham 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."
Many clubs reference fixture scheduling across multiple domestic and European competitions and then changes made by broadcasters with expensive TV rights - factors outside their control.
An 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."
Former 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.
"We're assuming plane travel is optimising for performance, but I haven't seen any clear studies that have shown that."
Analysis: Why has BBC Sport done this research?
What 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.
There 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?
To 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.
That 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.
Sport 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.
Why 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?
It 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'?
*BBC Sport has had a Sustainability Strategy in place since 2021 which includes a no domestic flight policy.
• None Our beautiful land as you've never seen it before:
• None Go Hard or Go Home: | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65017565 |
John Wick: Chapter 4 - Keanu Reeves film lands franchise's best reviews - BBC News | "2023-03-23T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Keanu Reeves' John Wick: Chapter Four "outdoes its formidable predecessors", one critic says. | Entertainment & Arts | Keanu Reeves paid tribute to co-star Lance Reddick, who died last week, at the film's premiere
John 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.
Rotten Tomatoes, which awards scores based on critics' views, awarded John Wick: Chapter 4 a very positive 95%.
The second and third films both scored 89%, while 2014's original got 86%.
The Hollywood Reporter said Chapter 4 "outdoes its formidable predecessors in nearly every respect".
The film, which comes out on Friday, sees Wick being pursued by global criminal organisation the High Table.
It 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".
"JW4 is going to be huge and, for me, it's easily the most satisfying entry of the lot," she added.
This 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’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
Rolling 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".
It has "established itself as the most reliable film franchise this side of Mission: Impossible", he added.
The 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.
"Reeves commits so thoroughly to the role's insane physical demands that he should get an award, if not for acting, then merely surviving."
The 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.
"Never one to upstage his fellow actors, he succeeds, as few movie stars could, at both drawing and deflecting the camera's attention."
Reeves, 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.
Lance Reddick was known for starring in HBO series The Wire as well as the John Wick franchise
However, the film's release comes just days after the death of co-star Lance Reddick, who played hotel manager Charon in the franchise.
Reeves 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.
"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."
In 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."
Despite the film's excellent Rotten Tomatoes rating, not all critics liked it.
The Guardian's Charles Bramesco called it an "overlong and overstuffed action sequel".
"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."
Empire'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."
But 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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65049818 |
Bakhmut: Fighting in the street but Russia not in control - deputy mayor - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The city has seen months of intense fighting - despite its strategic value being questioned. | Europe | Bakhmut has lost 95% of its pre-war population since the start of the Russian invasion
Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in the streets of Bakhmut - but Russia does not control the eastern city, its deputy mayor has said.
Oleksandr Marchenko also told the BBC the remaining 4,000 civilians are living in shelters without access to gas, electricity or water.
Mr Marchenko said "not a single building" had remained untouched and that the city is "almost destroyed".
Bakhmut has seen months of fighting, as Russia tries to take charge.
"There is fighting near the city and there are also street fights," Mr Marchenko said.
Taking the city would be a rare battlefield success in recent months for Russia. But despite that, the city's strategic value has been questioned.
Some experts say any Russian victory could be pyrrhic - that is, not worth the cost.
Thousands 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.
On Saturday, UK military intelligence said Russian advances in the northern suburbs had left the Ukraine-held sections vulnerable to Russian attacks on three sides.
Mr Marchenko accused the Russians of having "no goal" to save the city and that it wanted to commit "genocide of the Ukrainian people".
"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.
The 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.
It 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.
But 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.
And 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.
But any withdrawal may be hard fought and could take some time.
Earlier 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.
"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."
The city was "almost destroyed", with bridges ruined and communication cut off, Mr Marchenko added.
"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.
The 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.
A maternity and children's hospital in Mariupol was hit by a Russian air strike in March 2022
Russia claimed the Donbas town of Soledar, about 10km (6.2 miles) from Bakhmut, in January following a long battle with the Ukrainian forces.
Soledar, too, was reportedly reduced to a wasteland of flattened buildings and rubble by the time the Ukrainian army retreated.
On Friday, President Zelensky stressed that artillery and shells were needed to "stop Russia".
US 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".
• None Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Ukraine | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64846666 |
Johnson may have misled Parliament over parties, say MPs - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Boris Johnson insists he did nothing wrong and will be "vindicated" by an inquiry into his conduct. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
MPs have said Boris Johnson may have misled Parliament multiple times over Partygate - but the former PM insists he will be vindicated by their report.
The privileges committee said it had seen evidence that "strongly suggests" Covid rule breaches would have been "obvious" to Mr Johnson.
But Mr Johnson said he never "knowingly or recklessly" misled MPs about lockdown gatherings in Downing Street.
And he said he was confident he would be cleared by the committee.
He is due to give evidence to the committee later this month.
In an initial report published on Friday, the MPs highlighted ways in which he may have misled Parliament.
These include a statement on 8 December 2021 no rules or guidance had been broken in Number 10.
Mr Johnson told BBC News he did not "know or suspect" that events broke the rules when he spoke about them in the Commons.
He added that "after 10 months of effort" the committee had not produced evidence "to suggest otherwise".
"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.
The committee has published extracts from a series of WhatsApp messages it has received as part of its inquiry.
In 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".
In 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.
In 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".
Mr 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".
The official responded: "I meant for the police bit but yeah as ridiculous as the cake thing is it is difficult".
The official then suggested they could argue it was "reasonably necessary for work purposes".
Mr Doyle replied: "Not sure that one works does it. Also blows another great gaping hole in the PM's account doesn't it?"
Boris Johnson celebrates his birthday - for which he received a fine - in a previously unseen image released by the committee
In 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.
The privileges committee said it would take Ms Gray's findings into account.
It 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.
Mr Johnson said it raised questions over the conclusions over her inquiry.
"I think people may look at it in a different light," he told BBC News.
He 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".
He added it was "surreal" that MPs investigating whether he misled Parliament over Partygate were planning to take her inquiry into account.
This 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".
If Mr Johnson is found to have misled Parliament, he could be suspended as MP or expelled, creating a by-election.
But the committee's findings, and any sanction on Mr Johnson, would have to be approved by a vote in parliament.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the "evidence of wrongdoing by Boris Johnson is already pretty damming".
"I think Boris Johnson needs to confront the evidence that's there in front of him," he said.
Sir Keir accused Rishi Sunak "sitting on his hands" through the investigation.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper accused Mr Johnson of trying to "wriggle out" of the "damning" questions raised by the committee. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64836425 |
Rafael Viñoly: Uruguayan architect of London's 'Walkie Talkie' dies aged 78 - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Uruguayan also worked on Tokyo's International Forum and Manchester City's training ground. | Latin America & Caribbean | Rafael Viñoly died in New York City on Thursday
Rafael Viñoly, the world-renowned Uruguayan architect who designed buildings including London's so-called Walkie Talkie, has died aged 78.
Viñoly's death was announced by his son, Román, who described him as a "visionary" who leaves "a rich legacy of distinctive and timeless designs".
He established Rafael Viñoly Architects in 1983 and his work features in more than 600 structures around the world.
He died in hospital, reportedly from an aneurysm, in New York City on Thursday.
Román Viñoly 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".
Born in Montevideo in 1944, Viñoly moved to Buenos Aires at the age of five with his mother, a maths teacher, and theatre director father.
He 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.
The 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.
The skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street is known as the Walkie Talkie due to its apparent likeness to the communication device
His designs spanned office and residential buildings, hotels, concert halls, stadiums and airports across the world.
The "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.
Viñoly 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.
The 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.
And Manchester City Football Club - whose training ground Viñoly designed - paid tribute to their "cherished friend".
Jay Bargmann, the vice president of Rafael Viñoly 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."
Viñoly is survived by his wife, Diana, an interior designer, his son, Román, and stepsons Nicolás and Lucas.
Perhaps his firm's most renowned work is the Tokyo International Forum, the long building seen here | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-64848302 |
Michael Vaughan: Yorkshire cricket racism hearing is 'terrible look for game' - BBC Sport | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | null | Former England captain Michael Vaughan says the disciplinary hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire is a "terrible look" for cricket. | null | Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Former England captain Michael Vaughan says the disciplinary hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire is a "terrible look" for cricket.
Vaughan 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.
Vaughan has "completely and categorically" denied the allegation - and did so again when giving evidence for the first time in the hearing on Friday.
However, 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.
Jane 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.
Vaughan, 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".
• None Yorkshire cricket racism hearing: All you need to know
In 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.
Vaughan repeated that denial on Friday, saying: "I can't apologise for something I don't recollect saying."
Rafiq said on Thursday that Vaughan's actions after their meeting had left him feeling "naive".
"It's not been easy for anybody," said Vaughan, under cross-examination by Mulcahy.
"This is not the right process to deal with word-against-word comments from 14 years ago.
"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."
Before 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.
Vaughan'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.
Vaughan repeatedly denied having heard such racial slurs while at Yorkshire.
When 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."
The 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.
He 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.
England spinner Rashid and former Yorkshire and Pakistan bowler Naved-ul-Hasan have corroborated Rafiq's allegation.
The fourth player in the group, former England bowler Shahzad has said he has no recollection of it happening.
Vaughan 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.
Vaughan also denied he had said the alleged comment in jest.
When 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.
He 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".
Rafiq 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).
In 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.
Wood also alleged Rafiq "used being Asian" to get a place on an ECB coaching course despite missing the deadline.
Mulcahy 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".
Rafiq's witness statement also said Wood's assertion of the coaching course discussion was an "odd thing to claim".
Wood 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.
Mulcahy asked why Wood "went behind" Rafiq's back and suggested that he was "at pains" to support Vaughan in these proceedings "no matter what".
Wood said he disagreed and that he "wasn't on anybody's side".
Among 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.
Vaughan'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.
Stoner 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.
Botros said "no-one has suggested the umpires were close enough to hear it" and Sky footage showed they "weren't close to the huddle".
He added there was also "no suggestion" the cameraman heard it, and it was "assumed he would have had headphones on".
Botros 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".
He 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."
The 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/64832070 |
Saul Murray: Rare designer coat helped snare killer, say police - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Saul Murray was killed after being given the sedative GHB in a robbery that went wrong. | Beds, Herts & Bucks | Saul Murray was described by his family as a "beautiful soul, a loving father, son, brother, uncle and friend"
A 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.
Saul Murray, 33, was killed at his Luton flat in February last year having been drugged with the sedative GHB.
Police said one of his killers, Ikem Affia, 31, was wearing a Moncler coat - worth more than £1,000 - that was one of only 69 sold in the UK.
Det Insp Dale Mepstead said it was a "key piece of evidence".
On Friday, four people were jailed for their involvement in the killing.
The trial heard Dhillon contacted Mr Murray on Instagram on 9 February - shortly after he posted the pictures - before messaging him on WhatsApp.
Prosecutor 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".
She 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".
A photo of one of the fake Rolexes was released
Det 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".
"At some point during that, there's been some sort of altercation and Saul has been stabbed in the leg," she said.
"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."
She said police "identified two robberies that had been reported" in London which took place in similar circumstances.
Det Insp Mepstead said: "I wouldn't be surprised if there's more of this going on, but it doesn't get reported.
"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.
"So I'm sure that this was probably just the tip of the iceberg."
Police said that only 69 of the type of Moncler coat - worth more than £1,000 - were sold in the UK
In 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.
But 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.
However, 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".
"Only 69 of them had been sold in the UK, one of which we could attribute to Ikem Affia's partner," she said.
"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'."
Det Insp Dale Mepstead said Mr Murray was "probably in the process of turning his life around"
The 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.
But she said: "Clearly the lifestyle that he was purporting to have on social media wasn't the reality of his situation.
"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."
Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64827791 |
Cancer: Farmer sells cattle for charity after wife's death - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Emyr Wigley's herd has raised thousands of pounds for two charities. | Wales | Emyr Wigley has raised a herd of British Blue cattle in memory of his wife Evelyn
"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."
He 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".
But it was not long before she began to feel unwell. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died in 2015, aged 69.
Emyr and Evelyn had planned to go travelling in a caravan they bought
Emyr, 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."
With 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.
The 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.
The last of the herd sold for £81,000
So far, those sales have made more than £120,000 for charities, and the final 33 cattle were auctioned in Shrewsbury on Saturday.
The Old Stackyard Blues pedigree charity herd sold for £81,000.
Emyr said: "There's more pleasure in helping other people than helping yourself."
Emyr 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.
Laura Pritchard said Emyr was close to death after being injured by a bull
His niece Laura Pritchard said: "We are incredibly lucky because Em was a hair's breadth from death.
"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."
James 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.
The cows were auctioned in Shrewsbury
"Due to his age, Emyr would probably still have been retiring in the next couple of years.
"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."
As 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.
After 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.
"He has turned something so devastating into something inspirational." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64836559 |
Bahrain Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso edges out Red Bulls in practice but plays down pole hopes - BBC Sport | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | null | Fernando Alonso rejects the idea that he could start the Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position despite setting the pace in Friday practice. | null | Last updated on .From the section Formula 1
Fernando Alonso has rejected the idea that he could start the Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position despite setting the pace in Friday practice.
The Aston Martin driver was 0.169 seconds quicker than world champion Max Verstappen's Red Bull, whose team-mate Sergio Perez was third fastest.
Alonso said: "I am not thinking that high. I don't know exactly what position would be a good one for us."
The two-time champion also ruled out fighting for the world title in 2023.
Alonso, 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.
He 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.
• None Mercedes 'a long way off' pace, says Hamilton
• None What to look out for in the new Formula 1 season
• None How to follow Bahrain Grand Prix on BBC radio and online
Alonso's performance, if repeated in qualifying and race, marks a dramatic step forward for Aston Martin, who finished seventh in the championship last season.
The 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.
"I expect we will unfortunately make some mistakes. I may maybe make some mistakes. It is a completely new team, new procedures.
"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."
He 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.
"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."
The Aston Martin was expected to have made a step forward but Alonso's performance was a surprise - even to the team themselves.
"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.
"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."
What about the rest of the field?
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth fastest and Lewis Hamilton the quickest Mercedes in eighth, 0.636secs off the pace.
Nico Hulkenberg's Haas, Lance Stroll's Aston Martin and Pierre Gasly's Alpine filled the gaps ahead of Hamilton.
McLaren'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.
Leclerc 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.
The 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.
The 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.
• None Meet the teams and drivers for 2023
• 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
• None Can she help struggling learners pass their test? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64838388 |
Channel ferry blaze: Investigation launched after Isle of Innisfree towed to Calais - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Irish Ferries is yet to say when the Isle of Innisfree will sail again after its engine room fire. | Kent | The Isle of Innisfree was towed to Calais overnight
An investigation has been launched into the cause of a fire which broke out on a ferry in the English Channel.
It started in the engine room of the Isle of Innisfree at 17:30 GMT on Friday and was contained, according to Irish Ferries.
The vessel was towed to Calais overnight by a French coastguard tug.
A total of 94 passengers and 89 crew disembarked on Saturday morning after docking, marine authorities confirmed. There were no injuries.
The ferry was midway between Dover and Calais when the blaze started.
Three lifeboats from Dover, Ramsgate and Dungeness were launched as well as a French salvage tug.
A fire broke out in the engine room of the ferry overnight
Those booked on imminent sailings are being transferred to alternative sailings, Irish Ferries confirmed.
The firm has apologised to all of its passengers for the disruption to their journeys.
It has not said when services on the Isle of Innisfree will resume.
In 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."
HM Coastguard said: "The vessel has confirmed that the fire has been extinguished but [it had experienced] technical issues."
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Disgraced ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A judge calls the double murder case "one of the most troubling" as he hands down two life sentences. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Disgraced ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife and son in a case that shocked the US.
The hearing in South Carolina came one day after a jury took less than three hours to convict the 54-year-old.
Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, were shot at close range on their family estate on 7 June 2021.
Prosecutors argued he killed his wife and son to divert attention from his financial crimes and gain sympathy.
Judge 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".
"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.
Alex Murdaugh headed a legal dynasty that for decades had occupied a powerful place - the jurisdiction was described by some as "Murdaugh Country".
Judge 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.
"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.
The disbarred attorney was convicted of two counts of murder after a six-week trial.
During the trial, investigators revealed how Murdaugh stole nearly $9m from clients, to fund an addiction to painkillers and a lavish lifestyle.
At Friday's sentencing, Murdaugh spoke briefly twice, to maintain his innocence. His lawyers said they would appeal against the life terms within 10 days.
Murdaugh'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.
The judge also suggested the murders may have been carried out under the influence of the drugs.
"It might not have been you, but it may have been the monster you became when you took those pills."
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?
Lead 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".
Murdaugh, meanwhile, restated his claim that he was not guilty.
"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.
A 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.
A juror who convicted him told ABC News that was the moment he began to suspect the defendant was guilty.
A new mugshot released by the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) shows that Murdaugh's head has now been shaved.
According to local media, male prisoners normally undergo some sort of haircut upon arriving in prison.
The 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.
After the 45-day period, he will be sent to a maximum-security prison.
During 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".
The 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.
The high-profile case has captured national attention and sparked true crime podcasts and documentaries. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64828608 |
Scottish bakery Morton's Rolls 'ceases trading' - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Companies House said it could strike off the bakery after it missed a deadline to file accounts. | Scotland business | Scottish bakery Morton's Rolls is understood to have ceased trading after missing a deadline to file accounts.
In a letter to staff on Friday, the firm wrote that employees would be "laid off with immediate effect".
The Glasgow-based bakery, which employs about 250 people, said that "no final decision" had been taken on redundancies but all jobs were at risk.
Companies House states on its website that there is an "active proposal to strike off" the firm.
Morton's Rolls accounts for the year to 31 March 2022 were required to be filed by 31 December and are now overdue.
Last month, compulsory strike-off action was suspended on 9 February, two days after it was announced by Companies House.
But in the letter to staff on Friday, the firm wrote: "The company is ceasing to trade with immediate effect.
"The directors have taken steps to ensure that the business can continue in some form.
"But it is likely that this will be with a reduced workforce across the business."
Bill 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.
He 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.
"Morton's Rolls is a famous name and we want to ensure that is maintained and even developed into the future
"Everything that can be done to save this business will be done."
Morton's Rolls was originally founded by Bob Morton and Jim Clarke in 1965 at their bakery near Drumchapel, in the west of Glasgow.
Over the years, Morton's expanded its product range to include cakes and savouries.
The company's flagship product is its traditional crispy roll.
For the year to the end of March 2021, the company reported a loss of £262,00 on turnover of more than £11.8m.
Morton's Rolls has been approached for comment. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64834929 |
Sonic boom heard as RAF jets escort aircraft to Stansted Airport - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The flight from Iceland to Kenya was diverted to Stansted Airport after communications went down, police said. | Leicester | 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
RAF jets scrambled to escort an aircraft which lost communications caused a sonic boom, police have said.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Typhoon jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire were authorised to fly supersonic to assist a civilian plane.
Essex Police said the aircraft - flying from Iceland to Kenya - was diverted to Stansted Airport, landing at 12:50 GMT.
It comes after people heard a "loud bang" in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.
Two people - a pilot and co-pilot - were on board, Essex Police said.
The force said officers carried out enquiries and were satisfied there was a loss of contact due to "equipment malfunction and nothing of any concern".
The plane and those on board have now been released to continue their journey.
A sonic boom is caused when planes fly faster than the speed of sound.
Essex Police said two jets were scrambled to escort an aircraft that lost communications
Lee Shellard, from Syston, Leicester, said he was watching TV when he heard the bang.
"It shook ornaments and bits around the house," he told the BBC.
"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
"That's when I went back and checked the CCTV footage."
Departures from Gatwick airport were reportedly suspended for 15 minutes earlier.
BBC 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".
BBC East Midlands reporter Will Jefford in Daventry, said he thought his boiler had exploded.
"The whole house shook and we jumped out of the sofa to check if everything was okay," he said.
"You could feel the noise through the floorboards. It almost hit you in the chest - I managed to drop half my cup of tea.
"We initially thought the boiler had blown up, but I could hear a jet overhead so realised it was probably a sonic boom."
A sonic boom is caused when planes fly faster than the speed of sound, which at ground level is around 761mph.
When 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.
As 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.
Louise Gourlay in Bicester, Oxfordshire, said her military training kicked in and hit the floor when she heard the bang.
"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.
"I didn't know if it was an explosion or something, the house shook violently."
Anne Marie Oostveen near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, told the BBC her "whole house shook".
"I was watching TV with my cat Jones and I heard a loud boom sound.
"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.
"But the videos online make it sound like an explosion, to me it sounded like a low boom.
"My cat just looked up and then went back to sleep."
Rebecca 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?"
A 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.
"We like to reassure you that there is no concern however thank you for your immediate response to us."
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-64847214 |
Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | null | Police reveal details of an undercover operation that began off the coast of South America. | null | Police in Australia have revealed details of an undercover operation that stopped nearly $700m worth of cocaine (around 1bn AUD, £570m) linked to a Mexican drug cartel from reaching the country.
It is reported to be the biggest drug bust in Australia's history.
Operation Beech began in November when narcotics officers seized 2.4 tonnes of the drug off the coast of South America. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-64847242 |
Two unions suspend ambulance strikes in England as talks reopen - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Unison and GMB suspend strike in England but action from Unite members to go ahead as planned on Monday. | Health | 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.
Tens of thousands of staff were expected to walk out on 6 March and 8 March across large parts of England.
That action has been suspended after ministers agreed to reopen pay talks for both this and next financial year.
The government welcomed the move, but said it was "disappointing" a third union still planned to strike.
Unite, the smallest of the three ambulance unions representing approximately 3,000 workers, said its strike on 6 March would go ahead.
Industrial action has also been paused in Wales for further talks with the Welsh government.
In Scotland, all NHS worker strikes are on hold too.
Rachel 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.
"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.
"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."
It 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.
It is thought the Royal College of Nursing will also be brought back into wider pay discussions, instead of holding separate talks with ministers.
Ambulance workers on the picket line in Bournemouth, Dorset
Last 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.
That angered members of other health unions who accused ministers of "playing a dangerous game" by pursuing a "divide and rule strategy".
Tens 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.
The 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.
Ministers said negotiations could only start if industrial action was suspended.
The 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.
"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,"
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "We want to start these talks as soon as possible and are ready to meet over the weekend.
"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.
"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."
Tens of thousands of junior doctors are also expected to strike in England for 72 hours between March 13 and 15. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64839818 |
Laura Kuenssberg: Rishi Sunak struggles to escape Tories' horror show past - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Old problems have resurfaced, and none of them were in the prime minister's carefully designed script. | UK Politics | "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.
We'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.
There 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.
And 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.
Reminders 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.
First 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.
"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.
This 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
Much 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.
The 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.
And 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.
There 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.
As Health Secretary, Matt Hancock gave regular Downing St media briefings during the pandemic
The opposition is already asking pointedly what the government knew at the time.
Given 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.
But 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.
The 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.
In Westminster, that's the sin of all sins - one that's punishable with an MP potentially having to fight for their seat again.
Let'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.
The 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.
Mr 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.
To 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.
Even 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.
Reviving memories of Partygate, and the public upset and outrage that came alongside it, is hardly helpful for the Conservatives.
Mr 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.
One Tory MP says that "the danger is that Partygate and privileges and everything - it just all damages us".
And there's been an unexpected and fraught added dimension to all this too.
The 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.
Labour 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.
Over 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.
But 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.
Conservative MPs have expressed anger that Sue Gray has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff
The 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.
It 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.
But - 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."
There 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"?
Whether 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.
But 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.
The events of the past few years have been so intense, shaken things so fundamentally, that a clean break is extremely hard to achieve.
Mr 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.
The Brexit deal, which still hasn't been approved by the DUP, does show that his head-down, no-drama approach can bear fruit.
One 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".
But the past few days have shown that the forces that have been at work in recent years still have the power to disrupt.
One 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64835929 |
Sergei Lavrov: Russian foreign minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | null | Sergei Lavrov is laughed at in Delhi after saying the Ukraine war was "launched against us". | null | Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was laughed at in Delhi after saying the Ukraine war was "launched against us".
Lavrov claimed Russia was trying to stop the Ukraine war, which began after its own full-scale invasion in February 2022.
He was speaking to a conference audience in Delhi on Friday, after a G20 foreign ministers' meeting. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64848508 |
Stephen Bear jailed for sharing sex video on OnlyFans - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The reality TV contestant shared footage of himself and Georgia Harrison on OnlyFans. | Essex | 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
Reality TV contestant Stephen Bear has been jailed for 21 months for sharing a private video of him having sex with his ex-partner.
Bear, 33, shared CCTV footage of himself and Love Island star Georgia Harrison, which was uploaded to OnlyFans.
He had caused her "extensive humiliation and embarrassment", the judge said.
Ms Harrison said she had been through "absolute hell" since 2020.
"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.
This 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
"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.
"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."
Bear was found guilty of voyeurism and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films in December.
Ahead 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.
As 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."
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he had shown a "complete lack of remorse".
Georgia Harrison hugs a woman outside court after the sentencing of Stephen Bear
Bear 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.
He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and will be subject to notification requirements for 10 years.
Jacqueline 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.
Ms 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.
Stephen Bear, pictured arriving at an earlier hearing, posed for selfies outside of court ahead of sentencing
The 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.
Ms Carey said Bear uploaded the footage "either himself or had it uploaded to OnlyFans and profited financially".
Judge 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".
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Following 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.
"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.
"Although she lives a public life, Georgia Harrison has the right to privacy.
"But that was taken away by Bear to make money in the most egregious way."
Bear was arrested at Heathrow Airport in January 2021
Her thoughts were echoed by Det Con Brian Sitch of Essex Police, who praised Ms Harrison for her "immense bravery and patience".
"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.
"She had to sit her family down and explain to them that this video had been leaked.
"This was all because Stephen Bear thought he could secretly film his former partner and thought he could get away with appalling crimes."
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-64836055 |
Energy Price Guarantee expected to continue at same level in April - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The BBC understands the Energy Price Guarantee is expected to continue at current levels for three months. | Business | The chancellor is expected to extend the Energy Price Guarantee at current levels for a further three months, the BBC understands.
Typical household energy bills were scheduled to rise to £3,000 a year from April, but calls have been made for the government to retain its current level of support with the cap at £2,500.
The level of help is now expected to be maintained, but energy firms have been asked to prepare for both scenarios.
At the moment, the government is limiting the typical household bill to £2,500 a year, plus a £400 winter discount.
From 1 April the help is scheduled to be scaled back, and the £400 discount will come to an end, which could push people's bills up despite the weather getting warmer.
Fuel 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.
However, 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.
Chancellor 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.
Mr Hunt told the BBC last month that the policy was "under review".
The 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.
Instead 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.
However, the £400 winter payment that has led to a £66 per month reduction in monthly payments on many bills does look likely to end next month.
There have been no talks about extending this element of support.
The 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.
Labour'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."
The 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.
Energy UK, which represents suppliers, urged the government earlier this week to hold the level of support at £2,500 for a typical household and to "announce that quickly" so firms could price it into bills from April.
Energy Secretary Grant Shapps previously said he is "very sympathetic" to suggestions that the planned £500 rise in bills should be stopped.
However, 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.
"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.
There 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.
Bills began rising as Covid lockdowns ended but the war in Ukraine saw them surge further.
Without the government's Energy Price Guarantee to limit prices, a typical household's gas and electricity bill would have hit £4,279 a year from January under the energy price cap set by Ofgem, the industry regulator.
How is the rising cost of living changing how you live your life? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64830701 |
Prince Harry: I always felt different to rest of family - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | In a conversation about grief, the Duke of Sussex says he and his mother Diana felt a disconnect from other royals. | UK | 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
Prince Harry has said he "always felt slightly different" to his family, and that his late mother felt the same.
In an online conversation about grief, the Duke of Sussex said he feared losing memories of his mother Diana when he started therapy.
He also said he made sure to "smother" his children with affection to avoid passing on any "traumas" or "negative experiences" from his own upbringing.
His discussion was with Dr Gabor Maté, an author on trauma and addiction.
Their fireside conversation in California followed up themes of "living with loss" from his bombshell memoir, Spare.
Reflecting on the public response to the work, the Duke of Sussex insisted that he was not a "victim" or seeking sympathy.
He revealed that his own reaction to the controversial book's publication was to feel "incredibly free".
Prince Harry spoke about the racism experienced by his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex
"I felt a huge weight off my shoulders," he told Dr Maté, describing the book as an "act of service" to help others break the taboo about speaking about mental health problems.
Saturday's discussion focused on the prince's emotions, therapy and thoughts on mental health.
But 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.
There were also no mentions of how the Royal Family, including his brother, had felt about his tell-all memoir.
Prince 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.
In front of an international online audience, he was asked about experiencing an emotionally distant childhood, with a lack of hugs and demonstrations of affection.
He said that with his own children, he was "making sure that I smother them with love and affection".
"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.
He spoke repeatedly about the importance of therapy, even though it could drive a wedge between him and other relations.
But 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.
"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.
But he hadn't lost those feelings and had come to realise "that actually she just wanted me to be happy", he told Dr Maté.
Prince Harry's memoir has been an international best seller
The prince spoke about being "eternally grateful" for his wife Meghan in changing his perspective, calling her an "exceptional human being".
But he said meeting Meghan had given him a "crash course" in the experience of racism, which he described as "pretty shocking".
Prince 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".
He said taking cocaine "didn't do anything for me" but that "marijuana is different, that actually really did help me".
And he spoke about Afghanistan, where he served for two tours of duty, saying not all British soldiers agreed with the war.
"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.
"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."
To 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.
It included claims of a physical altercation with his brother Prince William, and recorded his experiences of taking drugs and losing his virginity. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64850024 |
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon in court over baby Victoria manslaughter charge - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Constance Marten, 35, and Mark Gordon, 48, are charged with manslaughter of a baby called Victoria. | UK | Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 31 March.
A couple have been remanded in custody charged with the manslaughter of a baby called Victoria.
The child's remains were found in a plastic bag under nappies in a shed in Brighton, a magistrates' court heard.
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were also charged with concealing a child's birth and perverting the course of justice.
The discovery of the baby, who was named in court documents, was made on Wednesday after a major search.
A 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.
Ms Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 31 March.
Gordon, 48, is led into Crawley Police Station before appearing in court
During 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.
They were first arrested on Monday following a 53-day missing persons search which led to a wooded area in East Sussex.
Hundreds of officers using sniffer dogs, thermal cameras, helicopters and drones were drafted in to look for the child.
Police had previously said it was "too early" to say when the baby had died.
The 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64833339 |
Sacred coronation oil will be animal-cruelty free - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A new version of sacred oil to be used at the King's coronation has been consecrated in Jerusalem. | UK | The sacred oil was consecrated in Jerusalem
The 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.
But reflecting modern animal-friendly sensitivities, this oil will not include any ingredients from animals.
The "chrism oil" for the coronation was consecrated in a religious ceremony in Jerusalem on Friday.
This was carried out in one of the city's holiest Christian sites, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Previous versions have included civet oil, from the glands of the small mammals, and ambergris from the intestines of whales.
There 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.
Although the coronation is seen as a great moment of national pageantry and historic rituals, there is a strong religious element.
The 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.
The silver urn containing the chrism oil for the coronation
This 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.
The new oil includes olive oil scented with a mix of essential oils, sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli and benzoin, with orange blossom also added.
It 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.
In 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.
The 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.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, welcomed the use of oil from the Mount of Olives, a site outside Jerusalem with many biblical connections.
"This demonstrates the deep historic link between the coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land," said the archbishop.
He added: "From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place."
The 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64836101 |
Ukraine latest: Numerous Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Kyiv - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Moscow's lengthy assault in eastern Donetsk continues to be met with force, Ukraine's military says. | Europe | Ukraine's military has not commented on US media reports that Kyiv may be now running dangerously low on its artillery stockpile
Numerous attacks have been repelled in the area of eastern Donetsk over the last 24 hours, Ukraine's military says.
Russian forces claim they are about to take the eastern city of Bakhmut - the focus of intense fighting for many months.
The head of Russia's Wagner private army claims it is "practically encircled" with limited routes out.
The deputy mayor of the city told the BBC there was street fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
But Oleksandr Marchenko said Russia was not yet in control, despite constant shelling.
"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.
The UK Ministry of Defence said Bakhmut is under "increasingly severe" pressure.
According 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.
The 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.
Meanwhile on Saturday, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu made a rare visit to Russian-held Ukrainian territory in southern Donetsk.
Russian troops have been trying to take Bakhmut for over six months.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned this week that the situation on the eastern front line was becoming "more and more difficult".
A key concern for Ukraine is its ever-decreasing ammunition stocks as the high-intensity war with Russia shows no sign of slowing.
The US has announced a further $400m (£333m) in military aid to boost Kyiv's depleted ammunition stocks.
US 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".
President 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.
The 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.
In 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".
He 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".
Himars 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.
Those 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.
In 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.
The 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.
Both 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.
Ukraine'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".
He added that Kyiv also needed "a large quantity of shells" and war planes to "expel" Russian troops from Ukraine's territory.
Military assistance to Ukraine was expected to dominate the agenda as US President Joe Biden met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington on Friday.
Mr Biden thanked the German leader for his country's "profound" support of Ukraine.
A 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64837699 |
Tom Sizemore: Saving Private Ryan actor dies at 61 after brain aneurysm - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Black Hawk Down star's career was mired by drug problems and domestic violence convictions. | Entertainment & Arts | US actor Tom Sizemore, known for roles in Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down, has died at 61, his manager says.
Sizemore 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.
But he also had drug problems and served jail time for domestic violence.
Sizemore had been in a coma since suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm on 18 February.
His 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.
"The Sizemore family has been comforted by the hundreds of messages of support," Lago said.
He said Sizemore's sons were devastated, and asked that their privacy be respected.
His 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.
"He was talented, loving, giving and could keep you entertained endlessly with his wit and storytelling ability."
Born 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.
That 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.
Stone 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.
In the Oscar-winning film Saving Private Ryan in 1998, he was at Tom Hanks' side as the loyal Sergeant Horvath.
Director Steven Spielberg reportedly threatened to fire Sizemore from Saving Private Ryan if he used drugs
Sizemore 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.
With fame and money came a heavy drug habit, and he wrote in his autobiography about addictions to heroin and crystal meth.
He 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.
When 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.
Sizemore, Benjamin Bratt and Julia Roberts at the premiere of Red Planet in 2000
But Sizemore struggled to stay clean. And there were other "personal demons".
In 1997, he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his wife, actress and tennis player Maeve Quinlan. They divorced two years later.
In 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.
Ms 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.
He said at the time that he had "permitted my personal demons to take over my life".
Sizemore with Brad Pitt at the premiere of the 2006 film Babel
In 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.
Two years later, he was sentenced to 16 months for violating the terms of his probation, and was also arrested for driving under the influence.
"I was a guy who'd come from very little and risen to the top," Sizemore wrote in his 2013 autobiography.
"I'd had the multimillion-dollar house, the Porsche, the restaurant I partially owned with Robert De Niro. And now I had absolutely nothing."
"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."
A 2007 documentary series, Shooting Sizemore, chronicled his efforts to reclaim his life and career.
While 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.
• None No hope for Tom Sizemore after aneurysm - manager | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64721187 |
Paris St-Germain 4-2 Nantes: Kylian Mbappe scores club record goal as Ligue 1 leaders win - BBC Sport | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | null | Kylian Mbappe scores a club record 201st goal for Paris St-Germain in an entertaining win over Nantes in Ligue 1. | null | Last updated on .From the section European Football
Kylian Mbappe scored a club record 201st goal for Paris St-Germain in an entertaining 4-2 win over Nantes.
He 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.
The France forward, who turned 24 in December, has established himself as a footballing superstar.
"I play to make history," said Mbappe, who joined in 2017 initially on loan from Monaco before a 180m euros move.
"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."
Mbappe 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."
The Frenchman has played at two World Cup finals, winning the trophy in 2018 and earning the Golden Boot as top scorer in 2022.
Mbappe, 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.
Since 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.
This season, the forward has now scored 30 goals and made eight assists - taking his total to 85 for the club in 247 games.
PSG went 2-0 up at the Parc des Princes with Lionel Messi opening the scoring before Jaouen Hadjam's own goal.
However, 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.
Mbappe 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.
• 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.
• None Goal! Paris Saint Germain 4, Nantes 2. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Timothée Pembélé.
• None Attempt blocked. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt blocked. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Carlos Soler.
• None Attempt saved. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Vitinha.
• None Attempt saved. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
• 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 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64851286 |
WATCH: Huge fire burns after Indonesia depot explosion - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | null | Hundreds living nearby are evacuated after the fire and explosion at a fuel depot in Jakarta. | null | At least 15 people have died in a huge fire at a state-run fuel depot in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
Sixty people were injured in the blaze on Friday night, with many people severely burned. People living nearby were evacuated.
Indonesian officials are calling for an audit of "all fuel facilities and infrastructures". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64847062 |
Bahrain Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton given permission to wear nose stud in races - BBC Sport | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | null | Lewis Hamilton is given permission to wear a nose stud while racing despite a ban on Formula 1 drivers wearing jewellery in their car. | null | Last updated on .From the section Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton has been given permission to wear a nose stud while racing despite a ban on Formula 1 drivers wearing jewellery in their car.
Stewards at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix gave Hamilton a medical exemption to leave his stud in place.
The ruling said: "There are concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal of the device."
It will be seen as a climbdown from governing body the FIA after it took a hard line on jewellery last season.
Hamilton 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.
An 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".
The 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."
• None What to look out for in the new Formula 1 season
• None How to follow Bahrain Grand Prix on BBC radio and online
• None Meet the teams and drivers for 2023
• 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
• None Can she help struggling learners pass their test? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/64837408 |
Liverpool v Manchester United: Jurgen Klopp & Erik ten Hag call for end to 'tragedy chanting' - BBC Sport | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | null | Liverpool and Manchester United managers Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag call for an end to '"tragedy chanting" in a joint statement. | null | Last updated on .From the section Premier League | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64846694 |
Dover: Three lifeboats launched after fire breaks out on ferry - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A tug tows the Isle of Innisfree with 183 people on board towards Calais after the engine room fire. | Kent | The ferry was sailing from Dover to Calais when the fire broke out
Three lifeboats from Kent and a French salvage tug were launched after a fire broke out on a ferry in the Channel.
The lifeboats from Dover, Ramsgate and Dungeness were sent to the vessel - the Isle of Innisfree, owned by Irish Ferries - sailing from Dover to Calais.
The company said the fire, which was in the engine room, had been contained.
The 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.
Passengers booked on imminent Isle of Innisfree sailings will be transferred to alternative sailings, Irish Ferries said.
It sincerely apologised to all of its passengers for the disruption to their journeys.
A 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."
Irish 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".
HM Coastguard said: "The vessel has confirmed that the fire has been extinguished but it is experiencing technical issues.
"All passengers and crew are accounted for and no injuries have been reported."
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-64844048 |
John Caldwell shooting: Police granted more time to question two men - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times in Omagh and is still critically ill in hospital. | Northern Ireland | Det Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in a number of major investigations
Police have been granted more time to question two men arrested in connection with the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell.
The senior officer was shot several times in Omagh last week and is still critically ill in hospital.
A 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.
Six other men arrested over the attack have previously been released.
A 71-year-old man was released on Wednesday evening and a 47-year-old man was released on Thursday evening.
Four other men were released on Tuesday evening.
Four of those held for questioning in recent days are believed to have been from a Protestant background.
However, police have said they still believe the shooting was carried out and claimed by dissident republican group the New IRA.
Det 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.
The 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.
At least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, police said.
Police have said a blue Ford Fiesta was bought two weeks before the shooting and stored in Belfast
On Monday, police released CCTV footage of the car believed to be used by the gunmen.
A 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.
It was then seen on the M1 driving towards the direction of Coalisland and Omagh the day before the shooting.
The car was later found burnt out on the Racolpa Road outside Omagh.
A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered by the Crimestoppers charity. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64843969 |
Joe Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed, White House says - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The US president's doctor says all cancerous tissue was successfully removed in February. | US & Canada | US President Joe Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed last month during a routine health screening, the White House has said.
All cancerous tissue was removed and no further treatment is required, Mr Biden's doctor said.
Mr Biden will continue dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing healthcare, the doctor added.
The president, 80, had a physical exam in February which the White House said found him healthy and "fit for duty".
Kevin 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.
"No further treatment is required," he said, adding that the area has "healed nicely" since the biopsy was taken.
The note said that the type of cancer found - basal cell carcinoma - does not normally spread, or metastasise.
Basal 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).
Diagnosed 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.
Unlike 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.
In January, Mr Biden's wife, First Lady Jill Biden, had three lesions removed, with two of them later testing positive for basal cell carcinoma.
Mr Biden has had several non-melanoma skin cancers removed in the past, before he became president.
In 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".
Doctors advise that the best way to prevent skin cancer is to cover up and wear sunscreen lotion, even during winter.
The Bidens have long been strong advocates for fighting and curing cancer. Their adult son, Beau, died in 2015 from brain cancer.
Mr Biden is widely expected to announce that he will seek a second term in office. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64844276 |
Consultants want up to £262 an hour to cover strike days for junior doctors - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | NHS bosses criticise pay demand for consultants to provide emergency care during junior doctors' walkout. | Health | 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.
The demands have been described as unreasonable by NHS bosses as they try to plug the gaps in emergency care.
The British Medical Association (BMA) is recommending its members ask for £158 an hour to work during the day, rising to £262 for night shifts.
It said it was right to be paid more for work outside the normal contract.
Consultants earn between £88,000 and £119,000 a year in basic pay - that works out at the equivalent of about £42 to £57 an hour in a 40-hour week.
Although average pay is £20,000 higher once extra payments for performance, night shifts and being on call is included.
But during the strike the BMA has advised doctors to ask for:
The 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.
About 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.
Junior doctors are calling for pay rises to make up for cuts of 26% since 2008.
Danny 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.
He 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.
"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.
The 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.
BMA consultants leader Dr Vishal Sharma said it was right the rate card was used for the strikes.
"We wholeheartedly support and stand in solidarity with our junior doctor colleagues in their industrial action and pursuit of full pay restoration.
"Consultants, having themselves experienced real-terms pay cuts, know all too well the damaging impact pay erosion has on morale and staff retention.
"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.
"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.
"These rates therefore reflect the market value of doctors' work." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64827246 |
Spencer Matthews looks for brother's body on Everest - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The former Made in Chelsea star's older brother Michael disappeared hours after reaching the mountain's summit in 1999. | UK | Former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews has been searching for his older brother's body on Mount Everest.
In 1999, Michael Matthews became the youngest Briton to reach the mountain's summit at the age of 22.
However hours later he vanished, never to be seen again.
More 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".
Michael 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.
Michael was "everything to me" says Spencer, who was just 10 years old when his older sibling went missing.
Creating the documentary allowed the former reality star to discover footage of his brother he didn't even know existed.
Spencer 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.
Mr 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.
The Disney+ documentary sees adventurer Bear Grylls and mountaineer Nirmal Purja also take part in the recovery effort.
TV presenter and executive producer Grylls met Michael a few months before he set off to climb Everest.
Grylls himself climbed Everest in 1998 at the age of 23.
"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.
"Obviously then when the disaster happened and Michael never came home it was a devastating blow for everyone."
He 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."
Spencer referred to the reaction he'd received so far as "incredibly humbling" and he hopes the documentary helps people and moves them. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64846007 |
UK Weather: Snow and ice warnings extended to more parts of UK - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Met Office yellow weather warnings are in force, with disruption to travel and other activities possible. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Warnings of snow and ice have been extended to many parts of the UK over the coming days.
Yellow weather warnings remain in place for parts of north-east Scotland and England until Wednesday morning.
The Met Office issued a slew of further yellow warnings on Monday which cover much of the UK during the next five days.
Heavy snow could bring "significant disruption" to northern and central parts on Thursday and Friday, it said.
Forecasters say a "major change" is under way as Arctic air sweeps in from the north, bringing snow, ice and plunging temperatures for many.
A 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.
This could lead to "difficult travel conditions" in some parts, the Met Office said.
Some roads and railways were likely to be affected in these areas, it said, and people should expect longer journey times.
A similar warning covering much of Northern Ireland is also in place overnight.
Snow is likely to cause some travel disruption across parts of southern England and Wales throughout Wednesday, according to another warning.
Further 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.
Weather conditions may disrupt travel and other day-to-day activities, with more alerts likely to be issued.
The first Met Office warning began on Sunday evening for parts of Scotland, covering places including Aberdeen and Dundee, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland.
The warning in place on Monday encompasses more of Scotland and a corridor of north-east England that extends to Newcastle upon Tyne and Yorkshire.
For Tuesday, the area grows further to cover Strathclyde, more of Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East Midlands.
Frequent snow is expected, with northern Scotland experiencing frequent and often heavy snow showers on Monday afternoon.
The 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.
There was "slight chance" that rural communities could be cut off, it said, adding that cuts to power and phone services were possible.
Tuesday 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.
Some 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.
BBC forecaster John Hutchinson said it would be "a very cold start to March", with many areas likely to see snow at some point.
In 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.
On Thursday and Friday, he said snow may become "a bit more widespread in central and northern Britain" and flurries may be "fairly persistent".
There could be drifting and some disruption to travel and power, he added.
The 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.
This means there is a 90% chance of severe cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow.
The 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.
It advised over-65s, or those with pre-existing medical conditions, to heat their homes to at least 18C.
How is the cold weather affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64848688 |
James Cleverly says Falklands are British as Argentina ends deal - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Argentina has broken a co-operation deal and is calling for talks over the sovereignty of the Falklands. | UK | The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean
The UK has insisted the Falkland Islands are British after Argentina broke a co-operation deal and pushed for talks on the islands' sovereignty.
In 2016, both sides agreed to disagree on the sovereignty of the Falklands in favour of improved relations.
Argentina pulled out of the pact this week and informed UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
The Falkland Islands were subject to a bloody war in 1982 when Argentina tried to stake a territorial claim.
In response, Mr Cleverly tweeted: "The Falkland Islands are British.
"Islanders have the right to decide their own future - they have chosen to remain a self-governing UK Overseas Territory."
The 2016 agreement between Argentina and the UK pledged to "improve co-operation on South Atlantic issues of mutual interests".
Mr 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.
Mr Cafier called for talks on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas.
The UK's minister for the Americas, David Rutley, said it was a "disappointing decision" after he had had a "constructive visit" to Buenos Aires.
"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.
The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands.
Argentina invaded in 1982 in a bid to reclaim sovereignty and said it had inherited the Falkland Islands from Spain in the 1800s.
A 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64835605 |
Echoes of Hillsborough for Manchester Arena families - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The more I heard at the Arena inquiry, the more it reminded me of Hillsborough - writes Judith Moritz | UK | The 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing
The 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.
I 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.
As 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.
The more I heard at the Arena inquiry, the more it reminded me of Hillsborough.
And I wasn't the only one. Several Hillsborough families told me that they had an uncomfortable sense of history repeating itself.
Margaret Aspinall has been a prominent spokesperson for Hillsborough families - pictured in 2016
Margaret 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… lessons have not been learnt."
I 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.
At 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.
At 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.
In 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.
The 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.
For 5 Minutes On, Judith Moritz looks at the many parallels between the Hillsborough and Manchester Arena tragedies - and asks whether history is repeating itself.
The 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.
Companies 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".
Bosses admitted "policing got it badly wrong" in the aftermath of the 1989 stadium disaster
At 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.
At 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.
At both Hillsborough and Manchester, important life-saving help was given by members of the public.
One 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.
The 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.
John Atkinson was carried from Manchester Arena on a makeshift stretcher
Pete Weatherby KC is a barrister who has represented both Hillsborough and Arena families. He told me some of the similarities were "pretty shocking".
"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".
At 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.
The 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.
Andrew Roussos and his son outside Manchester Arena following the bomb attack
At 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.
Barry 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.
Twenty-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.
When 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.
The 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.
They 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.
In 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.
This 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.
In his "pen portrait" of Saffie-Rose at the Manchester inquiry, Andrew Roussos said his daughter had "melted people's hearts"
The 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.
The 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.
That'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.
The 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.
"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."
However, not every step of the legal process has been positive for survivors and relatives.
At 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.
Anne 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.
She says using her lived experiences to help others, who aren't legally core participants, is her way of "paying it forward".
"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".
The Glade of Light memorial in Manchester bears the names of all those killed in the Arena attack
Those 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.
"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."
The 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.
"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.
"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."
This 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.
But it stops short of the full package of measures which some would like to see.
"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.
Both 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64798847 |
Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds - BBC News | "2023-03-04T00:00:00" | null | The BBC's Jonathan Blake examines why the former health secretary's Covid communications are in the spotlight. | null | 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.
Isabel Oakeshott defended releasing WhatsApps she obtained when working on Mr Hancock's book, arguing it was in the "overwhelming national interest".
BBC political correspondent Jonathan Blake has been looking into the row.
Filming and editing by Alex Smith, Serene Khalifeh and Thomas Mason | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64831398 |
US drone crash: A moment fraught with danger - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The encounter between a Russian jet and a US drone raises some difficult questions for President Biden. | Europe | Reaper drones are full-size aircraft designed for reconnaissance and surveillance
The 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.
As such, it raises a lot of questions and represents a moment fraught with danger.
The 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.
Could it have been an accident?
"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.
"I think the actions speak for themselves."
Does the behaviour of Russia's pilots - allegedly dumping fuel in the path of the drone and then colliding with it - represent a significant escalation?
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According to the Pentagon, the whole incident lasted about 30-40 minutes.
During that time, Gen Ryder said there was no direct communication between the Russian and American militaries.
US officials say they believe the Russian Su-27 jets involved "likely" suffered some damage, indicating that a collision was not deliberate.
"I do know that the state department is raising our concerns about the incident directly with the Russian government," he added.
What, 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?
"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".
Not surprisingly, Russia would like to make it as hard as possible for Ukraine's allies to carry out such work.
Washington is being tight lipped about what has happened to the drone.
After the collision, US remote pilots were forced to bring it down in the Black Sea.
Gen Ryder would not say where it landed or whether the Russian navy was trying to recover it.
Audio recordings circulating on social media seem to indicate some kind of Russian recovery operation was under way. But this has not been confirmed.
Clearly, Washington would not be happy if such sensitive surveillance technology fell into Russian hands.
For Joe Biden, determined to support Ukraine for "as long as it takes", this is a delicate moment.
It's not just Western weaponry that's helping Ukraine to withstand Russia's invasion.
It'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.
From defending Ukraine's critical national infrastructure to planning its own offensive operations, Kyiv depends heavily on the steady flow of information.
For obvious reasons, US officials won't be drawn into what, if any, additional precautions its surveillance operations will now involve.
Washington wants to keep them going, but is anxious to avoid using force, and risk getting drawn into a more direct confrontation with Moscow.
• None US drone crashes after encounter with Russian jet | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64959498 |
Cladding: Michael Gove names firms yet to sign post-Grenfell fire safety contract - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Levelling Up secretary urges developers to pay for repairs to homes with post-Grenfell fire risks. | UK Politics | 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.
He said 39 firms had signed the contract, which would see them spending £2bn to pay for repairs to buildings with unsafe cladding and other issues.
But, the levelling up secretary told MPs: "Some regrettably have not."
He said they had a week to do so or face being banned from building new homes in England.
"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.
He said this scheme was a way of "ensuring that only those committed to building safety will be allowed to build in the future".
"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.
"They will not be able to commence new developments in England or receive building control approval for work that is already under way.
"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."
The government has also published a list of the companies that have signed the contract and those who have not so far agreed.
Mr 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".
Mr 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.
His officials were in talks with several of the companies "who are making progress towards signing", he told MPs.
The 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.
Michael Gove says several firms are close to signing the contract
Labour's shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy backed the government action - but said it only covered a "fraction of the problem".
"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."
But 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".
She also asked Mr Gove how he planned to help leaseholders in buildings with defects outside of the scope of the contract.
Mr 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."
Once signed, the contract makes commitments signed by developers in a public pledge last year legally binding.
Inland Homes, which previously signed the pledge, has requested an extension due to recent changes to its board of directors, a spokeswoman said.
The BBC understands that one of the companies, Avant, is hoping to be able to sign the contract soon.
It is understood that Ballymore is finalising remaining details and will sign soon.
A spokesman for Telford Homes said it had completed its review of the contract "and expects to sign soon".
Meanwhile, 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".
"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.
London Square said it supported the government's response to building safety, saying that it signed the pledge letter last year.
It 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.
"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."
Galliard Homes said it had been remediating its buildings in line with government guidance for "some time".
A 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."
A 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.
He 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."
Dandara said it expected to sign the contract "imminently", and said it had not been invited to original consultations which had delayed the process.
It 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.
The remaining companies have been approached for comment. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64957057 |
William says Diana would be disappointed at level of homelessness - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Prince of Wales says his mother would be disappointed at lack of progress on homelessness. | UK | Prince William is taking part in this year's appeal for Comic Relief
Prince William says his mother, Princess Diana, would have been disappointed at the lack of progress in preventing homelessness.
He shared his thoughts during a video recorded for this year's Red Nose Day charity appeal.
Making the video, the Prince of Wales spent time with people who had been helped by a homelessness charity.
His comments will be shown on BBC One on Friday as part of the annual appeal to raise funds for Comic Relief.
As a child, Prince William was brought by his mother on visits to charities working with homeless people, such as the Passage in central London.
Princess Diana with Harry and William at the Passage charity in 1993
"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.
"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."
Comic 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".
It 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.
Prince William spoke to people who had been supported by the Groundswell charity, funded by Comic Relief.
This 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."
Miles told Prince William about the isolation of homelessness
Another 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."
Prince William is patron of the Passage homelessness charity. Last month he opened two residential buildings which will support 225 people per year.
At 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".
"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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64970278 |
Strikes Update: How Thursday 16 March's strikes affect you - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | What you need to know about the teachers' walkout in England and widespread rail disruption. | Business | 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.
Wednesday saw strikes by junior doctors in England, up to 150,000 civil servants across 100 government departments and agencies, and on the London Underground.
Members 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.
Many schools - more than half on previous strike dates - will be closed or have restricted attendance.
Sixth-form colleges will also be affected.
Parents are advised by the Department for Education (DfE) to send children to school unless school leaders have said otherwise.
No further industrial action is currently planned in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
You can read more here about why teachers are striking.
Members of the RMT union working at 18 train companies are striking over pay, job cuts and changes to terms and conditions.
They 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.
There will be reduced services - and no trains at all in some places.
Network Rail, which manages the tracks, advises passengers to check train-operating company websites before setting out.
It also warns of possible next-day disruption because of the knock-on impact on shift patterns.
Routes in England will be worst hit - but some services which run into Scotland and Wales are also likely to be hit.
On the London Underground - following Wednesday's walkout by RMT and Aslef union members - Thursday's services are expected to start later than normal.
Transport 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.
Tens 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.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are also walking out this Friday - and Monday to Wednesday next week.
The strikes have caused "low and isolated" levels of disruption to students, according to the Universities and College Employers Association (UCEA).
Some universities - says Universities UK (UUK), which represents 140 institutions - have extended coursework deadlines and rescheduled teaching.
The UCU action is over pay and working conditions and also pension cuts - but staff are only striking over both issues at 62 universities.
Members 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.
BBC local radio, regional television and digital services are being disrupted.
The strike is because of plans to merge some local radio programmes.
• University staff who are members of the University and College Union and Unison are on strike
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
How are you affected by the strikes? Are you taking part in strike action? You can email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64966053 |
US drone downing: Russia will try to retrieve remnants of drone - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A US surveillance drone plunged into the Black Sea after an encounter with Russian jets on Tuesday. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Russia said on Wednesday that it would try to retrieve the remnants of a US drone that crashed into the Black Sea.
The large MQ-9 Reaper drone plunged into the water on Tuesday.
The 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.
Speaking on state television, Russian security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev confirmed Moscow was attempting to find the aircraft.
"I don't know whether we'll be able to retrieve it or not but it has to be done," Mr Patrushev said.
He also said that the drone's presence in the Black Sea was "confirmation" that the US was directly involved in the war.
Senior 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".
That 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.
He 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.
US military officials said the incident happened on Tuesday morning and the confrontation lasted around 30-40 minutes.
In a statement, the US said Russian jets dumped fuel on the drone several times before the collision.
Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder told reporters the drone was "unflyable and uncontrollable", adding the collision also likely damaged the Russian aircraft.
Russia has denied its two Su-27 fighter jets made any contact with the US drone.
Russia's defence ministry said the drone crashed after a "sharp manoeuvre", and that it was flying with its transponders (communication devices) turned off.
The US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, confirmed he had spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, the day after the drone was downed.
In 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".
The US and UK have previously gone to extraordinary lengths to recover their technology after crashes.
They retrieved the wreckage of their stealth fighter jet, the F-35 from the bottom of the South China Sea after it sank.
But 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.
And 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.
Tensions have risen over the Black Sea ever since Russia's annexation of nearby Crimea in 2014.
And since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the US and the UK have stepped up surveillance flights, though always operating in international airspace.
The lost Reaper may have been carrying a surveillance pod able to suck up electronic data such as radar emissions.
The 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".
The US has reportedly shared intelligence with Ukraine previously, including to help it sink a Russian ship in the Black Sea.
Ukraine'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.
Describing 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."
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, but the vast majority of countries still recognise it as part of Ukraine.
The BBC asked Mr Kuleba if, following the drone incident, the US and other allies might become more cautious.
"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.
"The mood is not to escalate but nor is the mood to lean under the pressure - the physical or rhetorical pressure - of Russia."
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed the military would "continue to fly and operate" wherever international law allows.
After being summoned to speak to officials in Washington, Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov said Moscow saw the drone incident as "a provocation".
From 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."
On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reporters there has been no high-level contact between Moscow and Washington over the incident.
But he said Russia would never refuse to engage in constructive dialogue. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64961958 |
Jeremy Hunt's Budget is focused on the next election - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The chancellor's policies to boost growth are frontloaded to try to provide a boost before the election. | Business | The big claim from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is a modest one - we are no longer going into recession, and inflation will fall faster.
That 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.
But 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.
The government has spent nearly all the extra revenue from better economic news, which means it has borrowed about £20bn a year to spend on trying to boost business investment, getting people back to work and extra defence.
The 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.
There 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.
But 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.
So 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.
In 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".
So 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64968942 |
Khayri Mclean: Boy killed near school by 'youths lying in wait' - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Khayri Mclean, 15, was stabbed outside his school in Huddersfield and died later in hospital. | Leeds & West Yorkshire | Khayri Mclean, 15, died after he was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School
A boy was killed outside his school by two youths who were lying in wait for him wearing balaclavas and carrying knives, a court heard.
Khayri Mclean, 15, was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School and later died in hospital.
Leeds 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.
The younger boy admits murder, the older denies it.
Prosecutor 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.
This proved to be the fatal blow as it went through his ribs and penetrated one of his lungs and heart, the court was told.
Mr 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.
"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.
Khayri Mclean was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School on 21 September 2022
The 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.
Mr 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".
"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.
After attacking Khayri, the boys ran away together, before stopping to remove their balaclavas and the clothing worn for the attack, Mr Sandiford said.
"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.
Having changed their appearances, the boys calmly walked to within a short distance of where Khayri lay fatally injured in the street, he added.
The 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."
Mr 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.
He 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.
He 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.
The boy claims he swung his knife at Khayri "in panic" as he "feared he would be attacked".
Mr Sandiford described the claim as "a pack of lies".
"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.
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Northern Ireland travel disruption fears as heavy rain sweeps in - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | After heavy snowfall, now it's the turn of the rain with some areas facing 40mm in under 24 hours. | Northern Ireland | The rain warning is in place until 10:00 GMT on Thursday
Disruptive rain is forecast for Northern Ireland from this afternoon with a weather warning issued by the Met Office.
Travel disruption is expected as the rain becomes more persistent later on Wednesday.
It is due to last until later on Thursday morning, with between 20mm to 30mm of rain expected quite widely.
Some areas could see up to 40mm of rainfall accumulating during that period.
That is likely to lead to surface spray and flooding on roads before conditions improve from the west on Thursday.
The warning is in place from 14:00 GMT on Wednesday until 10:00 GMT on Thursday.
It comes after heavy snowfall last week caused major delays and disruptions across the country.
This 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’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64962940 |
Euston church shooting: Man charged over drive-by attack - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Four women and two girls were injured in the incident in January. | London | The shooting occurred at a memorial for Fresia Calderon and her daughter Sara Sanchez
A 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.
Four women and two girls were injured in the incident in Euston in January.
Alrico Nelson Martin, from Kilburn, north-west London, has been charged with possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life.
A further two men, aged 22 and 23, have been arrested for conspiracy to murder and remain in custody.
Four women and two girls, aged 11 and seven, were shot outside a funeral at St Aloysius Church in Phoenix Road.
The shooting happened close to a church while a funeral was taking place, police say
Mourners 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.
Ms Sanchez had suffered from leukaemia for three years, while her mother died from a rare blood clot on arrival at Heathrow from Colombia.
Mr Martin, who is also charged with six counts of conspiracy to wound with intent, will appear later at Willesden Magistrates' Court.
The Met said a 22-year-old man arrested in Barnet, north London, on 15 January has been released on bail pending further inquiries.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64945764 |
Five things we learned from the SNP leaders' debate - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A live studio audience, a move away from personal attacks and a wide range of policies were on show. | Scotland politics | There were more smiles on show, with fewer direct attacks between the candidates compared to previous debates
The 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.
How 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?
This 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.
This 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.
Health 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.
And seeing how the audience reacted to the pitch from each candidate was almost as enlightening as the policies themselves.
There was applause for the candidates - but also some sharp interventions from punters less than impressed by their efforts.
It was a reminder that whoever wins this contest will need to be the first minister for the whole country.
They only need to win over SNP members to get the job - they will need to convince the nation at large to keep it.
Kate Forbes changed tack from the direct attacks she used in previous debates
This 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".
In previous debates, the candidates rarely missed an opportunity to kick lumps out of each other, but the cross-examination here was notably less fiery.
That 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.
Humza 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.
Ash Regan used her questions to Mr Yousaf to bring up gender reform - again, something she sees as a strength of her own campaign.
Mr 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.
This may be because of the fear that mud thrown now could still be stuck on when future elections roll around.
But 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.
The candidates might have calculated that it is profitable to make friends than to try to knock out opponents entirely.
Ash Regan is the candidate pushing for independence with the most urgency
Things are going to change, regardless of who wins this contest.
Perhaps 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.
Kate 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".
Ash 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.
Even 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".
One 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.
After 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.
Humza Yousaf has accepted the mantle of continuity candidate, looking to continue Nicola Sturgeon's legacy
All three leadership candidates said they could see Scotland being independent within five years.
Frankly 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.
But the three of them still have quite different ideas about how to get there.
Ash Regan stands apart from Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes in urgency, bringing up independence in response to quite a few other questions.
Her idea of a "voter empowerment mechanism" essentially bakes the de-facto referendum into every election, for all that question marks hung over that approach.
Humza 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.
And 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.
Perhaps 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".
Who are the SNP candidates?
When Nicola Sturgeon announced she was stepping down, plenty of names were thrown around as potential successors.
Perhaps not many would have predicted that the final three would be Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.
But watching this debate, they certainly provide a broad choice for the SNP membership in both style and substance.
The field includes sitting cabinet ministers who have represented almost every top job in government, but also a minister who quit in protest over policy.
One 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.
There are competing promises of change and of continuity - anything from tinkering around the edges of Nicola Sturgeon's legacy to tearing it up entirely.
Which 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64959575 |
Budget: Pensions to get boost as tax-free limit to rise - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Persuading workers to work longer is part of plans to boost growth, but critics say very few will benefit. | Business | The total amount that workers can accumulate in their pension savings before paying extra tax is expected to be increased in Wednesday's Budget.
The final figure has not been confirmed, but people are expected to be able to save up to £1.8m over a lifetime, up from £1.07m currently.
The policy aims to stop people - particularly doctors - from reducing hours or retiring early owing to tax.
Critics say the move will only benefit a small fraction of the workforce.
UK 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.
Persuading 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".
Mr Hunt is also expected to detail other measures to increase the workforce on Wednesday including:
Consultancy LCP told the BBC the government's plans to raise pension tax allowances would benefit relatively few workers.
The 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.
The 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.
Anyone drawing their pension is still liable to income tax as normal.
Beneficiaries 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.
Dean Butler, managing director for customers at insurance firm Standard Life, said middle earners had been increasingly affected by the cap.
Any 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.
In 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.
The annual tax-free pension allowance - which is also expected to increase from £40,000 to £60,000 each year - has been subject to much of the same debate.
Many 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".
Not everyone believes that boosting pension allowances is the best policy to meet this goal.
"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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64949083 |
OpenAI announces ChatGPT successor GPT-4 - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The fourth version of the AI chatbot can process both images and text. | Technology | OpenAI has released GPT-4, the latest version of its hugely popular artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT.
The new model can respond to images - providing recipe suggestions from photos of ingredients, for example, as well as writing captions and descriptions.
It can also process up to 25,000 words, about eight times as many as ChatGPT.
Millions of people have used ChatGPT since it launched in November 2022.
Popular requests for it include writing songs, poems, marketing copy, computer code, and helping with homework - although teachers say students shouldn't use it.
ChatGPT 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.
There are concerns that it could one day take over many jobs currently done by humans.
OpenAI 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.
GPT-4 will initially be available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, who pay $20 per month for premium access to the service.
It's already powering Microsoft's Bing search engine platform. The tech giant has invested $10b into OpenAI.
In a live demo it generated an answer to a complicated tax query - although there was no way to verify its answer.
GPT-4, like ChatGPT, is a type of generative artificial intelligence. Generative AI uses algorithms and predictive text to create new content based on prompts.
GPT-4 has "more advanced reasoning skills" than ChatGPT, OpenAI said. The model can, for example, find available meeting times for three schedules.
OpenAI 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.
However, 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-64959346 |
Ukraine war: Florida's Ron DeSantis invited to visit after 'territorial dispute' remarks - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The man likely to run for president said the "territorial dispute" was not a "vital national interest". | Europe | 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
Ukraine has invited Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to visit, after the Republican dismissed the Russian invasion as a "territorial dispute".
Mr DeSantis is widely expected to run for president in 2024 and made his remarks in response to questions sent to possible Republican contenders.
The former congressman said continued US support of Ukraine was not among the country's "vital national interests".
The comment signalled he would probably scale back aid if he became president.
It 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.
Their 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.
In 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."
The 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.
When 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."
Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko criticised Mr DeSantis's comments and tweeted his invitation to the Republican governor on Tuesday.
"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.
"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."
While 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.
His 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.
Many Republicans, including the party's senior leadership in the Senate, have long said defending Ukraine is in the best interests of the US.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said Mr DeSantis' comments displayed "a misunderstanding of the situation" on the part of the governor.
"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.
Former Vice-President Mike Pence has also called for the US to increase its support.
But there is a vocal wing of the party - mostly in the House of Representatives - that is hesitant about the continuing aid.
Republican 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.
Politicians from both parties in Congress have voted in favour of Western support for Ukraine, approving more than $112bn (£92.47bn) in 2022 alone.
US 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.
"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.
The 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.
Humanitarian 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.
Largest donors of aid to Ukraine as percent of donor country GDP. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64880145 |
Wiltshire shoplifter made £500k with refund trick crime spree - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Narinder Kaur is convicted after duping stores into giving her refunds for goods she had stolen. | Gloucestershire | Kaur's crimes were spread across much of the UK
A woman who made half a million pounds by shoplifting on "an industrial scale" has been warned to expect a "substantial" jail sentence.
Narinder Kaur, 53, tricked high street stores into giving her refunds for goods she had stolen.
She was found guilty at Gloucester Crown Court of 25 separate offences on Friday after a four-month trial.
It is believed Kaur, from Cleverton, Wiltshire, stole from more than 1,000 shops across the country.
Judge Ian Lawrie KC remanded her in custody ahead of a sentencing date yet to be fixed.
The 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.
The court was told Kaur, originally from Worcester, had legally changed her name from Nina Tiara.
At 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.
The jury was shown several images of Kaur stealing from shops
He 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.
Mr 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.
"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.
The jury was told Kaur targeted branches of Boots, Debenhams, Homebase, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Monsoon, M&S and TK Maxx.
The prosecutor detailed how she spent £5,000 at Boots stores including in Cheltenham, Malvern, Solihull, Kidderminster, and Dudley - but obtained refunds she was not entitled to totalling £60,000.
At Debenhams stores, she got refunds of £42,800 but spent only £3,600. She defrauded John Lewis stores in Watford, Chester, Milton Keynes and Cardiff out of £33,000 after spending only £5,200.
For a £1,181 spend in Homebase and TX Maxx stores in 15 different towns and cities she tricked the retailers into handing over £19,540 in refunds.
At House of Fraser stores in Bristol, Cardiff, Cwmbran and Exeter she spent £2,850 and claimed refunds of £23,000.
Kaur's method was to shoplift, then trick shops into giving her refunds for the stolen goods
Her 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.
Kaur 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.
The 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.
But 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 £108,000 in cash.
Her home was searched again after she tried the trick at an Asda, and police found £4,000 cash in a carrier bag, among a total of £38,000 around her house.
Anthony 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-64965027 |
Amir Khan: CCTV of gunpoint robbery shown to court - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The former world boxing champion was forced to hand over his bespoke £72,000 watch in the footage. | London | 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
CCTV capturing the moment former world boxing champion Amir Khan was robbed at gunpoint has been shown in court.
Mr Khan, 36, was targeted when he and his wife left the Sahara Grill restaurant in Leyton, east London, in April last year.
Snaresbrook Crown Court has heard he was forced to hand over his bespoke £72,000 Franck Muller watch by gunman Dante Campbell, 20.
The assailant pointed the gun in his face and said: "Take off the watch."
Ismail Mohamed, 24, from Edmonton; Ahmed Bana, 25, from Tottenham; and Nurul Amin, 25, from Harringay; all north London, all deny conspiracy to rob.
Campbell, from Hornsey in north London, has pleaded guilty to the charges, the jury has been told.
The robbery, which lasted just seconds, was captured on CCTV played to the jury.
In 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,
Two 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.
Mr Khan previously told the court that having a gun pointed at him was scarier than any of his fights
Mr Khan hands over his watch and the robbers run back to the Mercedes.
They drive away as members of the public rush towards Mr Khan.
Mr 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.
Mr 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.
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As it happened: Teachers, doctors and Tube staff walk out in biggest strike day - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | University lecturers and civil servants are also downing tools in long-running disputes over pay. | UK | As we've been reporting, some 400,000 workers are on strike today - so here's a reminder of why.
Teachers 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.
Junior 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.
Civil 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 £2.4bn". Civil servants have been offered a 2% to 3% increase.
London 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 £900m 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.
Some 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". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-64957203 |
Meta lay-offs: Facebook owner to cut 10,000 staff - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | In addition to the culling of 10,000 jobs, 5,000 vacancies at the company will be left unfilled. | Technology | Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced the plans in a memo to staff
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs.
It will be the second wave of mass redundancies from the tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees last November.
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the cuts - part of a "year of efficiency" - would be "tough".
In addition to the 10,000 jobs cut, 5,000 vacancies at the firm will be left unfilled, he told staff.
In 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.
Meta 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.
Mr 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.
"I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years," he said.
The 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.
At 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.
According 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.
Mr 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.
He 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.
"In a small number of cases, it may take through to the end of the year to complete these changes.
"Our timelines for international teams will also look different, and local leaders will follow up with more details."
Sadly, we're getting used to hearing about big tech lay-offs, as the giants of the sector continue to tighten their belts.
Many 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.
It's interesting to note that Meta is looking to its recruitment team in the latest round of cuts.
I 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.
Both are luxuries, it seems, that are no longer affordable.
Meta 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.
Mr 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".
He 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".
"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.
"We're focusing on understanding this further, and finding ways to make sure people build the necessary connections to work effectively.
"In the meantime, I encourage all of you to find more opportunities to work with your colleagues in person." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-64954124 |
Jeremy Clarkson's farm branded 'a menace and a success' - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Residents clash at a meeting over the future of the TV star's farm shop and restaurant plans. | Oxford | A planning application for a car park at the site was previously turned down
Jeremy Clarkson's farm shop has been described as both a "menace" and "a success for local people" during a planning meeting.
Villagers clashed at the meeting about the impact of the business on the Oxfordshire countryside.
The 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.
Mr 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.
The former Top Gear presenter's attempts at running his farm are the subject of a documentary series on Amazon Prime Video.
Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has fronted the programme since 2021
At 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.
Chadlington resident Ms Moore said: "I don't think the people who come are particularly respectful.
"They come in their cars with their souped-up engines - they are motorheads, they are not here to support our little farm shop.
"We have been disrupted by them in the two-and-a-half years since it's been open. It's ruining our area.
"There are farm shops all over the country that they could support instead of all converging here at the weekends.
Ms 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.
"People go to the shop because it sells local," she said.
"This is what Jeremy loves: he invests in the farm, he invests in local people.
"He is making a success of it for local people, for our children, and for our future."
Mr Clarkson has previously attended meetings to outline his plans for the farm site
WODC 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.
It 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.
It 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.
Agents working on behalf of Clarkson say they are not in breach of planning laws, claiming that the council's decision is "excessive".
The 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.
WODC'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".
The council has said that due to these reasons, the current planning permission "could never apply" to the new enterprises on the site.
A final decision on the plans will be published in the coming weeks.
Discussions 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.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-64964155 |
Buck Ruxton: The Jigsaw Murders case where forensics were key - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The remains of Buck Ruxton's victims were found dumped under a bridge near Moffat in the 1930s. | South Scotland | Dr Buck Ruxton was sentenced to death for his crimes
It 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.
The downfall of Lancashire doctor Buck Ruxton began after human remains were found under a bridge near Moffat.
A painstaking investigation saw him sentenced to death for the murder of his common-law wife and housemaid.
A new exhibition is set to open in Moffat museum highlighting the area's role in solving the notorious crime.
Janet 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.
After 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.
That 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.
"He threw the body parts over a bridge into a ravine," Ms Tildesley said.
"The body parts were found a couple of weeks later by a visitor when she noticed them and got the police involved.
"That's when, I guess, the case really started."
Janet Tildesley has been involved in putting together the exhibition on the Buck Ruxton case
The initial job was simply to try to identify who had been killed.
"They thought, originally, that it was a man and a woman and gradually began to piece it together," said Ms Tildesley.
"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.
"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."
A team led by Prof John Glaister of the University of Glasgow - involving experts in a range of areas - worked on the investigation.
They 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.
Another significant piece of work was their use of entomology to establish the time of death "really conclusively" based on the life-cycle of maggots.
The exhibition in Moffat will also highlight the role of local police officer, Sgt Robert Sloan, which Ms Tildesley said had been "really underestimated".
He was first on the scene after the bodies were discovered.
The case provoked huge public interest when it went to court
"He did not seem to be overawed by what he saw and he secured and preserved the crime scene," said Ms Tildesley.
"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."
His 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.
"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.
"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."
Maid Mary Jane Rogerson is thought to have witnessed the first murder and been killed
Ruxton's version of events also fell apart while the evidence against him was being gathered.
His 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.
Ms Tildesley said he was, in layman's terms, "beginning to unravel."
"His story was changing and he was beginning to get quite distressed," she said.
Huge crowds gathered on the day of Buck Ruxton's execution
The 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.
"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.
"The maid was there and she came upon it and he murdered her as well.
"I think it was a crime of passion and he then panicked.
"It's a macabre story, you know, ghastly in parts, hugely interesting in parts, hugely significant in terms of forensics - and terribly, terribly sad."
The exhibition opens at Moffat Museum on 1 April and runs until the end of October.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-64939242 |
RAF and German jets intercept Russian aircraft near Estonian airspace - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two Typhoon jets are scrambled to intercept a plane flying between St Petersburg and Kaliningrad. | Europe | The mission was carried out by two Typhoon fighter jets (file photo)
RAF and German fighter jets have intercepted a Russian aircraft near Estonian airspace in the first joint operation of its kind.
The two Typhoons were scrambled on Tuesday to intercept an Il-78 Midas refuelling plane flying between St Petersburg and Kaliningrad.
The plane had failed to communicate with air traffic control in Estonia.
The British and German air forces are currently conducting planned joint Nato air policing in the region.
The interception itself was routine, but it is the first time such an operation has been carried out together by the two countries.
The 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.
After escorting the Midas, the two jets were redirected to intercept an An-148 airliner that was also passing close to Estonian airspace.
The jets are part of the RAF's 140 Expeditionary Air Wing and the German 71 Tactical Air Wing Richthofen.
An IL-78 Midas jet (right) flying alongside two other Russian planes (file photo)
The RAF is preparing to take the lead on Nato's long-established Baltic air policing mission from the German air force in April.
It will then lead the mission for four months, with joint British and German operations set to continue until the end of April.
Four RAF Typhoon jets are currently deployed as part of the mission and are based at the Ämari air base in Estonia.
Minister 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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64960706 |
Eleanor Williams: False rape claims have 'caused harm' to survivors - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A campaigner fears the case of Eleanor Williams may deter genuine abuse victims from coming forward. | Cumbria | Eleanor Williams claimed she had been attacked by traffickers, but the jury heard she caused her own injuries
A woman raped by grooming gangs fears the case of Eleanor Williams has "caused a lot of harm" for genuine survivors of abuse.
Sammy Woodhouse, who was abused in Rotherham from the age of 14, said it had set progress back "a long way".
Williams, of Barrow, Cumbria, was given an eight-and-a-half year sentence on Tuesday after lying about being raped and trafficked for sex.
The 22-year-old was convicted of perverting the course of justice.
Her 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.
A trial at Preston Crown Court heard she inflicted the wounds herself using a hammer she had bought from Tesco.
Three men Williams falsely accused of rape over a three-year period tried to take their own lives.
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
Ms 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.
"It feels like it does take us back quite a long way. It's been really challenging. She's caused a lot of harm.
"There are so many of us that come forward to tell the truth. We just want to get justice and support in some way.
"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].
"There will be people who don't want to come forward after seeing everything that's happened.
"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."
Sammy Woodhouse said she would always encourage victims to abuse to speak up
Nazir 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.
"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.
"There were demonstrations and an enormous amount of angst.
"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.
"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.
"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].
"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."
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Budget summary: Key points from Jeremy Hunt’s 2023 Budget - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is announcing new economic measures - here's what you need to know. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled the contents of his first Budget in the House of Commons.
It had a focus on prompting those who have left their jobs to return to the workforce, and boosting business investment.
Here is a summary of the main announcements.
• None Free childcare plan: 'Why do we have to wait?' | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64789405 |
Gary Lineker row: BBC impartiality dominates Prime Minister's Questions - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Labour leader attacks Conservative MPs for "waging war on free speech" in the Gary Lineker row. | Entertainment & Arts | Gary Lineker will be back on air this weekend
Labour 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.
Sir Keir pressed Rishi Sunak about political interference in the BBC at Prime Minister's Questions.
Mr Sunak accused the opposition leader of jumping on a "political bandwagon".
Lineker was taken off air over a tweet criticising the government's new asylum policy, but will return this weekend.
The BBC's director general has ordered a review into stars' social media use, and denied being influenced by political pressure.
In 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".
But 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.
The Labour leader asked: "Why doesn't he take some responsibility [and] stand up to his snowflake MPs waging war on free speech?"
This 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
In response, the prime minister said: "Just the usual political opportunism from the leader of the Labour Party."
Noting 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."
The 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".
The 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.
But 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.
Sir 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".
Mr 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."
In 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".
He 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?"
Mr 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.
On 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."
This 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
Sir 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 £800,000 loan guarantee for former PM Boris Johnson.
A KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement.
"Does the prime minister think that his friend's position is still tenable?" Sir Keir asked.
Mr 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."
The BBC is conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64964044 |
Cheltenham stabbing: Man charged with attempted murder after woman attacked - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A woman was attacked outside a leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, last week. | Gloucestershire | The woman was stabbed outside the leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, on Thursday night
A 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.
Joshua 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.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
The woman who was attacked sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital where she remains in a stable condition.
The investigation into the incident was led by detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing South East.
Det 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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-64970866 |
Strikes Update: How Wednesday 15 March's strikes affect you - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | What you need to know about the teachers' strike in England and other planned industrial action. | Business | 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.
Making their way down Whitehall are likely to be thousands of teachers and other public sector workers all calling for pay rises.
Just over the river from the House of Commons, junior doctors will be standing on picket lines.
Teachers 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.
Wednesday 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.
It 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.
But 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.
Quite the backdrop for the chancellor's big day.
Wednesday 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.
It is expected to affect all schools in England and includes NEU teachers in sixth-form colleges.
No disruption is expected in Wales, where industrial action has been called off following government talks.
During previous strikes on 28 February and 2 March, more than half of schools closed or restricted attendance.
The Department for Education advises parents to send their children to school unless school leaders have informed you otherwise.
You can read more here about why teachers are striking.
Wednesday 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.
During Monday and Tuesday, NHS managers reported that A&E units were busy as senior staff covered for striking doctors.
Junior 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.
They are planning on continuing walking out of emergency as well as planned care.
Consultants and other senior doctors are being drafted in to provide cover.
Planned appointments have been postponed, although how many is as yet unclear.
Industrial 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.
You can read more here about why junior doctors are taking strike action.
Up to 150,000 civil servants, working across more than 100 government departments and agencies, will be on strike.
Members 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.
The 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.
The 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.
You can read more here about why civil servants are striking.
Transport for London (TfL) is warning Tube passengers there will be "little or no service" during Wednesday's strike action by RMT and Aslef members.
Members of both unions are due to walk out in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions.
TfL said the Elizabeth Line, Overground, DLR, trams and buses would be "busier than normal".
It has advised passengers travelling on Wednesday to allow more time for their journeys and to check the latest information before they travel.
TfL 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.
Tube services on Thursday 16 March are expected to start later than normal.
You can read more here about why some TfL staff are striking.
BBC local radio, regional television and digital services in England are being disrupted today because of strike action.
The 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.
The 13.30, 18.30 and late regional programmes across England are not expected to be broadcast.
• University staff who are members of the University and College Union and Unison are on strike
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
• More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions
• 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
How are you affected by the strikes? Are you taking part in strike action? You can email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64951613 |
SNP candidates predict independence in five years - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes were speaking as they faced each other in a BBC Scotland TV debate. | Scotland politics | 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
All three SNP leadership candidates have predicted that Scotland can be an independent country within five years if they win the contest.
Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes were speaking as they faced each other in a BBC Scotland TV debate.
Mr Yousaf said he believed the country "can and will be" independent by 2028 in response to a question from an audience member.
Ms Regan and Ms Forbes both said they believed the same.
The 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.
Recent 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%.
That 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.
The 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.
Mr 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.
He 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.
"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."
Who are the SNP candidates?
Ms 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.
Using 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.
"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".
Meanwhile, 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".
She 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."
Ms 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.
She 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.
When 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.
"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."
The three candidates are seeking to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister
The 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.
Ms 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.
Ms 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."
Ms Forbes also said small businesses needed a "bit of breathing space".
Mr 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.
He 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".
There was less trashing of one another in this debate and some consensus between the candidates on what the SNP in government has got wrong.
None 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.
Kate Forbes objected to the proposed ban on alcohol advertising and described long waits in the NHS as "unacceptable".
Humza 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.
Ash 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.
The 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.
For 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.
Voting 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.
The 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."
The SNP said its membership had reached 125,000 by 2019, but the Electoral Commission put the figure at 104,000 two years later.
The 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.
If 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.
Polling 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.
But Ms Forbes seems to be more popular than her rivals with both SNP voters and the public as a whole, Sir John said.
He 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".
Whoever 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64956321 |
Jiang Yanyong: Whistleblower doctor who exposed China's Sars cover-up dies - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Jiang Yanyong became a national hero after revealing Beijing was covering up the scale of the virus. | China | Jiang Yanyong blew the whistle about Sars early on in the 2003 crisis
Jiang Yanyong, a former military surgeon who blew the whistle on Chinese authorities' cover-up of the 2003 Sars epidemic, has died aged 91.
He died of pneumonia on Saturday in Beijing, family friends and Chinese-language media in Hong Kong reported.
Dr 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.
But he endured house arrest at one point for his unwavering outspokenness.
Sars infected more than 8,000 people worldwide in 2003. Of these, 774 died, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures.
Dr 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.
The senior doctor said he knew more than 100 people had Sars - severe acute respiratory syndrome - in military hospital wards alone.
He 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.
His revelations forced the Chinese government to admit it had provided false information, and spurred the WHO into action.
Strict containment measures were imposed overnight, which helped slow the spread of the virus.
His actions also led to the sacking of China's health minister and Beijing's mayor at the time.
"I felt I had to reveal what was happening, not just to save China, but to save the world," he said about his actions.
The 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.
He 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".
Ordinary 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.
He 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".
Dr 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.
Over his lifetime he received several civil honours recognising his public stands, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 2004.
"He broke China's habit of silence and forced the truth of Sars into the open," the award citation read.
Dr Jiang's experience has drawn comparisons with China's initial approach to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Li 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.
After 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-64960693 |
Cigarette prices rise but draught beer duty is frozen - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Duty for draught pints is frozen but the average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes rises to £14.39. | UK | 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.
The only alcohol not to see a rise was draught beer where duty will be frozen.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said this was to help "the great British pub".
The 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 £14.39.
In 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%.
The RPI is a measure of inflation which came down to 10.1% in January.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the average price for a packet of 20 cigarettes in January 2023 was £12.84.
The increase in duty rates announced in the Budget means an average packet of 20 cigarettes would increase to £14.39 at 18:00 GMT on Wednesday.
The rate on all hand-rolling tobacco products will increase by RPI, plus 6% and the minimum excise tax will increase by RPI plus 3%.
This is the first rise in tobacco duty since October 2021.
As 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".
The 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.
In the Commons, Mr Hunt said: "Madam Deputy Speaker, British ale may be warm, but the duty on a pint is frozen."
However, drinkers will see tax on other alcohol soar by 10.1% in August in line with inflation when a new system is introduced.
In December, the government extended a freeze on alcohol duty for six months, but this will end in August.
Scotland's whisky industry has accused the chancellor of delivering an "historic blow".
The Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) said the 10.1% increase was the "the wrong decision at the wrong time". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64969334 |
Credit Suisse to borrow up to $54bn from Swiss central bank - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A slump in the troubled lender's shares has intensified fears about a broader bank crisis. | Business | Troubled banking giant Credit Suisse says it will borrow up to 50bn francs ($54bn; £44.5bn) from the Swiss central bank to shore up its finances.
The lender said it was taking decisive action to strengthen its liquidity as it looked to become a simpler bank.
Shares in Credit Suisse fell 24% on Wednesday after it said it had found "weakness" in its financial reporting.
This prompted a general sell off on European markets, and fears of a wider financial crisis.
Credit Suisse said its borrowing measures demonstrated "decisive action to strengthen [the bank]".
"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.
Problems 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.
After Credit Suisse shares plunged on Wednesday, a major investor - the Saudi National Bank - said it would not inject further funds into the Swiss lender.
The worries spread across financial markets with all major indexes falling sharply.
"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.
The 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.
Strict rules apply to Swiss financial institutions to "ensure their stability" and Credit Suisse meets the requirements for banks considered systemically important, the regulators said.
"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.
The BBC understands that the Bank of England has been in touch with Credit Suisse and the Swiss authorities to monitor the situation.
Credit Suisse, founded in 1856, has faced a string of scandals in recent years, including money laundering charges and other issues.
It 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.
Shares in the firm had already been severely hit before this week - their value falling by roughly two-thirds last year - as customers pulled funds.
The bank's disclosure on Tuesday of "material weakness" in its financial reporting controls renewed investor concerns.
These 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.
At 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.
A bank run on Silicon Valley Bank ended in its collapse last week
This 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 £1 by HSBC.
In the wake of the SVB collapse, New York-based Signature Bank also went bust, with the US regulators guaranteeing all deposits at both.
However, fears have persisted that other banks could face similar troubles, and trading in bank shares has been volatile this week.
In 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%.
The 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.
"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.
"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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64964881 |
Manchester City 7-0 RB Leipzig (8-1 agg): Erling Haaland scores five as City cruise into quarter-finals - BBC Sport | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | null | Erling Haaland scores five as Manchester City thrash RB Leipzig to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. | null | Last updated on .From the section European Football
Erling 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.
Haaland becomes the fastest and youngest player to reach 30 goals in Europe's elite club competition.
He 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.
The 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.
On 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.
On this evidence, no-one, not even Real Madrid, will want to be paired with Pep Guardiola's side in Friday's last-eight draw.
Legendary 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.
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Leipzig 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.
"It could get really, really, really good for him with Pep and Man City," was Rose's response.
He would have preferred his words not to be proved quite so perceptive, quite so soon.
Leipzig 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.
Goalkeeper Janis Blaswich managed to deny Haaland the opener - but it was to be his last success of the night in that personal duel.
Rose may argue City should not have been awarded the penalty that gave Haaland the chance to open the scoring.
True, 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.
Haaland 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.
And 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.
But there was more punishment to come for the hapless visitors.
Gundogan'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.
When he turned home a fifth for the first time in his career, Haaland had effectively scored five times in 35 minutes.
Hs dad Alfie, watching from an executive box high in the stadium, was on his feet leading the applause.
Probably 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.
City 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.
• 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.
• None Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• None Delay in match because of an injury David Raum (RB Leipzig).
• 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.
• None Attempt blocked. Julián Álvarez (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
• None Attempt missed. André Silva (RB Leipzig) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Willi Orbán with a headed pass.
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Immigration rules relaxed for builders and carpenters - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Construction workers are added to list but hospitality sector not included in government review. | Business | Overseas bricklayers and carpenters could be able to get work visas more easily in the UK after the government updated its shortage occupation list.
The list, which now also includes roofers and plasterers, highlights occupations that employers are struggling to fill.
However, hospitality, which has had problems recruiting, was not included.
The change on construction workers is not expected to make a major difference to overall migration figures.
Government 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.
The committee did not recommend any hospitality occupations be included, although it said Brexit and the pandemic had "significant effects" on both sectors.
The five occupations approved by the committee are:
People on the shortage occupation list are able to apply for a skilled worker visa to come and work in the UK.
The 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
From 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.
This compares to an increase of 42% in the overall economy.
The 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 £26,200.
It 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".
It said overall employment in hospitality had recovered since a large fall during the pandemic and "now comfortably" exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
The 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".
"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.
Last October, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she wanted to get net migration down into the tens of thousands. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64969468 |
Russia pilots reckless in drone collision - US - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A US surveillance drone plunged into the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian jets. | Europe | Reaper drones are full-size aircraft designed for reconnaissance and surveillance
The US has accused Russia of reckless behaviour after an American drone crashed into the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian fighter jets.
Before the collision, Russian jets are said to have dumped fuel into the path of the drone, which the US says was in international airspace.
The damaged MQ-9 Reaper drone was brought down by the US after it became "unflyable", the Pentagon said.
Russia has denied its two Su-27 fighter jets made any contact.
The 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.
US 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.
Several 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.
Pentagon 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.
He said the jets were able to land following the incident.
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Brig Gen Ryder said to his knowledge the Russians had not recovered the drone.
The 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."
Russia'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.
Prof Michael Clarke, visiting professor in war studies at King's College, told the BBC the collision was "almost certainly an accident".
The 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."
The incident highlights the increasing risk of direct confrontation between Russia and the US over the Ukraine war.
To protest against the move, the US summoned Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov in Washington.
Following 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".
On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had been no high-level contact between Moscow and Washington over the incident.
But he said Russia would never refuse to engage in constructive dialogue.
Tensions have risen over the Black Sea ever since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
After 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.
According to the US, there has been a "pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots" interacting with allied aircraft in the region.
This 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.
But 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.
In that case, the attack would be seen as an attempt by the Kremlin to test the response of the United States.
Western 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.
As US military commanders warned in their statement, this was a dangerous act that "could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64960384 |
Banksy mural appears on derelict Herne Bay farmhouse - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The mural, called Morning is Broken, shows a boy opening iron curtains alongside a cat. | Kent | The mural has appeared at Blacksole Farm
A new Banksy mural has appeared on the wall of a derelict farmhouse in the seaside town of Herne Bay, Kent.
The mural, called Morning is Broken, shows a young boy opening curtains made of corrugated iron alongside a cat.
The anonymous artist confirmed they were the creator of the piece in a post shared to Instagram.
In the post, it appears the piece - and part of the building - had been demolished.
The artwork had appeared on the side of a derelict farmhouse on Blacksole Farm.
Owners of the land, Kitewood, said demolition work is currently being undertaken at the site.
In 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.
It was later confirmed that piece would be taken to the town's Dreamland theme park.
Owners of the land, Kitewood, said demolition work is currently being undertaken at the site
Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-64964973 |
Australian boy, 13, spent six weeks in solitary confinement - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The teenager's treatment is the latest youth justice case to raise human rights concerns in Queensland. | Australia | 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.
The boy - referred to as "Jack" - was released on probation last week after 60 days in custody at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre in Townsville.
He is understood to have spent 22 consecutive days in isolation.
Queensland's human rights chief says the case may have broken state laws.
Jack 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.
He 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.
Describing his detention as "extraordinary and cruel", Mr Grau said Jack had "no serious criminal history".
"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.
Mr Grau said he didn't know why Jack spent so long in isolation, but suspected it was due to staff shortages at the prison.
"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.
"You would hope not, but maybe it's more common than we thought."
Jack's period of detention included six days being held in adult prisons. He was released last week with a verbal reprimand.
A separate recent case also raised human rights concerns over the Queensland's youth justice system, which is currently undergoing reform.
In 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.
Queensland 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.
State 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.
He 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.
"Unfortunately, I don't think they're isolated cases," he told the BBC.
"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.
"My concern is by increasing the pressure on the system, we risk normalising the mistreatment of children".
Mr McDougall urged the state government to "double down" on measures to keep children in school and stop them going down "the path of criminalisation".
Aboriginal 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.
Rates 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.
Overcrowded 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.
In 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.
Youth 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.
"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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-64960479 |
BBC local services disrupted by 24-hour strike over radio cuts - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Regional TV news in England is not expected to be aired, with local radio and online also affected. | Entertainment & Arts | There are plans for local radio stations in England to share some programmes with neighbouring areas
The 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.
National 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.
The 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".
Plans 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.
The strike means most 13.30, 18.30 and 22:30 regional TV news programmes across England are not expected to be broadcast.
Shortly after 11:00 on Wednesday, some local radio stations broadcast a syndicated programme. Others kept their own shows, although many used stand-in hosts.
The 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.
Programming in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not affected.
The union said staff saw the strike as "a last resort".
NUJ 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.
"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."
Wednesday'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.
Under 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.
There would be 10 shared shows after 18:00 and a single all-England programme after 22:00. Weekend output will also be affected.
The 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.
The BBC has said local news bulletins and live sports programming will be maintained.
A 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.
"Our goal is a local service across TV, radio and online that delivers even greater value to communities.
"We will continue to engage with the trade union and do everything possible to minimise the impact on staff."
The 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.
Separately, there have been recent protests about proposed cuts to BBC Radio Foyle in Northern Ireland. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64964035 |
Wild horses found shot dead, Canadian police say - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the horses are of significance to a local indigenous band. | US & Canada | Police called the deaths "disheartening" and that a motive has not yet been identified
Canadian police said they are investigating the suspicious death of 17 wild horses in British Columbia.
The horses appear to have been shot and killed near the Kamloops area, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RMCP) said.
The horses are of cultural significance to the local Skeetchestn indigenous band, the police said.
The RCMP has launched an investigation into the incident. A motive has not been identified.
Tk'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.
"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.
"They appeared to be from a herd of feral (wild) horses which frequent this area," he said.
Police deployed a forensics team, a veterinarian and an RCMP livestock investigator to examine the scene.
In an interview with the CBC, a livestock investigator with the RCMP said that carcasses were spread over a two-kilometre area.
"It's really difficult terrain," Cpl Lepine said. "It's not travelled much."
Police have urged anyone with information to come forward, as a motive has not yet been identified.
"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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64947618 |
Corporation tax: Jeremy Hunt confirms rise to 25% from April - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The chancellor confirms corporation tax will go up but opposition is expected from some Tory MPs. | Business | The rate of corporation tax, paid on company profits, will rise next month, the chancellor has confirmed.
It will go up from 19% to 25% for companies with over £250,000 in profits, Jeremy Hunt told the Commons.
He 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.
The tax hike, first announced in 2021 when Rishi Sunak was chancellor, has been a source of much political debate.
Ex-PM Liz Truss attempted to scrap the policy in her mini-budget last September and some Conservative MPs still oppose it.
Delivering 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.
He 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 £9bn a year.
He 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".
The "full capital expensing" policy will mean companies can deduct spending on investment from profits, meaning they have to pay lower amounts of corporation tax.
The 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.
Independent 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.
At 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.
Mr 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.
Plans to hike corporation tax to 25% were first put forward by Rishi Sunak two years ago, when he was chancellor under Boris Johnson.
The 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.
Mr 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.
Keeping corporation tax at 19% was a key plank of Liz Truss' low-tax leadership platform when she beat Mr Sunak to become prime minister.
On 23 September, then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed the move in the Commons, telling the country it would boost growth - but his Budget quickly unravelled.
Three 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.
Some Tory MPs publicly oppose the rise, including Mr Johnson, despite the fact he signed off on it when he was PM.
During 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.
Former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg echoed that view, saying the best approach to tax policy was low rates with few exclusions.
He 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." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64963631 |
John Caldwell : Tenth arrest over Omagh police shooting - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A 45-year-old man is arrested in connection with the attempted murder of John Caldwell. | Northern Ireland | Det Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in a number of major investigations
A tenth man has been arrested in connection with the shooting of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell.
The man, aged 45, was detained in Belfast under the Terrorism Act on Tuesday evening.
Det Ch Insp John Caldwell suffered life-changing injuries in the attack in Omagh last month.
Investigators said their main line of enquiry into the attempted murder was dissident republican group the New IRA.
Eight other men, aged 72, 57, 47, 45, 43, 33, 38 and 22, arrested in connection with the attempted murder have since been released.
A 25-year-old man, detained over a claim of responsibility made for the shooting was also released following questioning.
Last week, the independent charity Crimestoppers announced a new reward for information about the attack.
It had previously offered £20,000 but said anonymous donors had helped to increase that to £150,000.
Det Ch Supt Eamonn Corrigan said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was "working relentlessly to bring those responsible to justice".
Det Ch Insp Caldwell, 48, was left critically ill after he was shot while putting footballs into his car after coaching young people at football.
The shooting, which occurred in front of school children, has been widely condemned by political figures across Northern Ireland.
He is one of the best-known detectives in the PSNI, often fronting press conferences on major inquiries during his 26-year career.
Mr 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64959728 |
Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt: Football fans throw chairs at Naples riot police - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | null | Eintracht Frankfurt fans clash with police in Italy ahead of a Champions League match - despite a ban on their attendance. | null | Eintracht Frankfurt fans have clashed with police in Italy ahead of their club's Champions League last-16 match against Napoli.
Footage showed chairs being hurled at riot police, who had been responding with tear gas.
Naples authorities had banned residents of the German city from buying tickets for the match, after violence during the first leg in Frankfurt.
More on this story: Eintracht fans clash with police before Napoli tie | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64970977 |
Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt: Visiting fans clash with police before Champions League tie - BBC Sport | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | null | Eintracht Frankfurt fans clash with police after arriving in Naples despite being banned from their team's Champions League match with Napoli. | null | Last updated on .From the section European Football
Eintracht Frankfurt fans clashed with police after arriving in Naples despite being banned from Wednesday's Champions League last-16 match with Napoli.
Away fans were barred from the second leg after incidents at their first meeting last month.
But 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.
Local media said Eintracht fans were also attacked by Napoli ultras.
It said the incidents had caused "terror among passers-by and shopkeepers".
Footage shared on social media showed chairs and flares being thrown at a small number of police dressed in riot gear.
Italy'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?"
Eintracht board member Philipp Reschke said trouble began when a group of 150 locals attacked away supporters while they were being escorted by police.
"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."
German interior minister Nancy Faeser said: "Tonight's violence must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Perpetrators of violence and troublemakers destroy sport."
The match was played without incident inside the ground with Napoli winning 3-0 to seal progression to the quarter-finals.
Uefa 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. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64970500 |