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Swansea explosion: Man who rescued boy says he's not a hero - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Donn Fernández was the first on the scene and described hearing the boy's calls for help | Wales | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Donn Fernández says he followed his instincts when he rescued Ethan from the wreckage of a house explosion
A man who helped rescue a 14-year-old boy from the wreckage of a house that was destroyed in an explosion said he was just following his instincts.
One home was destroyed in the suspected gas explosion at the junction of Field Close and Clydach Road in Morriston, Swansea, at about 11:20 GMT on Monday.
Brian Davies, 68, died and three others, including the teen, were hurt.
Donn Fernández, 40, said he did not want to be called a "hero", adding: "No, I'm just human."
Mr Fernández, who only moved to Swansea from the Philippines one month ago, was one of those who helped rescue Ethan Bennett after the blast.
He was walking up the stairs when Mr Davies's house exploded.
At first, he had no idea where the noise had come from but saw his front door and windows were shattered and there was "white smoke" in the air.
Donn Fernández and Donna Fontanilla only moved to the area a month ago
When he ran outside, he could see Ethan caught in the rubble of the remains of his roof so he and several others pulled him to safety.
His wife, Donna Fontanilla, 30, said: "I keep on telling him that you are brave, but he doesn't want to accept."
Mr Fernández said he did what anyone else would have done in his shoes and praised Ethan: "It's not me who saved him - it's the boy who's really brave."
Ms Fontanilla is a nurse and was at work when the blast happened.
Brian Davies has been named as the man who died following the explosion
When Mr Fernández called to tell her what had happened, her first thought was for her neighbour.
"I said, 'Oh my God, how's Brian?' because I knew he was living literally in that house. Looking at the house itself, I don't think there is a sign of life and I feel really devastated, you know - I feel bad for him, he doesn't deserve this."
The couple moved to Clydach Road in February and described Mr Davies as welcoming and friendly.
On Wednesday, they received the news that their house was too badly damaged by the blast for them to return.
Fr Jason Jones praised Donn Fernández for his quick response to the explosion
The couple's children, two-year-old Zefia and Evan, three, are still in the Philippines living with family.
They had planned for their children to move and join them in April, but those plans are on hold while the couple searches for a new home.
But Ms Fontanilla said they had been "overwhelmed" by the help of the council, their Catholic church, and the Filipino community in Swansea.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone. We really appreciate it. They are always making sure that we are quite comfortable - they've given us spare clothes, water, basic necessities for us to get through."
Their priest, Father Jason Jones, who is storing some of the possessions they were able to retrieve, said: "I think we're just very blessed that he's part of our community and so willing to risk his own life because there could have been further explosions."
Meanwhile, the RSPCA has been working to support families and their pets who were affected by the blast.
An inspector rescued one cat, Fern, from the scene of the blast, which is now being cared for at the RSPCA's Llys Nini animal rescue centre in Penllergaer.
However, they are still trying to find Fern's brother Teddy who remains missing - both pets belong to the Bennett family, whose home was wrecked in the explosion.
Ethan has been reunited with his pet cat Fern
Ethan was reunited with family pet Fern at Llys Nini after being rescued, but the cat will remain at the centre.
Sally Hyman, chairwoman of the trustees at the animal rescue centre, said: "We've been pumping out the appeal for Teddy on our social media. We've had volunteers out looking for him and Cat Protection are also on board.
"Their specialists say the best chance may be to to try to trap him overnight and they are on hand to do that."
South Wales Police said an investigation had been launched into the cause of the explosion, and the Health and Safety Executive has been informed. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64968303 |
Maghaberry Prison: Daniel McConville's death prompts call for changes - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Daniel McConville died in 2018 shortly after he warned prison staff that he intended to self-harm. | Northern Ireland | Daniel McConville, a father of two, died in jail on 30 August 2018
A report into the death of a 22-year-old prisoner has called for improvement in how people with complex needs are assessed and managed while in jail.
Daniel McConville died in Maghaberry Prison in 2018, shortly after he warned staff that he intended to self-harm.
The prison ombudsman investigated after Mr McConville's family raised concerns about his treatment in custody.
But the ombudsman said she found no evidence to suggest Mr McConville was assaulted or bullied by prison staff.
"The care provided by the Prison Service was appropriate based on the information and knowledge available to prison officers," the report by Prisoner Ombudsman Lesley Carroll concluded.
However, she added that prison staff managing Mr McConville on a day-to-day basis were "unaware of much of his background" and she has made recommendations to improve the supervision and care of inmates with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
The prisoner, who had 80 previous convictions, had a documented history of self-harm, drug abuse and depression.
He had been prescribed anti-depressants, but was without access to this medication on three occasions in jail and it was not present in his body at the time of his death.
During his early childhood, Mr McConville was also diagnosed with a learning difficulty and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The ombudsman's report pointed out "there is no specific service for those with ADHD" within the prison system.
"I am concerned that the needs of those who face multiple challenges in their lives, including multiple low-level health diagnoses, could be better addressed while they are in custody," Ms Carroll said.
Using prison records, her report documents the events leading up to the night of 29/30 August 2018, when Maghaberry staff found Mr McConville unresponsive in his cell.
Following a number of short stays in custody throughout his youth, he was charged with burglary and theft in June 2018 and was remanded in custody.
During a 70-day detention period, Mr McConville had several health assessments and moved cells seven times.
He also had altercations with other inmates, lost privileges after breaking prison rules and complained that he had been assaulted by prison staff.
"Based on materials examined as part of this investigation and the significant number of interviews conducted, I was not able to substantiate the allegations made of mistreatment and bullying," the ombudsman concluded.
"It seems more likely that, at least in part, Mr McConville's behaviour was challenging for prison staff who had very little understanding or knowledge of his underlying conditions."
However, her report also noted at the time of his death, the prisoner was being managed under the Supporting People At Risk (SPAR) process and was therefore considered as being at "increased risk" of self-harm and suicide.
She added that the evidence suggested that Mr McConville had not taken his prescribed anti-depressant medication for at least a week prior to his death and that this "also put him at an elevated risk of suicide".
Maghaberry Prison is a high-security men's jail which holds both sentenced and remand prisoners
On 28 August 2018 - the day before Mr McConville was found unresponsive in his cell - he alleged he was being bullied by staff on the landing of Erne House.
He threatened to cut himself if he was not moved from his cell and, as a result, a senior prison officer interviewed him and opened a SPAR.
This action required staff to observe Mr McConville every 30 minutes.
The following day, the prisoner appeared in court via video-link to apply for release on bail.
The court refused, because no bail address could be secured for him.
He returned to his cell and prison records state that checks were carried out exactly every 30 minutes from 21:05 until he was found unresponsive at 23:04.
An ambulance and fire fighters were called but Mr McConville was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on 30 August.
An inquest into the cause of his death is pending.
The ombudsman's report contains five recommendations, including a suggestion of better communication between the police and prison services about the progress of investigations into prison assaults.
She also recommended that prison staff and health workers should access training on neurodevelopmental disabilities including ADHD to "inform practice in response to behaviour and presentation of individuals in custody".
"While I have found that Mr McConville's care was within standards, I am also convinced that there is considerable work to be done to ensure that the notion of rehabilitation is a reality for young men such as Mr McConville", she concluded. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64957131 |
Storm Freddy: Malawi declares state of disaster as more than 200 killed - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Dozens of children are among the dead as rescue workers use shovels to find people buried in mud. | Africa | The destruction of roads and bridges has hampered relief efforts
More than 200 people are now confirmed dead in Malawi after Tropical Storm Freddy ripped through southern Africa for the second time in a month.
Huge amounts of brown water have cascaded through neighbourhoods, sweeping away homes.
Malawi's commercial hub, Blantyre, has recorded most of the deaths, including dozens of children.
Aid agencies are warning that the devastation will exacerbate a cholera outbreak in Malawi.
The government has declared a state of disaster in 10 southern districts that have been hardest-hit by the storm.
Rescue workers are overwhelmed, and are using shovels to try to find survivors buried in mud.
"We have rivers overflowing, we have people being carried away by running waters, we have buildings collapsing," police spokesman Peter Kalaya told the BBC.
Recalling how he helped rescue a child, Blantyre resident Aaron Ntambo said: "The child was stuck up to her head in the mud. She was crying for help. Even though the water was very strong, we managed to cross and rescue her. It was very difficult but we managed to pull her out."
Officials at the main referral hospital in the city said they could not cope with the sheer number of bodies that they were receiving.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders said that more than 40 children were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Officials appealed to bereaved families to collect the corpses for burial as the hospital's mortuary was running out of space.
The government's disaster relief agency said more than 20,000 people have been displaced.
The death toll is expected to rise as some areas remain cut off because of relentless rain and fierce winds.
The storm has also crippled Malawi's power supply, with most parts of the country experiencing prolonged blackouts.
The national electricity company said it was unable to get its hydro-power plant working as it had been filled with debris.
Densely-populated poorer communities, living in brick and mud houses, have been hardest-hit.
Some of these houses have crumbled into flood waters, while others have been entirely swept away.
The collapse of roads and bridges had hampered rescue operations, while helicopters could not be used either because of the heavy rains and strong winds.
The government has appealed for help for the tens of thousands of people who have been left without food and shelter.
Freddy is one of only four storms in history to traverse the entire Indian Ocean from north-western Australia to mainland Africa. Freddy could also be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
On Sunday the storm struck Mozambique as a cyclone - for the second time in a less than a month - after battering the island nation of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, causing severe destruction.
It has been difficult to determine the extent of the damage caused in Mozambique and the number of deaths, as power supply and phone signals were cut off in some parts of the affected areas.
About 20 deaths have so far been reported.
Experts says climate change is making tropical storms around the world wetter, windier and more intense.
Freddy had broken records for the strength it accumulated over the 8,000-km (5,000-mile) path it travelled across the Indian Ocean from north-western Australia. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-64938811 |
Will chancellor Jeremy Hunt's plan to fix the UK economy work? - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The chancellor claims the downturn will be shallower than it otherwise would have been. | Business | What we've just seen was like two Budgets in one, or, with the World Cup approaching, what a football fan might call "a Budget of two halves".
In the first half, covering the next couple of years before the next general election, there is support for households, in the form of government spending and further support with energy bills. Extra cash has been found for schools, hospitals and social care, and the chief secretary to the Treasury John Glen hinted to me that some of this could be used for higher wage rises for public sector workers.
The second half, after 2025, is a different matter. That's where the eye-watering decisions the chancellor warned us about come in: the spending cuts and higher taxes for all. They're needed if the chancellor is to hit his target of getting debt to shrink as a proportion of economic output in five years.
Whether or not this two-pronged plan works isn't just a question of the score after the final whistle in five years time though - and remember the Conservative Party might not even be on the pitch any more by then - it's also about the verdict over the next few days.
Immediate tax rises, on energy companies and the wealthy, mean that tax as a proportion of economic output will rise to levels not seen since the end of World War Two, which some in his party will no doubt view as anti-growth, but the government defends as necessary in a situation where rising energy prices have pushed up our national energy bills by the equivalent of paying for a second NHS and household incomes are falling by the largest amount since records began in 1956.
In such circumstances Mr Hunt's first priority is to avoid worsening the recession the government's independent forecaster the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) says has already started. That's the reason he can't go in hard now with a plan to balance the Budget.
There are two distinct halves to Hunt's Autumn Statement
The grim consolidation planned for after 2025 - worth £55bn or 2% of the size of the economy - is a downpayment to the markets. It's Mr Hunt aiming to prove he is serious about fixing the public finances.
That's just as vital as protecting growth if his plan is to work. The recent sharp increase in interest rates means the government is facing a bill for its own borrowing that's going to top £100bn a year over the next few years. But that bill could come down if investors are satisfied that the right plan is in place.
Unusually, the position of the opposition, really matters here too. And Labour's shadow Treasury number two Pat McFadden, confirmed to me that his party's current baseline for its economic plans, should it win the next election, is the £54bn fiscal consolidation revealed by the OBR numbers.
Privately the Labour team suggests if they win the next election, it will be left to them to clean up the Conservative party mess. Publicly they are stressing that they need to show they are serious about financial stability. This suggests we may be heading for a 1997-style situation, when Labour in opposition accepted the very tight spending plans that the outgoing government put in place but might themselves never have enacted at all.
All these big economic numbers may well evolve before the election; the OBR is certainly due to give several more forecasts before then. But the tramlines for the next half-decade of politics are in place.
For now the markets seem sufficiently assured that this new team will deal with the deficit. The prime minister and chancellor managed to tell lenders they would immediately be needing £24bn less in funds than thought at the time of the mini-Budget. Labour's broad acceptance helps with the credibility. But the really tough stuff has been pushed out 'til after the election. The unspoken hope here might be that events prove to be far more positive in the coming months - perhaps an end to the war in Ukraine, and the post-pandemic supply bottlenecks. If that does not happen, risks remain here. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63666574 |
Imran Khan greets supporters after police withdraw from around ex-PM's home - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Officers leave the home of Pakistan's main opposition leader after they tried to arrest him. | Asia | The former prime minister spoke to supporters gathered outside his residence in Lahore
Pakistan's main opposition leader Imran Khan has greeted supporters outside his home, hours after there were violent clashes as police tried to arrest him.
He addressed the crowd and took pictures with those gathered near his compound in the city of Lahore.
In one video, he can be seen wearing a gas mask. Police fired tear gas shells during clashes throughout the night.
One official told the BBC that the arrest operation had been paused.
Punjab Interim Information Minister Amir Mir said the court-ordered operation to detain Mr Khan was suspended on Wednesday to allow a cricket tournament to take place nearby, as the stand-off was causing major traffic disruption.
He said the operation would likely continue after the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on 19 March.
No international cricket was played in Pakistan for six years following an attack on the Sri Lanka team by gunmen in 2009. It also took years for international players to return, and the ongoing tournament involves a large security operation.
"We can't afford to risk the security and safety of the PSL," a senior police official told the Reuters news agency.
Later on Wednesday, the Lahore High Court ordered police to postpone the arrest of Mr Khan until Thursday, pending the result of a hearing on the legitimacy of the arrest warrant.
Officers and paramilitary rangers were seen leaving the Zaman Park suburb where the house is located, with some reportedly abandoning roadblocks and checkpoints.
Mr Khan then appeared outside and spoke to his supporters. "The police and rangers sent to harm Imran Khan were pushed back by the people," his PTI party Twitter account posted.
The 70-year-old, who was ousted as prime minister last April, is facing allegations he sold state gifts while in office. He says the case is politically motivated.
Debris lined the roads outside Imran Khan's residence in Lahore on Wednesday
On Wednesday, the streets outside Mr Khan's home were littered with debris and smouldering barricades.
His supporters gathered at one of the roads - a major highway in Lahore - and chanted his name.
Hours earlier, officers in riot gear had fired tear gas and water cannon in an effort to disperse hundreds of supporters at the compound. Some in the crowd threw stones and bricks.
Police then tried to force their way into the compound to arrest Mr Khan for failing to appear in an Islamabad court.
"I have never witnessed such brutality, that's what shocks me," Waqar Khan, a PTI supporter told the BBC.
Recalling Tuesday's clashes, one woman, Tazeen, said: "Are we not humans? What kind of a country is this? People around me could not breathe," one woman, Tazeen, said.
Mr Khan has said he did not appear in court because of security concerns as two militant attacks had previously taken place there. The politician has offered to sign a guarantee that he will appear in court on Saturday.
He earlier told the BBC there was "no reason" for police to arrest him as he had taken protective bail until Saturday. He also said the government was determined to put him behind bars after previous failed attempts.
He said the authorities were trying to arrest him to stop his party from taking part in forthcoming elections. But he added: "Whether I am in jail or not they will not be able to stop my party winning."
Government minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the move had nothing to do with elections and police were only complying with court orders.
She claimed that Mr Khan was using his party workers, women and children as human shields to evade arrest and stoke unrest.
Since being ousted from office, Mr Khan has been a vocal critic of the government and the country's army. He has toured the country delivering fiery speeches calling for elections due later this year to be held early.
He has kept up pressure on his successor Shehbaz Sharif with demonstrations and blames him for an assassination attempt in November in which he was wounded in the leg.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Imran Khan shows piles of tear gas cannisters he says were found inside his compound | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64963327 |
Energy bill help to continue until end of June - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Typical household bills in Britain will be held at £2,500 - but a £400 winter rebate will not be renewed. | Business | The government will extend support for energy bills at current levels for a further three months in Wednesday's Budget, as it seeks to boost growth.
Typical household energy bills in Britain had been due to rise to £3,000 a year from April, but instead will be kept at £2,500 until the end of June.
But a £400 winter fuel payment will not be renewed, meaning households' costs will still rise in the short term.
The chancellor is due to set out a broader plan later to grow the economy.
Among other things, he is expected to expand free childcare and ease pension tax thresholds.
Under the Energy Price Guarantee, the government has been limiting energy bills for a typical household to £2,500 a year, plus a £400 winter discount.
That help was set to be scaled back from 1 April, and with the £400 discount also coming to an end many had warned this would heap hardship on families already struggling with the cost of living.
Campaigners had urged the government to change course, pointing out that falling wholesale energy prices have sharply cut the cost of offering support.
Energy is regulated separately in Northern Ireland, where bills will be held at £1,950 per year for an average household.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: "High energy bills are one of the biggest worries for families, which is why we're maintaining the Energy Price Guarantee at its current level.
"With energy bills set to fall from July onwards, this temporary change will bridge the gap and ease the pressure on families, while also helping to lower inflation too."
Experts say the energy bill support scheme will not be needed this summer, due to falling market gas prices.
Analysis firm Cornwall Insight forecasts that the Energy Price Cap - which is set by the energy regulator Ofgem and limits what suppliers can charge consumers per unit of energy - will fall to £2,100 a year for a typical household from July.
Mr Hunt has said he will cut costs for vulnerable people by £45 a year by bringing prepayment energy charges in line with customers who pay by direct debit.
The Treasury said help for around eight million low income and vulnerable households will continue, with families getting at least £900 in cash payments over the next year.
But there are questions over the thinking behind the decision to extend the Energy Price Guarantee. It is universal help - in other words, everyone gets it, irrespective of how big an issue energy bills are in their home.
Critics say the £3bn extra it will cost would be better spent if targeted at those who really need it.
Audit giant KPMG urged the government to come up with a long-term plan to protect consumers from volatile energy prices.
"It can't just be another three months where we wait and see what happens to wholesale prices," said Simon Virley, who leads its UK energy practice.
"The government needs to move beyond their short-term emergency measures and find a way to target support for energy bills on those who need it most." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64961667 |
Budget 2023: Chancellor announces £11bn more for UK defence - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | null | Britain will spend more on defence and it will rise to 2.5% of UK GDP, says the chancellor. | null | Britain will spend more on defence and it will rise to 2.5% of the UK's GDP "as soon as fiscal and economic circumstances allow" the chancellor has said.
Jeremy Hunt told MPs there would £30m extra support for ex-servicemen and women.
UK will avoid recession and inflation to fall to 2.9%, says Hunt | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64953193 |
Bovine TB: Farmer's distress at slaughter of pregnant cows - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A farmer has described watching a calf fight for life in the womb after the slaughter of its mother. | Wales | Geraint Evans recalls seeing six of his herd being shot in his farmyard
"I can cope with seeing a cow being shot," said farmer Geraint Evans. "But what hurt me most was seeing the calf in the womb, being suffocated."
He was describing the result of regulations which means pregnant cows testing positive for tuberculosis (TB) have to be slaughtered on his farm.
There have been calls for a change in the rules.
The Welsh government said welfare was "uppermost" when taking cattle from farms hit by TB.
In Wales cattle cannot be removed from a farm after a positive TB test.
Under strict circumstances in England - but not in Wales - the slaughter process can be delayed if a cow or heifer is in the last 60 days of pregnancy. This is to allow the animal to give birth.
"The on-farm slaughter of heavily pregnant cows or heifers identified as TB reactors is a harrowing event for all concerned," said NFU Cymru TB Focus Group chairman Roger Lewis.
"Bovine TB continues to devastate farming families across Wales and this experience only adds to the emotional burden imposed by this disease.
"We understand Welsh government are working to refresh their approach to TB and we stand ready to work with them on designing an alternative approach to this practice."
Mr Evans, a fifth generation farmer from Pembrokeshire who has been in and out of TB restrictions for more than a decade, vividly remembered having to watch six of his herd being slaughtered on his yard.
Current rules say cattle testing positive for TB must be slaughtered on their farms
"I had to line them up in a row for them to go into the crush, and see them being shot," he said.
"The cow, the mother, had died. And the calf fighting for its life.
"That is very, very trying."
Beyond this specific policy, Mr Evans described farming in Wales as disheartening and depressing.
"There's this dark cloud over us, and I describe it to people that I am farming in a straightjacket."
"There's a tremendous amount of pressure on farmers," says Nigel Owens
Nigel Owens, who is retired from his career as one of the world's best known rugby referees, has been farming since 2019.
He said he had deep concerns about mental health issues in the industry.
"There's a tremendous amount of pressure on farmers, and then when you get that extra worry of TB on top of that," said Mr Owens.
"And there's no point in us avoiding the discussion, farmers have taken their own lives. And I don't say that TB is the only reason, but it's part of that big picture that leads to major worries for farmers.
"You talk to those who are involved with the [mental health farming charity] DPJ Foundation, and the number of farmers who contact them for help. I spoke to a friend recently who'd never had TB who was affected recently, and I've seen how it's knocked him.
"His spirits [were] really really down. So it is a concern, and it does impact farmers, and we have to do something about it."
"It's completely inhumane and unfair for the farmers to see that," says Conservative Samuel Kurtz
Samuel Kurtz, the Welsh Conservatives' rural affairs spokesman, said farmers were turning to mental health charities as a result of Welsh government agricultural policies.
"I think it's completely inhumane," said Mr Kurtz.
"I think it's inhumane for the animal, and there's no animal welfare benefit to this situation we've got here in Wales. And it's completely inhumane and unfair for the farmers to see that themselves.
"To see in-calf cows and heifers slaughtered, with a calf still inside of them, drowning in the mother's womb.
"That's not an animal welfare situation that I want to be associated with and it's a real shame that the Welsh government still want to persevere with this policy."
"You can isolate the cow or the heifer on the farm away from the main herd," Mr Kurtz continued.
"You can have it give birth with a bit of dignity and respect, and the transmission rate of TB between its mother and its calf are very, very low, if any.
"What that can do is replenish the stock that the farmer is losing through TB with a live calf, giving that calf a chance to live because at the moment it's drowning in its mother's womb, and also allowing that cow to die with dignity which isn't happening at the moment."
Figures show the number of animals slaughtered for TB control has fallen from 11,655 in 2009 to 9,516 in the year to December 2022 - an 18.4% drop.
The number of animals slaughtered for TB control is down by 18.4% since 2009 to 9,516
A Welsh government spokesperson said: "Welfare considerations are uppermost when removing cattle from TB affected farms.
"On-farm slaughter is undertaken whenever cattle are unfit to be transported live from farms.
"Our TB policy is neither inhumane nor heartless and the slaughter of cattle on farm is fully compliant with welfare legislation."
The Welsh government also said it was "aware of the huge challenge of TB in cattle, and the distress it causes farmers having to manage it."
"We have seen good progress towards eradication since we established our programme, with long-term decreases in new incidents and prevalence." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64954491 |
Budget 2023: Jeremy Hunt insists plans will get people back to work - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Jeremy Hunt tells the BBC his plans will kick start growth, but Labour says the UK economy is stagnating under the Tories. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The chancellor said his first Budget will give "nearly five times more help" for parents dealing with child care costs.
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work - and it will not just benefit the rich who are saving for retirement.
The chancellor told the BBC he wanted to fill a million vacancies across the UK so firms can "grow faster".
He plans to expand free childcare in England and scrap the £1m cap for tax-free pension savings.
Labour has said it will reverse the pension move if elected, calling it a "tax cut for the top 1%".
It was "the wrong priority, at the wrong time", said shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves. Labour has said it would target the pensions tax cut at NHS doctors if it wins power.
In his Budget speech, Mr Hunt claimed the UK economy would avoid a recession, with inflation predicted to more than halve by the end of this year.
But he said a shortage of workers was holding back growth, and he wanted more over-50s, people with disabilities and parents of young children to get back to work.
Offering eligible working parents with children as young as nine months in England 30 hours of free childcare is a key part of the plan - but it will not be introduced fully until September 2025.
Mr Hunt said he would like to have extended childcare help sooner but it first needed a big increase in the number of childminders and nurseries.
As well as scrapping the £1m cap on the amount people can save for their pensions before it is taxed extra, he increased the annual tax-free allowance on pensions from £40,000 to £60,000.
The changes aim to encourage senior teachers and doctors to keep working.
Asked about criticism that it was a "Budget for the rich", allowing people who are already well off to save more for their pensions, he said: "Well, of course we want to help older people who want to stay in work.
"By definition, they will generally be on higher salaries, but nearly five times more help is going to young parents to help them with childcare costs, a nearly 60% reduction in childcare costs of £6,500 a child.
"That will make a huge difference to families. But also it will make a huge difference to businesses who worry - particularly smaller businesses - that they are losing valuable employees when they start a family."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tory Budget shows 'just how out of touch they are' - Starmer
The government's independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), says the chancellor's policies are likely to add about 110,000 people to the UK workforce, depending on how they react to the various incentives.
Asked why after 13 years of a Conservative government a whole generation is not doing as well as their parents had, Mr Hunt said his growth plan meant "better jobs and better opportunities".
"We had half a million people who left the labour force during the lockdowns," he added. "That's an effect you haven't seen in other countries and that's why I've announced the measures I've announced today to encourage people back to work."
One senior government figure described it as "a steady-as-she-goes Budget", after the turbulence of Liz Truss's short-lived premiership.
The OBR said the UK economy would shrink by 0.2% this year, which is better than previously forecast and does not, technically, count as a recession.
Inflation is forecast to fall from 10.7% in the final quarter of last year to 2.9% by the end of 2023.
Living standards are still expected to fall by the largest amount since records began, according to the OBR, but the decline will not be as bad as it had forecast in November.
The economy is predicted to return to growth - but house prices are projected to fall by 10% by 2025.
The OBR also highlighted Rishi Sunak's April 2021 decision, when he was chancellor, to freeze tax thresholds, which it said amounted to the equivalent of a 4p increase in the basic rate of income tax.
That move, dubbed a "stealth tax" by critics, is due to come into effect next month and will increase government income by £29.3bn a year.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning, Mr Hunt admitted "for a while the tax burden will be higher" due to costs incurred during the pandemic and on subsidising energy costs.
"These things have to be paid for", he said, adding "it's the right thing to do to get through this difficult period". He said the government wants to cut taxes "when we can".
Pressed on why childcare reforms will take years to roll out, he described the changes as "the biggest in my lifetime" and said the sector needs time to adjust to a new surge in demand.
He also defended the decision to remove the lifetime allowance on pension pots as a measure which will help the NHS retain doctors who otherwise might opt for early retirement or to cut their hours.
Labour's Rachel Reeves said the policy is a tax giveaway for the "top 1%" and should have been targeted at the health sector, rather than applied more broadly.
Some Tory MPs were disappointed by the decision to go ahead with a planned rise to corporation tax next month.
However, Mr Hunt said that businesses would be able to deduct money they invest in IT equipment and machinery from their taxable profits for the next three years.
There was no announcement in this Budget of extra money for public sector pay, as a wave of strikes by workers including junior doctors, teachers and rail staff continues.
In his speech, Mr Hunt also pledged an expansion in wraparound care at the start and finish of the school day for parents with older children and changes to staff-to-child ratios in England to expand supply of childcare, although the target date for the measure was September 2026.
And he announced plans to abolish Work Capability Assessments, which he said would "separate benefit entitlement from an individual's ability to work".
From 2026, the government will use another test, currently used to assess eligibility for Personal Independence Payments, the main disability benefit, to decide if someone is eligible for additional payments.
Other measures unveiled in the Budget include:
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "After 13 years of his government, our economy needed major surgery, but like millions across our country, this Budget leaves us stuck in the waiting room with only a sticking plaster to hand.
"A country set on a path of managed decline, falling behind our competitors, the sick man of Europe once again."
SNP economy spokesman Stewart Hosie said: "It's truly pathetic that the chancellor has failed to cut energy bills, despite having ample resources to do so."
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak had a chance to show they care about the cost-of-living crisis that's hitting millions of Britain's families and pensioners but they failed miserably."
How has the Budget affected you? You can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64964911 |
Eleanor Williams jailed over false rape claims - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The judge said Eleanor Williams' claims she was trafficked by an Asian gang were "complete fiction". | Cumbria | 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
A woman who falsely claimed she was raped by multiple men and trafficked by an Asian grooming gang has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years.
Eleanor Williams sparked protests in her Cumbrian home town of Barrow after posting photos on social media of injuries she said were from beatings.
But Preston Crown Court heard she inflicted the wounds herself using a hammer.
Williams, 22, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
A two-day sentencing hearing was told three men Williams falsely accused over a three-year period tried to take their own lives after being targeted and suffering "hell on earth".
One of them - Jordan Trengove - spent 73 days in prison, sharing a cell with a convicted sex offender after he was charged as a result of Williams' claims.
They had been on a night out in March 2019 when she was taken home after becoming intoxicated.
Williams later alleged Mr Trengove had raped her that night, and then on two more occasions, claiming he attacked her and threatened her with a knife.
The court heard he had the word "rapist" spray painted across his house.
Eleanor Williams' trial was told she inflicted injuries on herself with the hammer
Barrow businessman Mohammed Ramzan, who Williams claimed to have worked for, was accused of grooming her from the age of 12 and putting her to work in brothels in Amsterdam. He said he had received "countless death threats" on social media.
Williams had given police an account of being taken to Blackpool by Mr Ramzan where she said she was taken to different addresses and forced to have sex with several men.
When police made inquiries, they found she had travelled to the seaside town alone and stayed in a hotel, where she bought a Pot Noodle from a nearby shop and then stayed in her room watching YouTube.
Meanwhile, Oliver Gardner said a chance encounter with Williams in Preston one night led to him being accused of being a rapist who had trafficked her and sold her to two Asian men.
As a result of the accusations he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Honorary Recorder of Preston Judge Robert Altham said Williams had experienced difficulties since childhood and had a history of self-harm.
However, he said her allegations were of the utmost severity and it was troubling there had been "no significant sign of remorse" and "no explanation why the defendant would commit these offences".
Describing her claims as "complete fiction", he said: "Unless and until the defendant chooses to say why she has told these lies we will not know."
The judge added: "She's gone to extraordinary lengths to create false accusations including causing herself significant injury."
The claims had created a "state of heightened tension" in Barrow for about four months, he said, with police describing the turbulence as being like nothing seen in the town for decades.
Social media threats were made against the local force, the court heard, with a caravan of demonstrators travelling in vehicles from Barrow to Ulverston and back after Williams posted the pictures on Facebook in May 2020.
Protests were held outside the police station and on a retail park. Videos of an appearance in the town by English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson were shown in court.
Judge Altham said: "Police were under pressure from those who believed they were complicit in a cover-up on one hand and those who felt unsafe at the hands of vigilantes on the other."
Before Judge Altham began his sentencing remarks, the defence read a letter from Williams in which she said she knew she had "done wrong over some of this" and was "sorry" but added she did not accept she was guilty.
She said she was "devastated" by the "trouble caused" by her Facebook post and added "if I knew what consequences would come from the status I would never have wrote it".
She said "anything that happened in the community was not instigated by me and my family did not want Tommy Robinson in town".
Mohammed Ramzan (second right) told the court his family had been targeted "in the most horrendous way"
Mr Trengove told reporters he did not think the sentence was long enough and that he planned to take action against the police.
Meanwhile, Mr Ramzan said he felt "no sense of triumph, only sadness", adding: "I'm not sure how the family and I are going to recover from this. Mud sticks and I fear it may take some time."
Williams was found guilty in January of eight counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice. She had earlier pleaded guilty to one further count.
However, last month she announced she had launched an appeal against her conviction.
Supt Matthew Pearman, of Cumbria Police, said Williams' allegations "could not have been taken any more seriously when she initially came forward" as a "large-scale investigation" was started.
"This has been a lengthy, complex and ultimately tragic case, as well as a dark period for Barrow," he said.
"I hope that the full story, now it is in the public domain, will demonstrate that the police take allegations of sexual and physical abuse extremely seriously and will investigate thoroughly.
"I urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual or physical abuse to report it today. You will be listened to and supported."
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-64950862 |
Budget dresses up stagnation as stability, Keir Starmer says - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Labour leader says the UK is "set on a path of managed decline" and "falling behind our competitors". | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tory Budget shows 'just how out of touch they are' - Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer has accused the chancellor of "dressing up stagnation as stability" in his Budget.
The Labour leader also criticised plans to abolish the pensions allowance limit as "a huge giveaway" for the wealthy.
But Jeremy Hunt said the UK would avoid entering a recession and the economy was "proving the doubters wrong".
The government's independent forecaster said the economy was still likely to shrink this year, but by less than it previously thought.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is also warning of a big drop in living standards, which it says will not recover to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2027.
Sir Keir told the Commons that after 13 years of the Conservatives "our economy needed major surgery" but the government was providing "only a sticking plaster".
"A country set on a path of managed decline, falling behind our competitors, the sick man of Europe once again," he said.
He added that the country was "stuck in a doom loop of lower growth, higher taxes and broken public services".
The Labour leader also attacked the decision to abolish the cap on how much workers can accumulate in their pensions savings over their lifetime before having to pay extra tax.
Mr Hunt said the move would incentivise doctors and other experienced professionals to stay in work for longer.
But Sir Keir said it would "benefit those with the broadest shoulders when many people are struggling to save into their pension".
"We needed a fix for doctors, but the announcement today is a huge giveaway to some of the very wealthiest," he said.
"The only permanent tax cut in the budget is for the richest 1%. How can that possibly be a priority for this government?"
On the government's plans to expand free childcare for working parents in England, Sir Keir said "more money in the system is obviously a good thing".
"But we have seen the Tories expand so-called free hours before and as parents up and down the country know, it's no use having more free hours if you can't access them," he said. "And it pushes up the costs for parents outside the offer." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64967889 |
US drone crashes after encounter with Russian jet - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The US says the two aircraft collided over the Black Sea, but Russia says there was no contact. | Europe | Reaper drones are full-size aircraft designed for reconnaissance and surveillance
A Russian fighter jet has collided with a US drone, causing the unmanned US aircraft to crash into the Black Sea, the American military says.
The incident highlights the increasing risk of direct confrontation between Russia and the US over the Ukraine war.
The US says the drone was on a routine mission in international airspace when two Russian jets tried to intercept it.
Russia said the drone crashed after a "sharp manoeuvre", and denied that the two aircraft made direct contact.
The Russian defence ministry also said the MQ-9 Reaper drone was flying with its transponders turned off. Transponders are communications devices that allow the aircraft to be tracked.
The incident happened at about 07:03 Central European Time (06:03 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the US military.
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"Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9," the statement said.
Several times before the collision the Su-27 fighter jets dumped fuel on the drone in a "reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner", it said.
The US summoned the Russian ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, to protest against the move.
Following the meeting, Russian state media quoted Antonov as saying that Moscow saw the drone incident as "a provocation".
Tensions have risen over the Black Sea ever since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine the US and the UK have stepped up reconnaissance and surveillance flights, though always operating in international airspace.
The key question is whether Tuesday's encounter was an attempt by Russia to disrupt the US drone and its work, or whether it was a deliberate attempt to bring it down.
According to the US, there has been a "pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots" interacting with allied aircraft in the region.
So this could simply have been a mistake by a Russian pilot who got too close as they "buzzed" the drone. But if this was a deliberate attack on a US aircraft by a Russian warplane, then that would amount to a huge provocation and a substantial escalation.
In that case, the attack would be seen as an attempt by the Kremlin to test the response of the United States.
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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-64957792 |
Brian May knighted by King at Buckingham Palace - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Queen guitarist is given the honour for services to music and charity. | UK | Less than a year after the late Queen appeared on screen tapping out the beat of We Will Rock You over tea with Paddington Bear, the man who wrote the song - and whose band shared her moniker - has attended Buckingham Palace to receive a knighthood.
Guitarist Brian May was given the honour on Tuesday for services to music and charity, with pictures showing him chatting with King Charles and posing with his medallion after the ceremony.
As per tradition, King Charles tapped May on the shoulder with a sword during the investiture
The pair were pictured chatting and laughing during the ceremony
May has spent decades playing with Queen and is also known for his animal rights campaigning
May's wife, actress Anita Dobson, who is best known for her role as Angie Watts in BBC soap EastEnders, also attended the event
May posed with saxophonist YolanDa Brown, who was awarded an OBE
May and the other members of Queen wrote numerous hit songs in the 1970s and 80s
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From June 2022: The Queen meets Paddington Bear for Party at the Palace | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64960536 |
Autumn Statement: Jeremy Hunt seeks stability but voters will feel poorer - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The chancellor's Autumn Statement sets the scene for the next general election, writes Nick Eardley. | UK Politics | The country has been on a rollercoaster when it comes to government economic policy.
It is a couple of short months since Kwasi Kwarteng announced the most significant tax cutting budget in decades. The biggest tax cuts were for those earning the most.
Today, despite the same party being in power, the picture is very different.
Tax cuts have been replaced by tax rises. The priority is back on protecting those on the lowest incomes.
The highest income tax rate was supposed to be scrapped - now more people are going to be paying it.
You could be forgiven for feeling a bit dizzy at the end of this particular ride.
But are things going to be a bit calmer now? And what will it cost us?
Jeremy Hunt, who replaced Mr Kwarteng last month, wanted to do one thing above all else as chancellor: restore stability.
That's why we've heard so much about difficult decisions and balancing the books in recent days.
There will be spending squeezes in many areas. Budgets won't go up as much as thought.
That will mean hard decisions for some government departments (though maybe not as hard as they could have been and most will come after the next general election).
Freezing thresholds means pay increases in the next few years won't go as far as they would have.
The biggest burden falls on those earning more than £125,000 - the government's calculation is that people will think that's fair in tough times.
The government will continue to subsidise energy bills.
But it is cutting back on the level of support to save cash - meaning for millions of households, bills will go up hundreds of pounds from April.
The government has made political decisions to prioritise certain things: increasing pensions and benefits, increasing NHS spending and more money for schools.
It has been decided that cost of living support should be more targeted on those on lower incomes.
But what might be the most striking thing from today is how it crystalises what the economic situation means for us all.
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility figures hammer this home: household disposable incomes will fall 7%.
It will take another five years before the pound in our household pocket is back to where it was last year.
We are going to feel poorer.
Some groups in society will feel even more of a squeeze after today - with those higher energy bills and more tax eating into pay increases.
Remember the squeezed middle? People who aren't poor enough to qualify for support but aren't rich enough not to worry? We might hear more about them soon.
And that will be the backdrop to the political debate in the run up to the next general election. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63662413 |
Law Roach: Zendaya, Ariana Grande stylist announces shock retirement - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The stylist is best known for working with the likes of Zendaya, Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa. | Newsbeat | Law Roach has styled looks for many red carpets including the Oscars and Met Gala
Pioneering celebrity stylist Law Roach has announced his retirement, saying his cup was "empty".
Best known for his work with the likes of Zendaya, Ariana Grande and Bella Hadid, he hinted that the decision was not related to "the clothes".
"The politics, the lies and false narratives finally got me! You win… I'm out," he wrote on Instagram.
Several stars have expressed their shock at the news, with Law's looks being seen as recently as the Oscars.
"Every person that trusted me with their image, I'm so grateful for you all," Law added.
One of the most famous red carpet looks was at the 2019 Met Gala when he designed Zendaya in a Cinderella gown while he himself dressed as her fairy godmother.
With a few waves of his wand, the dress lit up - a look that got people talking.
"Not many stylists are that innovative and creative," Alexis Adjei, a stylist from Essex tells BBC Newsbeat.
Zendaya and Law at the 2019 Met Gala
Law is known for creating memorable styles for big stars
She's followed Law's career for years and calls him "a legend in the game".
For Alexis, Law's looks are "moments".
"He doesn't do the norm, he creates conversation and controversy, and makes the moment last."
"Some might say his looks are gimmicks and theatrics, but it's not. He is all about the transformation."
For Alexis, that's an important part of being a stylist.
As well as styling red carpet looks, Law is known for thinking outside the box when transforming the everyday looks of celebrities.
"He'll take any celebrity and turn them into a style icon and has everyone like 'give us more'," explains Alexis.
"What he does is incredible and the fashion world will be at a loss without him."
Law's style for Ariana Grande at the 2020 Grammy awards
And that's a sentiment shared by many.
Within hours of posting, celebrities including Addison Rae and Vogue boss Edward Enninful wrote of their sadness, with supermodel Naomi Campbell writing:
"Law I won't let you !!!! We don't quit … strived too hard."
Alexis has worked on and off as a stylist for the last 10 years and says it can be a stressful industry
For Alexis, Law's work is a huge inspiration, both professionally and personally.
"I see his looks and I'm like, 'wow, hopefully one day, I can get to where he is'. As a black person he's really inspiring to me."
"I feel like Law does love fashion enough to reconsider eventually, but there needs to be a big change in the industry, especially for black people.
"And I advocate for us, because I've experienced it," she adds.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-64964667 |
Tube strike: Little or no service as walkout continues - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Union members walk out in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions. | London | No service is running on any of the Tube lines
Londoners are facing widespread transport disruption as strike action halts the Underground.
Transport for London's (TfL) website shows no services are running on any Tube lines.
RMT and Aslef members are involved in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions. The RMT said cuts were a "political decision".
TfL's chief operating officer Glynn Barton urged the unions to call off the action.
TfL says all Tube lines are affected but there is a good service on the Elizabeth Line, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and the London Overground.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. There is no service on the tube today due to strike action
However Tube station closures mean these services "will not be able to stop at those stations", and passengers intending to use some interchange stations may not be able to do so either.
Tram and bus services are also reported to be busier than normal.
Passengers are advised to allow more time for their journeys and check the latest information. People are also being encouraged to walk or cycle if they are able to.
Aslef are warning that more strike action could go ahead if negotiations fail
Aslef district organiser Finn Brennan told the BBC outside Brixton station that he is "genuinely sorry for the people affected."
"We are prepared to negotiate and talk about changes, but our members are rightly not prepared to accept change being imposed.
He added that further strikes are "very likely".
There have been seven London Underground strikes in the past 12 month, according to TfL.
Buses and trams were busier than usual
Tube and Elizabeth line services are expected to start much later than normal on Thursday morning due to the previous day's strike.
National rail strike action is also expected to have an impact in the capital on Thursday and into Friday morning, with an amended Elizabeth line timetable and possible further disruption to DLR, Elizabeth line and London Overground services.
Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman asked Rishi Sunak if he would join him in condemning the strikes which he said "have brought misery to the travelling public", and also condemning London Mayor Sadiq Khan "for his failure to address this".
The prime minister said: "[Mr Blackman] is absolutely right about the misery being inflicted on Londoners by the incompetent running of TfL."
He said the mayor had received £6bn in additional funding for transport services, adding: "So for us to be in a situation that we find ourselves in today is simply unacceptable."
A spokesperson for the mayor of London said: "No one wants to see strikes and the disruption across the country this week is particularly bad news for many of the capital's businesses who are struggling with inflation and the cost of doing business.
"The mayor has repeatedly made clear that the government's insistence on including a review into pension reform as part of the emergency funding deal for TfL was unwarranted and had the potential to lead to this kind of industrial action."
The Elizabeth line is running with a good service but it is not stopping at every station
TfL's chief operating officer Glynn Barton apologised to customers and urged trade unions "to call off this action and continue to engage with us to avoid disruption to our customers".
But Mick Lynch, the RMT's general secretary, said: "Our members will never accept job losses, attacks on their pensions or changes to working conditions in order to pay for a funding cut which is the government's political decision."
He added staff "deserve decent pensions, job security and good working conditions, and the RMT will fight tooth and nail to make sure that's what they get".
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "This government has committed over £6bn since the start of the pandemic to support London's transport network - how that money is spent is a decision for the mayor".
The Tube strike that has halted the network isn't about pay. The roots of it actually lie in the pandemic and the loss of passengers.
Then the government bailed out Transport for London (TfL) financially but there were strings attached.
Broadly TfL has to make £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 the crucial issue: TfL has had to carry out a pension review.
Even carrying out the review has sparked the strikes, even though proposals for any change haven't been outlined. Changes will have to be agreed with the government.
Pensions are a red line for the unions and it is difficult to see how this will be resolved unless they stay as they are.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64954471 |
Free childcare expanded to try to help parents back to work - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Once a child is nine-months-old parents in England will be able to access up to 30-hours of free childcare. | UK Politics | Free childcare for working parents in England will be expanded to cover all children under five by September 2025, as the chancellor looks to get more parents back to work.
The move could allow 60,000 more parents of young children to enter the workforce, according to the government's independent forecaster.
Some 1.3 million people in the UK were unemployed in December 2022.
The new help for parents will be introduced in stages.
The plans are part of a government drive to boost economic growth.
Childcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world and the government has been under pressure, including from some of its own MPs, to provide more help for parents.
The rising cost of childcare has been widely seen as a deterrent for some parents to go back to work or work full time.
The extension of free childcare has been lobbied for by business group the CBI, which calculates that while it will cost several billion pounds, it could raise up to £10bn in further revenue by increasing the number of parents able to work.
However, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), doubted it would make "a big difference".
"The childcare package is expected to only get a few tens of thousands more mothers, mostly, back into work," he told the BBC.
"We know a lot of people don't even take up what they're entitled to among the three and four-year-olds."
While the chancellor has increased the amount of free childcare available for pre-school children, nurseries have been calling for more money to pay for those children who already get government-funded provision.
Jeremy Hunt said he would increase that funding "by £204m from this September rising to £288m next year. This is an average of a 30% increase in the two-year-old rate this year".
We got in touch with the Treasury to ask for more details and they told us that the amount paid for two-year-olds is going up from £6 to £8 an hour, which is what the chancellor was referring to.
But funding for three and four-year-olds is going up from £5.29 to £5.50 an hour, which is only about 4%.
The IFS estimated this afternoon that the extra £288m is about a 7.5% increase in the current budget.
The government will also introduce changes to the staff-to-child ratios - moving from one carer for every four children to 1:5 to align with Scotland.
Supporters of the idea say it could help cut costs for parents.
However, the Early Years Alliance, which represents around 14,000 childcare providers in England, said relaxing ratios was a "shameful decision" which risked compromising safety and quality of care, as well as putting more pressure on the workforce during "a severe staffing crisis".
The organisation's chief executive, Neil Leitch, also raised concerns about whether there would be enough childcare places to meet increased demand.
"At a time when settings are closing at record levels and early educators are leaving the sector in their droves, unless the proper infrastructure is put in place by the time the extended offers are rolled out, many parents of younger children expecting funded places to be readily available to them are likely to be left sorely disappointed," he said.
How will you be affected by the issues in this story? 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-politics-64959611 |
Budget 2023 live: Impact of Hunt's childcare plan is highly uncertain, IFS says - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The chancellor hopes expanding free childcare to include younger children will make it easier for more parents to work. | UK | 'From the most competitive to the middle of the pack'
Delestre now moves on to talking about corporation tax. He says there has been a long-term pattern of rate cutting in the UK over the years, but with the planned rise from 19% to 25%, the country is now moving from being one of the most competitive in the world to the "middle of the pack" - though still lower than any other G7 country. He says the revenue corporation tax will create as a percentage of GDP will reach the "highest ever level" by the end of the forecast period. He notes that with planned rises to corporation tax there will be concerns that it could dampen investment in the UK. Delestre adds Hunt has countered this by introducing a temporary increase to tax allowance on investments for the largest companies. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-64831837 |
Clinton, Bush and Obama: US president visits that brought NI to a standstill - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Look back on the previous visits of US presidents as Joe Biden confirms his visit later this year. | Northern Ireland | US President Joe Biden has said he intends to visit Northern Ireland after being invited to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Biden said he wants to visit both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
More details of the visit are expected to be revealed in the coming days, but the arrival of a US president has traditionally been a massive occasion in Northern Ireland.
From Bill Clinton to George Bush and Barack Obama, we take a look at the visits of presidents past.
Bill Clinton made history by becoming the first sitting US President to visit Northern Ireland when he and First Lady Hillary Clinton touched down at Belfast International Airport on 30 November 1995.
Mr Clinton visited Northern Ireland to voice his support for an end to the Troubles and to encourage a peace agreement.
During the trip, the president visited a number of areas in Belfast and also visited Londonderry, Armagh and Omagh.
After arriving in Belfast, the Clinton family toured Mackies factory on the Springfield Road, where they were introduced by two local primary schoolchildren, David Sterrit and Catherine Hamill.
Mr Clinton also visited the Shankill Road and the Falls Road, where he shook hands with Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams.
After the handshake, Mr Clinton visited an Enterprise Park in east Belfast while Mrs Clinton met a group of women on the Ormeau Road.
The Clintons then made a trip by helicopter to Londonderry, where the president spoke in front of a packed crowd at Guildhall Square - a moment that years later featured prominently in the second season of hit comedy Derry Girls.
The evening was rounded off when Bill and Hillary Clinton switched on the Christmas lights outside Belfast City Hall.
Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair and his wife Cherie attended the site of the Omagh bombing in September 1998
Mr Clinton would return to Northern Ireland again on 3 September 1998, five months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and just a month after the Omagh bombing.
A Real IRA bomb killed 29 people in the County Tyrone town on 15 August 1998, the biggest single atrocity of the Troubles.
Whilst there, Mr Clinton gave an address he gave his sympathies to the bereaved families and called for a new peace to be built following the agreement.
The president also met with Prime Minister Tony Blair and addressed the Northern Ireland Assembly.
He also visited Armagh for a special Gathering for Peace on the Mall, where thousands turned out to hear them speak.
He shared the stage at that time with Mr Blair, former Northern Ireland Secretary, the late Mo Mowlam, and Northern Ireland's newly-appointed first and deputy first ministers, David Trimble and Seamus Mallon.
Mr Clinton addressed people in a key note speech at the Odyssey Arena on 13 December 2000 during his third visit
Nearing the end of his time as President, Bill Clinton once more returned to Northern Ireland as part of his farewell tour.
This was at a time when the peace process is struggling and sectarian murder had returned to the streets.
During the visit, Mr Clinton held talks in which he urged all sides not to give up trying to overcome the deadlock on decommissioning and demilitarisation.
He also delivered a keynote speech at the Odyssey in Belfast, in which he encouraged the implementation and progression of the Good Friday Agreement.
Bill Clinton given a jersey by the Belfast Giants hockey team
Mr Clinton's visit to Belfast culminated with a celebration outside City Hall.
The president switched on the city's festive lights in front of a huge Christmas tree donated to Belfast by the city of Nashville, Tennessee.
Thousands of people crammed into the city streets and cheered as the president wished them a peaceful Christmas.
Georg Bush met with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and then prime minister Tony Blair at Hillsborough Castle
US President George Bush visited Northern Ireland in April 2003 to hold talks over the political process in the country and the war in Iraq.
The visit began with a summit in Hillsborough Castle with then Prime Minster Tony Blair to discuss gains on the battlefield and plans for the leadership post-conflict in Iraq.
At the time the IRA leadership was under intense pressure to fully disarm and disband.
Northern Ireland's devolved institutions had been suspended since 14 October 2002 following a row over allegations of IRA activity, including alleged spying within the Northern Ireland Office.
President Bush, Mr Blair and the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern met with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and Mark Durkan of the SDLP - the leaders of the pro-Agreement parties who had remained in talks aimed at resurrecting the Northern Ireland Assembly.
George W Bush was welcomed at Stormont Castle by Peter Robinson and by Martin McGuinness
On 16 June 2008, Mr Bush made a one-day stop in Northern Ireland during his European farewell trip as his presidency came to an end.
The president was welcomed at Stormont Castle by then first and deputy first ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness.
He was later joined by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
Speaking after meeting with Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness, the president said the progress made in Northern Ireland over the past 10 years was unimaginable.
He discussed investment issues and the devolution of policing and justice.
He then made visits to Lough View Integrated Primary School in Castlereagh - taking some time to hit the basketball court - and a community project in the city centre.
Several hundred people demonstrated in Belfast city centre against his visit, with some climbing onto the roof of the City Hall with an Iraqi flag erected.
The protest at Belfast City Hall was organised by the Belfast Anti-War Movement representing trade unions and student and women's groups.
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a keynote address at the Waterfront Hall ahead of the G8 Summit on June 17, 2013
US President Barack Obama arrived in Northern Ireland on 17 June 2013 to attended the G8 summit, which was being held County Fermanagh.
Following his arrival, the president spoke to an audience at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
During this he said the road to a lasting peace in Northern Ireland was "as urgent now as it has ever been".
Protesters near the site of G8 summit in County Fermanagh
Thousands of police officers are involved in security during the G8 event and Mr Obama's visit in Belfast, with disruptions to transport, roads and schools.
Anti-hunger activists wore giant heads of the G8 leaders, including Mr Obama, to call for them to eliminate the causes of hunger. They sailed near the G8 media centre in Enniskillen.
The president also visited Enniskillen Integrated Primary School, where he joined UK Prime Minister David Cameron | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64949360 |
Extreme travel: It just got harder to see every place in the world - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Extreme travellers want to go everywhere - but one group just moved the goalposts... | World | Extreme travel isn't for the faint-hearted. Kari-Matti Valtari would know.
He has been arrested many times and held in detention in war-torn nations, but has seen everywhere from St Eustatius to the Savage Islands*.
So why does he keep doing it? "It's to meet like-minded people," he tells the BBC.
He has a goal: to travel the whole world. And that goal has landed him, at the time of writing, in tenth place on the "Most Traveled People" (MTP) leader board.
MTP is an online community that unites extreme travellers. It boasts nearly 30,000 members and exists for people to compare their adventures, in a bid to become "the most travelled person".
But seeing the whole world - as per Most Traveled People - just got harder for Mr Valtari and other extreme travellers.
St Eustatius is one of the locations on the 'Most Traveled Person' list
The MTP founder, Charles Veley, was inspired to create it after the Guinness Book of Records declined in 2000 to accept his own attempts to be the world's most travelled person - and required a third-party to adjudicate.
"It felt like I had completed the marathon in the Olympics... it felt like I had done all that. Come into the stadium and all the judges had gone home and there was no-one there," he said.
In 2005, when MTP was founded, Mr Veley started with a list of around 573 countries and territories to visit.
That number increased to around 1,000 in the following years, as existing places were divided into further parts. And, as of this year, the list has been updated again - to 1,500 different locations.
The expansion by MTP meant people who had been to everywhere - or almost everywhere - in the world, now have a whole new set of places to visit.
For instance, the man on top of the leader board, Germany's Michael Runkel, has visited a mere 1,306 of MTP's 1,500 locations.
The MTP expansion leans on work from another travel community, NomadMania, which divides the world into 1,301 regions, based on "area, population, local perspective and other factors".
Within the "UK region", for example, there are 30 different regions, including: England - Yorkshire and the Humber, Jersey, and Lundy - a tiny island off the south-west of England.
One of the new regions on the MTP list is the South Pole - now listed as separate from the various Antarctic regions.
Previously, travellers could claim they had visited most Antarctic regions by simply walking around the South Pole. Now, they have to navigate the entire continent.
The increase was based on consultation with extreme travellers, and Mr Veley said people had been receptive to the change - and looked forward to having more destinations to visit.
But travel between these areas is not simple.
About 2.4% of global CO2 emissions come from aviation - and many regular travellers rely on planes to travel.
While both Mr Valtari and Mr Veley said they try to reduce their emissions in other ways - like driving electric cars - they don't deny the impact their travel has on the environment.
"I do think about it, but I mean… what can you do?" Mr Valtari said. "If you have an urge to travel you cannot exactly walk everywhere so you do have to fly."
But when it comes to extreme travel, boats can be more useful than planes. The joint-least visited place in the world, according to MTP, is the Entrecasteaux Reefs - a barrier reef in New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
*St Eustatius is a small Dutch island in the Caribbean; the Savage Islands a Portuguese archipelago without a permanent population. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-64730548 |
Lucy Letby: Doctor asked for nurse to be taken off shift - court - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A doctor raised concerns about nurse Lucy Letby's presence and the deaths of babies, her trial hears. | Liverpool | Dr Stephen Brearey says he escalated concerns to senior management about nurse Lucy Letby
A doctor asked for nurse Lucy Letby to be taken off shift after raising repeated concerns about her presence and the deaths of babies - but was told "no", a court has heard.
The nurse denies murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of 10 others at Countess of Chester Hospital.
Dr Stephen Brearey told Manchester Crown Court he "didn't want nurse Letby to come back to work" until concerns had been "investigated properly".
Dr Brearey, who was head of the hospital's neonatal unit, asked for Ms Letby to be stood down after the deaths of two baby boys, who were part of a set of triplets, in June 2016.
The court has previously heard that the first boy, referred to as Child O, was in good condition and stable up until the afternoon of 23 June when he suffered a "remarkable deterioration" and died.
His brother, Child P, died just over 24 hours later after also being attacked by Ms Letby, it is alleged.
The prosecution claims Ms Letby murdered the boys by injecting air into their bloodstreams.
Dr Brearey told the court that the death of the brothers was "distressing for those involved and deeply so with me".
He said: "All three triplets were born in such good condition, they were following a healthy path to growing and developing and hopefully going home."
Dr Brearey told jurors that Child O's collapse had come "out of the blue" and observed that in the hours before his death there had been an "unusual" rash on his chest. He said this was something he had not "seen before or since".
Lucy Letby is accused of carrying out the attacks at Countess of Chester Hospital
Following Child P's death on 24 June, there was a debrief for the medical team on the neonatal unit.
"Ms Letby was present in that debrief. I asked her how she was feeling and I can remember suggesting to her she needed the weekend off to recover," the doctor said.
"She didn't seem overly upset to me in the debrief and told me at the time she was on shift next day, which was a Saturday."
The doctor said he had been "concerned" about Ms Letby going back on shift because he had "already expressed concerns to senior management over the association between nurse Letby and the deaths we'd seen on the unit".
Dr Brearey said he had called Karen Rees, the duty executive senior nurse, to report his concerns, explaining that he "didn't want nurse Letby to come back to work the following day or until all this was investigated properly".
Dr Brearey said Ms Rees had "said no", telling him "there was no evidence" for his claims.
He told the court he had asked Ms Rees if she was "happy to take responsibility for the decision, in view of the fact myself and consultant colleagues wouldn't be happy with nurse Letby going to work the following day".
Ms Rees responded "yes", the medic said.
Dr Brearey told the court that "further conversations" had taken place the following week and the decision had been taken to remove Ms Letby from frontline nursing duties - placing her in a clerical role instead.
Ben Myers KC, defending, noted that Dr Brearey had first "identified" Ms Letby as someone of interest as early as June 2015 after the death of the first three babies in the case.
Dr Brearey had noted, with colleagues, that Ms Letby was present when those three children died in 2015.
Mr Myers put it to the doctor that he was guilty of "confirmation bias" towards Ms Letby and had failed to look at "suboptimal care" given to the children in this case.
Mr Myers put it to Dr Brearey that if there had been a basis for his suspicions he would have gone to the police.
Dr Brearey said he and his colleagues had been trying to "escalate appropriately" and had needed "executive support" to decide the "correct plan of action going forward".
The doctor added: "It's not something anyone wanted to consider, that a member of staff is harming babies.
"The senior nursing staff on the unit didn't believe this could be true."
He said with every "unusual" episode of baby collapse between June 2015 and June 2016 there had been "increasing suspicion" about Ms Letby, which led him to eventually escalate his concerns and request she be taken off shift.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-64953681 |
Tropical Storm Freddy: Malawi hit by national tragedy - President Chakwera - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Tropical Storm Freddy kills more than 200 people as government promises to intensify rescue efforts. | Africa | Poorer areas in Malawi's main city Blantyre have been hardest-hit by the storm
The devastation caused by a tropical storm that ripped through Malawi, killing 225 people is a "national tragedy", the president has said.
Lazarus Chakwera promised to intensify search and rescue operations, as he attended the funeral of some victims.
Tropical Storm Freddy led to people being swept away by raging waters, or being buried under landslides.
The government has set up 30 emergency camps for at least 20,000 people who have had to leave their homes.
Blantyre, the hilly commercial capital of Malawi, has been worst-affected, with residents dying in landslides and homes crumbling into flood waters.
"Even our health workers need help," Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
Described the situation as "very fragile", she said that more than five million people had been affected by the storm.
"We have a history of getting cyclones. Unfortunately for Freddy, it was totally different, totally unexpected," she said.
"We are still recovering dead bodies. One child was recovered, fortunately still alive," Ms Chiponda added.
The government's disaster management agency said that 41 people were still missing, and more than 700 had been injured as the storm tore through Blantyre, and other parts of southern Malawi.
"My best friend, her brother, sister and mother went with the mudslide and their bodies have not been found. It's devastating. You can't even mourn," 19-year-old Blantyre resident Fadila Njolomole was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
President Chakwera, wearing rubber boots and a raincoat, attended the funeral service of 21 victims at a primary school in the city.
"I appeal for more assistance from international partners and donors. This is a national tragedy that has affected every one of us," he said.
President Chakwera has visited some of the victims of the storm in Blantyre
The collapse of roads and bridges has hampered rescue operations, while helicopters have had difficulty flying because of the heavy rains and strong winds, although these have now eased.
The defence minister earlier said that a military helicopter would be despatched to rescue two soldiers who spent Tuesday night on a tree-top to avoid being swept away by the powerful currents of a river below them.
The soldiers were on a mission to rescue flood survivors when their boat capsized, forcing them to swim until they reached a tree.
Two other soldiers and a civilian managed to swim to safety, but the other two were reported missing, raising fears that they had drowned.
In another village in the Mulanje area, a man sent a WhatsApp message on Tuesday, saying heavy rains and winds were surging towards them from two mountainous areas.
"We have no hope, nowhere to go," he said, adding that women, children and the elderly were among those who needed to be evacuated.
It is unclear whether a rescue team has reached them.
Freddy has dumped the equivalent of six months of rainfall in six days on Malawi and neighbouring Mozambique.
About 20 deaths have been reported in Mozambique.
UN official Myrta Kaulard said the devastation in Mozambique was not as bad as feared because its government had invested in flood defence measures after being hit by tropical storms for the past three years.
"This is a huge demonstration of how much huge investments are required because of the intensity of climate change on a country like Mozambique," she told the BBC's Newsday programme.
Freddy is one of only four storms in history to traverse the entire Indian Ocean from north-western Australia to mainland Africa. Freddy could also be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
On Sunday the storm struck Mozambique as a cyclone - for the second time in a less than a month - after battering the island nation of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, causing severe destruction.
Experts say climate change is making tropical storms around the world wetter, windier and more intense.
The storm has also crippled power supplies in Malawi, with most parts of the country experiencing prolonged blackouts.
The national electricity company said it was unable to get its hydro-power plant working as it had been filled with debris. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-64954430 |
Watch: A fast forward look at Budget Day - BBC News | "2023-03-15T00:00:00" | null | The Chancellor delivered his first budget and presented the government's plans for spending and taxation. | null | Unveiling his Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said parents of one and two-year-olds in England would get 30 hours a week of free childcare by September 2025 and scrapped the lifetime allowance on tax-free pension contributions.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons that after 13 years of the Conservatives "our economy needed major surgery" but the government was providing "only a sticking plaster". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64971760 |
HS2 delays being considered to cut rising costs - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | HS2's boss admits delays are among options being considered to combat the impact of inflation. | Business | Delays to HS2 are being considered among other options to curb rising costs, the project's boss has admitted.
The planned high speed railway which will link London, the Midlands and North of England has long been plagued by cost increases and delays.
HS2 Ltd's boss, Mark Thurston, told the BBC he was looking at the project's timing and phasing with the government.
The government said work was well underway to bring "transformational benefits...for generations to come."
Work on the first stretch of HS2, between London and Birmingham, is 40% complete, with 30,000 people working on it.
But the price-tag of the project, which is the biggest of its kind in Europe, has swollen from the £33bn outlined in 2010 to at least £71bn.
One estimate has put its total cost above £100bn.
The soaring cost of materials has posed a fresh challenge, at a time when the Department for Transport's budget is not due to keep up with inflation.
Mr Thurston told the BBC the impact of inflation had been "significant" in the past year, "whether that's in timber, steel, aggregates for all the concrete we need to use to build the job, labour, all our energy costs, fuel".
He said the organisation was working with suppliers and the government to find ways of mitigating this.
"We're looking at the timing of the project, the phasing of the project, we're looking at where we can use our supply chain to secure a lot of those things that are costing us more through inflation," he added.
Under 'Project Silverlight', ways are being examined to deal with cost pressures on the London-Birmingham stretch.
Mr Thurston said the scope of this first phase was being protected, and also said he was confident it would open within the planned timescale.
He described a second line of work, 'Project Blue Diamond' as "looking at the programme as a whole".
Asked if delaying some parts of the project would help save money, he argued delays did not "typically" save money in the long run.
However, he added "we're looking at a number of options with the Department for Transport".
In a statement, a spokesperson for the government said it continued to carry out regular reviews of the scope, schedule and cost of the project to ensure it delivered value for money.
HS2 trains are due to carry their first passengers between Old Oak Common station in West London and Birmingham, between 2029 and 2033.
Euston station in the capital's centre is currently scheduled to open later, by 2035 - with a new design being worked up that has 10 platforms, not 11 which had been planned. Further stretches to Crewe and then to Manchester are due by 2034 and 2041.
Most of the Eastern leg to Leeds was scrapped in the 2021 Integrated Rail Plan.
There has been speculation the government could decide to axe remaining plans for a high speed line between the West and East Midlands.
Scott Knowles from business group the East Midlands Chamber, said firms needed to know whether this section would definitely go ahead.
He said certainty created confidence and investment, and "any air of a lack of commitment in terms of investing in the East Midlands… will make businesses think twice".
Some critics of the project, who believe the money could be better spent elsewhere, would like to see the railway scrapped or scaled back north of Birmingham.
Another rumoured option is not to build a new line between Crewe and Manchester.
William Barter, a rail consultant who's worked on the project argues that would be a mistake.
"If a big saving is needed, perhaps tens of billions, the only way of doing it unfortunately is by not doing part of the project", he told the BBC.
"I think that's a temptation we have to resist… because if you don't do part of the project, you lose the benefits that go with that part of the project, and you leave the expensive Phase One that's now under construction under-used".
HS2 critic Lord Berkeley has suggested terminating the line at Old Oak Common, and repurposing what remains of the railway, with trains running at lower speeds than currently planned.
In January the Chancellor quashed a report that the railway may not reach Euston, insisting he didn't see any "conceivable circumstances" in which that would happen.
"The Government remains fully committed to the Integrated Rail Plan, including its commitment to deliver the high-speed line from Euston to Manchester."
Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: "Tens of thousands of jobs, and billions in economic growth are dependent on this project. Ministers need to own up and explain why critical decisions....are being delayed". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64792328 |
Sue Gray: The Partygate investigator and civil servant - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The senior civil servant has been offered a job as Keir Starmer's chief of staff. | UK Politics | Senior civil servant Sue Gray, who became a household name as the Partygate investigator, has been offered a job as Labour leader Keir Starmer's chief of staff.
Ms Gray's inquiry into lockdown gatherings in Downing Street contributed to Boris Johnson's downfall last year and prompted numerous Conservative MPs to call on him to resign.
Tory MPs have expressed anger at the job offer, with allies of the former prime minister saying it undermines her report and the impartiality of the civil service.
A Labour spokesman said party leader Sir Keir was "delighted" that "she hopes to accept the role subject to normal procedures".
The government confirmed on Thursday that Ms Gray had left her position as a senior official at the levelling up and housing department.
Under the civil service code, officials of Ms Gray's seniority must wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment.
Her report into Partygate, published in May last year, found that staff had partied in Downing Street while the rest of the UK was in lockdown, with the approval of their bosses.
She said many events "should not have been allowed" and the then prime minister, Mr Johnson, "must bear responsibility".
Many people in government praised Ms Gray's professionalism. She also had to investigate her own boss, Simon Case - the head of the civil service - who stepped down from leading the Partygate investigation after reports a party had been held in his own office.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, a cabinet minister under Mr Johnson, has said Ms Gray's Partygate conclusions now looked "like a left-wing stitch up".
However, Labour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme it was "ludicrous" to suggest her appointment undermined her Partygate report.
The civil servant does have plenty of experience in government including investigating - and in some cases condemning - powerful ministers.
In his memoir, the former Liberal Democrat minister David Laws recalls being told by fellow minister Oliver Letwin: "It took me precisely two years before I realised who it is that runs Britain.
"Our great United Kingdom is actually entirely run by a lady called Sue Gray, the head of ethics or something in the Cabinet Office - unless she agrees, things just don't happen."
Ms Gray joined the civil service straight from school and worked her way up to the Cabinet Office where, for six years, she led the government's Propriety and Ethics team, which provides advice to government departments on standards issues.
Polly Mackenzie - who worked as a special adviser in the Cabinet Office - told the BBC's Profile programme in 2017: "Sue has been there for so long, she knows everything that anybody has ever done wrong."
A photo released with the Partygate report of Mr Johnson at a gathering in No 10 Downing Street
Gus O'Donnell, a former head of the civil service, said: "If there is any one person in the civil service who could write their memoirs, hers would be the most valuable, the most priceless and the most sensational.
"I am extremely confident that such a memoir will never be written - her secrets will go to the grave."
In 2017, one of her investigations forced Damian Green - at the time one of Theresa May's most senior ministers - to step down after he was found to have made "inaccurate" statements over what he knew about claims pornography had been found on his office computer in 2008.
She also investigated claims of sexual misconduct by the minister towards journalist Kate Maltby, ruling that her claims had been "plausible".
Speaking to the BBC, Ms Maltby said: "What impressed me most about Sue Gray was how seriously she took her duty of care to complainants... she was determined to listen to junior people, and not let senior staff off the hook.
"I found her profoundly moral in a way that isn't normally seen in Westminster. But she is someone who has spent her life operating in Whitehall, and her report will be limited by the norms of civil service language, the parameters of the task given to her, and by some compromises, especially on transparency, only if minor compromises are required for her to push through her key ethical findings".
Ms Gray's knowledge of ministers' private interests is said to have been useful to prime ministers carrying out rejigs of their ministerial team.
Chris Cook - an ex BBC journalist who now works for news website Tortoise - said one sign of a forthcoming reshuffle would be when Sue Gray's office furniture had been re-arranged.
After 20 years, she left the Cabinet Office on secondment to work at the finance department in Northern Ireland's government.
When a job to lead the Northern Ireland civil service became available she applied, but didn't get it.
Ms Gray has spent much of her career in the government buildings of Whitehall
Unusually for a normally private individual, she gave an interview to the BBC admitting she was "disappointed" she didn't get the top job and suggested she may have been seen as "too much of a challenger, or a disrupter".
In 2021, she returned to the Cabinet Office leading on matters related to the Union and the Constitution.
She may have spent the bulk of her career in the civil service, but in the late 1980s she did take a career break to run a Northern Ireland pub called the Cove Bar, along with her husband the country and western singer Bill Conlon.
She told the BBC: "I loved it, loved it at the time, I'd never do it again." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59979023 |
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon charged with gross negligence manslaughter - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been charged after a baby's remains were found in woodland. | UK | Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been charged with gross negligence manslaughter after remains of a baby were found in an area of woodland.
The body of a newborn was found on Wednesday following a massive search operation around Brighton.
Prosecutors said they are also accused of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.
Ms Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, are due to appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Friday.
They were first arrested on Monday and held in custody for questioning, before being charged by the Crown Prosecution Service on Thursday evening.
Police said earlier on Thursday it was "too early" to say when the infant died or establish its sex.
The Metropolitan Police said a post-mortem examination would take place on Friday.
Barry Hughes, chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: "These charges arise from their arrest on Monday as a result of a lengthy police investigation to establish their whereabouts and that of their baby.
"The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are active and that they have the right to a fair trial."
Ms Marten and Gordon were detained 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 infant.
The Metropolitan Police has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because the baby died during a missing persons investigation it was leading. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64830159 |
Achraf Hakimi: Paris St-Germain & Morocco defender faces criminal investigation after rape allegation - BBC Sport | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | null | Paris St-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi faces a criminal investigation after an allegation of rape was made against him. | null | Last updated on .From the section European Football
Paris St-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi is facing a criminal investigation after an allegation of rape was made against him.
Hakimi denies an allegation made by a 24-year-old woman that he raped her at his home in Paris on 25 February.
The player's lawyer said Hakimi was the victim of "attempted racketeering".
The Nanterre prosecution office said on Friday that Hakimi has been placed under police monitoring and was banned from contact with the alleged victim.
According to his lawyer, Fanny Colin, Hakimi, 24, "firmly denies all the accusations against him" and welcomes the investigation because "he finally has the possibility to defend himself".
"The club supports the player, who has firmly denied the accusations and trusts the justice system," PSG said in a statement on Thursday.
"Paris St-Germain is an institution that promotes respect on and off the pitch."
PSG manager Christophe Galtier declined to comment on the investigation in a news conference on Friday.
The Ligue 1 leaders face Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 second leg on Wednesday, with Hakimi expected to play after recovering from a a muscle injury.
Galtier said: "The aim with our medical staff is for him to be available for the match against Bayern."
Born in Spain, Hakimi was a key player as Morocco made history by reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, the first African side to do so.
His performances saw him honoured at the Best Fifa Football Awards ceremony held in Paris on Monday evening, where he was named in the FIFPro men's world team of the year. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64838597 |
New pay offer tabled in bid to end teacher strikes - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Teaching unions will discuss the new offer before deciding whether to recommend it to their members. | Scotland | Teachers had been calling for a 10% pay rise this year
Scotland's council leaders have agreed to make a new offer to teachers in an attempt to end a dispute over pay.
The full details have been sent to teaching unions, who will discuss the offer on Friday afternoon.
The proposal involves a 7% rise backdated to last April, a further 5% this April and another 2% in January.
Schools across Scotland have been closed by a series of strikes during the dispute, with further action planned in the coming weeks.
The Scottish government has said most teachers would see their salaries rise by £5,200 in April if the new pay offer is accepted.
The latest strikes targeting the constituencies of some Scottish government ministers, including Nicola Sturgeon, are due to be held next week.
Teachers are also due to hold a 20-day wave of rolling strikes between 13 March and 21 April.
The new offer follows intensive talks earlier in the week between the EIS union, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
The EIS, the country's biggest teaching union, will now decide whether or not to consult its members on the offer, and whether to call off the scheduled strikes while a ballot is held.
The union's general secretary, Andrea Bradley, said she believed the recent talks had left the two sides "within touching distance of a possible settlement".
The EIS will hold meetings on Friday afternoon to discuss the new proposal, with Ms Bradley saying she was hopeful that "we can move very quickly to a position where we can consult members on the offer".
The union had been calling for a 10% pay rise this year, but has said a "credible" new offer could see strike action being suspended.
Another teaching union, the SSTA, has already said it will conduct a formal online ballot of its members on the improved offer.
The reaction of the EIS union to the new pay offer will be crucial as it is by far the largest union in Scottish education.
If it decides to consult its members and recommends that they accept it, the dispute would appear to be drawing towards its conclusion.
But if it rejects the offer, it would be a huge blow to hopes of a resolution.
If the EIS decides to consult its members, it would be wrong to presume how they will vote.
Some may feel the offer is the best which is possible in the current financial climate.
Others would note that the new offer is still significantly lower than inflation.
Council leaders are responsible for making pay offers to teachers as the employer.
Councillor Katie Hagmann, the resources spokeswoman for council umbrella body Cosla, said the improved offer had been made possible by funding assurances that had been given by the Scottish government.
She added: "It is in all of our interests, not least those of children, young people and families, to conclude the teachers' pay negotiations as quickly as possible to bring back stability and certainty in our schools."
Deputy First Minister John Swinney had earlier said he was "very optimistic" that the dispute would be resolved.
But he warned there will be "programmes and projects that will not be going ahead" because more money has been diverted into the new deal.
Speaking on BBC Good Morning Scotland earlier on Friday, Mr Swinney said all sides had come to a "moment of compromise".
He added: "I'm very optimistic that we are in a position that we will be able to resolve the dispute in the course of today and to avoid any further disruption to education."
The EIS and the NASUWT unions recently rejected an offer worth 11.5% over two years. This included a 6% rise for 2022-23, backdated to last April, and a 5.5% increase for 2023-24.
The dispute has been running for more than a year.
Almost every state primary and secondary school in Scotland was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as members of the EIS and NASUWT walked out in the latest national strike action.
Pupils in the constituencies of senior politicians have been worst affected, as targeted strike action by members of the EIS last week closed schools for three additional days.
The same areas, which include those represented by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Mr Swinney, face another three days of strikes next week. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64830670 |
Scottish teachers call off strikes after pay offer - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Unions suspend further strike action while members are consulted on an improved pay deal. | Scotland | Scottish teachers are to suspend their strike action after receiving an improved pay offer.
Unions will now consult their members on the proposal, which would give them a 14.6% pay rise over 28 months.
Andrea Bradley, the general secretary of the EIS - the largest union - said they would recommend that members accept the offer.
Targeted strike action in specific Scottish parliament constituencies had been due to take place next week.
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley told BBC Scotland that those targeted strikes would be cancelled.
But she said future regional strikes - 20-day wave of rolling strikes beginning on 13 March - would depend on the outcome of the week-long ballot.
The proposal involves a 7% rise backdated to last April, a further 5% this April and another 2% in January.
Ms Bradley said: "The salaries committee decided overwhelmingly to put the offer that came across late this afternoon to members with the recommendation to accept.
"The executive committee decided to suspend the strike campaign while members are being balloted."
The ballot was due to open on Friday evening and run until 10:00 on 10 March.
"It's absolutely right to point out that this offer doesn't represent the achievement of all of our aims, but we have been clear for some time that any negotiation was going to feature an element of compromise," Ms Bradley said.
"We do think that this offer marks an improvement."
Teachers had originally been demanding a 10% increase this year, with the dispute seeing almost all schools in Scotland being closed by a series of strikes in recent weeks.
The new offer follows intensive talks earlier in the week between the EIS, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
The signs are that the teachers' strike is now drawing towards its close after three months.
The EIS is by far the biggest teachers' union. The response of its members to the new pay offer will be critical.
The union is urging them to accept it.
But it would be wrong to presume the result in advance.
The offer is still below inflation.
The question is whether the new pay offer is the best which can realistically be achieved.
The outcome of the EIS consultation should be known next Friday.
But few in the union will be celebrating. Instead some senior figures are saddened that it took industrial action on this scale to achieve this pay offer.
Speaking to the BBC before the ballot was agreed, Ms Somerville said she hoped members would take the offer very seriously.
She said: "During all negotiations you need to find parts where we can compromise and the areas we've all compromised has came about now.
"No one wants to see disruption in their schools, we would have all liked to have seen this finishing earlier - but we hopefully are at the conclusion to this."
She later added: "This is the best and final offer possible and recognises the invaluable contribution teachers make to the lives of our children and young people."
Scottish Labour's education spokesperson Michael Marra said the progress was welcome but long overdue.
He added: "The SNP have wasted months playing petty games while schools were engulfed by strike chaos and teachers were forced to fight for a fair deal."
Earlier Stephen Kerr, of the Scottish Conservatives, criticised the role of the education secretary in the dispute.
"After months of inaction from Shirley-Anne Somerville, which has done untold damage to our kids' education, we can only hope this dispute is finally nearing an end." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64841722 |
Australia floods: Teenager bitten by crocodile as army sent to help remote areas - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The 17-year-old boy was attacked as the army evacuated a remote community following heavy rain. | Australia | A teenager has been bitten by a crocodile in a remote community hit by floods in Australia's Northern Territory (NT).
Authorities said the 17-year-old boy sustained a "minor laceration to his leg" and was treated at a local clinic.
Local government minister Chansey Paech told ABC News people should remain "croc wise", with crocodiles displaced from flooded rivers after heavy rain.
The Australian Defence Force is in the region helping to evacuate people.
Mr Paech said some 700 people, including 35 with medical needs, had been flown out of Kalkarindji, about 770km (478 miles) south of Darwin, after the Victoria River burst its banks.
"Defence Australia has given us three big planes - two C130s and one C27 - and they're working to fly evacuees to Katherine," he tweeted, referring to a town in the NT.
A spokeswoman for Mr Paech said major floods brought added risks from crocodiles.
"When the river bursts its banks, they're everywhere", she told the BBC.
Evacuated people will be housed at a former Covid quarantine facility, Howard Springs, and children will be able to attend local schools, officials said.
The territory declared an emergency for four remote areas this week as the upper Victoria River reached major flood levels.
Emergency Controller Daniel Bacon said roads to a number of remote communities remained cut off and urged people to stay away.
"We continue to remind everyone that if it's flooded; forget it."
The Bureau of Meteorology said the Victoria River had reached a height of 14m at Kalkarindji, but was now falling. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-64832332 |
Sacred coronation oil will be animal-cruelty free - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Dover: Three lifeboats launched after fire breaks out on ferry - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Joe Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed, White House says - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
David Carrick: Rapist will not have sentence reviewed - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The solicitor general says he is satisfied the ex-Met officer's jail term is not unduly lenient. | Beds, Herts & Bucks | Serial rapist and former Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick will not have his sentenced reviewed, the solicitor general said.
The 48-year-old was sentenced to a minimum term of 32 years in jail.
Michael Tomlinson KC said there had been "so many" referrals received through the Unduly Lenient Sentencing (ULS) scheme.
But after "full and detailed legal advice" he said it would not go to the Court of Appeal.
Carrick's crimes included dozens of rape and sexual offences over two decades, and they all took place while he was a serving officer.
During his sentencing, Carrick, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, was told he had taken "monstrous advantage of women" as he was handed 36 life terms.
His sentence of a minimum of 32 years was what he must serve before he can be considered for parole.
Taking into account the time he has already spent in prison on remand, it means he will spend at least another 30 years in jail, when he would be in his late 70s.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. During his sentencing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said he former police officer used his occupation to "entice victims"
The prosecution in Carrick's case said it fell short of meriting a whole-life order and sentencing judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said she agreed.
The solicitor general said he was satisfied Mrs Cheema-Grubb "gave careful and detailed consideration to all the features of this case".
Mr Tomlinson said: "Because of the strong feelings this case evokes, it came as little surprise that I received so many referrals under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme to consider the term of 32 years minus time served handed to Carrick."
He said a referral to the Court of Appeal "can only be made if the legal test is met, irrespective of the seriousness of the offending or the emotions the offending may evoke in all of us".
"The threshold for referral is a high one and that was not met in this case," he added.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64842548 |
Greece train crash: 57 people confirmed dead as public anger grows - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A coroner tells the BBC that DNA has been collected from 57 bodies, as rail workers strike over the disaster. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The death toll from Tuesday's train crash in Greece has increased to 57, a coroner has told the BBC.
Eleni Zaggelidou, one of ten coroners working on the investigation, said DNA had been taken from 57 intact bodies.
A government minister said austerity during Greece's economic crisis in the 2000s had contributed to a lack of investment in the railways.
Rail workers held a one-day strike on Thursday following the disaster, blaming government neglect.
More than 2,000 people protested for a second day in Athens and Thessaloniki, shocked by the disaster near the city of Larissa.
"We are angry at the company, at the government and past governments that did nothing to improve conditions in the Greek railway," said pensioner Stavros Nantis in Athens.
Rescue workers are still going through burned and buckled carriages, searching for victims.
This was the "most difficult moment", rescuer Konstantinos Imanimidis told Reuters news agency, because "instead of saving lives, we have to recover bodies".
A passenger service carrying 350 people collided with a freight train just before midnight on Tuesday after they ended up on the same track - causing the front carriages to burst into flames.
The railway workers' strike began at 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT), hitting national rail services and the subway in Athens.
Many in Greece see the crash as an accident that had been waiting to happen, and the union blamed successive governments' "disrespect" towards Greek railways for leading to this "tragic result".
During a visit to a hospital where relatives of the missing had gathered, Zoe Rapti, Greece's deputy minister of health, told the BBC that investing in the rail network had been made more difficult by the Greek debt crisis around 2010, which led to drastic austerity measures in exchange for a financial rescue by the EU and International Monetary Fund.
"Of course, things should have been done during these years but, as you remember, Greece faced a big economic crisis for more than 10 years, which means that many things went back," she said.
She said a "wide investigation" would take place, which she promised would provide answers.
Government spokesman Giannis Oikonomous also said "chronic delays" in implementing rail projects were rooted in "distortions" in the country's public sector going back decades.
A 59-year-old station master in Larissa has been charged with manslaughter by negligence and is due to appear in court on Thursday. He has admitted to having a share of responsibility in the accident, his lawyer Stefanos Pantzartzidis said outside the courthouse.
"He is literally devastated. Since the first moment, he has assumed responsibility proportionate to him," Mr Pantzartzidis said, hinting that the station master, who has not been publicly named, was not the only one to blame.
Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned over the crash, saying he would take responsibility for the authorities' "longstanding failures" to fix a railway system that was not fit for the 21st Century.
But Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's suggestion that "tragic human error" was to blame has caused anger.
On Wednesday night, rioters clashed with police outside the headquarters of Hellenic Train in Athens - the company responsible for maintaining Greece's railways.
Tear gas was used to disperse protesters, who threw stones and lit fires in the streets.
At a silent vigil in Larissa to commemorate the victims of the incident, one demonstrator said he felt the disaster had been long coming.
"The rail network looked problematic, with worn down, badly paid staff," Nikos Savva, a medical student from Cyprus, told AFP news agency.
The station master arrested should not pay the price "for a whole ailing system", he argued.
Many of the passengers on board were students in their 20s returning to Thessaloniki after a long weekend celebrating Greek Orthodox Lent.
Fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis said temperatures inside the first carriage - which burst into flames - had reached 1,300C (2,370F), making it "hard to identify the people who were inside".
Local media have reported that more than 10 people are still missing, as Greece observes three days of national mourning.
Families have given DNA samples to help identification efforts, with the results expected on Thursday.
One of those, a woman called Katerina searching for her missing brother, a passenger on the train, shouted "Murderers!" outside the hospital in Larissa, directing her anger towards the government and the rail company, Reuters reports.
Kostas Malizos, a recently retired surgeon and Emeritus Professor at Greece's University of Thessaly, has returned to work to perform surgery on injured passengers.
"It's a disaster, it's catastrophic," he said. "Families are crying tonight. Unfortunately, the majority of the lost people are young students. They left home, happy after the long weekend, to go for their studies or to see their relatives and never reached them."
Protesters rallied outside the HQ of Greek rail operator Hellenic Train in Athens
In Larissa people queued to donate blood for the many train crash injured
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If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64820085 |
Plaid Cymru must do better, says leader after toxic culture claims - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Adam Price says people in the party must feel safe after a number of claims and allegations. | Wales politics | Adam Price spoke at the party's conference in Llanelli
Everyone in Plaid Cymru must feel safe, leader Adam Price has said, following claims of a toxic culture within the party and misconduct allegations.
He admitted the recent months and years "haven't come without their challenges" and the party must do better.
Speaking on first day of Plaid's spring conference in the Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, he vowed to do "everything possible to get this right".
Mr Price will ask members to endorse his political strategy on Saturday.
He said: "We are challenged to be the change we want to be in society. And it is clear that we have to do better, much better than we have.
"If we are to become a kinder, fairer independent nation - a Cymru for all where no-one is left behind - we must shine a beacon as a party for all where everyone feels safe, welcomed and valued."
In November, it emerged an allegation of sexual assault had been made against a senior member of staff.
It was separate to a serious allegation about the conduct of Member of the Senedd Rhys ab Owen, who was suspended from the Plaid Cymru group, but not the party, after the Standards Commissioner Douglas Bain opened an investigation last year.
A working group led by former Senedd politician Nerys Evans is looking at the issue of culture within the party.
Plaid Cymru is in a co-operation agreement with the Welsh Labour government
Mr Price's wide-ranging speech described the United Kingdom as a "failing state".
"Nurses and teachers at food banks. Kids dying from breathing mould in their bedrooms. People dying in their thousands on hospitals trollies."
He said only independence would "inoculate us from Westminster's iniquities".
He accused Welsh government ministers of "absolving themselves of the responsibilities they have" over pay for NHS workers and teachers.
Mr Price said Wales found itself "in the grip of an economic emergency", but accused Labour of planning for "austerity lite, or at least light on detail".
"The closer they get to office, the higher they rise in the opinion polls, the more cautious and conservative they become," he said.
Party members will vote this weekend on a political strategy that will put independence at the core of the party's mission and endorse entering coalitions, even if as junior partner.
Ahead of the special closed session on Saturday, Mr Price said: "It takes a movement to move a nation. That's the spirit in which the political strategy we will debate tomorrow has been crafted.
"For the avoidance of doubt, this party and this leader have not given up on the goal of leading our country."
Adam Price will hope that the ongoing work to deal with the allegations of a toxic culture can draw a line under these issues because this is the second party conference speech in which he's had to reference such difficulties.
Tomorrow is the big day when he'll hope members will back the new political strategy which doubles down on the collaborative approach that he took in agreeing the existing co-operation agreement with the Welsh government.
He told conference he hadn't given up on being first minister and independence still remains the big goal, but getting there requires working with other parties - though he's ruled out coalition with the Welsh Conservatives.
The party will give its verdict at a special conference tomorrow.
Mr Price told BBC Wales the strategy sets out independence as the "main aim - that comes first".
"To reach independence Plaid Cymru needs to be in government - hopefully leading the government - but certainly to be part of government because that's how we can build the bridge towards an independent Wales.
"And in order for Plaid Cymru to be in government we need to grow our support across Wales."
However, Mr Price said there were "no circumstances" where Plaid would enter a coalition with the Conservative Party as it had become "a very reactionary right wing party". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-64830092 |
Johnson may have misled Parliament over parties, say MPs - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Disgraced ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Ales Bialiatski: Nobel Prize-winning activist sentenced to 10 years in jail - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Nobel Prize winner Ales Bialiatski was accused of smuggling cash into Belarus to fund protests. | Europe | A court in Belarus has sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison.
He was convicted of smuggling and financing "actions grossly violating public order", the Viasna human rights group said.
Supporters of Mr Bialiatski, 60, say the authoritarian regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is trying to silence him.
Mr Bialiatski was one of three winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
He was arrested in 2021 following massive street protests over widely disputed elections the previous year, and accused of smuggling cash into Belarus to fund opposition activity.
Demonstrators were met with police brutality and Lukashenko critics were regularly arrested and jailed during the demonstrations, which started in 2020.
Mr Bialiatski was in court alongside two fellow campaigners, Valentin Stefanovich and Vladimir Labkovich.
Mr Stefanovich was sentenced to nine years in prison, while Mr Labkovich received seven years, according to Viasna, the group Mr Bialiatski founded in 1996.
All three had pleaded not guilty.
Mr Bialiatski's wife, Natalya Pinchuk, said the trial was "obviously against human rights defenders for their human rights work", describing it as a "cruel" verdict.
Referring to her husband's letters from prison, where he has been held since arrest, she said: "He always writes that everything is fine. He doesn't complain about his health - he tries not to upset me."
Kostya Staradubets, a spokesperson for Viasna, said the sentences imposed on the three activists were "breaking our hearts".
Speaking to the BBC World Service's Newshour programme, he said: "We knew that our three colleagues would get long prison terms but anyway it's still a shock, it's breaking our hearts, not only the [prison] terms are long but the conditions also very horrific.
"We call [the conditions] torture actually because they're being held for several months in a 19th Century building, poorly lit cells with no fresh air, no sunlight, poor food, little or no healthcare."
Belarus's exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said the sentencing was "simply appalling".
"We must do everything to fight against this shameful injustice and free them," she said.
Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize, said the verdict was a "tragedy" for Mr Bialiatski and described the charges as "politically motivated".
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned what he described as "sham trials", adding they were "yet another appalling example of the Lukashenko regime trying to silence those who stand up in defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people in Belarus".
There are currently 1,458 political prisoners in Belarus, according to Viasna. Authorities claim there are none.
In awarding the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize to Mr Bialiatski, Ms Reiss-Anderson said the Belarusian government had "for years tried to silence him".
"He has been harassed, he has been arrested and jailed, and he has been deprived of employment," she said.
Mr Bialiatski is a veteran of the human rights movement in Belarus, establishing Viasna in 1996 in response to the brutal crackdown of street protests that year by Mr Lukashenko, who has been president of Belarus since the office was established in 1994.
He was jailed for three years in 2011 after being convicted on tax evasion charges, which he denied.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Highlights of the Belarus leader's exclusive interview with the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg from 2021.
Mr Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been described as Europe's last dictator.
Increasingly reliant on Moscow for economic, political and military support, he has hosted Russian forces and allowed them to use Belarus as a staging ground for its invasion of Ukraine.
He has been sanctioned for his role in the invasion, as well as for political oppression at home.
Last month he told the BBC he was ready to "wage war" alongside Russia "if someone - even a single soldier - enters our territory from there [Ukraine]". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64833756 |
How Alex Murdaugh hid his dark side - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | null | Behind the courtly air of a country lawyer born to power and privilege, lurked a cold-blooded killer. | null | The heir to a powerful southern legal dynasty has been convicted of murdering his wife and son.
What we know about the disgraced lawyer from police body cam footage to courtroom testimony. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64832280 |
First class stamp price to rise to £1.10 - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Royal Mail says it has to balance price rises against higher costs and fewer letters being posted. | Business | Stamps with the image of King Charles are due to be released on 4 April
The price of a first class stamp is to rise above £1 in April, Royal Mail has announced.
From 3 April, first class stamps will increase by 15p to £1.10, while second class stamps will rise by 7p to 75p.
Royal Mail said the increases were needed to ensure the "one-price-goes-anywhere Universal Service remains sustainable".
But Citizens Advice said nobody should be paying more for a "subpar service" and called for the regulator to act.
The price increases will come in the day before the first stamps with the image of King Charles go on general sale.
Royal Mail said the changes had been subject to "careful consideration" with letter volumes down 25% since the pandemic and with the business facing rising costs.
"We appreciate that many businesses and households are facing a challenging economic environment and we are committed to keeping our prices affordable," said Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail.
"We have to carefully balance our pricing against a continued decline in letter volumes and the increasing costs of delivering letters six days a week to an ever-growing number of addresses across the country."
However, the move was sharply criticised by Citizens Advice.
"These record-breaking prices couldn't be coming at a worse time for consumers, who'll now be paying 64% more for a first class stamp than five years ago," said Matthew Upton, director of policy at Citizens Advice.
He added that with millions missing important letters as result of postal delays, "nobody should be paying more for this kind of subpar service".
"Ofcom should be holding Royal Mail to account, but it's letting the company get away with rocketing prices and over two years of missed delivery targets."
The regulator said it caps the price of second class stamps "to make sure an affordable option is always available".
But it said Royal Mail needed flexibility on pricing first class stamps "to make sure the universal postal service can continue".
Royal Mail said it remained "committed" to the Universal Service, which means it is required to deliver letters at a uniform price to UK addresses six days a week.
However, it added that the costs of meeting it were increasing, with the number of letters sent having fallen from more than 20 billion in 2004-05, to about eight billion a year now.
It added that it expected to report a full-year loss of between £350m and £450m.
Last year, Royal Mail asked the government if it could drop Saturday letter deliveries, by changing its Universal Service Obligation from six days a week to five.
Royal Mail has also been hit by strike action in a long-running dispute with the Communication Workers Union over pay and conditions.
The company has said that the strikes, which included several in the run-up to Christmas, have cost it millions. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64840646 |
'I was radicalised by the far right aged 15' - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A former right-wing extremist says he was manipulated online after the Manchester Arena bombing. | Manchester | John said he was sharing his experiences in order to help prevent others from making the same mistakes
A former right-wing extremist has described how he was radicalised as a 15-year-old boy in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing.
John said he wanted to speak out as a way of warning other young people, particularly about the dangers posed online.
"It was unbelievably easy as a young teenager to access propaganda and now it's just as easy - maybe easier," John told BBC North West Tonight.
Night after night, he said he would sit in his bedroom, scrolling through far-right forums, watching videos and scouring social media until the early hours.
"I was just a very sort of angry, lost teenager," said John, who comes from a small town in the north-west of England.
"For me, it took just one click of joining a forum online before I'd been essentially manipulated to hate Islam.
"It started when I saw a post that said 'If you think British soldiers shouldn't be on the streets, share this'.
"I connected to that because someone in my family was a soldier and was struggling.
"I joined a group online and then people started saying it was because we're sending off billions in foreign aid and helping refugees and there's nothing left for the soldiers.
"And a naive 15-year-old me believed that and didn't think to fact-check it."
Twenty-two people died in the Manchester Arena bombing on 22 May 2017
John said the Manchester Arena bombing "changed everything" in his mind.
"To see Manchester attacked - a city where I spent a lot of time - really fuelled my anger," he said.
"I stopped caring who knew about my involvement and moved from mainly speaking online to actively trying to recruit people and sharing propaganda.
"It's also the point where I started attending demos and meeting people face to face.
"The demos - it was like being behind enemy lines, there was a massive amount of adrenaline.
"You go into a town or city where you know 95% of the people don't like you - police officers, the far left and the Muslim community.
"I had a couple of close shaves where things could have gone really wrong. Some of the things I said and did cause massive levels of shame.
"And what I put my mum, my friends and family through…"
John's mum Sarah thought her son was safe because he was at home in his bedroom.
"I live in a little town," she said. "I never thought we'd be impacted by extremism.
"I thought it only went on in big cities. But I was completely wrong.
"I didn't know the signs enough to recognise them.
"He'd stay in his room more often but I thought he was being a teenager.
"As far as I knew he was online with his friends, playing games. But it just got progressively worse and I didn't know what to think.
"I didn't know if he was being bullied at school, if he had girl trouble…"
Sarah added: "He started quoting passages from the Quran to me and what he was saying about them didn't make sense.
"Then he came home and told me he'd been to a demo.
"He said the only reason he was telling me was because he'd been detained by the police."
Sarah said she wanted to find out what - and who - her son was getting involved with for herself.
She said she sat in a bus shelter opposite her son as he took part in one demonstration.
"Within 10 minutes, my world just fell apart," she said.
"I watched him start marching and singing racial slurs. It hit me like a brick. My whole world came crashing down."
Ismael Lea South helps young people to stand up to extremism and radicalisation
John's experiences are far from unique.
In the north-west of England alone, there has been a 27% rise in the number of referrals to the government's counter-terrorism programme, Prevent.
In the year ending March 2022, 145 referrals were adopted as "Channel" cases - meaning the risk of radicalisation was considered serious enough for the individual to require a multi-agency programme of intervention.
John, who now works for the charity Exit Hate which helps people leave far-right groups, says referrals to his organisation had increased hugely.
He said the pandemic lockdowns - with people spending more time at home alone, often online - may provide at least some explanation.
Most referrals for far-right extremism were of males aged 15-20 - people like John.
Extremism comes in many forms, though, inspired by wildly differing ideologies.
Ismael Lea South has helped people, on the verge of travelling to Syria to join the militant group that called itself the Islamic State, escape the clutches of the hate preachers who radicalised them.
The Manchester-based former rapper delivers workshops in mosques, schools and community centres to help young people stand up to gang crime, extremism and radicalisation.
He believes that while things have improved since the arena bombing - when a small pocket of neighbourhoods in south Manchester produced more than 20 extremists, including bomber Salman Abedi and his brother Hashem - the rise in cases taken on by Prevent is of real concern.
"Between 2015 and 2018, Moss Side and Hulme [in south Manchester] were a big hunting ground for extremists and groomers, especially for people trying to recruit for IS and other related groups," he said.
"There was a lot of social deprivation and people felt marginalised and disenfranchised.
"The recruiters would approach mosques and offer to volunteer for free - but behind closed doors they were trying to target young people.
"Many of the community leaders had their heads in the sand. But after the arena bombing, those leaders started being proactive."
Mr Lea South said all the mosques around the Moss Side area were now carrying out youth work and engaging communities.
But "the latest figures for the North West are a big concern - it shows there's more work to be done."
He also warned of the growing threat posed by a relatively new form of radicalisation - the "incel" movement.
Short for "involuntary celibate", Mr Lea South said incels were a "women-hating group that has intersections with the far right, teaching women are lesser than men, are stupid and have no rights and it's ok to commit violent acts against them.
"This I see as the biggest and fastest-growing issue online amongst young people."
John said the communications technology used by extremist groups had advanced - even within the last five years.
He explained: "When I was involved, a lot of the activity was on mainstream social media.
"It was relatively easy for the police to get access, but now there are more obscure sites where far-right members can operate very easily.
"And with all the virus protection software, it's so hard to crack into these forums.
"In terms of the possibility of a big-scale terrorist attack in a different setting, the possibility is still very real.
"The far right and faith-based extremists share bomb-making manuals which are, very scarily, easily available.
"It's just almost a cat-and-mouse game between the authorities and the extremists."
John said he was eventually reported to Prevent by someone at college, and that the programme had really helped him to reject far-right extremism.
He said he was really worried about others though, and this was the reason for him speaking out.
"I just hope I can play my part in preventing people getting radicalised," John said.
"I know that people can learn from my story. I can help them not make the daft mistakes that I did and stop them getting arrested and potentially ruining their lives."
John and Sarah's real names have been changed.
Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-64761893 |
Bubba, Buster, Paw-Paw - who's who in Murdaugh murder trial - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Take a look at the main characters in the sprawling Murdaugh murders saga. | US & Canada | Maggie Murdaugh, pictured here with Alex, was said to be a devoted mother
In the southernmost corner of South Carolina, a balmy, rural stretch known as the Lowcountry, the Murdaugh family enjoyed a rarefied space - masters of the privileged and powerful class that controlled the area.
But two years ago that life began to unravel when Alex Murdaugh - the fourth generation scion of a local legal dynasty - called police to report his wife Maggie and son Paul had been shot on the grounds of their family estate.
After a six-week trial the former lawyer was found guilty of both murders.
Murdaugh's case, a tale of death, deception and drugs, became one of the most closely watched in the country.
Here's a look at the main characters of this story, now a family torn apart.
The central figure in this saga is a wealthy lawyer who worked at the private litigation firm founded by his great-grandfather.
Colleagues have said the 52-year-old was a loud and frenetic presence, always late and always in a rush.
And in keeping with the family tradition, Murdaugh was a powerhouse in the local legal circuit, winning his clients lucrative settlements which fed his affluent lifestyle.
But the patina of success hid a number of seedy secrets - Murdaugh was stealing from his clients and colleagues, as much as $3.7m (£3m) in a single year alone. Testifying at his murder trial, he confessed to the theft, blaming a desperate and expensive addiction to oxycodone.
At trial, Murdaugh said he spent up to $50,000 each week on his habit. "I'm not quite sure how I let myself get where I got," he said.
Murdaugh now faces life behind bars for both the murders of Maggie and Paul and for nearly 100 additional financial charges.
Maggie grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, before moving to South Carolina for university, where she met her husband, Alex.
Friends and family testified at trial that before her death in 2021, aged 52, Maggie Murdaugh was sweet and relaxed.
A full-time homemaker, she was described as an adoring mother to her two sons. Her sister, Marian Proctor, said at trial: "Buster and Paul were her world."
The Murdaugh family once enjoyed an affluent lifestyle
Mrs Murdaugh was a "girl's girl", her family said, not naturally predisposed to the activities favoured by her husband and sons - hunting and fishing - but she was said to have jumped right in.
"She just wanted to do what they were doing," Mrs Proctor said.
At the time of his death, "Paw Paw", as his father called him on the stand, was an undergraduate student at the University of South Carolina.
Family and friends described Paul, 22, as inquisitive and kind, taking particular care with his elderly grandparents.
"He was one hundred percent country boy, he was tough… but he took care of so many," his father said at the trial.
Alex Murdaugh (right) is accused of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son Paul
But there were some very troubling moments in Paul's short life.
At the time of his death, he was facing three charges all related to a 2019 boat wreck, including an accusation that he was driving under the influence during the crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
Paul pleaded not guilty but died before he could face trial.
All of the survivors except for Paul would testify that it had been him behind the wheel at the time of impact. He had been drunk, they said, descending into a cruel and angry alter ego that friends had nick-named "Timmy", and who allegedly hit his girlfriend the night of the accident.
The 26-year-old graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and had plans to follow his father into the family firm, in what would have been the fifth generation of Murdaugh men.
He has been a constant presence at his father's trial, sitting quietly just a few rows behind Murdaugh every day. But he briefly found himself in hot water after reportedly passing his father a John Grisham novel, which was later deemed contraband.
Buster testified in his father's defence, describing him as as a loving presence who was "destroyed" by the murders of Maggie and Paul.
Buster Murdaugh was a fixture at his father's trial
He features in a particularly bizarre part of the Murdaugh family saga.
Mr Smith, a handyman and former logger, frequently did odd jobs for his distant cousin, Alex Murdaugh. One of these jobs, according to Alex Murdaugh and his lawyers, was to act as Murdaugh's "personal drug dealer" and regularly supply Murdaugh with pills. Both the men were indicted in June of last year by a state grand jury on drug-trafficking charges. Neither has yet entered a plea in this case.
But the strangest request came in September 2021, three months after Maggie and Paul's murders, when Murdaugh asked Mr Smith to meet him on the side of a rural road one Saturday, and shoot him in the back of the head.
What happened next depends on who you ask - but both men agreed the scheme was originally cooked up by Murdaugh, who wanted to make his death look like a murder, so that his surviving son Buster might be able to collect on his life insurance policy.
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Both have been charged in the botched scheme.
Mr Smith was initially out on bail, but was ordered back to jail when a judge ruled that he had broken the conditions of his bond.
The 57-year-old worked as the Murdaugh family's housekeeper for more than 20 years, becoming a fixture in the family.
Ms Satterfield "spent more time with the Murdaughs than she probably did with her own kids", said Eric Bland, a lawyer who represented Ms Satterfield's sons.
In 2018, she died in what was reported by the Murdaughs as a trip-and-fall on the front steps of their home.
At her funeral, Murdaugh approached her sons, Tony and Brian, and told them they should file a wrongful death suit against him, and that his home insurance would pay compensation.
Two of Murdaugh's insurance policies paid out to a tune of $4.3m, but the Satterfields did not receive a dime. Alex Murdaugh, as he admitted in court, had pocketed it.
Last year, after Murdaugh's arrest, South Carolina law enforcement announced they would exhume Ms Satterfield's body. No new findings or arrests have yet been announced.
The 19-year-old was on the Murdaugh family boat with Paul Murdaugh and four other friends late in the evening on 23 February 2019 when it rammed headlong into a bridge. Mallory was thrown overboard and died, with her body recovered days later in a marsh several miles away.
The former University of South Carolina student was described by friends and family described as a bright light.
She was close friends with Paul Murdaugh's former girlfriend, Morgan Doughty.
In a Netflix documentary about the Murdaugh case, Morgan says Mallory tried to warn her about Paul, saying he would become mean and violent when drunk.
The Murdaugh's yellow Labrador has been mentioned several times in Alex Murdaugh's murder trial, described as stubborn and as a favourite of Maggie.
But he's also played a fairly significant role in the prosecution's case.
Bubba was beloved by the Murdaugh family.
A mobile phone video taken at the Murdaughs' dog kennels by Paul about five minutes before prosecutors say the killings took place features the voice of Murdaugh talking to Bubba.
The video contradicted Murdagh's claims that he had not joined his family at the kennels that night, but had stayed home to nap. Mr Murdaugh admitted on the stand he had lied about where he was.
Bubba is now living with Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson, a former employee of the Murdaugh family. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64794625 |
Alex Murdaugh verdict: Disgraced lawyer guilty of killing wife and son - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | "The evidence of guilt is overwhelming," the judge says after the jury's verdict is read in court. | US & Canada | 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?
A powerful South Carolina lawyer has been found guilty of murdering his wife and son to distract from his multi-million dollar financial crimes.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Alex Murdaugh, 54, of two counts of murder at the end of a six-week trial.
He faces a long prison term when he is sentenced on Friday.
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot at close range near the dog kennels on their family estate on 7 June 2021.
Alex Murdaugh stood impassively as he learned his fate during Thursday evening's hearing in Walterboro.
"Today's verdict proves that no-one, no matter who you are in society, is above the law," said South Carolina's top prosecutor, Attorney General Alan Wilson.
The case - chronicling the downfall of a family born to power and privilege - has captivated the country, inspiring documentaries on Netflix and HBO.
Murdaugh was once an influential personal injury attorney in the state, and for decades until 2006 his family members had served as the leading prosecutors in the area. Such was their influence that the jurisdiction became known as "Murdaugh Country".
But the trial heard that for years he had been stealing from his law partners and clients to feed an addiction to painkillers and an extravagant lifestyle.
Murdaugh had pleaded not guilty to killing his wife and youngest son in an attempt to conceal years of financial corruption - fraud that he himself had acknowledged in court.
After the 12-person jury's verdict, dozens of spectators gathered outside the back of the court where officers ushered a handcuffed Murdaugh quickly into a black van.
Reporters shouted questions, though he remained silent. As police tucked him inside the vehicle, one man behind the media line shouted that he was praying for him.
Maggie Murdaugh, pictured here with Alex, was said to be a devoted mother
It took more than a year for investigators to arrest Murdaugh as they untangled the complex case.
In a risky move for any murder defendant, Murdaugh took to the witness stand, trying to convince the jury that someone angry over a deadly 2019 boating accident involving Paul could have killed his son to seek revenge.
"I would never hurt Maggie, and I would never hurt Paul - ever - under any circumstances," Murdaugh testified.
The case against him was based entirely on circumstantial evidence. No direct evidence - things like a murder weapon, blood on his clothing or an eyewitness - was presented at trial.
Instead the prosecution focused on an incriminating Snapchat video taken by Murdaugh's son just before the murders.
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Paul and his mother were killed at the kennels on the family's sprawling hunting estate, known as Moselle.
For 20 months after their murders, Alex Murdaugh told law enforcement repeatedly he had not been at the dog kennels at all that evening, and was at home napping.
But in the Snapchat video filmed by Paul just minutes before the shootings, the defendant's voice could be heard in the background.
On the stand at trial, Murdaugh admitted he had lied, saying his years-long addiction to painkillers had put him in a paranoid state.
The court also heard of Murdaugh's bizarre attempt to stage his own death in an insurance fraud scheme just three months after he murdered his 52-year-old wife and 22-year-old son. The hitman he hired botched the shooting and the bullet only grazed his head.
Alex Murdaugh (right) murdered his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son Paul
Local resident Jessica Williams, 38, stood outside the court watching the proceedings on the phone with her six-year-old daughter.
"I am so happy," she told BBC News after the verdict was announced, adding: "I remember where I was when the verdict for OJ Simpson came down [in 1995]. This was the same thing."
Early on in the proceedings, Judge Clifton Newman ruled that prosecutors could bring in evidence of Murdaugh's alleged financial crimes.
Investigators say he stole nearly $9m from clients and colleagues to fund his addiction and his lavish lifestyle. And at trial, Murdaugh admitted to wide-scale theft.
Prosecutors argued it was these crimes that drove him to murder - that he thought the deaths of Maggie and Paul would gain him sympathy and stave off a reckoning over his other misdeeds.
Murdaugh and his defence team had argued in court that this theory was ludicrous and financial problems would never have led him to murder.
Several witnesses testified that on the night of the murders Alex Murdaugh had asked Maggie, who had been at the family's other property in nearby Edisto Beach, to return to Moselle.
Maggie much preferred Edisto to Moselle and hadn't planned on leaving, her sister Marion Proctor told the court. But Murdaugh's elderly father was dying, and so Mrs Proctor encouraged her to support him.
Alex Murdaugh and his two sons were fond of hunting, and Moselle was home to a collection of guns.
Prosecutors alleged that Murdaugh had used one of these - a .300 Blackout assault-style rifle - to kill Maggie, and another weapon to kill Paul. But they were unable to find either firearm and produce them at trial.
Maggie was shot four or five times with a rifle and their son was shot twice with a shotgun, the trial heard. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64832081 |
Energy Price Guarantee expected to continue at same level in April - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon in court over baby Victoria manslaughter charge - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Ros Atkins on... The creeping TikTok bans - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | null | The app is banned from employee phones by various governments amid security concerns. | null | China has accused the US of exaggerating national security fears about TikTok to suppress the Chinese company.
US government agencies have been ordered to wipe the Chinese app from all staff devices within 30 days.
There have also been similar steps taken in Canada and the EU.
Ros Atkins looks at how we got here. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-64831583 |
Half of world on track to be overweight by 2035 - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Africa and Asia are expected to see the biggest rises in obesity, the World Obesity Federation says. | World | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
More than half the world's population will be classed as obese or overweight by 2035 if action is not taken, the World Obesity Federation warns.
More than four billion people will be affected, with rates rising fastest among children, its report says.
Low or middle-income countries in Africa and Asia are expected to see the greatest rises.
The report predicts the cost of obesity will amount to more than $4tn (£3.3tn) annually by 2035.
The president of the federation, Prof Louise Baur, described the report's findings as a clear warning to countries to act now or risk repercussions in the future.
The report in particular highlights the rising rates of obesity among children and teenagers, with rates expected to double from 2020 levels among both boys and girls.
Prof Baur said the trend was "particularly worrying", adding that "governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation" by assessing "the systems and root factors" that contribute to obesity.
The effects of obesity's prevalence on lower-income countries is also highlighted in the report. Nine of the 10 countries with the greatest expected increases in obesity globally are low or lower-middle income states in Africa and Asia.
Reasons include trends in dietary preferences towards more highly processed foods, greater levels of sedentary behaviour, weaker policies to control food supply and marketing, and less well-resourced healthcare services to assist in weight management and health education.
Lower-income countries are "often the least able to respond to obesity and its consequences".
The findings estimate that rises in obesity rates around the world will have a significant impact on the global economy, equating to 3% of global Gross Domestic Product.
The report emphasises that its acknowledgement of the economic impact of obesity "is in no way a reflection of blame on people living with obesity".
The data published in the report will be presented to the UN on Monday.
Obese is a medical term used to describe a person with a high excess of body fat.
The report uses body mass index (BMI) to make its assessments. BMI is calculated by dividing an adult's weight by the square of their height. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-64831848 |
Drive to Survive: Netflix F1 show criticised for lack of women - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Research finds women speak for just six minutes in the latest series of the popular F1 documentary. | Newsbeat | F1 Academy boss Susie Wolff says women in F1 need to be visible to encourage interest in the sport
The new Formula 1 season gets under way this weekend in Bahrain.
And to get into the spirit a lot of people are tuning in to the hugely popular Drive to Survive on Netflix.
The behind-the-scenes F1 show released its fifth series last week and went straight into the streamer's Top 10 charts.
There are plenty of drama and deals behind closed doors, but one thing's missing - women.
That's according to research by Females in Motorsport (FIM), a volunteer group that advocates for women's participation.
It found that women spoke for only six minutes and seven seconds in season five, out of a total run time of over six and a half hours.
They said that equals 1.54% of the show's 10 episodes.
Across all five seasons of Drive to Survive, the research said, people who identify as women have spoken for less than an hour out of 32 hours of episodes.
The research also found that only six women are actually named on screen throughout the season.
They include BBC journalist Jennie Gow, who speaks in four episodes, and Gertraud Steiner, wife of Haas team manager Guenther, and Michael Schumacher's wife Corinna.
FIM said women mostly feature in the background as fans or are seen providing food or applying make-up to the drivers.
Claire Cottingham is a Formula 1 reporter in Bahrain currently
F1 journalist Claire Cottingham is in Drive to Survive during a press conference scene.
She's "the only woman in the room", and although viewers hear her voice, they don't see her.
"I ask a question to a driver in the series and they don't show my face, they show a male journalist." she tells BBC Newsbeat.
Claire's watched the series and says she's "definitely noticed there are only a few women".
"It's been something that has left a little bit to be desired," she says.
As someone who spends more time than most in the motorsport world, Claire is aware it's male-dominated, but thinks representation can change that.
"Unless women see that they can get involved, then they don't know they can get involved," says Claire.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Abbi Pulling is regarded as one of the UK's best hopes to find a female F1 driver
F1 bosses are also trying to attract more women to the sport.
They recently announced the creation of the F1 Academy - a junior-level competition just for female drivers.
Some teams, such as Alpine, have previously launched projects to boost the number of women across all areas, including trackside and engineering jobs.
One female who's been part of Alpine's team is 19-year-old Abbi Pulling, who's competed in British Formula 4 and has been chosen for the F1 Academy.
She told Newsbeat she thinks representation is being addressed and F1 is providing opportunities to women that couldn't usually afford to go into the championships.
Academy director Susie Wolff spoke to BBC Sport this week and said she was aware of the lack of women in Drive to Survive.
"I saw a terrifying quote that if you look at Drive to Survive, I think it's 1.8% of screen time features a female.
"How should a young girl, who's eight, and maybe loves F1, how can she visualise herself getting into that paddock if she can't even see participation or women working in the paddock?"
But Susie believes the new academy will have the power to boost the profile of women in the sport.
"We can quite quickly create change that they believe in. They can think maybe there's a chance for me," she says.
BBC Newsbeat has approached Box to Box, the production company behind Drive to Survive, for comment.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-64826799 |
Bahrain Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton given permission to wear nose stud in races - BBC Sport | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Horizon: Scientists warn Sunak on EU research programme - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | PM Rishi Sunak is warned not to go back on his pledge to re-join the EU's science research programme. | Science & Environment | The EU's research and innovation programme is worth €95bn
PM Rishi Sunak should not go back on his pledge to re-join the EU's science research programme, the President of The Royal Society has warned.
Prof Sir Adrian Smith told BBC News that reneging on government promises would be damaging to UK science.
His comments follow reports that Rishi Sunak was holding back on re-joining the €95bn programme, known as Horizon.
BBC News understands that he is considering renegotiating a cut-down version of the Horizon programme.
The Royal Society represents Britain's leading scientists. Prof Smith told BBC News that ministers had consistently said that they were fully supportive of full association with the Horizon programme once the EU gave the green light.
"There is a great deal of concern and anxiety at the rumours that there is now a desire to renegotiate our association of the Horizon programme.
"It will mean that the continuing uncertainty will drift on and we will have more of the problems we are already seeing, such as a brain drain and the exclusion of leadership from major programmes," he said.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said talks on Horizon would begin immediately once the Windsor agreement was implemented
The assumption was that if differences over the Northern Ireland Protocol could be resolved, the UK would fully re-join the Horizon programme under terms similar to those it had before Brexit.
But BBC News understands that Mr Sunak is keen on an alternative research programme put together by ministers, known as "Plan B". This would be a UK-led programme involving collaboration with non-EU as well as European nations. It was developed in case a research agreement could not be reached with the EU.
Sources say that while some aspects of the Horizon programme are appealing to the Prime Minister, such as grants to individual scientists, he believes that larger institutional grants favour France and Germany and may not represent good value for money.
Prof Sir Adrian Smith: ''anxiety and concern'' among the UK's leading scientists
While no decision has yet been taken, one option under consideration is for a complete renegotiation of the terms of the Horizon agreement currently in place with the EU. This would allow the UK government to sign up to those parts of the programme that appealed, then use the remainder of the money that would otherwise have been spent on Horizon on its Plan B.
Prof Smith told BBC News that he didn't believe that such a plan would work.
"There is an assumption that we are in charge of the renegotiation and that we can have the good bits and get out of the not so good bits. All history shows that this kind of cherry-picking and negotiation Is not up for grabs.
''The whole thing is a package and the point is that the entire programme has in the past been good for the UK," he said.
Prof Sarah Main of the Campaign for Science and Engineering said that the UK's previous fruitful membership of the EU programme had attracted investment from the hi-tech companies her organisation represents and that her members want nothing short of the full association that is currently on the table.
"We want to see this with all speed. If the Prime Minister has not been close to the discussion, we need to make clear that that is the message from the research community and in the UK's economic interest to secure this deal as quickly as possible," she said.
Prof James Wilsdon, a specialist in research policy at University College London, said the failure to commit to the current arrangement on offer from the EU showed that the government was not listening to the science community.
"To keep the whole UK research system hanging on in limbo for two years while we ostensibly seek association; then to walk away when we finally have it in our grasp would, I think, be for many UK scientists, the final straw," he said.
Horizon Europe is a collaborative research programme involving Europe's leading research institutes and hi-tech companies. EU member nations each contribute funds which are then allocated to individuals or organisations by expert scientists based on the merit of research proposals.
The government negotiated associate membership of the programme in the withdrawal agreement following Brexit, because it felt it was important for the UK to be involved. But the EU went back on its part of the deal after disputes emerged over the Northern Ireland Protocol and British involvement in the prestigious programme has been left in limbo ever since.
The agreement of the Windsor Framework last week paved the way for the UK to re-join.
When the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mr Sunak were asked about re-entry to the Horizon programme at a joint press conference, Ms von der Leyen enthusiastically remarked that it was "good news for scientists and researchers, in the European Union and in the UK," but Mr Sunak did not comment.
He also failed to make a commitment to the programme when asked at Prime Minister's Questions this week and the FT has reported that he was holding back on committing to the programme.
Downing Street has been approached for comment but has not responded. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64840262 |
Ken Bruce signs off final Radio 2 show as BBC career comes to an end - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Fellow DJs and listeners pay tribute to the presenter as he leaves the BBC after almost 50 years. | Entertainment & Arts | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Listen: Ken Bruce - "I have loved being here with you."
DJ Ken Bruce paid tribute to his listeners as he signed off from BBC Radio 2 after more than three decades of hosting the mid-morning show.
The Scottish presenter, 72, is leaving the network to join commercial station Greatest Hits Radio.
Bruce closed Friday's programme by playing Golden Slumbers by The Beatles.
Quoting the song, he told listeners: "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make - and I have loved being here with you."
He added: "Thank you so much, and may we meet again somewhere."
Bruce hosted Radio 2's weekday mid-morning programme for more than three decades, and had been on BBC radio in some form for 46 years.
He said: "Thank you to everybody who has contributed in any small way to this programme, particularly the listeners.
"I really couldn't do it without the listeners, who contribute and complete the dialogue. We talk to each other on a daily basis, and I hope sometime in the future we may be able to continue doing that."
After receiving well wishes throughout the programme, Bruce joked: "Thanks to all who sent any kind of messages of congratulations - or good riddance."
He will be replaced by Vernon Kay in May, with Gary Davies presenting the 09:30-12:00 programme in the interim.
In his final message, Bruce also thanked the BBC, commenting: "I've been here for a long time, and apart from the occasional vagary, it is still the finest broadcasting organisation in the world."
His workmates paid tribute to the long-serving presenter, with Jeremy Vine describing him as "the most intelligent, generous and talented colleague" and "the presenter we all want to be like".
Travel reporter Richie Anderson said he was the "kindest, warmest, friendliest person," telling him: "Working with you has been a joy."
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Friday's programme also included the last Radio 2 edition of his hugely popular quiz Popmaster, which Bruce is taking with him to his new station.
The Glaswegian presenter left his Radio 2 show earlier than anticipated, after the BBC asked him not to complete his contract, a decision he said he was disappointed by.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's entirely within the BBC's right to ask me to step away a little early. But for the sake of 17 days, which was all that was remaining [on my contract], it seems a shame."
Bruce was originally due to complete his Radio 2 contract on 24 March, but tweeted last week that the BBC had asked him to host the last edition of his show on Friday instead.
Bruce has been a fixture on Radio 2 since the mid-1980s
The BBC said: "Ken decided to leave Radio 2 and it's always been known he's leaving in March. Returning to Wogan House [the station's headquarters] for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room sessions at Maida Vale provided a natural break. We wish Ken all the best for the future."
The presenter confirmed it was his own decision to leave the station, and he was not removed by bosses.
"I've gone at my own accord, I wanted to go at this time," Bruce told BBC News. "I understand the BBC were in the process of preparing an offer for me to continue. But, you know, I'd made my decision before that."
Bruce's mid-morning show has been the most popular radio programme in the UK since 2019, having overtaken the breakfast show, which lost listeners after Chris Evans's departure.
Asked about walking away from such a successful show, Bruce replied: "It's become the British the biggest programme on British radio, and I don't want to preside over any decline. I want to walk away while it's the top thing."
Bruce announced his departure from Radio 2 in January, describing his time at the station as "tremendously happy" but adding it was "time for a change".
Bruce has said his new show would include "all the great records you know and love from the 70s, 80s and 90s"
Former Radio 2 DJ Simon Mayo said Bruce "might have been out the door sooner" than Friday if he had been leaving a commercial station.
"I think what's surprising is that it [the situation with Ken Bruce still on Radio 2] lingered as long as it did," he told Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch.
"If you're on social media, the Greatest Hits Radio Twitter icon is Ken Bruce. Ken is an advert for Greatest Hits Radio now so I can understand why they might have thought, we need to hasten these things. It's unfortunate because it does feel messy."
Radio 2 is currently undergoing a period of significant upheaval, with several presenters leaving the station either by force or by choice.
Bruce, Vanessa Feltz and Graham Norton have been poached by other networks, while Steve Wright was taken off weekday afternoons and replaced with Scott Mills by Radio 2's controller Helen Thomas.
Meanwhile, Paul O'Grady left the station after being forced to share his Sunday slot with comedian Rob Beckett, while Craig Charles lost his weekend show (but still presents on BBC 6Music).
With its roster of presenters now including Mills, Kay, Jo Whiley, Trevor Nelson, Zoe Ball and Sara Cox, Radio 2's schedule now resembles that of Radio 1 in the early 2000s.
Although it has always been the case that Radio 1 presenters gravitate towards Radio 2 later in their careers, the exit of so many older DJs from Radio 2 in such a short period of time has upset many long-term listeners.
Vernon Kay, pictured with breakfast host Zoe Ball, said he was "over the moon" to take over from Bruce
Bruce arrives at Bauer's Greatest Hits Radio at a time when the commercial station is positioning itself as an alternative to Radio 2, for older listeners who feel the BBC station no longer caters to them.
Greatest Hits Radio is also home to Mark Goodier and Jackie Brambles, while Mayo hosts its drivetime programme.
Kay, who has previously fronted Channel 4's youth strand T4 and ITV's All Star Family Fortunes, as well as programmes on BBC Radio 1 and Radio X, said taking over Bruce's Radio 2 show was "a dream come true".
"And what an honour to follow in the footsteps of the mighty Ken Bruce," he added in a statement. "I'm absolutely over the moon to be handed the microphone." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64821817 |
Eddie Howe: Newcastle United manager has 'not sought any assurances' after fresh questions over ownership - BBC Sport | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | null | Newcastle manager Eddie Howe says he has "not sought any assurances" after fresh questions are raised about the club's ownership. | null | Eddie Howe: Newcastle United manager has 'not sought any assurances' after fresh questions over ownership Last updated on .From the section Newcastle
Howe has not sought assurances on Newcastle United owners Newcastle manager Eddie Howe says he has "not sought any assurances" after fresh questions were raised about the ownership of the club. The Premier League approved the takeover by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) after receiving "legally binding assurances" that the Saudi state would not control the club. But in a US court case this week, Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has been described as "a sitting minister of the government" with "sovereign immunity". Human rights group Amnesty International has since urged the Premier League to "re-examine the assurances" made in the Newcastle takeover. "It was always stretching credulity to breaking point to imagine that the Saudi state wasn't directing the buyout of Newcastle with the ultimate aim of using the club as a component in its wider sportswashing efforts," said Peter Frankental, the group's UK economic affairs director. The Premier League has declined to comment.
• None Newcastle United: Premier League 'comfortable and satisfied' Saudi state will not interfere
• None Why is Saudi Arabia's involvement in sport controversial?
• None A year on from Newcastle United takeover, what has the impact been? Howe says he has had "very open communication" with "various people connected to the board" since being appointed in November 2021, a month after the PIF's takeover. "But my conversations with them are all football-related," he added on Friday. "At no stage has it ever gone political. "That's not my area, I don't want it to be my area, I want to concentrate on how I can improve the team. "Now obviously, if I felt there was a time I needed to ask a question, I could. But I haven't done that. "For me, my job is training the players. The minute I deviate from that is the minute I go into dangerous waters. "The focus comes on me because I am sat here every week. It's not a conversation for me to brief on these matters because I'm not qualified to do it. "I've not given it too much time. I'm aware of the headlines, but I haven't really invested in the details behind them." The statements have been made by lawyers representing LIV Golf, owned by the PIF, which also has a controlling stake in Newcastle. Why was the PIF's takeover approved? The PIF initially withdrew from its takeover bid for Newcastle in July 2020 as a result of an "unforeseeably prolonged process", before the deal was revived. The takeover was only approved in October 2021 after the Premier League received "legally binding assurances" that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would not have any control over the club. The dispute had centred over who would have controlling influence at Newcastle, and would therefore be subject to the league's owners' and directors' test. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told the BBC in November 2021 that if his organisation found evidence there was state involvement in the running of Newcastle "we can remove the consortium as owners of the club". Premier League CEO Richard Masters talks to BBC sports editor Dan Roan about the Newcastle United takeover However, lawyers representing LIV Golf have said during US court proceedings that Al-Rumayyan is "a sitting minister of the Saudi government". A San Francisco court has approved the PGA Tour's request to include Al-Rumayyan and the PIF as defendants in its lawsuit against LIV and ordered them to produce documents in the case. However, the PIF is challenging the order, arguing the fund and its governor Al-Rumayyan "are not ordinary third parties subject to basic discovery relevance standards". A court document reads: "The order is an extraordinary infringement on the sovereignty of a foreign state that is far from justified here. "They are a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a sitting minister of the Saudi government, and they cannot be compelled to provide testimony and documents in a US proceeding unless their conduct - not LIV's or anyone else's - is truly the 'gravamen' of the case." The PIF has declined to comment while Newcastle have been contacted.
• None Our coverage of Newcastle United is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment
• None Everything Newcastle - go straight to all the best content | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64836884 |
'My Friday prison release led to a disastrous mistake' - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Marc Conway is backing a new law that aims to cut reoffending by ending Friday prison releases. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Former prisoner Marc Conway says his Friday release left him with no time to sort housing, leaving him in breach of bail
Prisoners vulnerable to addiction, mental health issues or homelessness will no longer be released on Fridays under new plans to cut reoffending. One prisoner who breached parole after being released on a Friday says he felt let down by the system. He told the BBC his story and what it says about prisoners at risk of lapsing back into a life of crime.
"By the time I got to the housing department, it was a Friday afternoon and there was no-one there to see me. I knew the offices wouldn't be open again until the Monday. I was quite fearful of where I was going to stay that night - I didn't want to stay on the streets."
Marc Conway was 17 years old when he was released, on a Friday, after three months in HMP Feltham young offenders' institution in London.
Without anywhere to go, he made what he describes as a "disastrous mistake" and stayed with a "known associate".
In doing so, he broke his licence conditions and was recalled to prison to serve out the remaining three months of his sentence.
"I felt like I had let people down, first and foremost, that I'd been recalled back to prison so soon," he said.
"I was angry, I was resentful of the system. I felt the system had let me down again and I dread to think what I would have done that night if I didn't have somewhere to stay."
Marc has served a number of sentences for a range of serious offences, last leaving prison four-and-a-half years ago.
In 2019, he was one of the people who pinned down the convicted terrorist Usman Khan on London Bridge after Khan had fatally stabbed two people.
Marc Conway was among those who tackled convicted terrorist Usman Khan on London Bridge
Marc now works with the Prison Reform Trust and says that he still sees people having similar experiences to the one he had, two decades on.
"This happens time and time and time again. People are being released on a Friday and are not being able to access services," he said. "It's not just housing. It could be mental health services, it could be GP services, all sorts.
"I have known of people who have committed crime just to have somewhere to sleep that night.
"There's quite an easy solution. You have to go to probation on the day of release. Why can all the services not be under one roof and just stop Friday releases?"
Around one in three prisoners are released on a Friday, according to research by the charity Nacro.
They often have just a few hours before services close to meet their probation officer, register with a GP, get housing and sign up for support like Universal Credit.
Nacro has run a long campaign to stop Friday releases, saying they are "setting people up to fail".
Prison governors are expected to be given the power to end the practice for vulnerable prisoners in England and Wales later this year, after the government backed a Private Members' Bill from the Conservative MP Simon Fell.
Under the legislation, governors would be able to release those who have mental health issues, substance misuse problems, or who have a long way to travel home, up to 48 hours early following "strict security checks".
A similar law was passed in Scotland in 2015 but questions have been raised about how widely it has been used.
Prisons Minister Damian Hinds said leaving custody was a "very sensitive moment" and this was a "simple but, in a wider sense, landmark reform" that would cut reoffending.
"We want to maximise the chance people have when they get out of prison to be able to access those services and that's just harder on a Friday," he said.
"It's quite often a race against the clock, particularly if you've got a long way to travel, so this is just a sensible reform which will mean that you can bring that forward by just one or two days to give that individual more time to do those things."
He said he "absolutely understood" that some victims of crime might have concerns about offenders being released earlier than the end of their sentence.
"The protection of the public must always come first but this is also an aspect of protection of the public. When people do get out of prison, they must be able to have the chance to get on to that better path to be able to put in place those important things which will give that chance," Mr Hinds added.
Ending Friday Releases formed part of the government's Prisons Strategy published in 2021. The Ministry of Justice committed to do it last year.
The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Private Members' Bill is expected to pass its final reading in the Commons on Friday before going to the Lords. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64831235 |
King Charles to travel to France and Germany in first state visits - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Buckingham Palace says the King will visit European neighbours on his first official visits. | UK | President Emmanuel Macron of France will be the host for the King's first symbolic overseas trip of his reign
The first state visits of the reign of King Charles are going to be to France and Germany, Buckingham Palace has announced.
King Charles and Camilla the Queen Consort will travel to the countries on a visit from 26 to 31 March.
President Emmanuel Macron of France will host a state banquet for the royal couple at the Palace of Versailles.
In Germany, the King will be the first British sovereign to address the Bundestag, the German parliament.
The royal couple will also visit memorials to Allied bombing in Hamburg and to young Jewish refugees who fled the Nazis.
As head of state, the King's official visits are decided on government advice - and these symbolic first overseas destinations will be seen as prioritising stronger relations with European neighbours.
Earlier this week the King met the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, when she visited the UK to announce a deal on Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.
As well as addressing what a Buckingham Palace spokesperson called the "sacrifices and challenges of our shared past", the European trip will focus on modern challenges, such as climate change and Ukraine.
The royal couple will lay wreaths at St Nikolai in Hamburg, damaged by wartime Allied bombing
Buckingham Palace says the trips will "celebrate Britain's relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values".
In France, the King and Queen Consort will process along the Champs Elysees in Paris, before meeting President Macron at the Elysee Palace.
King Charles will address senators and members of the French National Assembly, the first such speech by a member of the British royal family in the French parliamentary chamber.
Camilla, the Queen Consort, with Brigitte Macron, will open a Manet and Degas art exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay art gallery.
The state visit will also include Bordeaux, where the royal couple will tour an organic vineyard, which uses solar energy and a sustainable approach to wine making. Make-up is produced as a by-product of making the wine.
In a statement, President Macron said it was an honour France had been chosen for the King's first state visit as monarch and this "illustrates the depth of the historical links uniting our two countries".
President Macron will host a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles
In Germany, the King and Queen Consort will visit Berlin and Hamburg. In Hamburg, they will go to the St. Nikolai Memorial, the remains of a church destroyed by Allied bombing during the Second World War.
Wreaths will be laid at an event of remembrance and reconciliation, marking the 80th anniversary of bombing raids on the German port city.
They will also lay flowers at a memorial to the Kindertransport children who were Jewish refugees from the Nazis.
In Germany, there will be a ceremonial welcome from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, which is believed to be the first time that symbolic venue has been used for the start of a state visit.
The King will meet refugees from the conflict in Ukraine and will hear about the support provided for them when they arrive in Germany.
The last UK state visit to Germany was carried out in 2015 by Queen Elizabeth II, and she visited France in 2014.
As Prince of Wales, Charles paid 34 official visits to France and 28 to Germany.
The visits will take place in the run up to the King's coronation, to be held in Westminster Abbey on 6 May. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64836097 |
Worcester school mirrors replaced with 'provocative' posters - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The posters in girls' toilets at a school in Worcester brand make-up a "harmful drug". | Hereford & Worcester | Posters were displayed in one bathroom at Christopher Whitehead Language College in Worcester
A school has been criticised after replacing mirrors in a girls' toilets with posters containing "provocative" messages.
The posters were displayed at Christopher Whitehead Language College in Worcester.
According to images posted on social media some of the quotes included "beauty is nothing without brains" and "make-up is a harmful drug".
The temporary measure was introduced after some "misuse" said the school.
The school's head teacher, Neil Morris, said the bathroom had become a "congregational social area" with some older students blocking the path to toilets, while they socialised.
"One of the English department staff has used this as an opportunity to provide some argumentative discursive letter writing," he said.
"They put some provocative posters up in the one toilet area in their corridor before the lesson.
"This has produced some 'frenzied' powerful writing and debate. With hindsight, the posters should have been placed in their classroom area, not in one toilet."
Speaking to BBC Hereford and Worcester one parent said images of the posters had "circulated very quickly" via social media.
The wording of the posters had made many parents "quite angry", she said.
"Saying that make-up is a harmful drug, and that it's addictive, saying that boys won't start to like you unless you take make-up off, you'll feel ugly if you don't wear it - I think how they've gone about it is not right and they should have let parents know what they were doing."
The mum said her daughter, who had seen the messages via social media, thought the wording to be "quite disturbing".
"I just don't think they're going about it in the right way, this won't stop young girls putting make-up on," she added.
There had been "ongoing" issues about behaviour around toilets at the school, she explained.
"Apparently there's a lot of bullying going on in there, there are horrible comments being written on the mirrors and it sounds as if the staff have had enough."
"[But] they could have got parents together, called a meeting - for the students as well - and maybe try to get some ideas about how the behaviour can be restored back to how it should be."
A "very productive" meeting had been held with pupils and two parents on Wednesday said head teacher, Mr Morris.
He said while the student council was "being challenged to come up with an action plan", staff had noticed pupils' behaviour had "noticeably improved this week".
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-64836291 |
Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Emotionless Murdaugh learns fate for double murder - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | null | The moment the jury finds Alex Murdaugh guilty of murder and their verdict is read out in court. | null | The moment the jury finds Alex Murdaugh guilty of murder and their verdict is read out in court. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64832082 |
Lee Anderson says he is sympathetic to asylum hotel protesters - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Deputy Tory party chairman Lee Anderson says protesters are "not far-right extremists". | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lee Anderson explains why he has sympathy with people protesting outside asylum hotels.
Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson has said he has sympathy with people protesting outside hotels providing refuge for asylum seekers.
A spate of protests have been organised at hotels across the country in recent weeks, with some ending in violent clashes with police.
Many have been led by far-right anti-immigrant groups such as Patriotic Alternative.
Mr Anderson said protesters were "just normal family people" with concerns about the safety of their community.
Speaking to the BBC's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Mr Anderson said: "When you live in a community, you expect to be safe and you don't like sudden change.
"That is how humans behave."
The Hope Not Hate campaign group accused Mr Anderson of "parroting the misinformation used by the far-right to exploit hotels".
"This is precisely the same kind of myths that the far-right are peddling to whip up hate around hotels," a spokesperson said. "We can't have a Conservative MP amplifying these messages."
One man was charged and 14 other people were arrested after a police officer and two members of the public were hurt when missiles including lit fireworks were thrown at a protest outside a hotel accommodating asylum seekers in Kirkby on 10 February.
The initial protest had been triggered by an allegation that a man had made inappropriate advances to a local teenage girl.
Patriotic Alternative, whose policies include deporting non-whites, were present at protests at hotels in Skegness and Newquay.
Several hotels in Skegness have since been boarded up ahead of a planned further protest against their use to house asylum seekers.
The latest Home Office figures show 37,000 asylum seekers and Afghan refugees are living in UK hotels at a cost of £4.7m per day.
A police van was burnt out in the clash in Kirkby
When asked if he had sympathy with people protesting outside the hotels Mr Anderson said: "Of course I do.
"These are not far-right extremists, they are just normal family people from some of these towns and villages that are upset that overnight 200 to 300 young men have arrived.
"And then they are saying things to young girls - and I know there have been a few attacks and some horrible incidents.
"So of course, people are going to be concerned."
Last week Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she understood people's "frustrations" about hotels housing asylum seekers and that this was "causing understandable tensions within communities".
However, she told GB News "violence is never acceptable".
Some Tories have expressed concern about far-right groups being involved in protests against the use of hotels for asylum seekers.
Ahead of a protest in Skegness last week, local MP Matt Warman said the "shameless use of people's concerns by far-right groups is to be deplored and stands in the way of our having a sensible conversation that will in the long term allow us to move beyond the use of these hotels".
In Cornwall, the Conservative leader of the council Linda Taylor condemned a planned protest in Newquay as "racist and bigoted".
Political opponents of the Tory deputy chairman have tried to use his ability to hit headlines against him
Mr Anderson grew up in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, a former mining area which he now represents as MP. He was appointed deputy Tory chairman by Rishi Sunak last month.
Since becoming an MP he has found himself at the centre of media storms for his outspoken views on issues such as migrant Channel crossings, his support for the death penalty, and the use of food banks.
Before his appointment, he was branded "out of touch" last year for suggesting people needed to learn how to cook and budget "properly", rather than use food banks.
He later defended his comments, saying he was glad to have started a "debate" on the issue.
In his interview with Nick Robinson, he said anyone earning an annual salary of £35,000 "should not be using a food bank" when asked about a row over whether nurses had used the resource. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64823712 |
Partygate probe chief Sue Gray offered top job by Labour leader Starmer - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The senior civil servant led an investigation into Covid lockdown gatherings in Downing Street. | UK Politics | Senior civil servant Sue Gray, who investigated lockdown gatherings in Downing Street, has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff.
A Labour spokesman said Sir Keir was "delighted" that "she hopes to accept the role subject to the normal procedures".
But allies of Boris Johnson reacted with anger to the news.
Former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said Ms Gray's Partygate conclusions now looked "like a left-wing stitch up".
"So much for an impartial Civil Service, the Gray report now looks like a left-wing stitch up against a Tory prime minister," the former business secretary and Brexit opportunities minister tweeted.
A friend of Mr Johnson said Ms Gray's job offer undermined the validity of her investigation into parties held in Downing Street when Covid-19 restrictions were in force.
"What was supposed to be an investigation by independent civil servants is now revealed to have been carried out by someone who ultimately would go on to work for Keir Starmer," they said.
Ms Gray herself has yet to comment.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Sue Gray has resigned from the post of Second Permanent Secretary in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). This was accepted by the department Permanent Secretary and Cabinet Secretary with immediate effect.
"We will not be commenting further on individual personnel matters. We are reviewing the circumstances under which she resigned."
Under the civil service code, officials of Ms Gray's seniority must wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment.
The move will be scrutinised by the anti-corruption watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which will advise the prime minister on whether the move is "unsuitable".
Rishi Sunak will make a final ruling, but does not have the power to block an appointment.
Ms Gray went from an influential but little-known arbiter of conduct in government to a household name.
Her report on the Partygate scandal last year contributed to Mr Johnson's downfall as prime minister, prompting numerous Conservative MPs to call on him to resign.
She criticised "failures of leadership and judgment" in No 10 and said "the senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility".
Separately, Mr Johnson received one of 126 fines issued by the Metropolitan Police while it investigated gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall.
Hearings in an inquiry by the Commons Privileges Committee into opposition claims Mr Johnson misled MPs about what he knew about the lockdown gatherings in government buildings are expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Other key allies of Mr Johnson have been quick to comment.
Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tweeted that Ms Gray's reported move to Sir Keir's office was "not surprising".
"Whilst writing report, she used QC who tweeted out pro Labour anti gov [government] tweets whilst Alistair Campbell heaped praise upon her. Her comms [communications] assistant briefed against Johnson from day 1.
"The Gray report was a stitch up of PM and CSs [civil servants]," she said.
Very few civil servants become household names. Sue Gray definitely cleared that bar.
She was selected to investigate Partygate because of her reputation as an unimpeachable government official.
It's important to stress that Ms Gray taking a political job with Labour doesn't mean she was ever biased in her role as a civil servant. Everyone working in government will have personal views, but they're trusted and expected to serve the ministers of the day.
But her proposed career move does provide allies of Boris Johnson with ammunition to question the legitimacy of her Partygate findings (which were very bad for the former prime minister).
Why are Labour making this appointment? The qualities Sue Gray has largely been associated with - professionalism, propriety and public service - are exactly those they want to project.
And it sends a sign about the party's intentions - Keir Starmer wants to work closely with someone who was (until very recently) a senior civil servant, because he intends to make it to 10 Downing Street.
Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said he was "genuinely shocked", and accused Sir Keir of having "scant regard for the public image of the civil service and the damage this will do".
"After the events of last year, people will quite understandably be questioning the appropriateness of this appointment, including issues of impartiality," he added.
Former civil servant Alex Thomas, who now works for the Institute for Government think tank, said the move would be "difficult for the civil service", giving its "critics a stick".
"Tricky development for those defending impartiality," he added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64824776 |
Michael Vaughan: Yorkshire cricket racism hearing is 'terrible look for game' - BBC Sport | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Ukraine war: Kyiv orders partial evacuation of liberated city - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Families with children and the disabled people are told to leave Kupiansk in Ukraine's north-east. | Europe | Ukraine says the partial evacuation from Kupiansk was ordered due to "constant" Russian shelling
Ukraine has ordered some residents to leave Kupiansk, as Russia seeks to re-take the city it left last year.
Kharkiv's regional authorities said families with children and people "with limited mobility" must leave due to "constant" shelling by Russian forces.
Russia seized the north-eastern city early in the full-scale invasion, with Ukraine recapturing it last September.
Meanwhile, Russian mercenaries say they have "practically encircled" the key city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
The comments were made by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who heads the paramilitary Wagner group.
In its latest news bulletin, Ukraine's military said Russian troops continued their offensive on Bakhmut - but the attacks were "repelled".
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted the situation in Bakhmut - about 130km (80 miles) south-east of Kupiansk - was becoming "more and more difficult".
In Kupiansk, the Kharkiv regional military administration said on Thursday the evacuation order was due to the "unstable security situation" caused by Russian shelling.
It said those evacuated would be provided with assistance, including accommodation, food, humanitarian aid and medical support.
Other citizens were also permitted to leave the region, it added. The city had a pre-war population of around 25,000.
The military said 812 children are currently registered in Kupiansk and the surrounding district, as well as 724 disabled people.
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The Institute for the Study of War said this week that Russian forces were continuing "limited ground attacks" north-east of Kupiansk, as well as offensive operations around Kreminna, about 80km south-east.
Kupiansk - home to an important railway junction - has witnessed fierce fighting since the war began, with Russia taking control in a matter of days, and occupying the city for several months.
However, in September Ukrainian forces took back control amid a rapid counter-attack in the country's north-east that saw almost entire of the Kharkiv region brought under Kyiv's control.
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.
Last month, Ukraine warned that Russia was preparing a major new offensive, with officials saying Moscow has amassed thousands of troops on Ukraine's eastern flank.
And Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov warned a month ago that Russia could "try something" to mark the anniversary of the full-scale invasion on 24 February.
But that apparent escalation has not translated into major successes on the battlefield, despite apparent advances around Kupiansk and Bakhmut.
In a video posted on Telegram, Mr Prigozhin, head of the paramilitary group Wagner, on Friday said that "pincers are closing in" around Bakhmut.
And in a direct message to President Zelensky, he said Wagner units had "practically encircled" the city, with only one road remaining. He called on the Ukrainian president to abandon the city.
In a separate development on Friday, Vladimir Putin is chairing a meeting with the country's top security officials.
It comes a day after the Russian president accused a Ukrainian sabotage group of entering a Russian border region and opening fire on civilians.
The governor of Bryansk region said "saboteurs from Ukraine" had fired at a civilian car in Lyubechane, a border village, killing two men and wounding a 10-year-old boy.
Kyiv strongly denied the Russian claim, describing it as Moscow's provocation. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64833750 |
Former prime minister Liz Truss: I didn't do everything perfectly - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Former UK PM Liz Truss says she "wants to use experience from inside government" to help constituents. | Norfolk | Former prime minister Liz Truss has been speaking on a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King's Lynn
Liz Truss has admitted she "didn't do everything perfectly" while UK prime minister for just 45 days last year.
The South West Norfolk MP has told the BBC she had been trying to "turn around an economy" by increasing borrowing in her mini budget.
Speaking on a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King's Lynn, she said she now had more time to "fight for her constituents".
She refused to apologise for increasing national borrowing.
Ms Truss was UK premier for 45 days in 2022, the shortest serving prime minister in British history.
Speaking to the BBC, she said she had been "trying to turn around an economy that wasn't growing" and deal with serious issues such as those in the NHS and the energy crisis.
"I didn't do everything perfectly and I fully acknowledge that," she said, "but I think I tried to deal with the real issues we were facing."
Liz Truss has been the MP for South West Norfolk since 2010
She declined to apologise for the increase in national borrowing and interest rates following her mini budget, instead insisting the rates would have gone up anyway.
"I've said I could have communicated better, but... the general trend internationally has been interest rates rising," she said.
"We've been through a period of very, very, low interest rates since the end of the financial crisis and setting the interest rate policy is a matter for the Bank of England and they have been putting rates up, as has the Federal Reserve in the US.
"It's easy to point fingers but we were facing a very difficult situation.
"People were very concerned about the cost of their energy bills and their taxes."
Ms Truss inspected the supports holding up the hospital's ageing roof
Last week, Ms Truss was reselected by the South West Norfolk Conservative Association (SWNCA) to stand as a candidate at the next general election. She has represented the safe Conservative seat since May 2010.
She told BBC East she now has "more time to contribute locally" and "fight for constituents" and the services and infrastructure they need.
"That's why I'm here at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital," she said.
"We desperately need a new hospital. The fact is, this one is falling apart, we can see there are stilts holding it up... the roof doesn't work.
"I'm pushing very hard. I'm seeing Jeremy Hunt next week to try and get the commitment to funding this hospital in the budget."
The South West Norfolk MP said she "wants to use experience from inside government" to help her constituents
Ms Truss also wants to fight for better dental services in Norfolk, to try to broker an agreement with local councillors over devolution and make the argument, within the Conservative party, for lower taxes.
"I want to use my experience from inside government," she said.
"I know I got some things right and some things wrong, but I do know how it works and I want to contribute to the future of our country."
She also confirmed she has no plans to try to lead the Conservatives again.
"I've been there I've got the T-shirt," she said.
"I am not interested in running for it again... what I want is a Conservative party that reflects the values of all members across the country."
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-64835179 |
Grimsby Town apologises for 'inappropriate' Harvey Price post - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The club has since deleted the post which featured disabled TV personality Harvey Price. | Humberside | Harvey Price has Prader-Willi syndrome, which can cause learning difficulties
Grimsby Town has apologised for posting an "inappropriate" short video of Harvey Price following its FA Cup win at Southampton.
According to reports, the League Two club tweeted a clip showing Mr Price, the disabled son of TV star Katie Price.
It was said to have been accompanied with the caption: "Signing off for the night! Enjoy your night, Town fans."
In a statement, the club said it wished to "wholeheartedly apologise".
Grimsby Town celebrate their win at Southampton on Wednesday
The club's full statement reads: "It has come to our attention that an inappropriate gif was posted on the club's official Twitter account late last night following our game against Southampton in the Emirates FA Cup.
"The post was removed this morning as soon as we were made aware. We would like to wholeheartedly apologise for any offence it has caused. UTM."
Mr Price, 20, has septo-optic dysplasia, a rare genetic disorder affecting his eyesight, as well as autism and Prader-Willi syndrome, which can cause learning difficulties and behavioural problems.
The incident comes two weeks after Ms Price published a letter from the Met Police telling her officers are facing misconduct proceedings over alleged involvement in a WhatsApp group that targeted her son.
Grimsby Town beat their Premier League opponents 2-1, courtesy of a brace from Gavan Holohan at St Mary's.
The win secures The Mariners a quarter-final fixture with European hopefuls Brighton - the first time the club has reached the last eight in the FA Cup since 1938/39, a year they went on to reach the semi-finals.
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Two unions suspend ambulance strikes in England as talks reopen - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Manchester Arena inquiry: MI5 'profoundly sorry' for not stopping attack - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The security service missed a chance that might have stopped the Manchester attack, an inquiry finds. | Manchester | Twenty-two people died in the bombing, which happened at the end of Ariana Grande's concert
The head of MI5 said he was "profoundly sorry" the security service did not prevent the Manchester Arena attack.
A public inquiry found MI5 missed a significant chance to take action that might have stopped the 2017 bombing.
Chairman Sir John Saunders said the intelligence could have led to suicide bomber Salman Abedi being followed to a car where he stored his explosives.
MI5 director-general Ken McCallum said he regretted that such intelligence was not obtained.
"Gathering covert intelligence is difficult," he said, "but had we managed to seize the slim chance we had, those impacted might not have experienced such appalling loss and trauma."
Twenty-two people died and hundreds were injured when Abedi detonated his homemade device in the foyer of Manchester Arena as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.
The inquiry found two pieces of information about Abedi were assessed at the time by the security service as not being terrorism-related.
An officer admitted they considered a possible pressing national security concern on one of them but did not immediately discuss it with colleagues and did not write up a report that same day.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How a schoolboy from south Manchester became a suicide bomber
In his 207-page report, Sir John said: "The delay in providing the report led to the missing of an opportunity to take a potentially important investigative action.
"Based on everything the security service knew or should have known, I am satisfied that such an investigative action would have been a proportionate and justified step to take.
"This should have happened."
But he added that Abedi "demonstrated some security consciousness and that this might have affected the efficacy of the investigative action that I have identified".
Sir John said the intelligence could have led to Abedi being followed to the parked Nissan Micra where he stored his explosives and later moved them to a city-centre rented flat to assemble his bomb.
He said that if MI5 had acted on the intelligence received then Abedi could also have been stopped at Manchester Airport on his return from Libya four days before the attack.
The public inquiry also found Abedi was probably assisted by someone in Libya but it was not possible, on the available evidence, to say who this might have been.
It is the first time an official conclusion has been made about the possible involvement of other people from abroad.
In making this finding, Sir John contradicts an MI5 assessment which said no-one other than Salman Abedi and his brother Hashem were knowingly involved in the plot.
Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured in the explosion
The report also found that while Didsbury Mosque in south Manchester, where the Abedi family worshipped, was not an active factor in the brothers' radicalisation, politicisation did happen there.
Sir John said "there was a form of wilful blindness" to some activities, and "weak leadership".
Didsbury Mosque chairman Fawzi Haffar told the BBC he disagreed with Sir John and added: "The chairman can say whatever he wants.
"The chairman has not been to the mosque, none of the lawyers have been to the mosque, they don't know the workings of the mosque.
"I would say to him [the chairman] that they are wrong," Mr Haffar added.
The report concluded that the Abedi family held "significant responsibility" for the radicalisation of Salman and Hashem Abedi.
Those family members responsible include their father Ramadan Abedi, mother Samia Tabbal and elder brother Ismail Abedi, each of whom has held extremist views, the inquiry found.
But Sir John said, other than Hashem Abedi, there was insufficient evidence to attribute specific knowledge of the attack to them.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders speaks of "significant missed opportunity" to stop the attack
Sir John's comments were published in the inquiry's third and final report into the atrocity, which dealt with the radicalisation of Abedi and whether the attack could have been prevented.
The first volume has been made publicly available while the second has only been circulated to a limited readership of people with security clearance.
This does not include the families of those who died, their legal teams, or the media as its contents would be damaging to national security if made public, the inquiry was told.
The inquiry process began more than three years ago, and there were 194 days of oral evidence from 267 witnesses.
A minute's silence was held at Manchester Town Hall for the victims before Sir John read out his findings, which included key recommendations.
It seems a contradiction of the term "public inquiry" to keep some findings private, but the chairman says that he had to balance the principle of open justice with the issue of national security.
He's added that all private evidence has been scrutinised to make sure that restricting it can't be seen as a "cloak to cover up mistakes".
Given that the previous two inquiry reports were highly critical of the private companies and public authorities involved with the arena and the emergency response, this document was also expected to be tough on MI5.
Bereaved families and survivors will be pleased that in some areas the report doesn't pull its punches.
They'll find it upsetting to hear that the security service missed a significant opportunity. But there will also be some frustration that they'll never learn the full detail of exactly what that opportunity involved.
Andrew Roussos, whose eight-year-old daughter Saffie-Rose was killed in the blast, said hearing how this tragedy might have been avoided was "devastating for us all".
"This was a cataclysmic failure... In my view the fact that MI5 failed to stop him despite all of the red flags available demonstrates they are not fit to keep us safe and therefore not fit for purpose."
Caroline Curry, whose 19-year-old son Liam was killed in the attack, said: "From top to bottom, MI5 to the associates of the attacker, we will always believe you all played a part in the murder of our children."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Manchester Arena bombing: 'Forgiveness will never be an option'
Figen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, 29, who also died in the blast, said she accepted MI5's apology although "it didn't surprise me that there's yet another catalogue of errors and failings".
"I'm not excusing anybody making mistakes don't get me wrong, but these people are human beings and I'm sure nobody made any mistakes deliberately."
"It is difficult to hear things could have been different, but you know what, we can't turn the clock back," she said, adding that it would be a "disservice" to her son's "people-loving" and "fun" nature "if I became a bitter and angry person".
Richard Scorer, principal lawyer at Slater and Gordon, who represented 11 of the bereaved families at the inquiry, said the report had been "deeply painful to read, but also eye-opening" while providing "less information than we would have wanted".
Nicola Brook, from Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents five bereaved families, said it was "disappointing that the families will never know the full truth of what happened".
"All of the families signed an undertaking not to reveal confidential information which they have not breached," she added.
"They, above all others, are entitled to know what the security services knew and had the most interest in keeping it confidential."
Salman Abedi in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, seconds before he blew himself up
Following publication of the report, MI5 said since the attack it had made more than 100 improvements.
"But we are determined to do more. As the chair now considers his recommendations, we will engage fully," said Mr McCallum.
"Where there are opportunities to strengthen the UK's defences further, MI5 will act."
A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government would look at the report's findings before responding fully and formally.
Asked if anyone would be held accountable, Downing Street said they could not pre-empt a formal response but added ministers "will of course learn from this to ensure mistakes are not repeated".
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she was "committed to working with MI5, policing and partners to study the recommendations".
"Together we will do everything possible to prevent a repeat of this horrifying attack," she added.
BBC reporter Mat Trewern has examined the final report which you can listen to on BBC Sounds.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-64815723 |
Welsh ambulance strikes: Unions call off Monday's action - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The GMB and Unite unions pause Monday's action after "significant" talks with ministers. | Wales | Strike action expected on Monday has been suspended following talks with the Welsh government
A strike by Welsh Ambulance Service staff, due to take place on Monday, has been called off.
The GMB and Unite unions said they had paused the industrial action after "significant progress has been made".
The GMB's Nathan Holman said no extra money had been offered, but talks on terms and conditions had been held.
The Welsh government welcomed the pausing of the strike action, while the GMB added that ministers and unions would resume talks on Monday.
More than half of Wales' ambulance workers went on strike in a continued dispute over pay and working conditions in February, with Unite and GMB members both walking out.
The GMB wrote on Twitter that the decision to suspend Monday's action came after "positive and intensive" negotiations on Friday.
"This means that on Monday, members should return to work as normal," it said.
"We did not take the decision to call off strike action lightly and no suspension of future action has been agreed by us or Unite at this stage."
Another strike was previously announced for 10 March.
Unite said there had been "significant progress" in talks with the Welsh government and calling off Monday's strike would "facilitate the continuation of these discussions".
Previous action came after ambulance staff rejected a Welsh government pay offer of 3% for 2022-23.
More than half of Wales' ambulance workers took action in a dispute over pay and working conditions in February
At the time, Unite's Richard Munn said the offer was "not good enough" for workers who were at "breaking point".
The offer was on top of the average 4.5% paid to health workers last autumn. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64841198 |
Stephen Bear jailed for sharing sex video on OnlyFans - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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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Ken Bruce thanks listeners as he signs off from Radio 2 - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The veteran DJ praises "the finest broadcasting institution in the world" as he closes his final show. | Entertainment & Arts | Bruce assisting fellow Radio 2 presenter Rylan Clark with his 24-hour Karaoke Challenge in 2019 Image caption: Bruce assisting fellow Radio 2 presenter Rylan Clark with his 24-hour Karaoke Challenge in 2019
Some Radio 2 listeners are unhappy with the station's current playlist, which is increasingly favouring more recent music from the 1990s and 2000s over the 1970s and 1980s.
But that's due to the station's efforts to attract the next generation of Radio 2 listeners, primarily people in their 30s and 40s who have moved on from Radio 1.
Speaking to BBC News, Bruce said: "Any radio station has its policy, and that's only right and proper, and you follow the station policy."
But on his new show on Greatest Hits Radio (GHR), Bruce said: "I'll be playing the stuff I like. And I'll be trying to introduce the odd track that I like into the playlist for GHR."
Stations such as GHR and Boom Radio have positioned themselves as alternatives to Radio 2 for older listeners - the baby boomer generation - who feel the station no longer caters to them. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/entertainment-arts-64833986 |
Wayne Shorter: Legendary jazz saxophonist dies at 89 - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The 12-time Grammy award winner is credited with shaping much of 20th Century jazz music. | US & Canada | Wayne Shorter is credited with shaping much of 20th century jazz music
One of the greatest jazz saxophonists, Wayne Shorter, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 89.
A well-known figure on the jazz circuit in the late 1950s, Shorter is credited with shaping much of 20th Century jazz music.
The 12-time Grammy award winner played alongside several greats, including Miles Davis, Carlos Santana and Herbie Hancock.
He died surrounded by his family on Thursday, his publicist confirmed.
Tributes that poured in from social media shared a common sentiment: gone, but not forgotten.
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In the 1950s, he played with the Jazz Messengers among the likes of Blakey, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, eventually becoming the group's musical director.
But in 1964 he was swooped away after several attempts by jazz legend Miles Davis to become part of Davis' Second Great Quintet. It was there he played alongside the prolific pianist Hancock.
Shorter had also released solo albums as early as 1959, including the acclaimed Speak No Evil, Night Dreamer and JuJu.
Recording solo albums gave him more creative freedom. He began fusing jazz with rock and Latin music, birthing the sounds admired in his next musical group Weather Report.
Adding funk and R&B grooves, in 1977 Shorter's Heavy Weather album went platinum and reached the US top 30 charts.
By the late 1970s, Shorter had left the Second Great Quintet and joined Hubbard and Hancock in forming VSOP. The group recorded the 1994 Grammy-winning album A Tribute to Miles, following Davis' death. In 1997, he also played with the Rolling Stones on their album Bridges to Babylon.
Wayne Shorter was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1933, and initially played the clarinet at age 15. Soon after he moved on to tenor and soprano on saxophone and studied music at university before spending two years in the US Army.
Among the dozen Grammy awards he won, Shorter received a Lifetime Achievement award in 2015. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64830949 |
Motor neurone disease: Jason Bowen on his MND diagnosis - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Jason Bowen describes the pain of telling his wife and three sons he has motor neurone disease. | Wales | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ex-Wales footballer Jason Bowen says receiving his MND diagnosis was devastating for him and his family
Heartbreak, tears and lots of talking - these were the reactions of Jason Bowen's family after he told them he had motor neurone disease (MND).
The former Wales footballer and father of three, 50, is determined not to look too far ahead and to enjoy the present.
A debilitating condition that affects the brain and nerves, there is currently no cure for MND.
It claimed the life of rugby player Doddie Weir, while rugby league star Rob Burrow is living with the disease.
"They were heartbroken," said Bowen, who played for Swansea City, Cardiff City and Birmingham City.
"[There were] a lot of tears, a lot of talking and just trying to stay positive."
His voice breaks as he reflects on telling his loved-ones he was living with a condition he knew was incurable and can significantly shorten life expectancy.
Bowen's first thoughts turned to his three sons - Jaye, 27, Theo, 14, and Sam, 22, a footballer himself and on the books of Newport County, one of his dad's former clubs.
Bowen with grandson Carter, now three, and Sam, on the day his son signed for Cardiff City - Sam has since moved to Newport County
"We still have a lot of banter and things, they treat me as normal which has been great," he said.
"They're very supportive and help out as much as they can as well."
Fit and healthy his whole life, Bowen hung up his boots in 2013, aged 40, after a spell with Llanelli Town.
The Merthyr Tydfil-born 50-year-old, who now lives in Langstone, Newport, then started a new career as a railway engineer.
It was about two years ago he first noticed something was potentially wrong.
It is the second time Hayley has seen a close loved-one diagnosed with the condition
"I was in the house with my wife and had a lot of twitching in my muscles going down my left side, and my hand was getting a little bit weaker," he said.
"So she said 'look, you're off work, go to the doctor's'.
"Within five weeks I was diagnosed with MND."
While the speed of the diagnosis may have shocked him and his family, he praised wife Hayley, 49, for her support and how she has helped him stay positive.
"My wife has been superb from the start, she's on the internet looking up things," he said.
"She's been amazing, she's pushing me all the way."
Jason Bowen, pictured playing for Cardiff City in 1999, also had spells at Birmingham City and Reading
One of the first things he thought about before telling her was the fact Hayley's mother had died from MND about 18 years ago.
"It was a bit of a double whammy for my wife because obviously she cared for her mother," he added.
"I think Beryl only lasted two, two-and-a-half years with the disease and then she passed."
While it mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, MND can be diagnosed in people of any age.
Former Scotland rugby union international Doddie Weir died last November, aged 52, after raising millions of pounds for research into the disease and being appointed OBE.
Rob Burrow, 40, a rugby league star for Leeds Rhinos, was diagnosed in 2019 and appointed MBE for raising awareness of the condition.
Bowen is still learning to live with the condition and has been attending a rehabilitation clinic
For Bowen, who won two caps for Wales, he is still learning to live with his new circumstances, and has recently started attending a rehabilitation centre for people with neurological conditions.
Jakko Brouwers, from the Morrello Clinic in Newport, has worked with him for a year, and said: "At first it was more finding out where is Jason in his diagnostic pathway, and how is he in himself.
"We set out to measure his fitness levels, and to map where he has weakness caused by the condition, but also weakness caused by non-use."
Mr Brouwers added Bowen was doing well, and that his footballing background meant he was in tune with his body and able to push harder when asked.
The different exercises have helped him keep on top of his symptoms.
Bowen is determined to continue enjoying life and have trips with his family
Bowen added: "The saying they've got [at Morrello] is 'maintain until you lose it'.
"They've been really positive, mentally as well as physically."
For now, Bowen believes he is dealing with the illness and will keep that focus, saying he does not want to look "too far into the future" and instead enjoy living in the present with his family. "The last couple of years, it's just my hand gradually getting a little bit worse," he said.
"I struggle to do little things like buttons and belts and laces. But I can still do a lot of things."I know further down the line things might get a bit more difficult for me, but I'll meet them head-on and give them as best a go as I can."
He believes his professional sports background has also helped him.
"You've got to be a little bit tough because you get ups and downs with football," Bowen added.
"Apart from the two weeks at the start, I think mentally I've been OK, and just filling my mind with trying to keep as healthy as I can." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64823856 |
Hong Kong 47: UK MPs call for release of ex-lawmaker Claudia Mo - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The group of 54 politicians are calling for Claudia Mo's release so she can visit her ill husband. | China | Former Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo has been detained since 2021
A group of 54 British MPs and public figures have called for the release of a former Hong Kong lawmaker so she can visit her critically-ill husband.
Claudia Mo, 66, has been in detention since being arrested in 2021 under a controversial national security law.
Her husband, British journalist Philip Bowring, has pneumonia and is in a Hong Kong intensive care ward.
The group has urged the UK Foreign Secretary to raise the family's case with Hong Kong authorities.
"Considering Philip's deteriorating medical condition, we urge you to intercede on Claudia Mo's behalf with the Hong Kong government... so she can be with her husband," read the letter, sent on 24 February.
It also argued the UK's foreign office bore a "special responsibility" for Ms Mo's welfare as her husband and two children are UK citizens.
Ms Mo had previously also held British citizenship which she gave up after becoming a member of Hong Kong's parliament, the Legislative Council.
The former lawmaker is one of the so-called Hong Kong 47 group- who are on trial for alleged "subversion". She was one of the dozens in the pro-democracy parties arrested for organising and holding an unofficial primary vote in 2020.
The group includes some of the city's most prominent pro-democracy figures, such as student activist Joshua Wong and law professor Benny Tai. Most of them have been detained the past two years on security grounds.
The rights group that organised the letter, the UK-based Hong Kong Watch, told the BBC they had received no response yet from Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
Signatories include Hong Kong's last British governor Chris Patten, former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, chairman of the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady and former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron.
It urges the UK government to press Hong Kong authorities and secure the release of the Hong Kong 47 opposition lawmakers and activists.
The letter also notes that many of the 47 charged possess British National Overseas (BNO) status, which under a special visa scheme enables Hong Kong residents to come to the UK for up to five years and apply for permanent residency.
The trial of the Hong Kong 47 is currently ongoing - but 31 people including Ms Mo, Mr Wong and Mr Tai have already pleaded guilty and will be sentenced after the trial.
Critics say the national security law is being used as a tool to crush civil dissent, but Chinese and Hong Kong authorities maintain it is needed to curb unrest. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-64807507 |
Complaints about my drunken behaviour saved my life, says MP Neil Coyle - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Neil Coyle faces five day suspension from Commons after engaging in "foul-mouthed and drunken abuse". | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Neil Coyle tells the Commons he has not touched alcohol for a year after drunken outbursts
MP Neil Coyle has thanked a parliamentary assistant and journalist for "possibly saving my life", after they complained about his behaviour.
Mr Coyle - who sits as an independent after being suspended by Labour - is facing a five day ban from the Commons over "foul-mouthed and drunken abuse".
Apologising for his behaviour, the MP said the complaints forced him to address his relationship with alcohol.
He said he had since gone a year without drinking.
His apology to the House of Commons, came after a report found he had breached harassment rules.
The Independent Expert Panel, which oversees the complaint's process, said Mr Coyle's behaviour towards a parliamentary assistant had been "shocking and intimidating".
It also said he had used "abusive language with racial overtones" towards parliamentary journalist Henry Dyer. Both incidents took place in the Strangers' Bar in the House of Commons.
Mr Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark since 2015, was suspended from Labour when the allegations first emerged. He was also banned from bars in Parliament for six months.
Sir Stephen Irwin, chair of the Independent Expert Panel, said: "In relation to both episodes, it was clear that very marked abuse of alcohol was at the root of events.
"Since the incident, the respondent has taken considerable steps to ensure no repetition of the behaviour, including informing us that he has stopped drinking alcohol."
Mr Coyle accepted the panel's decision and speaking in the House of Commons, he apologised to his constituents, local Labour Party members and his family.
He said he was "ashamed" of his past behaviour but was "resolute" in his desire to change adding: "I need to show them [his family] this was an aberration and ensure they can, once again, be proud of me."
He also expressed gratitude to the two complainants.
"It forced me to recognise that my drinking had become a dependency and to seek help.
"On March 1 this week I celebrated a year since I stopped drinking and would not have been able to stop without their effective intervention.
"In the healthcare received since last February, it's also been made abundantly clear to me that had I not stopped drinking it'd have likely caused a significant stroke or worse.
"Their intervention has quite possibly saved my life."
In its report, the Independent Expert Panel also criticised one of the complainants, Mr Dyer for speaking publicly about his complaint while the investigation was ongoing.
Sir Stephen said it led to "wide publicity and to reputational damage to the respondent, before there had been any investigation or findings as to what had happened".
The panel ruled the breach of confidentiality was "egregious" but said it hadn't materially affected the investigation.
Mr Dyer wrote about the incident with Mr Coyle on the Insider news website in February 2022, in which he said the MP had made comments about his racial background.
Responding to the panel's report, the journalist, who now works for the Guardian, said: "Everyone working in Parliament should be able to do so without harassment and abuse.
"I spoke out to raise awareness of racism, particularly anti-Asian racism, and of inappropriate conduct."
He said he was grateful to the ICGS (Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme) "for the way in which they have handled this matter, and to my colleagues and friends for their support and kindness.
"I am pleased this process has concluded and I can get on with my work as a journalist reporting on Westminster." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64835939 |
As it happened: Alex Murdaugh: Lawyer sentenced to life after murdering wife and son - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A judge in South Carolina says the former lawyer will "spend the rest of his natural life" in prison for killing his wife and son. | US & Canada | Where did all of this take place?
The murder trial was set against the backdrop of South Carolina’s sprawling Lowcountry, a rural area where oak trees are dripping with Spanish moss and the coastal waterways lead to the Atlantic Ocean. If you enjoy hunting, oyster roasts, or sipping tea on a wrap around porch, then South Carolina’s low country is the place for you. In a lot of ways, Hampton County seems like it’s frozen in time. It’s a sleepy southern town where generations of the same families have grown up together. And it was once a place where the last name Murdaugh could get you really far. Perhaps that’s why these murders — and the air of mystery surrounding Alex Murdaugh himself — has rocked this charming southern village to its core. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-64831114 |
James Cleverly says Falklands are British as Argentina ends deal - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | 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 |
Genevieve Lhermitte: Belgian mother who killed her five children euthanised - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Genevieve Lhermitte chose to die in Belgium on the anniversary of her children's deaths. | Europe | Lhermitte seen in court before her conviction in 2008
A Belgian woman who murdered her five children has been euthanised at her own request, 16 years after the killings.
Genevieve Lhermitte killed her son and four daughters, aged three to 14, in the town of Nivelles on 28 February 2007, while their father was away.
She then tried to take her own life but failed, and ended up calling emergency services for help.
The 56-year-old was sentenced to life in prison in 2008, before being moved to a psychiatric hospital in 2019.
In Belgium the law allows for people to choose to be euthanised if they are deemed to be suffering from "unbearable" psychological, and not just physical, suffering that cannot be healed.
The person must be conscious of their decision and be able to express their wish in a reasoned and consistent manner.
"It is this specific procedure that Mrs Lhermitte followed, with the various medical opinions having been collected," her lawyer said.
Psychologist Emilie Maroit told the RTL-TVI channel that Lhermitte likely chose to die on 28 February in a "symbolic gesture in respect for her children".
"It may also have been for her to finish what she started, because basically she wanted to end her life when she killed them," the psychologist said.
The quintuple murders in 2007, and the subsequent trial, rocked Belgium.
During the trial Lhermitte's lawyers argued she was mentally disturbed and should not be sent to prison. But the jury found her guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced her to life in jail.
In 2010 Lhermitte filed a civil lawsuit demanding up to three million euros (£2,655,840) from a former psychiatrist, claiming his "inaction" failed to prevent the murders, but she ended up abandoning the legal battle after 10 years.
In 2022, some 2,966 people died via euthanasia in Belgium, an increase of 10% compared to 2021.
Cancer remains the most common reason, but officials said in nearly three out of four requests the patient presented "several types of suffering, both physical and psychological".
Since 2014, Belgium has allowed children to be helped to die as well as adults, if they are terminally ill and in great pain and if they have parental consent. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64835051 |
Airlines sue Dutch government over flight cuts - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The government cited noise pollution and climate concerns in its decision to restrict flights. | Science & Environment | Five airlines are suing the Dutch government over plans to cut the number of flights operating from Europe's third-busiest airport.
The government cited local concerns at Amsterdam Schiphol about the impact of flying on noise pollution and climate in its decision.
Airlines KLM, Easyjet, Delta, Tui and Corenden say the plans are in breach of EU and international law.
The cap would reduce the annual number of flights from 500,000 to 440,000.
The government says it wants to strike a balance between the economic benefits of a large airport and a healthy living environment, prioritising tackling noise pollution.
Global aviation is responsible for 2.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These gases warm the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change.
On Friday, KLM announced its intention to challenge the government's plans along with the four other airlines.
In a statement the companies said they are "confident they can reduce noise levels and CO2 emissions while maintaining a network of destinations for the millions of passengers and tonnes of cargo they carry annually to and from Schiphol."
The International Air Transport Association is supporting the legal action with a separate challenge, claiming "no meaningful consultation" with the industry has been undertaken.
In response, a spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure said: "As we are currently facing a potential legal procedure we cannot at this time respond to the arguments shared by KLM and other parties."
They pointed to the ministry's decision to reduce the number of flights, which highlights that residents are concerned about noise pollution and "the impact of the airport on their health, the natural environment and the climate more generally."
The aviation industry globally is wrestling with the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint, including by investing in the development of greener fuels.
"The aviation industry is pursuing a net-zero CO2 emissions goal. This will be achieved primarily through sustainable aviation fuels and new technology. Displacing flights from one airport to another is not going to tackle aviation emissions," an IATA spokesperson told BBC News.
Last week scientists at the Royal Society warned that climate-friendly flying remains out of reach as there are currently no clear alternatives to jet fuel.
Demand for flights is expected to increase despite the growing threat to the planet from global warming. Some environmentalists say that taxes should be introduced to discourage frequent flying. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64842394 |
Putin accuses Ukraine of border 'terrorist act' in Russian village - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kyiv denies Moscow's claim that Ukrainian saboteurs fired at civilians in a Russian village. | Europe | Russian President Vladimir Putin says a Ukrainian sabotage group entered a Russian border region on Thursday and opened fire on civilians in a "terrorist act".
The governor of Bryansk region said "saboteurs from Ukraine" had fired at a civilian car in Lyubechane, a border village, killing two men and wounding a 10-year-old boy.
The alleged incident has not been independently verified.
Mykhaylo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted that it was "a classic deliberate provocation". "RF [Russia] wants to scare its people to justify the attack on another country," he said.
Russia has previously reported some Ukrainian missile and drone strikes on Russian border areas, including Bryansk region. But there have been no confirmed reports of Ukrainian ground forces infiltrating Russia.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said FSB forces and regular troops on Thursday clashed with "Ukrainian nationalists" who had crossed into Russia and taken hostages.
The FSB said the "nationalists" were then hit with a massive Russian artillery strike and pushed back into Ukraine. They left a large cache of explosives in the village, the FSB alleged.
When Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 President Putin branded the Kyiv government "nationalists" and "neo-Nazis", arguing that Russia had to act against them.
President Zelensky was democratically elected, has Jewish origins and has no far-right politicians in his government.
Speaking on Russian state TV on Thursday President Putin said "today they committed another terrorist act, another crime, penetrated the border area and opened fire on civilians".
"They saw that it was a civilian car, that civilians and children were sitting there, and opened fire. It is exactly such people who set themselves the task of depriving us of historical memory. They will achieve nothing, we will put the squeeze on them," he said.
A video has appeared online claiming to show members of the Ukraine-based Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) outside a local clinic. One armed man in the video, posted on Telegram, says they crossed into Russia.
The investigative journalism group Bellingcat Monitoring describes the RVC as "a unit officially formed last year made up primarily of anti-Putin, anti-Kremlin Russian far-right figures active in Ukraine".
A Bellingcat expert, Michael Colborne, has identified one of the men in the video as RVC leader Denis Kapustin, who also uses the surname Nikitin.
"This RVC seems to do very little actual fighting, or at least serious fighting, and Kapustin may have physical combat sports training but he is not from any sort of military background," Mr Colborne told the BBC.
In a text post with the video the RVC said it "entered Bryansk region to show our compatriots that there is hope, that free Russians carrying arms can fight the regime".
Commenting on the RVC claim, a Ukrainian military intelligence official, Andriy Yusov, said "these are people who are fighting with arms against the Putin regime and those who support him... Perhaps Russians are beginning to wake up, realise something and take some concrete steps".
This week Mr Putin accused Ukraine and Western spies of intensifying operations inside Russia. Russian officials said a drone crashed in the Kolomna district just 100km (62 miles) from Moscow - though it was not confirmed to be Ukrainian - while two Ukrainian drones were allegedly shot down in southern Russia.
Previously Russia said drones had attacked an airbase in southern Russia used for launching bomber strikes on Ukraine. Kyiv has not claimed drone attacks inside Russia, accusing the Kremlin of propaganda. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64826028 |
Tesco paddleboard: Bereaved family say all boards need quick release leashes - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Emma Powell, 24, died after becoming trapped under the water while paddleboarding last July. | Wales | Emma Powell died just hours after buying a paddleboard from Tesco near Llandudno, Conwy county
The family of a woman who died while paddleboarding has said all paddleboard need quick release leashes.
Emma Powell, 24, died after becoming trapped under the water while paddleboarding on the River Conwy estuary last July.
Tesco, who sold Emma the board, has said it will now attach a safety sticker to all its paddleboards.
Emma's brother-in-law Mike Tasker said Tesco's response was "somewhat good", but pushed for further change.
"I think more needs to be done. The ankle leash Emma had on that night supplied with the board was simply the cause of our beloved Emma's passing."
He said he will push for more brands to use "quick release waist leashes", which he said if Emma had been using "she would still have been here, fact".
"If we can prevent this from happening in the future, we will do everything we can in our power to prevent this," he added.
Emma Powell died just hours after buying a paddleboard from Tesco near Llandudno, Conwy county
A coroner at the inquest into Emma's death, in December, raised concerns over paddleboard safety, including the use of ankle leashes and retailers' responsibilities.
She died just hours after she and her cousin, Amber Powell, had purchased a paddleboard each from a Tesco store near Llandudno.
The inquest heard that neither of the pair were wearing life jackets and, while the water was choppy, the weather was not bad.
But after Emma's board crashed into the side of a jetty the 24-year-old became trapped underneath the water.
The sticker that Tesco will attach to all its stand-up paddleboards, created by British Canoeing, will show the correct ways to wear a leash in different paddling conditions.
A QR code on the sticker will also link to a webpage offering further safety advice.
British Canoeing, which has been promoting the provision of paddleboard safety advice by retailers since the rise in popularity of the activity, said the move by Tesco was a "crucial step" and it now expects other major supermarkets to follow suit.
Chief executive of British Canoeing, Ashley Metcalfe, said: "Provision of safety information and resources by retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers at the point of sale is key to raising awareness of safety among new and novice paddlers.
"Tragically over the past couple of years there have been several fatalities involving new and novice paddlers."
Mr Tasker added: "The passing of Emma will never leave us, nobody should have to suffer in the way she did along with her family and friends.
"It's affected us deeply and will continue on forever. We miss her a lot. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64834022 |
John Caldwell shooting: Four from Protestant backgrounds among arrests - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police still believe the shooting of DCI John Caldwell was carried out and claimed by the New IRA. | Northern Ireland | Det Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in a number of major investigations
Criminals from a Protestant background who have links to dissident republicans are among those arrested over the attempted murder of one of Northern Ireland's top detectives.
The detail emerged at a Policing Board meeting on Thursday.
Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times in Omagh last week and is still critically ill in hospital.
Four of those held for questioning in recent days are believed to have been from a Protestant background.
But police still believe the shooting was carried out and claimed by dissident republican group the New IRA.
Speaking at the meeting, Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said there had been some speculation about the motivation of the shooting because of the background of some of those who had been arrested.
"The individuals being speculated about are involved in criminality and have quite strong and long associations with dissident republicans, namely the New IRA," he said.
"We are clear that this is still being assessed as an attack carried out by the New IRA and that's where the primary focus of the investigation is at this point."
ACC McEwan's comments followed a question by Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly about the background of those who had been questioned by police.
Mr Kelly went on to ask if there was believed to be a "loyalist connection" in the investigation.
ACC McEwan said people should not get "confused" with titles such as loyalism.
"These are people who are involved in criminality. They have strong links to members of the New IRA - those are long-standing links," he said.
"They have been arrested because we have suspected them of being involved in this.
"We still assess that this has been an attack carried out by the New IRA, who have very explicitly stated that they wish to carry out attacks on police officers.
"John has been the target on this occasion."
A week after the attempted murder, police stopped cars near the car park where Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot
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.
Officers revisited the scene to stop cars and ask drivers if they had any information about the attack on Wednesday, one week on from the attack.
Det Ch Insp Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.
Also on Wednesday a 33-year-old man was arrested in Omagh, County Tyrone, and a 57-year-old man was detained in Belfast, both under the Terrorism Act.
A 71-year-old man arrested in connection with the attempted murder was released on Wednesday evening and a 47-year-old man was released on Thursday evening.
Four other men were released on Tuesday evening.
The dissident republican group the New IRA has said it shot Det Ch Insp Caldwell.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said two gunmen fired 10 shots at the officer as he was putting footballs into the boot of his car.
At least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, police said, while children ran away in terror.
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 spotted on the M1 driving towards the direction of Coalisland and Omagh the day before the shooting.
Police have said a blue Ford Fiesta was bought two weeks before the shooting and stored in Belfast
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.
The New IRA used a typed statement taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate in Londonderry to claim it was responsible for shooting Det Ch Insp Caldwell.
A forensic team was at the scene on Monday morning and removed the statement for further examination. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64817879 |
Matt Hancock: More leaked texts mock people in hotel quarantine - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The latest messages show Matt Hancock and his aide discussing people "locked up" in hotel "box rooms". | UK Politics | People in hotel quarantine during lockdown were mocked during exchanges between ministers and officials, leaked texts appear to show.
Messages published by the Telegraph seem to show Matt Hancock and Simon Case discussing travellers being "locked up" in "shoe box" hotel rooms.
Mr Hancock also suggests police should be told to enforce rules more strongly.
Other texts show Boris Johnson describing a £10,000 fine on two people who broke quarantine rules as "superb".
They are the latest in a slew of revelations to come from the leak.
The messages, which the BBC has not independently verified or seen in their full context, were among some 100,000 sent between ministers and officials during the pandemic, and handed to The Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott.
Ms Oakeshott, a longstanding critic of lockdowns, was given them while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.
He has described the leak as a "massive betrayal" used to produce "a partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda".
But the messages do give an insight into the inner workings of the government as it grappled with containing the spread of Covid-19.
In an exchange on 16 February 2021, Simon Case, who holds the most senior position in the civil service as cabinet secretary, asked Mr Hancock if he knew "how many people we locked up in hotels yesterday".
The message was sent the day after England introduced mandatory quarantine for arrivals from 33 high-risk countries.
Mr Hancock replied: "None. But 149 chose to enter the country and are now in quarantine hotels due to their own free will!"
Mr Hancock also wrote: "We are giving big families all the suites and putting pop stars in the box rooms."
Mr Case replied: "I just want to see some of the faces of people coming out of first class into a Premier Inn shoe box."
People affected by the policy at the time described the way it was implemented as a "mess" and being kept in a hotel as like living in a "prison".
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In an earlier exchange, on 28 August 2020, Mr Case, then the Downing Street permanent secretary, asked Mr Hancock "who actually is delivering enforcement", apparently during a discussion about lockdowns.
Mr Hancock replied: "I think we are going to have to get heavy with the police."
In another message in January 2021, Mr Hancock appears to be describing what was talked about at a meeting of senior figures, including the prime minister.
After summarising a discussion about the enforcement of lockdown, he says: "The plod got their marching orders."
During the pandemic, the police were often criticised for enforcing lockdown rules in a way that many considered over-zealous, with fines issued to dog walkers and protesters.
But surveys at the time suggested most people supported how the police were enforcing the new rules.
Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the exchanges revealed the "arrogance and shameful lack of respect" of ministers towards the police.
"At the same time as they were flagrantly breaking the law themselves with their lockdown parties, they were demanding stronger enforcement by the police on everyone else."
The Police Federation of England and Wales said Mr Hancock's messages showed a "total lack of respect" for officers at the heart of the government.
Steve Hartshorn, national chairman of the organisation which represents more than 130,000 rank-and-file officers said police put "their lives and the lives of their families on the line" during the pandemic.
"So, to discover that then government ministers referred to them as 'plod' who 'got their marching orders' is an absolute disgrace."
Simon Case has been cabinet secretary, the most senior position in the civil service, since 2020
Ms Oakeshott has defended her decision to share the WhatsApp messages, saying she did so "in the overwhelming public interest" because no deadline has been set for the UK's public inquiry and she feared results could "potentially" take 10 years.
Pressed on whether she was considering sharing information with the public while she was helping Mr Hancock write his book, she said: "If you're asking me, was I secretly plotting to do something quite different at the end of the project, the answer to that is no.
"If you're asking me, was I as a journalist intrigued about what else might be lurking in there, the answer is yes", she told BBC Breakfast.
The text leak also shows that in March 2021, Mr Hancock also texted then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson a link to a news article about two people who were fined £10,000 each for failing to quarantine after returning from Dubai.
Other leaked messages reported by The Telegraph appear to show:
The Liberal Democrat deputy leader, Daisy Cooper, said: "This lifts the lid on the contempt that Boris Johnson and his Conservative cronies had for the British public during the pandemic.
"They mocked and joked while breaking the rules we were all required to follow.
"The Covid inquiry must be able to get to the bottom of this sorry saga in our country's history as soon as possible. The public deserves the truth and bereaved families deserve justice." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64831240 |
Sue Gray: Tory MPs angry over Labour job for Partygate probe chief - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Top official Sue Gray has been offered a job as chief of staff to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. | UK Politics | Conservative MPs have expressed anger that Partygate investigator Sue Gray has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff.
The civil servant produced a highly critical report into lockdown parties under Boris Johnson that contributed to his downfall as PM.
Labour has insisted it did not approach her until after it was published.
But Mr Johnson said it raised questions over the conclusions over her inquiry, published in May last year.
"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.
It came after the committee investigating the ex-PM published an update saying it considered her report a "relevant fact" in its probe.
However, Sir Keir rejected Mr Johnson's criticism, saying he was "delighted that respected, professional individuals want to be part of what we are doing in the Labour Party".
He added that the former prime minister should "confront the evidence that is there in front of him," which he said was "pretty damning".
Asked earlier when contact had been made with Ms Gray, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said Labour had been looking for a new chief of staff "for the last two or three months".
She added that this was "well after" the civil servant's Partygate report was published.
However, Conservative MP Alexander Stafford, a former ministerial aide to Mr Johnson, said the appointment "doesn't pass the sniff test".
"It really undermines the work that she's done, undermines the civil service and really puts in question Sir Keir's complete judgement," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, a cabinet minister under Mr Johnson, has said Ms Gray's Partygate conclusions now looked "like a left-wing stitch up".
Ms Reeves defended the appointment, saying Ms Gray commanded "enormous respect across the political spectrum" and had shown the "highest integrity and standards in public life".
"It was the parties at Downing Street and Boris Johnson's behaviour that got him into trouble, not the person writing the report," she added.
Sir Keir's team appeared to be relaxed about the criticism from Tory MPs, with a source close to the Labour leader saying "it was something we expected".
The government confirmed on Thursday that Ms Gray has left her position as a senior official at the levelling up and housing department.
Shadow minister Lucy Powell said the Labour would not appoint her until a cooling-off period recommended by the Acoba, the government's appointments watchdog, had passed.
Under the civil service code, officials of Ms Gray's seniority should wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment - a period that can be extended up to two years.
Ms Gray, who joined the civil service in the 1970s, became a household name last year when she was appointed to lead an official inquiry into gatherings in government buildings during lockdown.
She was handed the role after Mr Johnson's initial choice to lead the probe, top UK civil servant Simon Case, had to step back after after it emerged an event was held in his own office.
Her report, published in May last year, found that there had been widespread rule-breaking of Covid rules within government, and criticised "failures of leadership and judgement" in Downing Street.
A separate inquiry by the Metropolitan Police led to fines for 83 people, including Mr Johnson himself, for attending law-breaking events.
The findings of Ms Gray's report were cited by a number of Tory MPs during the wave of resignations that eventually triggered Mr Johnson's decision to quit No 10 in July.
Dave Penman, the boss of the FDA union that represents civil servants, said it was "unforgivable" for Tory MPs to question Ms Gray's integrity.
He added that "minister after minister found it convenient to hide behind Sue and her unimpeachable reputation" whilst she was conducting her inquiry.
Alex Thomas, a former official who now works at the Institute for Government think tank, said Ms Gray's appointment was "unusual" and raised "tricky questions for the civil service".
He pointed out that she would not be the first civil servant to take on a political role, citing former diplomat Jonathan Powell's decision to work for former Labour PM Sir Tony Blair.
But he added: "It hasn't happened before with a civil servant who was still serving of this seniority and with the public profile and career history in the deep centre of government that Sue Gray has." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64834134 |
Tears and lies: Dramatic moments from Alex Murdaugh trial - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | null | Taking the stand in his own defence, the former lawyer cried and admitted lying but denied murder. | null | During an eventful day in court, Alex Murdaugh maintained that he didn't kill his wife and son, but admitted lying and faced intense questioning from the prosecution. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64753588 |
Colombia protests: Seventy-nine police officers freed after being taken hostage - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Violence erupted after residents blockaded an oil exploration company's compound. | Latin America & Caribbean | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A group of police officers and oilfield workers taken hostage during protests in Colombia's southern Caquetá province have been freed, President Petro says.
Violence erupted on Thursday after residents blockaded an oil exploration company's compound. They were demanding its help to build roads in the area.
Colombian leader Gustavo Petro had called for the 79 officers and nine Emerald Energy employees to be let go.
A police officer and a civilian have already been killed during the unrest.
Announcing the release of the hostages, who were filmed sitting in a crowded room on the floor, Mr Petro called on investigators to find those responsible for the two deaths.
Interior Minster Alfonso Prada said earlier on Friday that they were killed by gunfire.
Many of the protesters are rural and indigenous people who want Emerald Energy to build new road infrastructure around the San Vicente del Caguan area.
The oil company did not respond when approached by Reuters news agency for comment.
Colombian police paid tribute on Twitter to the police officer killed in the clash, who they named as Ricardo Monroy.
"Today we are more united than ever," they wrote, adding that Mr Monroy had "offered his life in the line of duty".
Colombia's human rights ombudsman Carlos Camargo - who was on site to mediate - said he had spoken to protesters and stopped them from throwing petrol bombs at the oil facility.
Protests in areas near energy and mining operations in Colombia are common as communities demand companies build infrastructure, including roads and schools.
Police said a dissident subgroup of Farc rebels which rejected the 2016 peace deal were present in the region and may have been provoking the unrest.
Separately, Mr Petro on Thursday unexpectedly published a statement on Twitter asking the country's prosecutor general to conduct a criminal investigation into allegations of corruption involving his own son and brother.
The statement did not specify the accusations against his eldest son, Nicolas Petro Burgos, and brother, Juan Fernando Petro Urrego, but it did say: "my government will not give out benefits to criminals in exchange for bribes". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-64834573 |
Labour MP Rupa Huq regains whip after Kwasi Kwarteng racism row - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The MP was suspended for calling then-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng "superficially black". | London | Rupa Huq has been reinstated as a Labour MP, five months after she lost the whip for comments she made about Kwasi Kwarteng.
The Ealing Central and Acton MP described then-chancellor Mr Kwarteng as "superficially black", at a Labour Party fringe event in September.
Labour suspended the whip, which meant she had to sit as an independent MP.
Ms Huq, who said she fully accepted the sanction, has apologised and completed anti-racism training.
She made the remarks during a Q&A session at a fringe event called What's Next for Labour's Agenda on Race?
Ms Huq said: "He's superficially, he's, a black man but again he's got more in common... he went to Eton, he went to a very expensive prep school, all the way through top schools in the country.
"If you hear him on the Today programme you wouldn't know he's black."
Mr Kwarteng, who had become chancellor earlier that month, was born in east London and has Ghanaian heritage.
At the Conservative Party conference in October, Kwasi Kwarteng was still chancellor of the exchequer and Liz Truss his prime minister
A recording of those comments was published by the Guido Fawkes website, causing a backlash. Then-Conservative Party chairman Jake Berry described Ms Huq's comments as "racist" and "disgusting".
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said the remarks were "unacceptable", while the party's foreign affairs spokesman David Lammy described the comments as "unfortunate" adding: "I wouldn't have made them myself."
Ms Huq then tweeted an apology, saying she had offered "sincere and heartfelt apologies" to Mr Kwarteng directly for her "ill-judged" comments.
Rejoining the Labour benches on Friday, she said: "During my suspension I have reflected on the offence caused by my remarks at last year's Labour Party Conference and I want to offer, once again, my sincere apologies to everyone affected.
"As I promised at the time, I have undertaken and completed anti-racism and bias training.
"I want to make clear that I accept fully the conclusion of the party's inquiry and the sanction it has imposed."
Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64835061 |
Caledonian Sleeper rail service to be nationalised - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Scotland's transport minister says an arm's length company will take over the franchise on 25 June. | Scotland business | The Caledonian Sleeper rail service is to be nationalised later this year, the Scottish government has announced.
The move comes after ministers decided last year to terminate Serco's contract to run the service seven years early.
The out-sourcing company will stop operating the cross-border rail service when its contract expires in June.
In a statement to MSPs, Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said an arm's length company of the government would take over the franchise on 25 June.
She said the step would "provide stability and certainty" for passengers and staff.
The current franchise was awarded to Serco in a deal worth £800m. It had been due to run from 2015 to 2030.
The decision to end Serco's contract came after the company tried to renegotiate the deal through a "rebase clause", to put the loss-making service on "a more sustainable financial footing".
Ms Gilruth said the decision not to rebase was "in no way a reflection on the quality of the product that has been developed, nor on the commitment of the staff who deliver this service every day".
She added: "Rather, the decision that I had to take on rebasing was a question of the terms of the rebase offer and that, in the government's view, these terms did not represent the best value for money."
John Whitehurst, managing director of Serco's transport business, said the company was disappointed that the Scottish government "did not ensure value for money by examining the possibility of a direct contract award to Serco".
He argued that the award would have "allowed Scotland to benefit from the expertise of our Serco Transport senior management team who understand this complex and unique hospitality-focussed train operation like no-one else, while also enabling Scottish ministers to be in complete control of the contract".
He added: "Most importantly, this would have allowed the Scottish government to compare the price of such an award with that of their arm's length operator of last resort company."
Mr Whitehurst also said that since Serco took over the management of the Caledonian Sleeper in 2015, it had brought about "massive improvements to every aspect of the service for our employees, our passengers and for Scotland, despite having made significant losses on the contract".
The service, which has been operating in various forms since 1873, runs overnight trains between Scotland and London.
There is a Lowlander route between London and Glasgow and Edinburgh, and a Highlander route to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said the service had seen its highest revenue since the start of the franchise over the past year, with passenger numbers back to pre-Covid levels and guest and employee satisfaction all going up.
He added: "The minister agreed that the sleeper has surpassed any other train company in the UK in its recovery from the pandemic and was thriving and a world class service.
"Given all that, there can be no conclusion other than that this is an ideological decision. Jenny Gilruth said nothing about how this world class service can be improved under the Scottish government."
Mr Simpson also said Ms Gilruth had given no idea of how much the nationalisation would cost, or how Scottish taxpayers would receive value for money from the move.
A new fleet of trains was introduced in 2019
The RMT said it would give the Scottish government "an opportunity to ensure this sustainable, low carbon route between Scotland and London can be run for passengers' interests, not private profit".
Train drivers' union Aslef also backed the move but said it was disappointed that the minister had not taken the opportunity to bring the sleeper service into ScotRail.
In 2019, Serco put an improvement plan in place after the service was hit by strike action, technical faults and the late delivery of new trains.
That year, it also unveiled a new fleet of trains, which the company said would "transform" the service.
Mr Whitehurst said then that the business had inherited an "unreliable and outdated" fleet of carriages which dated back to the 1970s.
The sleeper service will be the second rail operation to be taken into state hands in Scotland in recent times.
Last April, ScotRail officially returned to public ownership for the first time in 25 years, after previous operator Abellio had its franchise ended early amid criticism of the quality of the service.
Other transport-related firms which have been brought into public ownership in recent years include shipbuilder Ferguson Marine in 2019 and Prestwick Airport in 2013 - both of which have proved to be controversial. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64802833 |
Winnie the Pooh: Original Poohsticks Bridge up for sale - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The 11th Earl De La Warr, William Sackville, purchased the bridge at auction in 2021 for £131,625. | Sussex | The original Poohsticks Bridge from Ashdown Forest featured in AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh books
A bridge made famous by the Winnie the Pooh stories is up for sale.
Located in the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, the bridge on which author AA Milne and his son Christopher Robin invented poohsticks was declared unsafe and taken down in 1999.
It was repaired and sold to the 11th Earl De La Warr, William Sackville, in 2021 for £131,625, and put up near its original home.
But less than two years later, the wooden bridge is back on the market.
Built in 1907, the original bridge was officially renamed Poohsticks Bridge in 1979.
In 1999, it was taken apart after being worn out by thousands of tourists, and a replacement was built.
Lord De La Warr, who purchased the original at auction, said Christopher Robin and his father used to play in the Five Hundred Acre Wood on their estate, which was the inspiration for AA Milne's Hundred Acre Wood.
"It has got sentimental value to me," he told BBC Radio Sussex.
He said he paid above the expected price to make sure the bridge stayed near the woods, but he feared it may end up overseas after the sale.
"The books are very widely read across the world," he said, adding: "There is a rumour that the last owner asked someone for £1m for it. But that's just a rumour."
Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-64835635 |
Alex Murdaugh: Power, privilege, murder and the downfall of a dynasty - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Alex Murdaugh's trial for the killing of his wife and son uncovered fraud, drug abuse and a suicide plot. | US & Canada | Alex Murdaugh (right) murdered his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son Paul
For generations, the Murdaugh family dominated their rural swathe of South Carolina - then Alex Murdaugh was accused of the brutal murders of his wife and son. What followed was the stunning unravelling of a life of power and privilege, exposing embezzlement, drug abuse - ultimately ending in his conviction and a sentence of life imprisonment.
You may find some language offensive.
In the fifth week of his murder trial, Alex Murdaugh took the stand.
Over nearly 10 hours testifying in his own defence, the crowded courtroom in Walterboro, South Carolina, would see two versions of Murdaugh. One seemed tired, his voice lilting and thin. His clothes hung loose; months in prison had whittled down his formerly heavy frame. He rocked back and forth, shook his head from side to side, and wept.
The other seemed much more like the man that other witnesses had described - savvy and charming, once a formidable player in the state's clubby legal circuit. This Murdaugh addressed the jury directly, was relaxed and in control.
"What a tangled web we weave," he told them.
Directly ahead of him, on the rear wall of the courtroom, there was a rectangular-shaped sun stain where a painting used to be - a portrait of his namesake, his great-grandfather Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh, which had been taken down for the trial.
For nearly a century, the Murdaugh family reigned in this southern corner of South Carolina - a flat expanse of marshlands, palm trees and porch-ringed houses - presiding over the local prosecutor's office and the private law firm that made them rich.
But since the brutal killings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in June 2021, a series of bizarre and tragic events helped bring about Murdaugh's spectacular fall from grace. The 54-year-old has denied the murders, which prosecutors allege were a desperate diversion from decades of financial wrongdoing. But on the stand, he admitted to a number of other crimes, including embezzlement, fraud and a faked assassination attempt.
The trial has become one of the most closely watched in the country. It has exposed what some see as the apparently unchecked power of the Murdaugh family in their small community, and brought about the undoing of a local dynasty.
"This is what happens when average people have no checks and balances," said Bill Nettles, former US attorney for South Carolina.
"And there were no checks and balances on him."
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot at the family's secluded estate in June 2021
To know South Carolina's Lowcountry is to know the Murdaugh family name. Between 1920 and 2006, three generations of Murdaugh men presided as the chief prosecutor for the state's Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, the longest such stretch of family control in United States history.
"They were the law," Mr Nettles said.
For even longer, the Murdaughs worked at the family-founded litigation firm - Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED) - amassing a small fortune and building out their dominance in all corners of the Lowcountry. By all accounts, in a region where personal injury firms thrived, theirs was the best.
"They could get a verdict that would exceed the norm dramatically," said South Carolina lawyer Joe McCulloch.
"And when I say exceed the norm - they could turn a $100,000 case into a million dollar settlement."
Their judicial circuit became known as a mecca for plaintiffs. Corporations who could avoid it reportedly skipped the area entirely.
To juries, locals said, the Murdaughs were familiar faces - a reliable advantage at trial.
"When people graduated high school, they would send gifts; they paid for funerals, sent flowers to people who were in the hospital," said Eric Bland, a malpractice attorney based in South Carolina. "They salted the town with goodwill."
From their two offices in Hampton, the Murdaughs established themselves as a de facto authority of the Lowcountry. Their influence was not wide - it did not even span the width of the state - but it was deep. In the small, insular community where they lived, residents said, the Murdaugh family ruled.
"We all knew them," said one waitress in town, who also didn't want to give her name, saying she didn't want to "get in trouble" for speaking out of turn. She also didn't want to be recorded. "You're just going to have to remember this," she said. "They had power. And they took it too far."
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In the third week of the trial, the former chief financial officer of PMPED Jeanne Seckinger described Alex Murdaugh's approach as a lawyer. "The art of bullshit, basically," she said.
Murdaugh's success was due "not from his work ethic", Ms Seckinger said, "but his ability to establish relationships and manipulate people into settlements and clients into liking him."
That work made him rich, millions of dollars that fed his family's wealthy lifestyle - a speedboat, a beach house, their sprawling 1,700 acre hunting property called Moselle, and a staff to assist. But the success, seemingly a Murdaugh birthright, belied his secret: a raging addiction to painkillers and years of theft, fraud and embezzlement.
On the stand in Walterboro, Murdaugh tearfully admitted to taking millions from settlements meant for his clients, stealing $3.7m (£3m) in 2019 alone. It was wrong, he said, but he was desperate: his addiction had drained his bank accounts.
State prosecutors painted a picture of fraud and theft at an almost implausible scale, and of a perpetrator convinced of his impunity. Murdaugh, they allege, stole indiscriminately from colleagues and clients, the young and old, the disabled and sick. He faces nearly 100 separate financial charges.
For years, Ms Seckinger testified, she had noticed yellow flags, small irregularities in Murdaugh's files. But the firm was a "brotherhood", she said. "They trusted him."
Tony Satterfield was another person who trusted Murdaugh. When Mr Satterfield's mother, Gloria - the Murdaugh's housekeeper for 20 years - died after a fall at work, Murdaugh told Tony and his brother they should file a wrongful death suit against him, and that his home insurance would pay compensation. He even suggested a lawyer who could help sue him.
Two of Murdaugh's insurance policies paid out a total of $4.3m, but the Satterfields did not receive a dime. They did not even know the case had been settled. Alex Murdaugh, as he himself admitted in court, had stolen it.
"I feel like if someone had paid closer attention, they would have figured this out," said Eric Bland, the malpractice lawyer who represented the Satterfields against Murdaugh. "But those kids revered the Murdaughs, they trusted him."
The trial has gripped America, with people travelling long distances to be in court
One year after Gloria Satterfield died, there was another fatal accident in the Murdaugh family orbit. But this time, prosecutors allege, the tragedy would present a problem that Alex Murdaugh could not contain.
Late in the evening of 24 February 2019, Paul Murdaugh was aboard the family boat when it rammed headlong into a bridge, throwing three of the six passengers - all young adults - into the cold water below. One of them, 19-year-old Mallory Beach, was killed, her body recovered days later in a marsh several miles away.
At the time of impact, according to all of the other passengers, Paul had been driving. A blood test would find the 19-year-old Murdaugh's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit.
Taken together, witness testimony from the night renders an image of Murdaugh hellbent on insulating his son. He roamed from room to room, they said, trying to speak to the teenagers. A nurse said he looked like he was trying to "orchestrate something". One passenger, Connor Cook, said in a deposition he was told by Murdaugh "to keep my mouth shut". He was scared, he said, "them being who they are".
Alex Murdaugh's surviving son, Buster, has testified in his father's defence
On the stand last week, Murdaugh called any claims that he had "fixed witnesses" or influenced any part of the boat wreck investigation "totally false".
Still, to those in the Lowcountry, the boat crash was seen "as a test of the system", said Mandy Mattney, a reporter based in South Carolina who has led coverage of the Murdaughs since 2019. "Everyone in Hampton really believed that Paul wouldn't be charged."
Months later, however, Paul was charged with three crimes, including boating under the influence resulting in death. He pleaded not guilty to the charges but died before he faced trial.
Looking back now, it may have been the moment Alex Murdaugh's life began to unravel.
The family of Mallory Beach hired a lawyer named Mark Tinsley to represent them in a wrongful death suit against Murdaugh that could have resulted in millions in damages.
Murdaugh claimed he was broke. "I didn't believe it," Mr Tinsley said during the trial this month.
So Mr Tinsley filed a motion to compel Murdaugh to disclose his finances. A hearing on the matter was scheduled for 10 June, 2021. The disclosure would reveal his years of corporate fraud.
"The fuse was lit," Mr Tinsley said.
On 7 June 2021, three days before the hearing on his finances was scheduled, Alex Murdaugh called 911. His wife Maggie and son Paul had been shot, he said.
By the time the first sheriff's deputy arrived at Moselle, Murdaugh told him his theory: Paul and Maggie had been killed in retaliation for the boat accident.
"He's getting threats," Murdaugh said of his son. "I know that's what it is."
Many in the Lowcountry believed him, and with Paul dead, the wrongful death lawsuit stalled.
But three months later, Murdaugh called 911 again, this time to report that he had been shot in the head on the side of a rural road. He later admitted to arranging a hit on himself so that his surviving son, Buster, could collect on his life insurance. As the ploy fell apart, his firm disclosed they had pushed him out just the day before the incident over alleged embezzlement.
For months, the mystery of Maggie and Paul's murders deepened as authorities said little about the case, offering no clues about suspects or motive. Then, in July 2022, Murdaugh was arrested in connection with the killings.
For more than a month now, Alex Murdaugh's downfall has drawn early morning crowds to the Walterboro courthouse, a line too long to fit inside. Upstairs, in the courtroom's cool air, spectators in suits and sundresses have filled row after row of the dark wooden pews that line the room. At times, the mood has felt strangely like a church reception, Murdaugh's brother and son milling around, offering handshakes and tepid smiles.
The prosecution and defence will present closing arguments in the coming days before the jury retires to consider its verdict.
Here in the Lowcountry, many said they believed Alex Murdaugh was at the end of the line.
But for decades, the Murdaugh family has made an ally out of juries, walking out of courtrooms with the judgments that built their fortunes and cemented their influence.
Alex Murdaugh's fate will be decided the same way, perhaps a final test of his influence in a case where all the evidence is circumstantial - there was no murder weapon found, no blood on Murdaugh's t-shirt that night, no eyewitnesses to the killings.
And his decision to testify - both an unusual move and a legal risk - was perhaps a testament to an enduring self-belief, a confidence in his ability to sway people, like he has done for years.
"I can promise you I would hurt myself before I would hurt one of them," he said last week. "Without a doubt." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64645725 |
Scotland first to ban environmentally harmful anaesthetic - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Desflurane gas has a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide, NHS data suggests. | Health | Scotland has become the first country in the world to stop its hospitals using the anaesthetic desflurane because of the threat it poses to the environment.
NHS data suggests the gas, used to keep people unconscious during surgery, has a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide.
Banning it in Scotland - from its peak use in 2017 - would cut emissions equal to powering 1,700 homes a year.
UK hospitals have already cut down.
In the last few years, more than 40 hospital trusts in England and a number of hospitals in Wales have stopped using it.
NHS England will introduce a similar ban from 2024, which - like Scotland - prohibits its use for anything but exceptional circumstances.
Banning it across NHS hospitals in England would cut harmful emissions equivalent to those caused by powering 11,000 homes every year, according to NHS analysis of desflurane use in 2020.
Other countries, including many in Europe, are likely to make similar moves in the next few years.
Dr Kenneth Barker, anaesthetist and clinical lead for Scotland's national green theatres programme, said he was shocked to find the anaesthetic drug he had used for more than a decade for many major and routine operations was so harmful to the environment.
"I realised in 2017 that the amount of desflurane we used in a typical day's work as an anaesthetist resulted in emissions equivalent to me driving 670 miles that day," he said.
"I decided to stop using it straight away and many fellow anaesthetists have got on board.
"When you are faced with something as obvious as this and with the significance it has to the environment - I am very glad we have got to this stage."
Many hospitals have switched to safe and effective anaesthetic gases with less warming potential such as sevoflurane, which has a global warming potential 130 times that of carbon dioxide, or to using alternative non-gaseous anaesthetics and more efficient equipment.
Scottish Health and Social Care Secretary, Humza Yousaf, said: "Programmes like this are key to our transition to become a net-zero health service, whilst ensuring patient safety remains at the heart of every clinical decision.
Meanwhile. Dr Helgi Johannsson, vice president of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, told the BBC: "More and more anaesthetists across the UK have become aware of the sheer extent of the damage the gas can cause to the environment and have chosen to stop using it - and I am proud of that."
But he warns it is only the start and just "a drop in the ocean of the NHS carbon footprint".
He explained: "The NHS is a really carbon-intensive industry. We need to concentrate on all the other major things that can make a difference too - such as tackling old hospital buildings that are difficult to heat and reducing the journeys patients take."
Overall, anaesthetic gasses make up about 2-5% of the NHS's carbon footprint, and efforts are under way to tackle other medical gases like nitrous oxide.
NHS England's net-zero strategy includes looking at more environmentally friendly heating and lighting systems, greener vehicles and examining the environmental impact of how medicines and equipment are supplied to the NHS.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64347191 |
'Leaning tower of Rotherhithe' sells for £1.5m - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The house, four storeys high and 3.5m wide, is the only property on a street by the River Thames. | London | The house met its auction guide price of £1.5m
A house on the Thames in south east London, which has long been the subject of local intrigue, has sold for £1.5m.
The property, said to be known as the "leaning tower of Rotherhithe", is four storeys high and 3.5m wide. It was purchased by a buyer from the area.
Savills lot negotiator Steven Morish said: "Auction works really well for quirky lots like this.
"The value in this is an art rather than a science; the buyers will set the value."
The house, which was once part of a row of buildings, has a run-down exterior but still attracted "a really good level of interest" from across the globe.
The row as it looked before World War Two. The house is to the right of "H. Pocock"
The house boasts views of the City
The building, now 1 Fulford Street, was formerly 41 Rotherhithe Street. Now the only house on the street, it was once surrounded by shipping businesses.
To the west of the property, the buildings were destroyed during the Blitz in World War Two.
In the 1960s, London County Council bought the remaining houses on the row but the owners of 41 Rotherhithe Street, barge constructors Braithwaite & Dean, refused to sell.
The company employed lightermen - workers who used flat-bottomed barges to move goods between ships and quays - and they would pull up to collect their wages from the premises.
Savills said it believed the buyer intended to live in the house. The former owners sold up as they were said to no longer require a London bolthole.
The four-storey property had been in the same hands for 28 years
The house has several bedrooms
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64840625 |
Covid messages leak a massive betrayal, says Matt Hancock - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Journalist Isabel Oakeshott says it was in the "national interest" to publish ex-health secretary's texts. | UK Politics | Matt Hancock collaborated with journalist Isabel Oakeshott on his book Pandemic Diaries
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".
However, Mr Hancock said the messages were released in a "biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda".
He also denied her claim he had sent her a "menacing" message over the leak.
The Telegraph has been handed more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages linked to Mr Hancock's time as health secretary at the height of the pandemic. It began publishing the texts earlier this week.
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
In a statement released on Thursday morning Mr Hancock said: "When I heard confused rumours of a publication late on Tuesday night, I called and messaged Isabel to ask her if she had 'any clues' about it, and got no response.
"When I then saw what she'd done, I messaged to say it was 'a big mistake'. Nothing more."
Mr Hancock argued the public inquiry into the pandemic was the right place for analysis of what went on - saying he would reply to the "substance" of allegations at the inquiry.
He apologised to those whose messages had been published by the Daily Telegraph, saying: "I am also sorry for the impact on the very many people - political colleagues, civil servants and friends - who worked hard with me to get through the pandemic and save lives."
"Isabel and I had worked closely together for more than a year on my book, based on legal confidentiality and a process approved by the Cabinet Office. Isabel repeatedly reiterated the importance of trust throughout, and then broke that trust."
A collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are our stories on the leaks:
The text messages were passed to the newspaper by Ms Oakeshott, TalkTV's international editor, who has been critical of lockdowns. She was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.
The BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages nor the context in which they were sent.
Ms Oakeshott has strongly defended her decision to release the messages saying she was someone "acting in the overwhelming national interest". She has not revealed how much she has been paid by the Telegraph.
"Anyone who thinks I did this for money must be utterly insane," she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme.
"This is about the millions of people, every one of us in this country, that were adversely affected by the catastrophic decision to lockdown the country repeatedly on the flimsiest of evidence, often for the political reasons.
"I wanted to get to the truth of it," she said.
Asked when she told Mr Hancock she would share the messages, she replied: "I didn't tell him."
"Not one journalist worth their salt would sit on a cache of information in such an important matter, such a historic matter and cover that up," she said.
Pressed on the claim that Mr Hancock sent her a menacing message following the leaks, Ms Oakeshott said: "I'm saying that he sent me a message at 01.20 in the morning. It wasn't a pleasant message."
Ms Oakeshott had initially told broadcasters she had signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Mr Hancock during the writing of her book.
However, she later told the BBC's political editor Chris Mason that there was not an NDA but rather a "really standard terms of agreement between us".
Responding to Mr Hancock's strong criticism, Ms Oakeshott said: "This isn't about embarrassing individuals or making individual politicians look bad.
"It's so much bigger than that, it is about the entire country. And if we're going to talk about betrayal, then the way I see it is the betrayal of every one of us, who were let down by the response to the pandemic."
Asked if she was worried other politicians would stop trusting her with information, she said "No, because I'm really good at what I do. I do stories in the public interest, and I make judgments."
An NDA is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material that they need or want to share with each other, but also want to restrict access to - similar to doctor-patient confidentiality or lawyer-client privilege.
Sometimes known as "gagging orders", "hush agreements" or "confidentiality clauses", NDAs typically prevent people making trade secrets or other specified information public.
They can also apply to allegations of misbehaviour in the workplace after a settlement has been agreed, or anything likely to damage an organisation's reputation.
But like any other contract, they can not be enforced if the specified activities are illegal.
If someone breaches an NDA, they break a contract, leaving them open to being sued.
But there is a public interest defence - the 1998 Public Interest Disclosure Act protects whistleblowers.
The publication of the messages has sent shockwaves through the political establishment as the public inquiry into the pandemic picks up pace.
At Prime Minister's Questions, Rishi Sunak defended the public inquiry as the "right way" to scrutinise the handling of the pandemic and urged people not to focus on "piecemeal bits of information".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. PMQs: Rishi Sunak quizzed on claims of leaked Hancock messages by Sir Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer called for Mr Sunak to ensure the inquiry had all the support it needed "to report by the end of this year".
Mr Hancock has already given a partial account of his time as health secretary, with the help of Ms Oakeshott, in his book, Pandemic Diaries.
The book was widely viewed as an attempt by Mr Hancock to rehabilitate his reputation after he resigned as health secretary over breaching social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague.
Last year, Mr Hancock said he would not be standing as an MP at the next general election, after receiving criticism for joining the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64818969 |
Leah Croucher: Mourners line streets for funeral in Milton Keynes - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | People line a 3.5-mile route through Milton Keynes to pay their respects to the teenager. | Beds, Herts & Bucks | Leah Croucher's coffin was pulled by a horse drawn carriage through the streets of Milton Keynes
Mourners cried as they lined the streets to pay their respects to teenager Leah Croucher.
The 19-year-old's body was found in the loft of a house in Milton Keynes in October. It is thought she was killed by a sex offender who has since died.
Her funeral cortege left Emerson Valley at about 10:50 GMT and headed through Furzton, Shenley Brook End, Shenley Church End and Grange Farm.
A private service has been held at Crownhill Crematorium.
Her family had welcomed people to line the route of the cortege, which was about 3.5 miles (5.6km) long.
Floral tributes featuring her name were laid next to the coffin in the hearse, which was accompanied by a basket with stuffed toys.
Members of the public have lined the street to pay their respects to the teenager
The horses that pulled the hearse were draped in flags bearing the crest of Gryffindor House from the Harry Potter franchise.
Other mourners were seen wearing red and gold scarves - the colours of the house in the books and films.
Crowds who lined the route, some in tears, were thanked by the undertaker for turning out despite the rain.
Others held heart-shaped balloons reading "fly high" and "reach for the skies".
Some mourners cried and others held balloons as they paid respects to Ms Croucher
Leah Croucher's family will hold a private funeral for the teenager, more than four years after she went missing
The Church of the Servant King opened its doors for members of the community to remember Ms Croucher.
Rev Mike Morris said his "thoughts and prayers" were with Ms Croucher's family "at this heart-breaking time".
Police searched a house in Furzton last year following a tip-off and discovered Ms Croucher's remains, a rucksack and other items belonging to her.
Neil Maxwell, a convicted sex offender who was found dead two months after Ms Croucher's disappearance, remains the only suspect in the case.
Ms Croucher was last seen walking to work on 15 February 2019.
Leah's parents, Claire and John Croucher, welcomed people to stand along the cortege route
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64824384 |
Pulp bassist Steve Mackey dies aged 56 - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The musician, who had been in hospital for the past three months, died on Thursday morning. | Entertainment & Arts | Steve Mackey with Jarvis Cocker at the premiere of Pulp, a documentary about the Sheffield indie band, in 2014
Pulp bassist Steve Mackey has died at the age of 56, his family has confirmed.
The Sheffield musician played on hits including Common People, Disco 2000 and Lipgloss, after joining Pulp in 1989.
His wife Katie posted a message to social media on Thursday, saying he had been in hospital for the past three months with an undisclosed illness.
"We are shocked and devastated to have said goodbye to my brilliant, beautiful husband," she added.
"Steve was the most talented man I knew, an exceptional musician, producer, photographer and filmmaker.
"As in life, he was adored by everyone whose paths he crossed in the multiple creative disciplines he conquered.
"I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the NHS staff who worked tirelessly for Steve. He will be missed beyond words."
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Pulp posted their own tribute shortly afterwards, informing fans that their "beloved" bass player had passed away on Thursday morning.
They shared a photograph of the musician from their 2012 tour, spending a day off in the snow-capped Andes.
"We had a day off and Steve suggested we go climbing," the band said. "So we did and it was a completely magical experience.
"Far more magical than staring at the hotel wall all day (which is probably what we'd have done otherwise).
"Steve made things happen, in his life and in the band. We'd very much like to think that he's back in those mountains now, on the next stage of his adventure."
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Rock band Arcade Fire also paid tribute, posting: "Steve you were one of the most beautiful people we've ever met, a true friend. Thank you for letting us spend time in your presence, and for believing in the spirit of music with such ferocity."
Singer MIA described him as a "great mentor", adding: "Forever glad to have worked with you and thank you."
Model Kate Moss posted: "Steve. Gone too soon, rest in peace." Another friend, actress Patsy Kensit, wrote: "Such a great man. Devastated."
Pulp are due to go back on tour this summer for a series of reunion shows.
Mackey chose not to take part in the concerts, telling fans he had decided to concentrate on his "music, filmmaking and photography projects" instead.
Massive Attack, another British act who enjoyed success in the 1990s, paid tribute by sharing a black and white image of Mackey, while quoting a lyric from his band's track Sorted For E's & Wizz.
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The musician was born in Sheffield in 1966, and attended school with another Pulp alumnus, Richard Hawley.
He joined the band in 1989 - a decade into its career - and first appeared on their third album Separations.
After signing to Island Records in the early 1990s, the band hit the big time with classic albums including His 'N' Hers and Different Class, with frontman Jarvis Cocker becoming one of the most beloved characters of the Britpop era.
Speaking to Pulp's official website in 1996, Mackey said he'd enjoyed the rollercoaster ride of fame.
"I think if you are in a band that are popular then you might as well enjoy it." he said.
"That's what we always wanted to do and I don't think there is anything wrong with being silly. You'd be throwing away a bit of a golden opportunity - you might as well be a librarian all of your life."
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After the band went on hiatus in 2002, Mackey co-wrote and produced songs for artists including MIA (Galang, Sunshowers), Florence + The Machine (Kiss With A Fist) and Arcade Fire (Everything Now).
He also played a cameo in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as one of The Weird Sisters - a rock band that also featured Jarvis Cocker and Radiohead musicians Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway.
Pulp are scheduled to play a string of festivals in summer 2023, including Isle of Wight, Latitude and Trnsmt.
He also photographed and directed campaign images and motion advertising for many leading brands including Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs and Armani.
Mackey teamed up with Pulp again for their 2012 reunion; and also co-curated London's Frieze Art Fair for a number of years in the 2000s.
He married stylist and magazine founder, Katie Grand, in 2009. Mackey also leaves a son, Marley, who was born in 1996.
Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64827409 |
Bus driver helps rescue sheep from busy Sussex road - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Martine Patey rescues the animal from a busy road and takes it to the safety of a Brighton farm. | Sussex | Martine Patey took the sheep she found on the busy A27 on board her bus to safety
A bus driver rescued a sheep from a busy dual carriageway on her first day behind the wheel.
Martine Patey, a rail replacement driver, spotted the animal on the A27 near Brighton as she took passengers to Eastbourne.
She said the animal was "causing havoc for passing cars" and "running all over the road".
With the help of two motorists, she managed to get it onto the bus and to safety.
"It was difficult to catch, but then it slipped just in front of me and I was able to get hold of it and to use my handbag strap like a lasso," she said.
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"Two other motorists had stopped to help and together we were able to hold onto it until the police arrived."
The sheep had a brief trip on the bus, after the police asking Ms Patey to take it back to a local farm.
The bus then resumed its journey to Eastbourne, arriving only one minute late.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-64836739 |
Florida resident dies from brain-eating amoeba - BBC News | "2023-03-03T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Officials suspect the victim was infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with public tap water. | US & Canada | A Florida resident has died after becoming infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba, officials say.
Health experts in Charlotte County, in southwest Florida, say the victim was probably infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with tap water.
Naegleria fowleri infects the brain through the nose. Officials say that drinking it is not dangerous.
Infections are almost always fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Officials have not identified the victim.
On 23 February, the Florida Department of Heath said that a patient had been infected "possibly as a result of sinus rinse practices" utilising tap water.
On Thursday, a spokesman for the state health agency confirmed that the patient had died.
Officials across multiple government agencies are "continuing to investigate how this infection occurred," spokesman Jae Williams said.
He added that officials are "working with the local public utilities to identify any potential links and make any necessary corrective actions".
The amoeba typically lives in warm fresh water such as swimming pools, lakes and ponds.
The person lived in Charlotte County, Florida, but has not been identified by officials
It can lead to a severe infection if it enters through the nose, but it is normally safe through the mouth because stomach acid kills the single-cell microorganism.
According to the CDC, around three Americans get infected each year, often with deadly consequences.
Between 1962 and 2021, only four of the 154 people infected in the US survived.
Officials warn that to avoid infections people should not rinse out their nasal passages with untreated tap water.
Sterile or distilled water are preferred options. Tap water can also be used if it is boiled for at least one minute and cooled before use.
People are also advised to avoid taking on water in their nose while in swimming pools or bathing or showering. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64831778 |
Silicon Valley Bank: Global bank stocks slump despite Biden reassurances - BBC News | "2023-03-12T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | US authorities have stepped in to protect customers after the collapse of two American banks. | Business | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is this the start of a financial crisis?
Bank shares in Asia and Europe have slumped, despite reassurances from the US president that America's financial system is safe following the collapse of two US lenders.
The falls come after authorities moved to protect customer deposits when the US-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank collapsed.
Joe Biden promised to do "whatever is needed" to protect the banking system.
But investors fear other lenders may still be hit by the fallout.
On Tuesday, Japan's Topix Banks share index fell by more than 7%, putting it on course for its worst day in more than three years.
Shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the country's largest lender by assets, were down by 8.1% in mid-day Asian trading.
On Monday, Spain's Santander and Germany's Commerzbank saw their share prices dive by more than 10% at one point.
A string of smaller US banks suffered even worse losses than European counterparts, despite reassuring customers that they had more than enough liquidity to protect themselves from shocks.
The volatility has led to speculation that America's Federal Reserve will now pause its plans to keep raising interest rates, designed to tame inflation.
Mr Biden said that people and businesses that had deposited money with Silicon Valley Bank would be able to access all their cash from Monday, after the government stepped in to protect their deposits in full.
Many business customers had faced the prospect of not being able to pay staff and suppliers after their funds were frozen.
BBC North America Technology correspondent James Clayton spoke to people queuing up all day outside the SVB branch in Menlo Park, California, to access their funds.
As the bank was no longer offering wire transfers, they were taking out their money in cashier cheques.
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Silicon Valley Bank - which specialised in lending to technology companies - was shut down by US regulators who seized its assets on Friday. It was the biggest failure of a US bank since the financial crisis in 2008.
It had been trying to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates. Word of the troubles led customers to race to withdraw funds, leading to a cash crisis.
Authorities on Sunday also took over Signature Bank in New York, which had many clients involved in crypto and was seen as the institution most vulnerable to a similar bank run.
Mr Biden promised that covering the deposits would not cost taxpayers anything, and instead be funded by fees regulators charge to banks.
As part of efforts to restore confidence, US regulators also unveiled a new way for banks to borrow emergency funds in a crisis.
Yet there is concern that the failures, which came after the collapse of another US lender, Silvergate Bank, last week, are a sign of troubles at other firms.
Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics said the US authorities had "acted aggressively to prevent a contagion developing".
"But contagion has always been more about irrational fear, so we would stress that there is no guarantee this will work," he added.
Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at the stockbrokers AJ Bell, said: "The first rush of relief has been replaced by niggling concerns that the era of high rates might be more difficult for some banks to stomach than had been previously thought.
"In the US, bank stocks slid despite Joe Biden's pledge that 'whatever is needed' will be carried out to prevent more dominos from tumbling."
The failure of SVB has re-ignited debates - similar to those seen following the 2008 financial crisis - about how much the government should do to regulate and protect banks.
The chair of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, says there will be a thorough and transparent review of the collapse.
Mr Biden called for tougher rules and emphasised that investors and bank leaders would not be spared.
"They knowingly took a risk... that's how capitalism works," he said.
Still, Republican Senator Tim Scott, seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, called the rescue "problematic".
"Building a culture of government intervention does nothing to stop future institutions from relying on the government to swoop in after taking excessive risks," he said.
Once again people are worried about banks. Once again there is intense debate about bailouts. But this isn't 2008.
Following the global financial crisis, the focus was on reforming banks considered "too big to fail". Today's problems are centred around medium- and smaller-sized banks.
Both of the banks that collapsed - Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - had the same thing in common: their business models were too concentrated in one sector and they were over exposed to assets whose values came under pressure from rising interest rates.
The criticism is that they should have foreseen this and they didn't. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has gone to great lengths to signal the Fed's intention to raise interest rates.
Since most banks are well diversified and have plenty of cash on hand, the assumption is that the risk to the rest of the banking sector is low. That won't stop regulators looking into what went wrong and what rules need to change.
And the pressure on small- and medium-sized banks hasn't gone away. What happens to the US economy and the fight against inflation also remains to be seen. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64935170 |
Gary Lineker: Impartiality row leads to fresh calls for BBC chairman to resign - BBC News | "2023-03-12T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The BBC chairman is under renewed pressure with the broadcaster in the grip of a major impartiality row. | UK | Pressure is growing on BBC chairman Richard Sharp to resign amid the Gary Lineker impartiality row.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the presenter's suspension "has shown failure at the top".
Mr Sharp's appointment is being investigated over his relationship with Boris Johnson. He denies wrongdoing.
But ex-BBC head Greg Dyke said the Sharp allegations had "helped fuel the perception" the corporation bowed to government pressure on Lineker.
Fresh questions are being asked about Mr Sharp's position in light of another impartiality row involving Match of the Day host Lineker.
An ongoing KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an £800,000 loan guarantee for the then PM Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.
The BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.
An MPs' committee said Mr Sharp made "significant errors of judgement" in doing so while applying for the BBC job. He insists he got the job on merit.
Mr Sharp has previously admitted the affair had embarrassed the BBC but insisted he had "acted in good faith to ensure that the rules were followed".
Lineker's suspension for his criticism of the language used around the government's asylum policy and likening its rhetoric to Nazi Germany triggered an impromptu walkout by BBC Sport staff that has taken TV and radio coverage off air.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed said the government had "systematically attacked and undermined the independence of our BBC" and that the chairman's position was "totally untenable".
"We need leadership at the BBC that upholds our proud British values and can withstand today's consistently turbulent politics and Conservative bullying tactics," he added.
Mr Dyke, who led the BBC between 2000 and 2004, said Lineker's suspension was a "mistake" and "undermined its own credibility".
The decision to suspend Lineker was signed off by director general Tim Davie who, unlike Mr Sharp, is not appointed by the government.
Mr Sharp has previously accepted he set up a meeting between the Cabinet Office and Sam Blyth, a Canadian multi-millionaire and distant cousin of Mr Johnson who had offered to help him financially.
The Cabinet Secretary Simon Case instructed Mr Sharp to have no further involvement in the loan discussions as it could raise conflict of interest issues in light of his BBC application.
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Mr Sharp, who has insisted he got the job on merit, did not disclose his involvement in arranging the meeting when he was vetted ahead of his appointment.
The process is being investigated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the BBC Board has said it will review his conflicts of interest without giving a timeline for when it will be completed.
BBC culture and media editor Katie Razzall makes the point that the organisation has no say in its chairman's appointment and that as a board member, Mr Sharp does not have a say in editorial matters.
The chairman is in charge of upholding and protecting the BBC's independence and ensuring the BBC fulfils its mission to inform, educate and entertain, among other things.
Mr Sharp was named as the government's preferred candidate for the BBC chairmanship in January 2021 and at the time the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee backed his appointment.
The government's choice is ultimately decided by the prime minister - at the time Mr Johnson - on the advice of the culture secretary, who is in turn advised by a panel.
As he is appointed by the government, Mr Sharp can only be sacked by the secretary of state or resign, he cannot be axed by the BBC.
Labour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Mr Sharp is "totally unable" to handle the Lineker row and has written to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer asking for his position to be "urgently clarified".
She wrote: "He is the one who should be giving staff, viewers and complainants the confidence that the organisation has acted proportionately and fairly. He is totally unable to perform this function."
Ms Powell also called on Ms Frazer to give details on any conversations she had with Mr Sharp, as well as Director General Tim Davie and other BBC executives about Lineker's suspension.
Former journalist Baroness Wheatcroft, a crossbench peer who sits on the Lords Communications and Digital Committee, added the BBC should "call for the suspension" of "clearly political" Mr Sharp after the Lineker row.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The problem is that the BBC has guidelines, but it doesn't apply them fairly. Guidelines only work if they are applied right across the board within the scope of the guidelines, and clearly the BBC has failed on that."
Former head of BBC TV News and director of sport, Roger Mosey, also called for Mr Sharp to go as he said the chairman had "damaged the BBC's credibility".
He wrote on Twitter: "Ideally, Lineker should stay within clear, agreed guidelines. And the BBC should send out its executives to be interviewed and explain how they intend to resolve this crisis."
Prof Steven Barnett, professor of communications at the University of Westminster, told BBC News he had supported Mr Sharp's appointment but now thought he should go.
"It is clear it is now a big question mark over the whole of the BBC's output and commitment to impartiality," he says.
Downing Street previously said it was reserving judgement on Mr Sharp's appointment until investigations are completed.
The BBC has approached Mr Sharp for comment. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64926923 |
England 10-53 France: Hosts slump to record home defeat against Six Nations holders - BBC Sport | "2023-03-12T00:00:00" | null | France produce a ruthless display to condemn England to their heaviest home defeat and keep their Six Nations title defence alive with a seven-try win. | null | France produced a ruthless display to condemn England to their heaviest home defeat and keep their Six Nations title defence alive with a seven-try win.
Thomas Ramos scored the first of France's tries before Thibaud Flament powered over from close range.
Charles Ollivon added a third to hand France a 24-point lead at the break.
Freddie Steward crossed but Flament and Ollivon did so again and Damian Penaud scored twice as England fell to the third biggest defeat in their history.
Victory with the full quota of five points means France will take the title race into the final weekend, regardless of Ireland's result against Scotland on Sunday.
France, who had not won in the Six Nations at Twickenham since 2005, showed exactly why they are the number two side in the world and among the favourites to win the World Cup on home soil in six months.
Meanwhile, England's title challenge is over in humiliating fashion and means this is the first Six Nations campaign where they have lost two home matches.
It is a stark reminder of the work they need to do to catch the best teams in the world - and things could get even worse with a trip to face Grand Slam-chasing world number one side Ireland in Dublin next weekend.
There was a noticeable buzz as England fans made their way to Twickenham with Marcus Smith given a chance to steer the ship at fly-half following his excellent display for Harlequins over the same blades of grass last weekend.
Smith was given the nod instead of the experienced Owen Farrell, who dropped to the bench, with the hope it would ignite the England attack.
But you could still feel the heat from the pre-game stadium pyrotechnics when Ramos opened the scoring in the first minute with his third try of the tournament.
France sniffed an opportunity and moved the ball wide quickly for the full-back to scamper clear. It was a sign of what was to come.
Flament had a short run-up before bursting on to a flat pass to carry three white shirts over the line for the second, and Ollivon momentarily wore Smith on his back for the third.
The game was out of sight by the interval and England had barely laid a glove as they trailed by their biggest ever half-time deficit at home.
The hosts must have had the stern words of Steve Borthwick and his staff ringing in their ears as they emerged for the second half like a different team.
Smith's crossfield kick almost reached Max Malins on the full before Steward used all his might to crash over near the posts.
Scrum-half Alex Mitchell had been introduced off the bench and immediately injected pace into the England attack, while Farrell replaced centre Henry Slade.
The volume went up a level but France showed the clinical edge their hosts were lacking and the influence of the world-class Antoine Dupont began to tell.
The France captain nudged the ball over the England defence for Romain Ntamack to palm back to Flament for the bonus point, and England's fire was extinguished.
More boot to ball in the swirling rain and more white shirts running backwards. This time Smith collected the ball deep in English territory before being hauled down as Ollivon claimed the loose ball for try number five.
England had thrown in the towel but France were intent on adding to their misery. Gael Fickou's crossfield kick bounced fortuitously for Penaud and then it was a race between the wing and Alex Dombrandt with only one winner.
Penaud was over again moments later after latching on to a flat pass to run England's noses in it for the seventh try.
Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Live: "There are no excuses. From the off, England have not been at the races. It's miserable for England fans, the players, the management.
"I'd like to say you write it off as a bad performance but England were exposed. Ireland will be watching this game thinking we can do that. We can play that way. We can manipulate England in that manner.
"It will put more doubt into the England coaching set-up. We have questioned whether England are playing the right game. They cannot expect to win games against the top teams if they play in that manner."
• None The A-list movie star sits down for an honest chat with Tony Bellew
• None Listen to all-new versions of her greatest hits and a classic cover | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64928055 |
Aukus: Sunak in US visit to finalise defence pact - BBC News | "2023-03-12T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The UK, US and Australian leaders are set to agree plans to supply Canberra with nuclear submarines. | UK | The new defence partnership will initially focus on a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian Navy
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is to fly to California later to discuss key details of a new defence agreement with his Australian and US counterparts.
The 2021 Aukus pact aims to counter what the three nations see as China's threat in the Indo-Pacific region.
At the time, China condemned the agreement as "extremely irresponsible".
The meeting with US President Joe Biden and Australian PM Anthony Albanese is set to agree the supply of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.
Speaking ahead of the talks in San Diego, Mr Sunak said the UK's global alliances were "our greatest source of strength and security".
During the trip - Mr Sunak's first to the US as PM - he is also set to unveil the UK's new integrated review of defence and foreign policy, which have been updated after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Sunak said the review will reflect "the future we want to deliver" to the UK - "secure, prosperous and standing shoulder to shoulder with our partners".
The plans to finalise the key details of the Aukus (Australia-UK-US) pact come in light of strained diplomatic relations between the West and China.
Downing Street has recently cited "increasingly concerning behaviour of the Chinese Communist Party" and just last month the former head of MI6 said the UK must "wake up" to the threat posed by China's challenges to global security.
Meanwhile, the US and China continue to clash on issues including Taiwan, China's militarisation of the South China Sea and the origins of Covid-19. And more recently, the spy balloon saga heightened tensions between the superpowers.
Beijing has acknowledged that China-US relations have "seriously deviated". Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said the diplomatic crisis caused by the balloon incident could have been averted but the US acted with "the presumption of guilt".
The deal is set to see Australia become just the seventh nation in the world to operate nuclear-powered submarines, after the US, UK, France, China, India and Russia.
The plan is for nuclear submarines to be built in Adelaide, south Australia, with the UK and US providing consultation on technology for their production.
The UK is hoping the Aukus pact will result in work for UK shipyards, with reports suggesting Canberra could select to build a modified version of the British Astute-class submarine, while taking delivery of up to five US Virginia-class submarines during the production stage.
In addition to submarines, the pact is committed to information and technology exchange between the three nations in areas ranging from intelligence and quantum technology to the acquisition of cruise missiles.
But the signing of the pact sparked a row with France, which lost a deal with Australia to build 12 diesel-powered submarines.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why is everyone fighting over the South China Sea? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64929819 |
UK scrambles to help tech firms after Silicon Valley Bank collapse - BBC News | "2023-03-12T00:00:00" | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says government and Bank of England are working to find a solution. | Business | Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) offices in the US were shut as customers sought their funds
The government says it is working "at pace" on a plan to prevent UK tech firms caught in the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank from running out of cash.
The Treasury said it wanted to "minimise damage to some of our most promising companies in the UK" after the US bank's failure on Friday.
Firms could start to run into problems on Monday morning without intervention.
US regulators shut down the lender on Friday in what is the largest failure of a US bank since 2008.
The bank's UK subsidiary will be put into insolvency from Sunday evening.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey "were up late last night" and have been "working through the weekend to come up with a solution" to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank UK, Mr Hunt told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
While there's no risk to the UK's financial system as a whole, "there is a serious risk to some of our most promising companies in technology and life sciences", Mr Hunt said.
"These are very important companies to the UK, a very important part of our future.
"We want to find a way that minimises or avoids all losses to those incredibly promising [firms]," Mr Hunt said, although he said he could not commit to companies recovering all of their money.
He said the government was "working at pace" to bring forward a plan to make sure firms can meet their cashflow needs "within the next few days".
That plan will mean companies can pay their staff, he said. "That's the big ask we've had in the last 24 hours."
But Rachel Reeves, Labour's shadow chancellor, said firms need to urgently hear how the government planned to help.
She said start-ups needed to pay wages and suppliers, and some could feel pressure on share prices, or even have investors saying they no longer have confidence.
"We need, tomorrow morning, to hear from the government, how they are going to protect firms," she said, whether that is guarantees, or working with the US government on a rescue for the bank.
Asked whether the government would come up with a solution by the time the markets open on Monday morning, Mr Sunak said: "The Treasury is working at pace."
More than 200 bosses of UK tech companies signed a letter addressed to Mr Hunt on Saturday calling for government intervention.
The letter, from Fintech Founders, said many financial technology firms did all of their banking with SVB "and will therefore go into receivership imminently unless preventative action is taken".
"The firms affected by the collapse of SVB serve millions of people in the UK along with businesses that are critical to our economy," the letter said.
"The cost of inaction here means that these firms could fail in the short-term and your technology growth ambitions will fail in the long-term."
Toby Mather, chief executive and co-founder of Lingumi, an education technology start-up, told the BBC his business was very exposed.
"85% of our cash is held in Silicon Valley Bank.. [So this] is a really existential threat to us because I've got to pay my employees and they've got kids and mortgages and so on."
One source in a tech firm told the BBC the situation could be "pretty terminal" for many UK start-ups.
"This Monday, at least 200 firms employing tens of thousands of people will find they can't pay their staff or suppliers because the bank they had an account with has gone bust," the source said.
Between 30% and 40% or UK start-ups employing up to 50,000 people could be affected by the collapse, the source added.
Michael Moore, director general of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, said this was an "urgent matter" and that "help is needed by tomorrow [Monday]" for tech firms and entrepreneurs.
SVB collapsed in the US after failing to raise $2.25bn (£1.9bn) to plug a loss from the sale of assets, mainly US government bonds, that were affected by higher interest rates.
Its troubles prompted a run on the bank in the US and sparked investor fears about the general state of the banking sector.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday she was working closely with regulators to protect US depositors, but she was not considering a bailout.
Silicon Valley Bank specialised in lending to early-stage businesses, and the company served nearly half of US venture-backed technology and healthcare companies that listed on stock markets last year.
The firm, which started as a California bank in 1983, expanded rapidly over the last decade. It employs more than 8,500 people globally, with most of its operations in the US.
But it has been under pressure as higher rates make it harder for start-ups to raise money through private fundraising or share sales. More clients were withdrawing deposits in a trend that snowballed last week.
Silicon Valley Bank UK, which has stopped making payments or accepting deposits, is officially expected to go into insolvency on Sunday evening.
The move will allow individual depositors to be paid up to £85,000 from the UK's deposit insurance scheme.
However, the government committing to protecting any more than this would create a "serious moral hazard", Treasury permanent secretary Nick Macpherson tweeted - that is, depositors would lack an incentive to guard against risk if they expected all of their losses to be covered in the event of a bank collapse. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64930944 |