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Ukraine war: Zelensky visits front line near Bakhmut as Russia targets cities - BBC News

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The Ukrainian leader's visit near Bakhmut coincides with two deadly Russian attacks.

Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has returned to the front line near Bakhmut where fighting has raged for months. The devastated city has long been a focal point of the war as Russian forces try to revive their military campaign in the east. His visit came as Russian forces launched a series of strikes on Ukrainian cities. At least eight people were killed near Kyiv and in Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine's military said it shot down 16 drones, but another five got through. Seven people died in an attack on student dormitories near the capital in Rzhyschiv. Then a rocket slammed into a block of flats in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia, leaving one dead and 25 wounded. Local leaders said the number of victims could rise. While President Zelensky condemned Russia's "bestial" attacks on civilians, he also visited the eastern front line, where Ukrainian forces have held Russia at bay for more than seven months. He last visited the area in December. Footage released by the President's office showed him in an old industrial warehouse giving medals to battle-weary soldiers. "I am honoured to be here today," he told servicemen, "in the east of our country, in Donbas, and to award our heroes, to thank you, to shake your hands." UK military intelligence said on Wednesday that a Ukrainian counter-attack to the west of Bakhmut was likely to relieve pressure on the main supply route to the city, and that Russia's attack on the city could be losing the "limited momentum" it had. "Fighting continues around the town centre and the Ukrainian defence remains at risk from envelopment from the north and south," the statement added. Meanwhile, Russian occupation officials in Crimea said that a drone attack on the port city of Sevastopol had been repelled, days after President Vladimir Putin visited the city. Explosions were reported by residents, but the Russian-installed governor said three "objects" targeting the Black Sea Fleet had been destroyed and Russian warships were not damaged. There was no comment from Ukraine's military, which said earlier this week it had destroyed missiles destined for the fleet at a rail hub in Dzhankoi in northern Crimea. Ukraine's cities were hit by drones in the early hours of Wednesday and later by rockets. Rescue services searched for survivors after the upper floors of two student dormitories were hit in the city of Rzhyshchiv in Kyiv region. At least seven people were killed, including an ambulance driver, police said. Among the nine wounded was an 11-year-old boy. Hours later, two missiles crashed into nine-storey blocks of flats in Zaporizhzhia, setting two buildings on fire. Officials said one person died in hospital and another 25 people were wounded. A number of flats were destroyed by the blasts and an air force spokesman indicated they might have been hit by Tornado-S rockets, which have a maximum range of 120km (75 miles). In a tweet, Mr Zelensky said residential areas in Zaporizhzhia were being targeted and it could not become "just another day" in Ukraine or the rest of the world. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Russian attacks came a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping completed a two-day visit to Moscow, promoting a 12-point peace plan. The Ukrainian president noted that every time "someone tries to hear the word 'peace' in Moscow", another order was given to launch attacks. President Putin said earlier that many of the Chinese proposals "can be taken as the basis for [the] settling of the conflict in Ukraine, whenever the West and Kyiv are ready for it". The plan makes no specific proposals and does not call explicitly for Russian forces to leave Ukraine's sovereign territory.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65036208

Mosque fire suspect arrested over second attack - BBC News

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A man accused of setting a pensioner on fire as he left a Birmingham mosque is held over an attack in west London.

Birmingham & Black Country

Mr Rayaz has undergone a skin graft in hospital, his family said. A man held after a pensioner was set alight as he left a Birmingham mosque has been arrested over a similar attack in west London last month. An 82-year-old man was set alight outside a mosque in Ealing on 27 February. Mohammed Rayaz was set on fire in Edgbaston on Monday. Mr Rayaz, 70, suffered severe burns to his face and arms. Detectives, supported by counter-terror police, are questioning the suspect on suspicion of attempted murder. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said both incidents were now being linked and the man had been arrested over the Ealing attack on Wednesday. Detectives from the Met and West Midlands Police were working closely together to establish the full circumstances. While counter-terror police were involved, officers were keeping an open mind as to any potential motivation. "At this stage we cannot speculate around the motive for the attacks, this is a live investigation and our main aim is to make sure communities are safe and that we bring justice for the victims," the West Midlands force said. Mr Rayaz was set alight just after he left this mosque in Dudley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham. The victim in Ealing received hospital treatment for severe burns to his face and arms in the attack. West Midlands Police said the suspect engaged the man in conversation as they both left the West London Islamic Centre. They spoke for a few minutes before the victim was doused in a liquid, believed to be petrol, and then set on fire. In a statement on Wednesday, members of the mosque described the incidents as "abhorrent and malicious attacks on two elders within our community" and thanked police for their efforts. "As we commence the blessed month of Ramadan, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," a spokesperson said. The victim, whom they named as Mr Hashi, had been recuperating from his injuries following his release from hospital the next day. He was lucky to have had a friend waiting nearby in his car at the time of the attack who reacted quickly by putting out the flames and calling the emergency services, the centre added. Mr Rayaz remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital following a skin graft operation. The retired factory worker was sprayed with a substance before his jacket was set on fire near his home on Shenstone Road, a short distance from the Dudley Road mosque he had left. Scorch marks are on the pavement in Edgbaston where the attack happened MP Shabana Mahmood, who has spoken to him on a video call, said he was "touched at the outpouring of love and support" since the attack. Family lawyer Shahbon Hussain said he got a text message from Mr Rayaz's son moments afterwards. "He heard his dad screaming, the family had gone out the house and seen him on fire," he said. "I immediately went over and the police, ambulance and fire brigade were already there." Neighbours, who said they were concerned by the attack, also helped to put flames out and carry Mr Rayaz to his home. Ms Mahmood, member for Birmingham Ladywood, organised a community walkabout on Wednesday with police to reassure Muslim communities on the eve of Ramadan. Mr Hussain, who also chairs the local StreetWatch group, said he collated CCTV and doorbell footage for police via a WhatsApp group of 160 residents. He added it would take a while for residents to feel safe as Ramadan got under way. MP Shabana Mahmood said Mr Rayaz was "touched at the outpouring of love and support" he had received since the attack Regarding the Ealing attack, Ch Supt Sean Wilson, of the Met's West Area Command, said: "We completely understand the shock that resonated throughout the community following this incident. "Despite a man having been arrested, we continue to be vigilant and urge local people to do the same. "Highly visible patrols around Singapore Road will continue in the coming days to provide reassurance to local people and I urge anyone who is concerned to approach officers." Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-65045660

Lindsay Lohan and Jake Paul hit with SEC charges over crypto scheme - BBC News

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Eight stars including Soulja Boy did not disclose payments for touting cryptocurrencies, the SEC says.

US & Canada

Actress Lindsay Lohan is among eight celebrities who US regulators say failed to disclose they were being paid to promote cryptocurrencies Eight celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan and Jake Paul, have been charged by US regulators with participating in an illegal crypto scheme. The stars allegedly used their social platforms to boost two crypto tokens without disclosing they were paid to promote them. The charges were announced by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a news release on Wednesday. Lohan and Paul have paid to settle the charges without admitting guilt. The other celebs charged are: The group is accused of illegally promoting TRX and BTT crypto assets "without disclosing that they were compensated for doing so and the amount of their compensation", the SEC said. Justin Sun, a crypto investor and diplomat for the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, is also accused of fraud by manipulating the trading activity of the two tokens to make it appear as if they were actively being traded in a crime known as "wash trading". Mr Sun, a Chinese-born protégé of Alibaba founder Jack Ma, is known for having once paid $4.6m (£3.7m) to have dinner with investor Warren Buffett. He is accused of "orchestrating a promotional campaign in which he and his celebrity promoters hid the fact that the celebrities were paid for their tweet", the SEC added in their news release. His companies - Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd and Rainberry Inc (formerly BitTorrent) - are also charged as part of the scheme. "This case demonstrates again the high risk investors face when crypto asset securities are offered and sold without proper disclosure," said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. "Sun and his companies not only targeted US investors in their unregistered offers and sales, generating millions in illegal proceeds at the expense of investors, but they also coordinated wash trading on an unregistered trading platform to create the misleading appearance of active trading." All of the celebrities, apart from Soulja Boy and Mahone, have paid a combined total of more than $400,000 to settle the charges. Lohan, who is best known for her role in the 2004 film Mean Girls, had 8.4 million Twitter followers when she posted a message calling for her followers to invest. The 36-year-old actress, who charging documents say is a resident of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, paid $10,000 to the SEC and another $30,000 in penalties. Paul, a YouTuber, boxer and resident of Puerto Rico, was ordered to pay more than $100,000.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65046882

Chris Mason: 'Box set Boris Johnson' is pure political theatre - BBC News

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The PM before last was never likely to gently fade out and disappear, writes the BBC's political editor.

UK Politics

Boris Johnson is walking, talking political theatre. It has always been his great political knack: compelling to some, infuriating to others. A headline-generating, column-filling, attention-grabbing, outsized personality. He attracts loyalty from some, opprobrium from others. And, yet again, he is back. The prime minister before last was never likely to dissolve into the ether, gently fade away and disappear. And he hasn't. This return to the fray isn't voluntary or even welcome from his perspective, relitigating as it does his character, his judgment, his believability. Here is a sense of the specifics the questioning is likely to get into. Is what we will hear from him likely to change your mind about Mr Johnson? That will ultimately be your call. But my hunch is for most people beyond Westminster - and most people here too - it won't. So why does it matter? It matters because it has the potential to finish him politically. But, as my colleague Helen Catt puts it here: "there are a lot of ifs in this process." Just one of them is proving to a cross-party committee of seven MPs, which includes four Conservatives, that he intentionally misled parliament. Proving intent, on the basis of what we have seen, so far at least, seems difficult. Arguing he was "reckless" in his testimony to the Commons is an arguably more subjective call - and so, potentially, a more plausible case around which the committee could unite. But it is possible that MPs in general, and Conservative MPs in particular, may one day have to decide if they want to try to finish off Mr Johnson, or not. What, then, are the wider political consequences of all of this? There's a good reason why Rishi Sunak picked Tuesday morning to sit down for a long interview with BBC Breakfast. The chance to scrutinise a prime minister at length is a journalistic opportunity few news programmes would turn down. But leaders pick their moments carefully before subjecting themselves to these encounters. And Mr Sunak and his team feel he has had a good few weeks: A deal with the EU over Brexit. A deal with France over migrants in small boats. A deal with America and Australia over defence. A prime minister, as they would see it, who is serious and business-like, gets his head down and gets stuff done. Who on earth could they be drawing a contrast with? And better to say all this stuff before the guy before last is back on stage again. In my job I get brief glimpses into how our prime ministers operate: their quirks and traits, as well as their beliefs and policies. When it comes to character, the contrast between Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak could barely be more stark. The instinctive flamboyance of Mr Johnson, the quotable camera-magnet, the colourful private life, the never-ending questions about his integrity. The instinctive caution of Mr Sunak, scrupulously careful on camera, a disciplined, teetotal, man of faith. And Mr Sunak, early polling evidence suggests, may be slowly resuscitating his party's image. He, some polls indicate, is more popular than his party - but both are, very steadily, ticking up, albeit still miles behind Labour. Enter next, thumping onto the table, this scrapbook of a chaotic Conservative past. The country reminded of the catalyst that brought a landslide-winning prime minister crashing down to earth - and the backbenches - in just a handful of years. Conservative MPs, witnessing these contrasting characters, reminded again of what they did, bringing Mr Johnson down. A first name-terms leader who fired up the party and assembled an improbable coalition, taking in Workington, Wokingham and West Bromwich. Did they make a terrible mistake getting rid of him? Some think they did. Others think all this proves it was the right call. One minister tells me he reckons Mr Johnson's supporters are down to a "Taliban of ten, maybe twenty. He no longer commands the Conservative plains like he did." But he has been apparently down and out before, only to manage a revival. However unlikely a return to the leadership, this week is a reminder to his party and the country, that Mr Johnson has never quite gone away. And he is not likely to just yet. The latest of many episodes in the Boris Johnson box set drama is starting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65034673

The shops dealing with the long shadow of Covid - BBC News

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Perthshire shop owners reflect on the changes they have faced since the pandemic hit three years ago.

Scotland business

Morgwn Preston-Jones says people were "ready to engage again" after the lockdowns Exactly three years on from the first pandemic lockdown, Dunkeld's high street is vibrant and busy. It's a place where tourists and day-trippers stop and shop, attracted by a host of small, independent outlets. Redwood Wines is a new arrival, conceived during the pandemic, and born as the lockdown lifted. Co-owner Morgwn Preston-Jones has come here from California, via Sussex and London. But the pandemic helped him put down roots in Big Tree Country, as Perthshire is known, close to the family of his Scottish wife Roseanna. He took the shop space during the lockdown of March 2021 and found he had plenty of time to focus on building up the business. "We had some help from tradespeople and goodwill from locals but we did a lot ourselves," he recalls. "Fitting it out was challenging. I basically learned how to be a carpenter. I built the bar, rebuilt the walls a little bit - as much DIY as I could possibly do." By the summer they were ready to open. As lockdown measures lifted, they found a ready market for their wine and food: people who had been bored and frustrated during the lockdown, and who wanted to live their lives again. "I think for us, it was a perfect time to open. People were ready to engage again, ready to experience. "People wanted the tactile nature of taking the bottle off the rack, reading about it, talking to someone who knew about it. Sometimes people would just come in to have a chat." For so many Scots, lockdown was a tough and lonely experience. And when it eased, many wanted to get back in town, to meet and break bread with friends. Dunkeld has fared relatively well in the aftermath of the pandemic Dunkeld is popular with the tourists, but home-working locals are now a mainstay for many local retailers. "We held a wine and cheese tasting last night," says Morgwn. "Almost 100% of the people who came were locals. It's totally reinforced that we were right to open here." Fifteen miles down the River Tay lies the city of Perth. Here too, there are stories of lockdown survival. But with footfall down since the pandemic, Perth faces far greater challenges than Dunkeld. Darren Slater started repairing shoes as a 16-year-old trainee. Thirty five years later, he was running Sole Savers, an independent store just off the city centre. "It was horrendous. It was a nightmare. Landlords were still looking for rent every month, staff screaming for wages. I didn't pay myself and hung on by my fingernails. "We had to close. During lockdown we were shut. Then I started taking on more and more car key remotes as an essential service. That kept me open and trading." Darren's business shed all four of its staff, and it's only started to pick up in the last couple of months, because of the cost-of-living crisis. "What's helped my industry and me is the hike in gas and electricity bills. People are repairing, rather than buying new. So it's given us a big boost to allow us to stay here. "We're not back to the level of staff we had before Covid, but we're getting there. "I'm finding there's more work being posted in, from right across the UK. "I even had pairs of shoes posted in from Africa and Canada to be repaired and then posted back." Darren worries for the future of Perth city centre, which has seen its biggest department stores, Debenhams and McEwens, close in recent years. In its pedestrian areas, To Let signs are now in abundance. This city, like so many others, is suffering from its own version of long Covid. There are plenty of To Let signs in Perth city centre The pandemic forced many of us to work from home. Last month, the Office for National Statistics revealed that 41% of Scots are still home, or hybrid, workers. That lack of footfall is a long-term blow to towns and cities. Lori McGaffney runs two shops in Perth's high street - Evalucia and Petit Pas. She's also president of Perthshire Chambers of Commerce. She says the lockdown forced change on Perth town centre at an alarming rate. "There's been a change in how people live their lives." No longer, she says, can the health of high streets be taken for granted. Problems need to be solved, and fast. "Lots of shop fronts are owned by pension funds which don't have a stake in the local area," she says. "Bigger shop units tend to be empty. How do we attract businesses which fit them? I'd like to see a repurposing within Perth city centre, and where it's viable - subdivision. " She sees Perth changing in the years ahead, "with a bit of a mix, with key multinationals which will drive footfall, blended in with more independents - smaller, repurposed stores - and higher-end urban housing". It may seem a futuristic mix, but it's the way many towns and cities looked in decades past - long before the pandemic came along to change our lives.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-65031339

Culture Club to pay 'expelled' ex-drummer Jon Moss £1.75m - BBC News

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Jon Moss had been due to take his ex-bandmates to court in a dispute over the group's earnings.

Entertainment & Arts

Culture Club reunited in 2014, but Jon Moss (second right) said he was fired in 2018 Culture Club will pay former drummer Jon Moss £1.75m to end a legal battle after he claimed they "expelled" him. Mr Moss had been due to take his ex-bandmates to court in a dispute over the group's earnings next week. The case will not go ahead after singer Boy George, guitarist Roy Hay and bassist Mikey Craig agreed a judgement should be made in favour of Mr Moss. The quartet found fame in the 1980s with pop hits such as Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? Mr Moss took legal action after allegedly being "expelled" by the group's manager in September 2018. A six-day High Court trial in London had been due to determine the value of the Culture Club name, the profits made by the band since Moss's alleged expulsion, and the amount he might be entitled to receive. Boy George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, Mr Craig and Mr Hay were all previously defending against Mr Moss's claims. But a court order published on Tuesday said the band had agreed to end the dispute, and are required to pay Mr Moss £1.75m immediately. It also said the drummer had agreed to relinquish any right to the Culture Club name and its use, including in connection with concerts and merchandise. Mr Moss and Boy George were romantic, as well as musical partners in the band's early days, but later fell out. The group reunited in 2014 but Mr Moss has said he was fired during the Life tour in 2018. The High Court trial had also been due to cover Mr Moss's additional claim that he was owed an "outstanding balance" of $246,000 (£201,000) under the terms of a band agreement for the tour. He claimed Boy George "conspired to defraud" him over the tour money and that funds were released to a US company which he stated was controlled by the singer. The company, You Give Me Life, and another, Other Places Drama, were also named as defendants in the case.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65038883

Afghan unlawful killings inquiry ‘critical to restoring reputation of armed forces’ - BBC News

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The inquiry is critical to restoring the reputation of the military and the country, says its chair.

UK

Lord Justice Haddon-Cave has stepped down from his role as a judge to lead the inquiry The inquiry into allegations of unlawful killings by UK special forces in Afghanistan is critical to "restoring the reputation of the military and the country", its chair has said. The inquiry will look into night raids carried out by UK special forces between mid-2010 and mid-2013. It will examine both allegations of killings and of subsequent cover-ups. The inquiry will look specifically at night raids known as Deliberate Detention Operations (DDOs), which were carried out by special-forces units. It comes after what the judge described as "significant reporting" by the BBC's Panorama programme last year, which revealed that one British SAS squadron may have unlawfully killed at least 54 Afghans during one six-month tour. The inquiry also follows legal challenges brought by two families of people killed by British forces in DDOs. Launching the inquiry on Wednesday, Lord Justice Haddon-Cave called for anyone with relevant information to come forward. "It is clearly important that anyone who has broken the law is referred to the relevant authorities for investigation, and equally, those who have done nothing wrong should rightly have the cloud of suspicion lifted from them," he said. Lord Justice Haddon-Cave said many of the inquiry's hearings would have to be held in private because of the "highly sensitive" nature of the testimony. Abdul Aziz Uzbakzai, an Afghan farmer whose son and daughter-in-law were killed by British special forces during a night raid in 2012 and whose grandsons Imran and Bilal were gravely wounded in the operation, told the BBC the inquiry "cannot bring back my son and daughter-in-law, nor can it bring Imran and Bilal's parents back to them". "But after 11 long years, I still want the British soldiers and other officials to come forward and reveal the truth," Mr Uzbakzai said. "We are still unaware of why we were targeted, and we long to know why." Do you have information about this story that you want to share? Get in touch using SecureDrop, a highly anonymous and secure way of whistleblowing to the BBC which uses the TOR network. Or by using the Signal messaging app, an end-to-end encrypted message service designed to protect your data. Please note that the SecureDrop link will only work in a Tor browser. For information on keeping secure and anonymous, here's some advice on how to use SecureDrop. Tessa Gregory, a partner at law firm Leigh Day, which has represented some of the family members of those killed on DDOs, said the firm's clients welcomed the launch of the inquiry. "Throughout years of secrecy and cover-ups our clients have fought tirelessly for justice for their loved ones' deaths and they hope that a bright light will now be shone on the practices and command of UK special forces in Afghanistan," Ms Gregory said. In 2014, the Royal Military Police launched Operation Northmoor, an investigation into the allegations of unlawful killings, but it was formally closed in 2019 with no charges. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said at the time that no evidence of criminality had been found, despite Operation Northmoor having more than 600 alleged offences in its scope. Royal Military Police investigators told the BBC last year their efforts to gather evidence during Operation Northmoor had been obstructed by the British military, and they disputed the MoD's statement that no evidence of criminality had been found. As well as the underlying allegations of unlawful killings, the inquiry will examine whether the actions of the MoD and investigations by the Royal Military Police were adequate. The MoD told the BBC on Wednesday it was also encouraging anyone with information to come forward to the inquiry. A spokesperson said it was not appropriate for the MoD to comment further "on cases which are within the scope of the Statutory Inquiry", adding that it was "up to the Statutory Inquiry Team, led by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, to determine which allegations are investigated". Labour's shadow defence secretary, John Healey, said: "This special inquiry is welcome and must succeed." He added: "This cannot be swept under the carpet."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65027239

Putin: China plan could end war, but Ukraine and West not ready for peace - BBC News

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Mr Putin says China's plan could end the war - but he claims Ukraine and the West are not ready for peace.

Europe

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. China's peace plan for Ukraine could be used as a basis to end the war, Vladimir Putin has said. But Mr Putin said the plan could be put forward only when they are ready "in the West and Kyiv". The Russian leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the conflict, and relations between the two countries. China's plan, published last month, does not explicitly call for Russia to leave Ukraine. Listing 12 points, it calls for peace talks and respect for national sovereignty, without specific proposals. But Ukraine has insisted on Russia withdrawing from its territory as a condition for any talks - and there is no sign that Russia is ready to do that. On Wednesday the Moscow-backed authorities in annexed Crimea said an attack by three waterborne drones on the Black Sea Fleet in the Bay of Sevastopol had been repelled with no damage to the fleet. The report could not be independently confirmed. On Monday, explosions in another part of Crimea were said by Ukraine to have destroyed Russian missiles being transported by rail. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that calling for a ceasefire before Russia withdrew "would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest". In a joint news conference after talks with Mr Xi ended, Mr Putin said: "Many provisions of the Chinese peace plan can be taken as the basis for settling of the conflict in Ukraine, whenever the West and Kyiv are ready for it." But Russia had yet to see such "readiness" from the other side, he added. Standing alongside the Russian leader, Mr Xi said his government was in favour of peace and dialogue and that China was on the "right side of history". He again claimed that China had an "impartial position" on the conflict in Ukraine, seeking to cast Beijing as the potential peace-maker. The pair also discussed growing trade, energy and political ties between the two nations. "China is the leading foreign trade partner of Russia," President Putin said, pledging to keep up and surpass the "high level" of trade achieved last year. Mr Xi left Russia on Wednesday, his plane departing from a Moscow airport. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. China 'not impartial in any way', White House says According to Russian state media, the two leaders also: There are growing concerns in the West that China might provide military support for Russia. Speaking in Brussels, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said his alliance had not "seen any proof that China is delivering lethal weapons to Russia". But he added there were "signs" that Russia had requested weapons, and that the request was being considered in Beijing. A joint statement released by China and Russia after the meeting between the two leaders said the close partnership between the two countries did not constitute a "military-political alliance". Relations "do not constitute a bloc, do not have a confrontational nature and are not directed against third countries", they added. Mr Putin also used the press conference to accuse the West of deploying weapons with a "nuclear component" and said Russia would be "forced to react" if the UK sent shells made with depleted uranium to Ukraine. . The UK's Ministry of Defence said depleted uranium was a "standard component" which had "nothing to do with nuclear weapons". Mr Xi was given a fanfare welcome when he arrived at the Kremlin for a second day of talks on Tuesday. He said he was "very happy" to be in Moscow and described talks with President Putin as "frank, open and friendly". His visit to Russia came days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin on war crimes allegations. The state visit was mirrored by Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's surprise visit to Kyiv - making him the first leader of Japan to visit a country in conflict since World War Two. President Zelensky said he will join the G7 summit in Japan in May via video link at the invitation of Mr Kishida. He told a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he had also asked China to get involved in talks but was waiting for an answer. "We offered China to become a partner in the implementation of the peace formula," he said. "We invite you to the dialogue; we are waiting for your answer."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65030929

James Webb telescope detects dust storm on distant world - BBC News

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The new super space telescope makes unprecedented observations of a far-off planet's atmosphere.

Science & Environment

Artwork of VHS 1256b: The planet takes about 10,000 years to go around its two parent stars A raging dust storm has been observed on a planet outside our Solar System for the first time. It was detected on the exoplanet known as VHS 1256b, which is about 40 light-years from Earth. It took the remarkable capabilities of the new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to make the discovery. The dust particles are silicates - small grains comprising silicon and oxygen, which form the basis of most rocky minerals. But the storm detected by Webb isn't quite the same phenomenon you would get in an arid, desert region on our planet. It's more of a rocky mist. "It's kind of like if you took sand grains, but much finer. We're talking silicate grains the size of smoke particles," explained Prof Beth Biller from the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, UK. "That's what the clouds on VHS 1256b would be like, but a lot hotter. This planet is a hot, young object. The cloud-top temperature is maybe similar to the temperature of a candle flame," she told BBC News. VHS 1256b was first identified by the UK-developed Vista telescope in Chile in 2015. It's what's termed a "super Jupiter" - a planet similar to the gas giant in our own Solar System, but a lot bigger, perhaps 12 to 18 times the mass. It circles a couple of stars at great distance - about four times the distance that Pluto is from our Sun. Earlier observations of VHS 1256b showed it to be red-looking, hinting that it might have dust in its atmosphere. The Webb study confirms it. "It's fascinating because it illustrates how different clouds on another planet can be from the water vapour clouds we are familiar with on the Earth," said Prof Biller. "We see carbon monoxide (CO) and methane in the atmosphere, which is indicative of it being hot and turbulent, with material being drawn up from deep. "There are probably multiple layers of silicate grains. The ones that we're seeing are some of the very, very fine grains that are higher up in the atmosphere, but there may be bigger grains deeper down in the atmosphere." Telescopes have previously detected silicates in so-called brown dwarfs. These are essentially star-like objects that have failed to ignite properly. But this is a first for a planet-sized object. To make the detection, Webb used its Mid-Infrared Instrument (Miri), part-built in the UK, and its Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NirSpec). They didn't take pretty pictures of the planet, at least not in this instance. What they did was tease apart the light coming from VHS 1256b into its component colours as a way to discern the composition of the atmosphere. "JWST is the only telescope that can measure all these molecular and dust features together," said Miri co-principal investigator Prof Gillian Wright, who directs the STFC UK Astronomy Technology Centre, also in Edinburgh. "The dynamic picture of the atmosphere of VHS 1256b provided by this study is a prime example of the discoveries enabled by using the advanced capabilities of Miri and NirSpec together." JWST's primary mission is to observe the pioneer stars and galaxies that first shone just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. But a key objective is to investigate exoplanets. In Miri and NirSpec it has the tools to study their atmospheres in unprecedented detail. Scientists hope they might even be able to tell whether some exoplanets have conditions suitable to host life. Astronomers are reporting Webb's observations of VHS 1256b in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. James Webb is a collaborative project of the US, European and Canadian space agencies. It was launched in December 2021 and is regarded as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65040983

Bafta TV Awards 2023: This is Going to Hurt and The Responder lead nominations - BBC News

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Ben Whishaw's This Is Going To Hurt and Martin Freeman's The Responder have six TV nominations each.

Entertainment & Arts

Ben Whishaw's This Is Going To Hurt and Martin Freeman's The Responder lead the field at his year's Bafta TV Awards, with six nominations each. Whishaw is up for best actor for playing a doctor in the adaptation of Adam Kay's best-selling memoir. He will go up against Freeman, who is shortlisted for playing a police officer in his Liverpool-set drama. Sarah Lancashire, Kate Winslet, Cillian Murphy and Daniel Radcliffe are among the other acting nominees. But author and former Pointless co-host Richard Osman criticised the daytime category, which sees just three shows nominated, including one - The Repair Shop's royal special - which aired at 20:00. Osman, pictured with wife Ingrid Oliver at last year's TV Baftas, criticised the sparseness of the daytime category "Daytime TV punches far above its weight in terms of ratings, cost and popularity," Osman wrote on Twitter. "To have only two daytime shows on this list is a bit of a kick in the teeth for producers. "If I made Bridge Of Lies, Homes Under The Hammer, Come Dine With Me, Lingo etc. I think I'd feel robbed. Why bother having the category?" Osman said TV can be a "snobbish industry sometimes", adding: "I love all three of those nominated shows (but the brilliant Repair Shop was on at 8pm)." A Bafta spokesman told BBC News having three nomination slots is the norm for categories with fewer than 20 submissions, adding The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit "was deemed eligible by Bafta's TV committee because it was originally commissioned by Daytime and for its volume of output as a series". Other leading shows include Bad Sisters, The Crown, The English and Slow Horses, which have five nominations each. There are four nominations apiece for Daisy May Cooper's comedy-thriller Am I Being Unreasonable?, as well as three boy-based dramas - Top Boy, Somewhere Boy and Big Boys. Sarah Lancashire is recognised for her portrayal of US TV chef Julia Child In the acting categories, Lancashire is nominated for her portrayal of US TV chef Julia Child in the HBO drama Julia. Lancashire also recently starred in Happy Valley, but the latest series of that show was broadcast too recently to be eligible at this year's Baftas. Imelda Staunton is nominated for her portrayal of the late Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's The Crown She is up against Winslet (I Am Ruth), Imelda Staunton (The Crown), Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie Too), Maxine Peake (Anne) and Vicky McClure (Without Sin). In the leading actor category, Freeman and Whishaw face competition from Murphy (Peaky Blinders), Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Taron Egerton (Black Bird) and Chaske Spencer (The English). This Is Going To Hurt author Kay said he was "thrilled" that the screen adaptation had been recognised by Bafta, adding: "This show is a love letter to the NHS and the staff who work there." Martin Freeman is recognised for his performance as a front-line police officer in The Responder Tony Schumacher, the former police officer who wrote The Responder, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was "amazing" to be nominated. "I grew up in one of the worst areas in the country in terms of deprivation," he said. "I got a U in my O-level English. I'd always wanted to be a writer but I thought, I haven't got an O-level so I can't be a writer, and it took me 40 years to realise that I could." Elsewhere, the live event category sees nominations for both the Queen's Platinum Jubilee last June and her state funeral in September. The first series of the hit BBC reality show The Traitors has scored nominations for best reality show, as well as best entertainment performance for host Claudia Winkleman. The Traitors is up for best reality series while host Claudia Winkleman is nominated for entertainment performance Winkleman is up against comedian Rosie Jones, who is recognised for her programme Trip Hazard. Jones tweeted: "Erm, so I've just woken up to the BEST NEWS EVER. I'm a Bafta nominee, baby! I'm ringing my mum." Another nominee in the category, Sue Perkins, tweeted: "Beyond delighted to be nominated for this year's Bafta Awards. Huge congrats to all my fellow nominees. Off to dance around the garden for a bit." In the scripted comedy category, Am I Being Unreasonable? faces competition from the final series of Derry Girls as well as Big Boys and Ghosts. Read more about the nominated shows Radcliffe is nominated for best male comedy performance for his portrayal of Weird Al Yankovic in the biopic of the US musical comedian. Other nominees in that category include Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable?) and Stephen Merchant (The Outlaws). The best female comedy performance shortlist sees nods for Cooper (Am I Being Unreasonable?), Diane Morgan (Cunk on Earth) and Lucy Beaumont (Meet The Richardsons). British actor Will Sharpe, pictured last month, is nominated for best supporting performance for The White Lotus Some of the biggest TV hits of the year can be found in the international category, with nominations for Wednesday, The White Lotus, The Bear and Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Joe Lycett vs Beckham: Got Your Back At Xmas - which saw the comedian criticise the former footballer for his links with Qatar - is nominated in the features category. There are some notable omissions in this year's list. Murphy is the sole nominee for the final season of Peaky Blinders, while ITV's Trigger Point - which won the National Television Award for best new drama in September - has been shut out entirely. Last year's Bafta best soap winner Coronation Street has not even been shortlisted this time. Elsewhere, Netflix hit Heartstopper, about a teenage boy who falls in love with his classmate, and The Tourist, starring Jamie Dornan as a man who wakes up with amnesia following a car crash, only have one craft nomination each. The winners in the main categories will be announced at a ceremony on 14 May, with the Bafta Craft Awards handed out on 23 April.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65026718

Mesut Ozil: Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany midfielder retires - BBC Sport

Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil retires from football at the age of 34.

Last updated on .From the section European Football Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil has retired from football at the age of 34. Ozil won nine trophies during his club career including four FA Cups and the Spanish La Liga title in 2012. He also won 92 caps for Germany and was part of the team that lifted the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. "It has been an amazing journey filled with unforgettable moments and emotions," Ozil said in a statement on social media. "I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity. "But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it's become more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football." Ozil began his career at Schalke and Werder Bremen before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2010, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. He joined Arsenal for a then club record fee of £42.4m in September 2013, winning back-to-back FA Cups in his first two seasons before being named player of the season in his third, and then winning the cup again in 2017. The playmaker became the highest-paid player in the club's history in January 2018, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal on about £350,000 a week before tax, but fell out of favour under new Arsenal boss Unai Emery. After Emery's dismissal in December 2019 Ozil returned to the side under interim boss Freddie Ljungberg and kept his place under new permanent manager Mikel Arteta, before the coronavirus pandemic forced a three-month suspension of the top flight in March 2020. Ozil did not play for the club when football resumed in June, although he would claim a fourth FA Cup winners' medal when the Gunners beat Chelsea in the 2020 final. He joined Fenerbahce on a free transfer in January 2021 but had his contract cancelled by mutual consent in July 2022 when he joined Istanbul Basaksehir, where injuries limited him to just eight appearances. Ozil could have played for Germany or Turkey at international level but chose to play for the country of his birth. He was named man of the match as Germany Under-21s beat England in the European U21 Championship final in June 2009, having already made his debut for the senior side aged 20 earlier that year. Ozil was named Germany player of the year five times and was part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, as well as winning the 2014 World Cup. However, he retired from international football in 2018, citing the "racism and disrespect" he faced in Germany over his Turkish roots after he was criticised for being photographed with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. • None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65037573

MPs back Rishi Sunak's new Brexit Northern Ireland deal - BBC News

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But former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss joined 20 other Tory MPs and the DUP to vote against the agreement.

UK Politics

Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland has been passed by MPs, despite a rebellion from 22 of his backbenchers. Ex-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were among Tories joining Northern Ireland's DUP in voting against the agreement. But it passed by 515 to 29 overall, with the backing of other Tories, Labour and the SNP. The deal, unveiled last month, rewrites the Brexit accord agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019. Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker denounced the two former PMs for opposing it, saying he thought "they're both better than this". Mr Johnson risks "looking like a pound shop Nigel Farage" by voting against the deal, added Mr Baker, who supported the UK's EU exit in 2016. Former Brexit leader Nigel Farage fired back on Twitter, saying Mr Baker had betrayed his Brexiteer credentials and was a "weasel" for supporting the deal. Mark Francois, the chair of the ERG group of Eurosceptic Tories, confirmed earlier its "strong recommendation" was for Tory MPs to defy orders from party managers and reject the deal. As well as Mr Johnson and Ms Truss, Tory MPs voting against the deal included former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg. Priti Patel, who was home secretary under Mr Johnson, also voted against, writing in the Telegraph before the vote that Mr Sunak should "negotiate a better deal". The vote is on a key part of the deal, known as the Stormont brake, that would give a future Northern Ireland Assembly a way to challenge new EU goods legislation. The vote is likely to be the only vote MPs get on Mr Sunak's renegotiated deal, known as the Windsor Framework. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Around 100 MPs didn't take part in the vote. This number will include those who abstained, along with those who did not vote for another reason or were given permission not to. The original Brexit withdrawal deal negotiated by Mr Johnson introduced a series of checks on goods sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, in order to avoid a border with the Irish Republic. Despite originally billing the agreement as a "great deal for our country," Mr Johnson went on to join Tory Brexiters in bemoaning the economic impact of the checks it introduced. The changes negotiated by Mr Sunak aim to streamline the checks process, which have also proved highly unpopular among unionists in Northern Ireland. Speaking in the Commons, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the Stormont brake would give assembly members in Northern Ireland "robust" powers to challenge EU laws. But in a statement issued before the vote, Mr Johnson said it was "unacceptable". "The proposed arrangements would mean either that Northern Ireland remained captured by the EU legal order - and was increasingly divergent from the rest of the UK - or they would mean that the whole of the U.K. was unable properly to diverge and take advantage of Brexit," he added. He said it would be better to proceed with controversial legislation giving British ministers the power to override the original deal, which Mr Sunak has shelved due to his new agreement. Ms Truss is also said to believe the new framework "fatally impinges" on the UK's ability to diverge from EU rules. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he will continue to work with the government on "outstanding issues" - even though Downing Street said there are no plans for any substantial change to the deal. The European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptic Tory MPs has criticised the Stormont brake, with legal experts advising them it was "practically useless".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65034260

Partygate live: Boris Johnson 'insists Partygate events were necessary at heated hearing - BBC News

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Raising a toast at a leaving do "was essential for work purposes", the former prime minister tells a panel investigating him.

UK Politics

It was tense, uncomfortable, and not just because the room was swelteringly warm. The committee’s grilling didn’t last the full five hours some anticipated, but it was still extensive - and long. So how did Johnson do? Well, we won’t know just yet whether or not his evidence was enough to convince MPs that when - as he’s admitted - he misled Parliament, he did not do so intentionally or recklessly, and corrected the record at the earliest opportunity. Johnson seemed at his most confident when he was able to draw on facts that suggest rule breaking wouldn’t have been obvious to him - like that official photographers were present at times and that his birthday gathering was briefed to the Times newspaper. He looked more at ease here. It got trickier for him when he started having his own social distancing guidance cited back at him. The photographic evidence here became difficult for him as he was forced to explain how drinks gatherings demonstrated social distancing being followed “wherever possible.” Here he relied mostly on his belief these gatherings were “essential” for work. Will that wash with the committee? We’ll need to wait and see. He was most visibly rattled - as were some of the supportive Tory MPs sat behind him - when they grilled him on whether he had adequate assurances that rules were followed, as he claimed to Parliament. Many watching at home may have made up their minds already about whether or not they back his defence. But it could be a while still before we know how all this has landed with the people who really matter now - the MPs who have his fate in their hands.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-65033262

Brexit: MPs back Stormont Brake as part of Sunak's new NI deal - BBC News

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MPs vote in favour of regulations to implement the Stormont Brake section of the Windsor Framework.

UK Politics

If you have your ear to the ground you'll know that all the action is going on in one of Westminster's committee rooms, where Boris Johnson is being grilled about whether he intentionally misled Parliament over lockdown parties. Our colleagues have been following all the action live - you can join them here as they unravel the evidence that's being presented. On this page, now that we know who voted against the Stormont Brake element of the Windsor Framework deal, we're going to wrap things up. If you want a quick take on what happened in the Commons today, read this. And if you want to read about the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland in more depth, there's much more detail and analysis from our experts on our Brexit topic page and our Northern Ireland page. Thanks for joining us, have a great afternoon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-65032440

Boris Johnson challenged in hearing: Key moments - BBC News

The former prime minister faces a committee of MPs on whether he intentionally misled parliament.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced a committee of MPs looking at whether he intentionally misled parliament over lockdown-era parties. Here are the key moments from Johnson's Partygate grilling.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65043513

Two held after mob rushes Sydney LGBT protesters - BBC News

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Two men have been arrested after a mob clashed with LGBT activists outside a Sydney church, police say.

Australia

Two men have been arrested after a mob clashed with LGBT activists outside a Sydney church, Australian police say. The LGBT group said "hundreds of far-right thugs" punched protesters outside the church event attended by right-wing politician Mark Latham. Mr Latham said the meeting was being held to discuss "religious freedom and parental rights". The incident comes days after clashes between pro- and anti-transgender groups in Melbourne. New South Wales Police Superintendent Sheridan Waldau said peaceful protesters were set upon by a "mob" of about 250 people outside the church in Belfield, south-west Sydney on Tuesday evening. Glass bottles and other projectiles were thrown at officers, and a 38-year-old man was pushed to the ground and assaulted, police said. Riot police were called in to disperse the crowd, and two men, aged 34 and 41, were arrested and charged with encouraging the commission of crimes and common assault respectively, they said. Supt Waldau told reporters she expected further arrests on Wednesday as police reviewed footage of the incident. Video posted on Facebook showed a crowd of men confronting the LGBT activists and appearing to throw punches. Mr Latham, a member of the right-wing populist One Nation party, is an outspoken critic of the teaching of "gender diversity" in schools. He said the event had not been organised by One Nation or himself. In a tweet, LGBT group Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) said several activists were "punched in the face multiple times as they were surrounded by a mob 30 times their size". Channel 9 reporter Ruth Wynn-Williams told Sydney's 2GB radio the incident had "a very small beginning", with some 15 LGBT protesters set upon by "a huge group of [Latham] supporters who came out of that church". "It wasn't a minor incident… they were quite riled up when they took these protesters on," she said. Mark Latham is currently campaigning in the New South Wales state election Mark Latham said police had advised him not to speak at the event, and said this was "a denial of democracy". He tweeted that he was speaking about "important election issues", including "religious freedom, parental rights, school education and protecting non-Govt schools from Alphabet Activism", and "thoroughly condemned" the violence outside. Mr Latham began his political career with the Australian Labor Party and served as its leader from 2003 – 2005. He then retired from politics and became an outspoken political commentator, known for his generally right-wing, socially conservative views. He returned to politics in 2017 and is currently standing for One Nation in the NSW state election, which takes place this Saturday. Tuesday's incident follows last Saturday's clashes outside the Victorian state parliament in Melbourne between rival protest groups at a "Let Women Speak" event being staged by British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull. The presence of neo-Nazis at that event, in apparent support of Ms Keen-Minshull, has triggered a huge backlash, with calls for Victoria to tighten up state laws on the display of hate symbols, including Nazi salutes. The Australian Liberal Party is also attempting to expel its MP Moira Deeming, who attended the event and was photographed alongside Ms Keen-Minshull. In a statement, Ms Deeming said neo-Nazis had "gate-crashed" the rally and most attendees did not realise who they were. "None of those organising the event had any involvement with these men, as has been confirmed by Victoria Police, the Australian Jewish Association and all the organisers themselves," she said. UPDATE 11 April 2023: The description of an organiser of one of the protest groups has been amended in this article.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-65034603

Ending sewage dumping will mean higher water bills - report - BBC News

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The House of Lords report blames government, regulator and water companies for pollution.

Science & Environment

Water companies are allowed to release raw sewage to prevent treatment plants being overwhelmed during heavy rain. Stopping the dumping of sewage into rivers and the sea will require huge infrastructure spending and will probably push up water bills, according to a new House of Lords report. Raw sewage discharge through storm overflows is meant to be an emergency last resort during heavy rain but the government says it happens too often. The system "relies on releasing polluted water", says the report. The root cause of the UK's sewage problem is not contested: the system was designed and built by the Victorians and there simply hasn't been enough investment in the drains and treatment plants needed to cope with a growing population and more intense storms. That means raw sewage regularly being discharged with rainwater into rivers and onto beaches. "For decades the focus has always been on supplying cheap good quality water to the population. The environmental objectives have not been focused on," says Lord Cromwell, a member of the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, which published the report. "It is going to be hugely expensive to put this right." Most see the solution as building a waste water system that manages rainwater and waste water separately, so they no longer go to the same place to be treated. But estimates for how much this updated sewage network might cost vary widely. The Lords report says they had heard estimates that range from tens of billions to hundreds of billions of pounds over decades. Last year the government published its Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, which will it says compel water companies to invest £56bn over the next 25 years. That cost will almost certainly will be passed on to customers, with the Lords report saying there will need to be a "social tariff" for those unable to pay the higher rates. It did not say how much it expected bills to rise. Responding to the report the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) called the £56bn plan the "largest infrastructure programme" in the water companies' history. "We know that more needs to be done, which is why we will go further and faster to hold companies to account in delivering for customers and our environment," a Defra spokesperson said. Just 14% of rivers in England can currently claim to have good ecological status in part due to sewage discharges The Lords report also called for the water regulator Ofwat to push for greater transparency from water companies. Despite rising public awareness, companies still don't have to provide comprehensive information on what, when and how much they release. At present they release data on how many hours their storm overflows are open each year. In 2021 that came to a grand total of more than 2.6 million hours in England. There is no routine monitoring of the volume of the outflow, its contents or the quality of most of the UK's waterways. In a statement Ofwat welcomed the Lords report calling it "helpful and detailed". The regulator says it intends to do more to hold water companies to account, pointing out that it is currently investigating six companies. Higher bills are likely to focus more attention on how much profit water companies make and how much their executives are paid. Earlier this week Ofwat said water companies should "take account" of environmental performance when deciding whether to pay dividends. The peers are clearer, saying water company bosses should not receive large bonuses while their companies pollute and calling for "greater individual accountability (at water companies) and sanctions for egregious environmental crimes". In response to a BBC request for comment, trade body Water UK said it welcomed the committee's recommendation that the government provide Ofwat with guidance on the increased level of investment needed to further improve environment and water security. It made no comment on the peers' call for executive pay to be linked to environmental pollution.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65028971

Andrew Tate: Brothers' custody in Romania extended by another month - BBC News

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The controversial social media influencer and his brother have both been detained since December.

Europe

Under Romanian law Andrew and Tristan Tate can be held for up to six months in detention Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan will remain in custody in Romania for a fourth consecutive month, a court has ruled. The brothers have been detained since December and are being investigated on allegations of rape, people trafficking and forming an organised crime group. Both have denied wrongdoing. Mr Tate's lawyers say he will be held until the end of April. British investigators are also helping Romanian police with information from the UK side, the BBC has learned. The brothers' lawyers said that prosecutors had brought no new evidence to Wednesday's hearing. They also suggested their clients' notoriety was contributing to the decision to keep them in custody. Mateea Petrescu, spokeswoman for the Tates, said that - for the first time - the judge had asked the brothers to respond directly to prosecution arguments that they were a flight risk and a risk to public order. Andrew Tate, 36 and his brother Tristan, 34, were arrested in late December 2022. Despite what was described as a "dynamic exchange", the judge eventually ruled the two men should be kept in preventative custody for another 30 days, until the end of April. Ms Petrescu said the team was "speechless" at the court's decision. She said the continued detention had "irreparably harmed" the brothers' image and that it would "take years to rebuild their reputation". A lawyer acting for the Tates in the US recently contacted one of the alleged victims in the case, threatening to sue her and her family for $300m (£244m) for defamation unless she retracted her claims. Judges have consistently justified their decision to keep them in custody, on grounds that they might pressure witnesses or interfere with evidence. At previous hearings, investigators have reportedly presented evidence from phone calls recorded during the brothers' detention. Under Romanian law, suspects can be kept in detention for up to six months without trial, with the agreement of the courts. Another lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, told the BBC: "In all the volumes of the file, you never find one piece of paper with pornographic content to sustain the theory that [the women] were obliged to post pornographic content". But leaked court documents, seen by the BBC last month, outlined testimony from alleged victims claiming to be forced to earn €10,000 (£8,800) a month on social media platforms, under the alleged threat of physical violence. Court papers also described debts being used as "a form of psychological coercion". Since investigations began here last April, six women have been identified by prosecutors as victims. Four of them are believed to have given testimony against the Tates. Two others have said they do not consider themselves as victims, but are reportedly still being treated as such by investigators, on the grounds some victims retain a strong emotional bond to their traffickers. One expert in human trafficking law said, in any future trial, it is crucial prosecutors present hard evidence rather than rely solely on victim testimony. Romanian-American University's Silvia Tabusca told the BBC: "What's different [in the Tate investigation] is the way the prosecutor has started to build the case." Silvia Tabusca is a Romanian organised crime expert from the European Center for Legal Education and Research "Usually, most of the cases in Romania are built on the testimony of the victim, but in this case, I see that a lot is based on other types of evidence, mainly wire-tapping and information from their computers and programmes." She says there is a legal overlap in Romania between human trafficking - which implies force or coercion; and pimping - which implies a victim's consent. "There is huge public pressure on victims," she said. "We've learned that after two or three years, victims are not willing to cooperate with the court. So if the trial is built mainly on the testimony of the victim, the [defence] lawyers can easily change the charge from human trafficking to pimping." There are also legal loopholes around online exploitation - something the European Union is currently trying to tighten. "The means and tools that traffickers use have changed," said Malin Björk, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the issue. She's heading discussions on a new EU directive which "makes clear that crimes conducted online are just as criminal as those off-line". It is expected to be voted on by the European Parliament this summer. Investigators in Romania have now begun looking into financial records, with a new focus on possible money-laundering. Daniel Ticau, a former prosecutor with the organised crime unit leading the Tate investigation, said this case could shine a spotlight on Romania's capacity to carry out these kinds of probes. "From my point of view, there is a serious lack of political will to develop this capacity to properly handle the parallel financial investigations in organised crime, and in particular in human trafficking, drug trafficking and other serious crimes," he said. Ms Tabusca added that Romania faces a striking lack of resources more generally. "At present, there are more than 800 ongoing cases of human trafficking, many of them international cases and very complicated cases," she explained. "For these 800 cases, we have seven prosecutors and 48 police officers." As well as investigating ongoing cases of alleged human trafficking, she said, they also have to constantly monitor the phenomenon among a population of more than 20 million people. It can take months or years to put together an indictment in a human trafficking case. With three months left before Andrew and Tristan Tate must be either released from custody or brought to trial, the spotlight is on Romania to show it can handle the pressure.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65041668

Ed Sheeran 'didn't want to live' after his friends Jamal Edwards and Shane Warne died - BBC News

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The star says he reached a low point after the deaths of his friends Jamal Edwards and Shane Warne.

Entertainment & Arts

Sheeran says the trauma he experienced at the start of 2022 left him at his lowest ebb Ed Sheeran says he "didn't want to live any more" after the deaths of his friends SBTV founder Jamal Edwards and cricketer Shane Warne in 2022. Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, the star said he had dealt with depression "throughout my life" and felt the feelings resurface last year. "You're under the waves drowning. You're just sort of in this thing. And you can't get out of it." He worried his thoughts were "selfish", given that he is a parent to two girls. "Especially as a father, I feel really embarrassed about it," the 32-year-old said. Sheeran credited his wife, Cherry Seaborn, with encouraging him to seek help. "No one really talks about their feelings where I come from," he said. "People think it's weird getting a therapist in England.… I think it's very helpful to be able to speak with someone and just vent and not feel guilty about venting. "Obviously, like, I've lived a very privileged life. So my friends would always look at me like, 'Oh, it's not that bad.' "The help isn't a button that is pressed, where you're automatically OK," he continued. "It is something that will always be there and just has to be managed." Jamal Edwards gave Ed Sheeran his first big break in 2010 Edwards, who gave Sheeran his first big break, died suddenly from a heart attack in February 2022 after taking cocaine and drinking alcohol, a coroner concluded. Sheeran said the tragedy convinced him to kick a drug habit he had developed in his 20s. "I remember just being at a festival and being like, 'Well, if all of my friends do it, it can't be that bad,'" he said. "And then it just turns into a habit that you do once a week and then once a day and then, like, twice a day and then, like, without booze. It just became bad vibes. "I would never, ever, ever touch anything again, because that's how Jamal died," he added. "And that's just disrespectful to his memory to even, like, go near." Shortly after Edwards' death, Sheeran's wife was diagnosed with a tumour which could not be operated on until after she had given birth to their second daughter, Jupiter. "You feel so powerless," Sheeran recalled. "There's nothing you can do about it." Seaborn ultimately carried the baby to term and had successful surgery in June 2022, the morning that Sheeran headlined Wembley Stadium, Rolling Stone said. The emotional toll of those events can be seen in a trailer for Sheeran's forthcoming Disney+ documentary, The Sum Of It All. In one scene, the star is pictured crying on stage, as he grapples with Edwards' death and Seaborn's health condition, while simultaneously facing a lengthy copyright trial. "I've never seen him cry on stage," Seaborn observes in the clip. "He hasn't had the time to process and be at peace with his thoughts." This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Disney Plus This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. End of youtube video by Disney Plus Sheeran has previously revealed that his new album, Subtract, was completely re-written against the "backdrop of grief and hope" he experienced last year. Originally intended to be a collection of acoustic songs recorded over a 10-year period, he scrapped the project and started again, using songwriting to "make sense" of his feelings. He made the record with The National's Aaron Dessner, who previously co-produced Taylor Swift's lockdown albums Folklore and Evermore. Dessner told Rolling Stone he'd encouraged the star to show "a more vulnerable" and "elemental" side to his music. As he had done with Swift, the musician started sending Sheeran instrumental tracks to craft into finished songs. "I had these instrumentals, and I would write to them in the backs of cars or planes or whatever," Sheeran said. "And then it got done. And that was the record. It was all very, very, very fast." The star added that he recorded a second, entirely separate, album with Dessner which has no firm release date at present. He also revealed the existence of a collaborative album with reggaeton star J Balvin, as well as forthcoming music with Pharrell, Shakira, David Guetta and Justin Bieber. In fact, he told Rolling Stone he has five more albums in mind using another category of symbols. He plans to work on the last one in that series on and off for the rest of his life, "adding songs here and there. And just have it in my will that after I die, it comes out".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65031622

US raises interest rates despite banking turmoil - BBC News

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The Federal Reserve moves borrowing costs higher as it focuses on efforts to stabilise prices.

Business

The US central bank has raised interest rates again, despite fears that the move could add to financial turmoil after a string of bank failures. The Federal Reserve increased its key rate by 0.25 percentage points, calling the banking system "sound and resilient". But it also warned that fallout from the bank failures may hurt economic growth in the months ahead. The Fed has been raising borrowing costs in a bid to stabilise prices. But the sharp increase in interest rates since last year has led to strains in the banking system. Two US banks - Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - collapsed this month, buckling in part due to problems caused by higher interest rates. There are concerns about the value of bonds held by banks as rising interest rates may make those bonds less valuable. Banks tend to hold large portfolios of bonds and as a result are sitting on significant potential losses. Falls in the value of bonds held by banks are not necessarily a problem unless they are forced to sell them. Authorities around the world have said they do not think the failures threaten widespread financial stability and need to distract from efforts to bring inflation under control. Last week, the European Central Bank raised its key interest rate by 0.5 percentage points. The Bank of England is due to make its own interest rate decision on Thursday, a day after official figures showed that inflation unexpectedly shot up in February to 10.4%. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed remained focused on its inflation fight. He described Silicon Valley bank as an "outlier" in an otherwise strong financial system. But he acknowledged that the recent turmoil was likely to drag on growth, with the full impact still unclear. Forecasts released by the bank show officials expect the economy to grow just 0.4% this year and 1.2% in 2024, a sharp slowdown from the norm - and less than officials projected in December. The announcement from the Fed also toned down earlier statements which had said "ongoing" increases in interest rates would be needed in the months ahead. Instead, the Fed said: "Some additional policy firming may be appropriate". The moves "signal clearly that the Fed is nervous", said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Wednesday's rate rise is the ninth in a row by the Fed. It lifts its key interest rate to 4.75%-5%, up from near zero a year ago - the highest level since 2007. Higher interest rates mean the cost to buy a home, borrow to expand a business or take on other debt goes up. By making such activity more expensive, the Fed expects demand to fall, cooling prices. That has started to happen in the US housing market, where purchases have slowed sharply over the last year and the median sales price in February was lower than it was a year ago - the first such decline in more than a decade. But overall the economy has held up better than expected and prices continue to climb faster than the 2% rate considered healthy. Inflation, the rate at which prices climb, jumped 6% in the 12 months to February. The cost of some items, including food and airfare, is surging even faster. Before the bank failures, Mr Powell had warned that officials might need to push interest rates higher than expected to bring the situation under control. The bank projections show policymakers expect inflation to fall this year - but less than expected a few months ago. Still, they forecast interest rates of roughly 5.1% at the end of 2023 - unchanged since December - implying the Fed is poised to stop raising rates soon. Mr Powell described the effect of the recent turmoil as the "equivalent of a rate hike". He said the Fed may be able raise its key rate less aggressively, if the turmoil in the financial system prompts banks to limit lending, and the economy to slow more quickly. But he repeated that the Fed would not shy away from its inflation fight. "We have to bring down inflation down to 2%," he said. "There are real costs to bringing it down to 2% but the costs of failing are much higher."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65041649

Ramadan: London's West End lit up for Islamic festival for first time - BBC News

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Some 30,000 lights are aglow in central London to celebrate the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

London

The lights are in London's theatre district For the first time, London's West End has been lit up with 30,000 lights to mark the holy month of Ramadan. Coventry Street, which links Leicester Square with Piccadilly, is illuminated with "Happy Ramadan". The lights were switched on by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who is one of the 1.3 million Muslims in London celebrating Ramadan. The display was organised by Aisha Desai, who was inspired by her fondness for Christmas lights. About 30,000 sustainable lights are on display She said: "I just had the ambition to do it like the Christmas lights. "I remembered going to visit the Christmas lights with my sister when I was growing up and I also had an opportunity to live in the Middle East and I wanted to bring that joy and magic to London, the city that I'm from." This year, Ramadan will begin on Thursday "It looks incredible, I'm so overwhelmed with the response," she said. About 1.3 million Londoners will be marking Ramadan "It's such an important month for Muslims. "I wanted to raise that awareness as well to let our neighbours know that this is a really important month for us, it's my favourite month of the year and I'm just grateful that we're here today." Events are being held throughout the month across London Elsewhere in London, an open Iftar - breaking of the fast - will be held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in south Kensington which has also erected a pop-up mosque and Ramadan pavilion for Muslims and non-Muslims. London's mayor Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, will also be fasting Chelsea football club will also hold an open Iftar at the side of the pitch at Stamford Bridge, in what will be a first for the club and a Premier League stadium. Wembley stadium will do the same later in the month. Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65030988

Ukraine to clinch first IMF loan to nation at war - BBC News

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The $15.6bn financing package is expected to be approved in the coming weeks.

Business

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it has reached an agreement with Ukraine on funding worth $15.6bn (£12.8bn). The organisation's first loan to a country at war is expected to be approved in the coming weeks. It would also be one of the largest financing packages Ukraine has received since Russia's invasion. The IMF recently changed a rule to allow loans to countries facing "exceptionally high uncertainty". "Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to have a devastating impact on the economy: activity contracted by 30 percent in 2022, a large share of the capital stock has been destroyed, and poverty levels have climbed," IMF official Gavin Gray said in a statement. "The programme has been designed in line with the new fund's policy on lending under exceptionally high uncertainty, and strong financing assurances are expected from donors, including the G7 and EU." Mr Gray also said the agreement would "mobilise large-scale concessional financing" for Ukraine from international donors and partners, without giving further details. The funding still needs to be approved by the IMF's executive board. The IMF expects Ukraine's economy to record a slight contraction or growth this year. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the funding would help the country "finance all critical expenditure and ensure macroeconomic stability and strengthen our interaction with other international partners". US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who made a surprise visit to Ukraine last month, said: "An ambitious and appropriately conditioned IMF programme is critical to underpin Ukraine's reform efforts." The US is the IMF's largest shareholder and the biggest contributor to Ukraine in terms of money spent. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced nearly half a billion more dollars of US military aid to Ukraine. This was on top of the $112bn spent by Congress in 2022 alone. Military aid, which accounts for more than half of US spending on Ukraine, pays for drones, tanks, missiles and other munitions systems as well as training, logistics and intelligence support. Money has continued to pour into the conflict from all over the world since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February. Last week, the IMF said its executive board had approved a rule change to allow funding for countries facing "exceptionally high uncertainty". Without mentioning Ukraine, it said the measure applied to countries experiencing "exogenous shocks that are beyond the control of country authorities and the reach of their economic policies".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65034765

Sofia Coppola's daughter becomes film family's latest star, with viral TikTok clip - BBC News

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The next generation in the famous film-making dynasty inadvertently becomes a social media star.

Entertainment & Arts

Romy Coppola Mars with her mother, Sofia, in 2020 Her mother is an Oscar-winning film-maker. Her grandfather shot one of the greatest movies, The Godfather. Now, Romy Coppola Mars has joined the family dynasty - with a TikTok that has inadvertently made her a viral star. In the clip, the 16-year-old daughter of Sofia Coppola and granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola said she had been grounded for trying to charter a helicopter with her dad's credit card. "The Coppola dynasty continues to produce greatness," joked one new fan. The teenager seemingly did not intend to announce herself as the latest sensation in the family line, saying she was going against her parents' rule not to have a public social media account only because she was already grounded. "They don't want me to be a nepotism kid," she told her followers. "But TikTok is not going to make me famous, so it doesn't really matter." However, she was wrong about it not making her famous and her account was short-lived, apparently being deleted. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by savannah ~* This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. While the video may have disappeared from TikTok, it was captured before it did and has been viewed 10 million times on Twitter. It begins with her in the kitchen inviting viewers to "make vodka pasta sauce with me because I'm grounded". She then reveals she had been punished by her parents "because I tried to charter a helicopter from New York to Maryland on my dad's credit card because I wanted to have dinner with my camp friend". Her father, Thomas Mars, is in French indie band Phoenix. At one point in the video, Romy holds up the Grammy Award he won in 2010. Returning to the recipe, she says she does not know the difference between a garlic bulb and an onion, before making an innocent face and holding up a kitchen knife. She then introduces her babysitter's boyfriend, explaining "my parents are never home, so these are my replacement parents". One Twitter user wrote: "A perfect short film. We have a third generation of Coppola directors." Another replied: "It has dramatic tension, excellent scene-setting, good evocative props that indicate emotions (onions = tears), shocking family revelations, slapstick comedy, great dialogue... you're right." Another user added: "This is cinema… she'll be the greatest Coppola." At the end of her video, Romy promises to return with "part two, where I actually make the pasta". "Can't wait - it will be the best part two a Coppola will have ever made," another Twitter user joked - a reference to her grandfather's The Godfather Part II, which is regarded by some as better than the original film. A representative for her mother, who won an Oscar for Lost in Translation and made The Virgin Suicides and The Beguiled, declined to comment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65038887

The struggle to find a home in a picture-postcard village - BBC News

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Some people have spent years trying to find an affordable property in part of the Scottish Highlands.

Highlands & Islands

Sitting on the shores of Loch Broom, Ullapool is one of the most popular tourist spots in the Highlands. The fishing village and surrounding area, which is set among picture-postcard hills, lochs and coastline, has a population of just 2,200. But for people who want to live and work in the community, it is a huge challenge to find somewhere affordable to call home. High costs, a booming tourism industry and issues affecting the building industry have been blamed for the problem. Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust, which has been examining the housing challenges, describes the lack of homes as a "very real and present crisis". Some families have spent years trying to find a suitable property. Ailsa McLellan has been trying to find a home for her and her two sons Marine scientist and mum-of-two Ailsa McLellan said it felt like she had been living on property websites for the past five years. Ailsa has been trying to find a home after her marriage broke down, but has so far been unable to find somewhere to buy or rent due to a lack of long-term lets. She has been living at a friend's house while she searches for a home. "Even the very few houses that come up in the area that I can almost afford are just terrible," she said. "The energy rates are really low. Most of them are oil-fired so I would be moving into a property I could not afford to heat. "There is no good housing stock." She said there were also issues when plots of land where someone could build their own home became available. "The expense of the plot is generally quite high and you're likely to have to put in a private septic, your own access on often steep, rocky ground, and a connection to the electricity supply. "The cost of a transformer for the electricity can be over £10,000." Hairdresser Georgie McIntosh and her music tutor husband David John moved to Ullapool from Edinburgh in 2017 with their young sons Archie and Isaac. They were initially able to rent privately before securing a modern two-bedroom council property in 2020. Last summer, David John's teenage cousin Jacqueline moved in following a family bereavement. Georgie McIntosh and her family are also hunting for a home in Ullapool The family is on a waiting list for a larger property while they pursue their dream of owning their own home. They have looked into solutions such as a house swap. But Georgie said: "Ideally, we would love to buy. "We've secured a mortgage but the likelihood of us being able to buy with what we can get and what we have saved is slim. Housing to buy is pretty crazy - our budget is pretty much the asking price." She said they had recently managed to make a bid on a property 3% over the asking price, but it went for 10% over. Georgie said they were determined to keep looking. She said: "Ullapool is home for us now. We have made friends here and for us to move away we would lose so much." Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust (LUCT) and the Communities Housing Trust (CHT) have been investigating the housing issues. Their research found between July 2020 and June 2022 the average house price in the area was £256,000, while the most popular budget among people they spoke to was £150,000 or below. The study also suggested the average income in the area was likely to be about £25,000 per annum, limiting people's spending power. Ullapool is a popular tourist spot and a stop on the scenic North Coast 500 route. LUCT and CHT's study found almost 13% of the housing stock in the local area consisted of second homes or holiday accommodation, compared to a figure of about 6% for the Highland Council area in total. The trusts said the number of second homes and holiday lets would undoubtedly have increased since those figures were gathered as part of the 2011 Census. Brendan O'Hanrahan, of LUCT, said at least 70 new households were looking for homes within the next five years. He said: "That's quite significant in somewhere as small as Ullapool and Lochbroom. "The vast majority would be school leavers and people in their early 20s, who want to form independent households. "At the moment, unfortunately, the prospects for them are pretty bleak." CHT's Ronnie Macrae said Brexit and Covid had hit the construction industry hard in terms of labour and materials and this had increased the already high cost of building rural housing. But he added that community-led housing offered a potential solution having "come on leaps and bounds over recent years". Mr Macrae said transformational projects had already been completed in Wester Ross, including in Applecross, Lochcarron, Gairloch and Achiltibuie. He said: "These have been enabled in a large part by the introduction of the Scottish Land Fund and importantly the Rural and Island Housing Fund. "We are currently working with many communities in Wester Ross on proposals for more community-led development." Availability of land is a major issue, according to Community Land Scotland. Much of the rocky and hilly terrain is unsuitable for housing plots and large areas of Wester Ross are in the hands of a small number of landowners. Community Land Scotland chairwoman Ailsa Raeburn said communities needed help in persuading landowners to release land for homes. She said: "There is good Scottish government support for communities that want to build housing, but the final piece is land reform to give communities more power to bring forward suitable sites." Ullapool is a popular destination with visitors to the Highlands The local authority, Highland Council, has an aim to deliver 60 new affordable homes in the area by 2028 - with 50 in Ullapool and 10 more about 24 miles (37km) away in Achiltibuie. But a spokeswoman said: "The developments depend on securing land and finance. "The final tenure mix is yet to be agreed but will include opportunity for low-cost home ownership as well as mid-market rent as well as social rent by the council or housing partner." The Scottish government also said good quality housing was essential to attracting and retaining people in rural communities. A spokesman said: "We have committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032 - with at least 10% in our remote, rural and island areas." He said £3.5bn funding was being made available in this parliamentary term towards the delivery of affordable homes in Scotland. The spokesman added the government was also developing a Remote, Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, which would be published this spring. BBC Radio 4's Rental Health series will examine how housing has posed challenges to Ullapool's business community on Monday 27 March.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64785851

Sidemen manager: 'I cut out alcohol to succeed' - BBC News

Jordan Schwarzenberger talks about his attitude to alcohol in the workplace for our CEO Secrets series.

Jordan Schwarzenberger, co-founder of Arcade Media and manager of the group of YouTubers known as The Sidemen, talks about his attitude to alcohol in the workplace.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65029392

Multiple injuries after ship tips over at Edinburgh dockyard - BBC News

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Twenty three people were treated to hospital and another 12 at the scene of the incident in Leith.

Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Petrel began to tip to one side at Imperial Dock Thirty-five people have been injured after a ship tipped over at an Edinburgh dockyard. NHS Lothian said 23 people had been treated in hospital and 12 people at the scene of the incident at Imperial Dock, Leith. A major incident was declared after the research vessel Petrel became dislodged from its holding on a dry dock. People have been asked not to attend A&E at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI) unless it is an emergency. Pictures posted on social media showed the 3,000-tonne vessel, which is owned by the US Navy, leaning at a 45-degree angle. The US Consulate in Edinburgh said it was monitoring the situation and offering support to US citizens who were involved. "We thank the emergency services for their prompt response. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident," it added. Images on social media showed the vessel at a 45-degree angle The Scottish Ambulance Service said it was called at 08:30. Five ambulances, an air ambulance, three trauma teams, a special operations team, three paramedic response units and a patient transport vehicle were sent to the scene. NHS Lothian said 15 patients were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by ambulance with another two attending themselves, four to Western General Hospital and two to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. Another 12 people were treated and discharged at the scene. A spokesperson for NHS Lothian said eight were still in the Royal Infirmary, some with "serious injuries", and outpatient appointments, endoscopies and planned surgeries had been cancelled to "free-up our surgical staff". Jacquie Campbell, chief officer of acute services at NHS Lothian, said: "There are no plans at this time to postpone appointments or elective procedures tomorrow, but assessments continue and patients will be contacted directly if the situation changes." NHS Lothian has advised other people who require urgent care to contact their GP or call NHS 24. Police Scotland urged the public to avoid the area to allow access for emergency services. Supt Mark Rennie said all casualties had been accounted for by 13:20. He explained: "There is no risk to the wider public and inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened. "I would also like to thank the public for their patience while the emergency services undertook a very difficult job aiding casualties." HM coastguard sent teams from Fisherrow, South Queensferry and Kinghorn to the scene as part of the multi-agency response. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it had sent four fire engines and "a number of specialist resources". The Health and Safety Executive said it was aware of the incident and was making inquiries. Sailors' Society Chaplain Pauline Robertson told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime she had been listening to port staff who had witnessed the incident or were dealing with the aftermath. She said: "I think like everybody that has witnessed it or heard about it today, we're all just in shock and horror at the tragedy that just unfolded in front of us. "There is shock, horror, pain - every emotion you can imagine is being shown by staff. " The Sailors' Society also said it was supporting people affected by the incident. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this morning's accident in Leith. Sadly many are seriously injured. We are supporting those we can." James Welsh hear a loud noise as the ship fell in the dry dock James Welsh, 39, a scaffold foreman at Leith docks who was working near the Petrel as it fell, said he heard a loud noise but "not as noisy as you would think". He said one worker he sees every morning had put down his bag to "nip to the toilet", and when he came back the ship was over and he didn't know where his work mates were. "It's very scary - it just makes you evaluate everything," he said. "No one goes to work to be involved in any kind of accident. "We all want to go home for our mince and tatties to our wife and kids so I feel for anyone who is injured, and their family." Cammy Day, the leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said he was "deeply concerned" to hear of the incident, adding that emergency services were being supported to carry out their work. Leith councillor Adam McVey described the incident as "terrifying" for those on board. He said on Twitter: "Emergency services are responding to a major incident at Leith docks - a ship has been dislodged from its holding in strong winds. "My thoughts are with those who've been injured and hope everyone recovers quickly. Please avoid area." A spokesperson from Forth Ports said the incident happened at the facility of its tenant, Dales Marine Services. They said: "We are providing Dales with any support we can today. We cannot comment any further as the incident response is being led by the emergency services. "Our thoughts are with everyone involved in this incident." Dales Marine Services, which runs the dry dock, said the incident with the Petrel began at about 08:00 and the emergency services were called shortly after. A spokesperson said: "We can confirm that all those on board and at the facility have been accounted for and our priority is to ensure the wellbeing of all who have been affected." A US Navy spokeswoman said: "We continue to communicate with our contacts at the scene in order to understand what occurred, the actions being taken, and the long-term impacts. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and their families, with hopes for a quick and full recovery." The weather was windy overnight with gusts of up to 38mph (61km/h) recorded inland at Gogarbank at 08:00, according to Met Office data. Iraklis Lazakis, from the department of marine architecture and engineering at the University of Strathclyde, said it was a "very, very unusual" incident. He told BBC Scotland's The Nine he believed the strong winds were unlikely to be the root cause of the incident. The Petrel was pictured in an neighbouring berth in January, before being moved into the dry dock Leith dock, in the north east of Edinburgh, has a maritime history going back many centuries and is now home to the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia. The privatised Forth Ports has the largest enclosed deep water port in Scotland and has been selected to develop one of Scotland's first green freeports. The 76m (250ft) ship has been owned by the United States Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center since October 2022, and operated by Oceaneering International. The vessel was previously owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. It was placed into long-term moorage in 2020 as a result of "operation challenges" during the Covid pandemic, and has not been used since. Before this, it had been used for deep water searches for shipwrecks and war graves at sea, including the lost World War Two heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, which was discovered 18,000 feet (5.5km) beneath the surface. The RV Petrel was fitted out for the specialist searches before billionaire Mr Allen died in 2018, having already pledged to commit most of his fortune to philanthropy and non-profit scientific research.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65038617

Alexis Green: BBC South presenter speaks out over harassment ordeal - BBC News

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The South Today weather presenter was sent 150 explicit messages and videos.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alexis Green told BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent she felt sick going into work The face of the weather for millions, Alexis Green has long been a familiar and friendly companion to people in the south of England. But as BBC South Today's lead weather presenter, Ms Green ended up being bombarded with scores of sexual messages, photos and videos which had a huge impact on her life. It started as a message sent to her personal Facebook profile by a man she did not know, following a shift at work. Ms Green was unable to sleep and had to take time off work after being sent the messages via Facebook messenger. Speaking on BBC Breakfast to Sally Nugent, Alexis describes the impact such harassment can have on someone and how she hopes speaking out will help other people seek assistance if they are experiencing the same. Alexis Green has been presenting the weather on BBC South Today for more than a decade "I had a few messages from this guy and they were inappropriate, saying something like, 'You are warming up my house tonight'," she says. Ms Green blocked the sender but a month later he created a new Facebook profile and started messaging her again, about two to three times each day. This time though, as well as messages to her inbox, he also started sending her explicit videos about his own sexual desires. The harassment preyed on her mind while she was at work, leaving her feeling "physically sick" thinking about how the man sending her these messages was watching her on the programme. "My legs were shaking, my hands were shaking, I was trying to hold it together on air," she says. "Obviously you've got a job to do, you have to present something to the public. "I felt I had a job to do but I also felt very anxious and scared at the same time." Ms Green went to the police after showing one of the video messages to her partner. Within 24 hours officers had made an arrest. Over the course of two or three months, Alexis was sent more than 30 videos and a further 120 messages. Speaking on BBC Breakfast to Sally Nugent, Alexis describes the impact the harassment continues to have on her life The distress also had a huge impact on her personal life, away from the studio. "I am a keen runner so I'd go out and pound the streets on my own but I found myself looking over my shoulder, really scared to see if he'd been lurking in the bush," she says. "It got to the point where I'd go to bed at night and I wouldn't sleep at all. "The dog would bark downstairs and I'd be instantly opening the curtains, thinking there was someone out there or he was out there." On 15 March, after admitting harassment against Ms Green, a 55-year-old man was jailed for 17 weeks and given a restraining order. "I had to sit in a room with him in court," she says. "Obviously the court case was horrendous for me... I sat there in the dock shaking. "It was really, really hard but at the end of it I had a result." Being a figure on the nightly news across Southern England, Alexis is well known to millions of people Despite now being able to look ahead, with the legal process complete, Ms Green is aware that the impact of her harassment will linger. "It has made me afraid, I am scared to do certain things - I won't go for a run on my own anymore, I take the dog," she says. "I feel that there is that protection in place but it is not going to help me, it is not going to help my personal feelings, my anxiety, I'll always have that with me." For anyone else being subjected to similar harassment, Ms Green hopes her ordeal will at least show an example of how it can be dealt with. "I felt that being on the television, I was the voice of the people out there who are going through exactly the same thing," she says. "I wonder if sometimes there's an element of acceptance - a certain level of harassment that goes on online - a lot of the time to women. "Maybe we just accept it but maybe we shouldn't. "I think I can focus on the future - I just have to take it a day at a time. Hopefully, with time, things will get better." Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-65031843

Into the ‘lion’s den’: Questions the TikTok CEO will face from Congress today over a possible ban - BBC News

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The video-sharing app's chief executive will testify to US lawmakers in a much-anticipated grilling.

US & Canada

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The fight over TikTok explained in 60 seconds On Thursday, TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, will be opening a lion's mouth and placing his own head into it. He's giving testimony in the US Congress for the first time, a scary thing to do. And at stake is the future of the phenomenally popular video-sharing app in the US. "I think that there is a real risk that if this hearing doesn't go well… that could have a massive impact on the future of TikTok," said Chris Stokel-Walker, author of TikTok Boom. Mr Chew is likely to face a barrage of questions on TikTok's relationship with China, what data it collects, and what it does with it. He'll also be quizzed on why several journalists were spied on by ByteDance employees - something TikTok has already admitted. Mr Chew will say user data is safe - away from the reach of the Chinese government. He knows politicians from all sides want to see the platform either sold - or outright banned in the US. "He's going into the lion's den," said Mr Stokel-Walker. Mr Chew is going to need to give the performance of a lifetime. And already, close observers have seen a change of tactic from the Singaporean. TikTok's boss, who has had a range of senior positions in the world of finance, generally sports a suit jacket and tie. But on Tuesday, he posted a TikTok with a very different look. Instead of a suit, he was wearing a white T-shirt and hoodie - the uniform of the nonchalant tech founder. The 40-year-old was suddenly speaking like a teenager too - talking of being "super excited". "I think he's trying to give off a sort of the casual tech bro," said Caitlin Chin from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan think tank. "He's actually been starting to gain a bit more of a public profile, especially leading up to this hearing." The Singaporean has generally kept a low profile since taking over at TikTok in 2021. However, that approach appears to have changed. TikTok is fighting for its life, and Mr Chew knows it. The big problem TikTok has in the US and Europe is that it is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance. And in China, there are specific laws that require companies to hand over information to the Chinese Communist Party if requested. Shou Zi Chew and his wife, Vivian Kao, attend the 2022 Met Gala in New York City TikTok holds reams of data about its users, including location information and biometric data. For years TikTok has argued that it would never hand over user information. It has spent tens of millions of dollars on lobbying efforts and strategies to appease governments. At the heart of its attempt to convince US lawmakers is "Project Texas". This is the company's commitment to store US data in the US - on servers run by a US company - Oracle. The company says so far it has spent $1.5bn on this project - and describes it as a "firewall" that protects data from foreign governments. TikTok had hoped it would satisfy politicians on all sides. Last year Mr Chew wrote to politicians saying he believed the project would "safeguard user data and US national security interests". But sadly for TikTok, Project Texas has been looked at sceptically by both Republicans and Democrats. For many US politicians, for as long as TikTok has a Chinese owner, it will be considered suspicious. Last month FBI director Christopher Wray didn't mince his words about the platform. "This is a tool that is ultimately within the control of the Chinese Government. And to me, it screams out with national security concerns," he said. For most US lawmakers, TikTok would be a far more palatable platform if it were not owned by a Chinese company. Last week it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration had requested the company be sold for this reason. This is not what ByteDance wants. TikTok has enormous potential. And besides, the Chinese company doesn't wish to sell its greatest asset simply because US politicians want them to. This is the backdrop to Thursday's congressional hearing. We already have a fair idea of what Mr Chew is going to say from TikTok briefings. He'll argue that 150 million American users will lose out if the platform is banned - and that thousands of small businesses rely on the platform. He'll push back on the idea that ByteDance is Chinese-owned - saying the company has many international investors. And he'll also argue that Chinese laws cannot compel ByteDance to share American data - because TikTok is a US-based company, with its data stored in the US. But often these hearings make headlines for one or perhaps two specific exchanges. Mark Zuckerberg's famous Senate hearing in 2018 is often remembered for one brilliant question from Senator Richard Durbin. "Mr Zuckerberg, would you be comfortable sharing with us which hotel you stayed in last night?" he said. The Facebook boss looked visibly uncomfortable before saying "no". "I think that might be what this is all about…your right to privacy," the senator said. It's these curveball questions that Shou Zi Chew should fear most.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65045804

Usain Bolt's surprise visit to Blackburn under-15s match - BBC News

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The Olympic champion dropped in at the under-15s game between Blackburn Rovers and Burnley.

Lancashire

Usain Bolt turned up on the touchline of the Blackburn Rovers under-15s team Junior footballers received a surprise at their latest match when the world's fastest man turned up to cheer them on. Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt called into the under-15s derby between rivals Blackburn Rovers and Burnley on Monday. The retired sprinter made the trip to Lancashire to visit a friend whose son is currently on trial with Blackburn. Rovers tweeted a picture of the star with the team after the game, which has been viewed thousands of times. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Blackburn Rovers This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Bolt, 36, retired from athletics in 2017 after winning eight Olympic titles and 11 World Championship gold medals. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he set new world records for the 100m and 200m. His 100m time of 9.58 seconds, set during the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, remains the world record. Usain Bolt sat in the directors' box for the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford Bolt had earlier watched Manchester United defeat Fulham 3-1 in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford on Sunday. A football lover who has described it as his "dream" to play professional football, Bolt landed a trial with Australian side Central Coast Mariners in 2018 but did not end up signing for the team. 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-lancashire-65036493

Khayri Mclean: Teenager guilty of murdering 15-year-old schoolboy - BBC News

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Khayri Mclean was ambushed and stabbed twice as he walked home from school in Huddersfield.

Leeds & West Yorkshire

Khayri Mclean died after he was stabbed near North Huddersfield Trust School in September 2022 A teenager has been found guilty of murdering a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death as he walked home from school in West Yorkshire. Khayri Mclean was stabbed twice after being ambushed by the teen and another boy outside North Huddersfield Trust School on 21 September. The 17-year-old was found guilty of murder after a trial at Leeds Crown Court. His 15-year-old accomplice had previously admitted murder. They will be sentenced at a later date. The boy showed no emotion as the jury of eight women and four men returned a unanimous guilty verdict after nearly five hours of deliberation. In a statement, Andrew Fell, headteacher at North Huddersfield Trust School, said the trial and conviction had "brought back the shock and distress felt by all members of the school community at the time the attack happened". He said Khayri would be "remembered fondly by all those who knew him" and his thoughts were with his family. Andrew Fell, headteacher at North Huddersfield Trust School, said Khayri would be "remembered fondly" During the week-long trial, the court heard the two boys, who cannot be named due to their age, had been lying in wait for Khayri in an alleyway before launching their fatal attack. Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC said the younger of the two shouted "Oi Khayri" or "Yo Khayri" before jumping in the air, swinging a knife with a 30cm blade and stabbing Khayri in the chest. This proved to be the fatal blow as it went through his ribs and penetrated one of his lungs and heart, jurors heard. Mr Sandiford said Khayri fell to the floor and was "defenceless on his back" when the 17-year-old, who was 16 at the time, went after him, knife in hand, and stabbed him in the leg. Khayri was taken to hospital but died later the same day. This was a killing that caused revulsion in Huddersfield, leaving schoolchildren traumatised and parents fearful. How could a 15-year-old boy be murdered on his way home from school on a Wednesday afternoon? During a seven-day trial, the evidence was devastating for Khayri's family and friends to listen to and watch. CCTV cameras captured the killing, which was over in a few seconds before the killers were seen running away across school fields. Khayri was seen being helped to his feet by a friend and trying to run away before collapsing further down the road. Today the spot where he fell on Woodhouse Hill remains covered in balloons, flowers and school ties. A constant reminder of the unthinkable tragedy that took place. Those who loved Khayri have seen justice today after a harrowing court ordeal, but a child has died in the most horrifying way. In Huddersfield they will keep asking the questions, 'why are children carrying knives? why are children being stabbed in the street?'. The two teenagers will be sentenced at a later date The 17-year-old denied targeting the teenager and claimed he had gone to the scene outside school for a "fist fight" with another youth. But prosecutors said while he did not inflict the fatal blow he was guilty of murder because he acted with his co-accused and they "encouraged and supported each other to carry out the attack". Jurors were told the two defendants were dressed in black clothes with black balaclavas and their eyes covered, possibly by sunglasses. After attacking Khayri, they ran away together back down the footpath from which they emerged, before stopping to remove their balaclavas and the clothing worn for the attack. The judge, Mrs Justice Farbey, told the defendant there would be a hearing on Thursday to discuss the next steps in the case but sentencing would take place on a date to be fixed. Det Supt Marc Bowes, who led the investigation, said he welcomed the verdict. He added: "Our thoughts are with Khayri's relatives as they process the news from today and we continue to support them." Policing Minister Chris Philp said: "Every life lost to knife crime is one too many. Our thoughts are with Khayri's loved ones. "We continue to take a hard stance against those who carry knives, removing 90,000 knives and offensive weapons since 2019 from our streets through stop and search, surrender initiatives and other targeted police action. "We have also invested £16m since 2019 into the development of the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit, alongside a further £10.6m to fund additional, targeted West Yorkshire Police patrols in the areas worst affected by serious violence." Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-64993056

Prince William makes surprise visit to troops near Ukraine border in Poland - BBC News

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The Prince of Wales meets troops in Poland an hour's drive from the border with Ukraine.

UK

The Prince of Wales has thanked British troops for "defending our freedoms" in a secret visit to a military base in Poland near to the Ukraine border. Prince William's visit to Rzeszow in south-eastern Poland was kept under wraps over security concerns until he left and arrived in the capital Warsaw. He told British soldiers: "Thank you for all you are doing out here." He said he wanted to thank them in person for "keeping everyone safe" and "keeping an eye on what's going on". "So, just a big thank you for what you do on a day-to-day basis." He added: "You're doing a really important job out here and defending our freedoms is really important, and everyone back home thoroughly supports you." Rzeszow is just over an hour's drive from the Ukrainian border. The British Army have a base there to deliver support to Ukraine. Prince William's visit to Poland is at the request of the UK government, but the prince has been clear about his support for Ukraine from the start, tweeting his support to Ukraine just days after Russia's invasion. His trip to Poland marks him renewing that support. The prince is visiting Poland as part of a two-day visit to the country British troops are in Poland to help support Ukraine The heir to the throne also visited a Polish territorial army base in Rzeszow, before flying back to Warsaw where he visited a Ukrainian refugee centre and met some of the 300 women and children housed there. On landing in Warsaw, the prince said: "It's fantastic to be back in Poland. "Our nations have strong ties. Through our co-operation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom, which are also our freedoms and yours, these ties are further strengthened. "I'm here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops working in close and crucial partnership. "I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as much as your homes." As part of his two-day trip, on Thursday the prince will meet the Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace. He will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument dedicated to Polish soldiers who lost their lives in conflict. Back in Warsaw, the prince posed for photos with Ukrainian children He played a table tennis match during his visit to a centre for refugees It is William's first trip to Poland since he visited in 2017 with his wife the Princess of Wales. Last May, before he was king, King Charles III travelled to Romania to meet Ukrainian refugees - the first visit from a senior royal to the region since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Poland is a strong ally of Ukraine one of the largest suppliers of military equipment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65043528

Met Police: Where next for the force after Casey review? - BBC News

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This is a merciless report, writes the BBC's home editor Mark Easton. But what does the Met do now?

UK

Policing in this country is in a state of emergency. The warning lights are flashing. The alarms are wailing. Baroness Casey says the Metropolitan Police was expecting a report highlighting the things it needed to look at - but that, overall, the force thought she would say it's doing a good job. "It's the exact opposite," she says. Baroness Casey has a reputation for no-nonsense reports. When Dame Cressida Dick, the former Scotland Yard Commissioner, asked her to review the Met, she must have known what she would get. Not the measured, dispassionate and legalistic volumes most institutional inquiries deliver. Her language is often emotional and uncompromising, a style that appeals to journalists and politicians looking for a headline. This report is so ferocious in its criticism that, in the short term, it is almost certain that trust and confidence levels in the police in London - already down - will plummet further. With forces across England and Wales, like the Met, re-vetting all their officers, more scandals will emerge. Every misconduct hearing, every court case, is going to damage public confidence. Accused of institutional prejudice, it seems unlikely that, in the short term at least, this report is going to make it easier to recruit women, or those from the LGBTQ+ community and ethnic minorities. Morale is not going to be improved by a report that is so merciless in its criticism of the Met and its culture. A generation after the Macpherson report found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist, here we are again. Only worse. Sexism and homophobia are added to the list. The report notes that in 1972, on his appointment as commissioner of the force, Sir Robert Mark said he had "never experienced…blindness, arrogance and prejudice on anything like the scale accepted as routine in the Met". The report immediately adds that the Met is a very different organisation today. But five decades on, Louise Casey says: "We have found those cultures alive and well". This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Baroness Casey on her blistering report of the Met police The question is really about whether police forces turn things around quickly enough. The report talks about reviewing progress against various measures after two and five years. Politicians are suggesting they will want to see results within two years. But with a general election likely next year, and manifestos being written even sooner, will politicians show the patience Sir Mark Rowley, the current incumbent in Scotland Yard, says he requires? Especially if more bad headlines see public anxiety increase still further. Baroness Casey hints at breaking up the Met, if things don't improve. But that kind of major reform of policing feels some way off. As things stand, there is no blueprint for a reorganised system in England and Wales - and politicians of all stripes seem content to give Sir Mark the benefit of the doubt for the moment. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said she will be "holding the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor of London to account by measuring progress", but adds that she currently has "every confidence that Sir Mark Rowley and his team will deliver". Suella Braverman delivering a statement on the Casey report to the Commons on Tuesday The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has pointed out that a collapse in trust in the Royal Ulster Constabulary among some communities in Northern Ireland resulted in the successful creation of a new police service, the PSNI. Is that a hint that a Labour government might institute more radical reform? Party insiders suggest they will be more hands-on than the current government has been in demanding progress, but there are no plans for systemic change - for now. What does progress look like? Public confidence figures must improve. Recruitment from minorities must increase. Corrupt officers must be identified and booted out. Vetting must be more effective. Whistleblowers must be supported. Morale must rise. Sir Mark has already instituted measures he believes will move the dials. But that will take time. Changing culture and rebuilding trust cannot be done overnight. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. It is hard to overstate the perilous state of British policing right now. The tradition of policing by consent - the idea that officers serve as members of the public in uniform, exercising powers with the approval of the people they serve - relies on trust. But as Baroness Casey baldly states: "The Met has become disconnected from Londoners - their consent can no longer be assumed." Trust is formed at the point where the police meet the public. But the report finds bobbies who should be on the beat are behind desks, backfilling for civilian support staff who have been stripped out. "The closer the Met get to Londoners, the more beleaguered the service", is her damning conclusion. Perhaps the only way to sort out the Met was a nuclear option, a report so damning it takes the force back to ground zero. But a huge question remains: Can a new police service emerge from the ashes with the clock ticking?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65032325

British Gas boss takes £3.7m bonus despite criticism - BBC News

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Chris O'Shea will still take a bonus after the firm's debt agents broke into vulnerable people's homes to fit meters.

Business

The Centrica boss has refused bonuses for the past three years The boss of British Gas-owner Centrica will receive bonuses worth £3.7m after the firm posted record profits in 2022. Chris O'Shea, who has refused bonuses for the past three years, will also get a £790,000 salary. It comes as millions struggle to pay energy bills and after debt agents for the firm broke into vulnerable people's homes to fit prepayment meters. The firm said Mr O'Shea had delivered "shareholder value" and navigated "regulatory and political issues". Centrica's profits for 2022 hit £3.3bn after oil and gas prices jumped following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The figures, published in February, have sparked calls for energy firms to pay more tax as people are hit by surging bills. At the time Mr O'Shea said it was "too early to have a conversation" about any potential bonus. But in its annual report published on Wednesday, Centrica said it needed to pay bonuses to attract and retain leaders. Board member Carol Arrowsmith said: "Like most public companies we hire our senior executives on employment contracts that have a significant proportion of pay which is performance-related." Mr O'Shea turned down a £1.1m bonus in 2021 due to "hardships" faced by customers. He also refused bonuses in 2020 and 2019 because of the pandemic. The energy giant has come under fire in recent months after an investigation by the Times newspaper revealed debt agents working for British Gas had broken into the homes of vulnerable people to force-fit prepayment meters. It has resulted in many more similar incidents emerging. In response, the energy regulator Ofgem has asked all suppliers to suspend forced prepayment meter installations. Courts in England and Wales also halted applications from firms to install them. Centrica has previously said it was "extremely disappointed by the allegations" surrounding one of its contractors, Avarto Financial Solutions, and added it was conducting its own investigation. Most of Centrica's bumper profits in 2022 came from its nuclear and oil and gas business, rather than its British Gas retails arm. Due to competition rules, Centrica cannot sell its own gas at a discount to British Gas customers. Centrica paid £1bn in tax on its profits and of that, £54m was a result of the windfall tax - called the Energy Profits Levy - which was introduced by the government last year. The tax is designed to recoup some of the "extraordinary" earnings made by firms recently and help lower energy bills for households. The government's windfall tax only applies to profits made from extracting UK oil and gas. The current rate is 35%, but energy firms pay an additional 30% in corporation tax and a supplementary 10% rate, taking the total to 75%. However, companies can reduce the amount of tax paid by factoring in losses or investments. It has meant in recent years, the likes of BP and Shell have paid little or no UK tax.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/65042314

Olivia Pratt-Korbel: I'm a dad not a killer, murder-accused says - BBC News

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Thomas Cashman denies being the gunman, saying a witness is "trying to ruin his life".

Liverpool

Thomas Cashman previously told the jury he was making between £3,000 and £5,000 a week selling cannabis The man accused of killing Olivia Pratt-Korbel told a court "I'm a dad, I'm not a killer". A gunman shot nine-year-old Olivia and injured her mother, Cheryl Korbel, after chasing a convicted drug dealer into their Liverpool home in August. Thomas Cashman, 34, who denies the charges, appeared emotional as he gave evidence at his murder trial. He told a court he was counting £10,000 in cash and smoking drugs around the time of the shooting. Jurors at Manchester Crown Court have heard Olivia and her 46-year-old mother were shot after a gunman chased Joseph Nee into their house in the Dovecot area of the city at about 22:00 BST on 22 August. Asked by John Cooper KC, defending, if he had committed any of the offences he was accused of, he said: "No, I did not." His voice broke as he added: "I am getting the blame for something I haven't done. "I didn't do it and I'm getting the blame for it. "I'm getting blamed for killing a child and I have got my own children. "I'm getting blamed for something I haven't done." Mr Cashman, who on Tuesday admitted being a "high-level cannabis dealer", said at about 21:15 on the night of the shooting he had been picked up by a friend called Craig Byrne. He said they went to Mr Byrne's house to count out £10,000 in cash. "We counted money then went downstairs, I done myself a spliff in the kitchen, went in the back garden and was having just a general chit-chat with Craig," he told the court. Mr Cashman said when he later went into the front garden of the house in Snowberry Road, he could hear sirens and was told by someone there were "police everywhere". Olivia was shot when a gunman burst into her house and opened fire Jurors have previously heard from a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who had a brief relationship with father-of-two Mr Cashman. She alleged he went to her house after the shooting, where she said he changed his clothes and she heard him saying he had "done Joey". Asked whether at any stage he had confessed, Mr Cashman said: "No, I did not, she's trying to ruin my life. "She is trying to ruin my life because, for one thing, I won't leave my partner for her. There's loads of reasons." Mr Cashman also claimed the woman's boyfriend owed him a £25,000 drug debt so she wanted him "out of the way". Under cross-examination, the defendant, wearing a blue V-neck jumper with shirt and tie, accepted he made up to £250,000 a year from selling cannabis but refused to reveal who he bought it from or sold it to. He said: "I'm getting stitched up for murder of a child that I did not commit. I didn't do it." Defending, John Cooper KC went through Mr Cashman's movements, caught on CCTV and doorbell cameras, on the day of Olivia's murder. Prosecutors allege he walked and travelled in his van around the area ahead of a plan to find Nee and execute a "hit". But Mr Cashman denied this, saying his movements were instead to do with his cannabis dealing - dropping off drugs and collecting money at various addresses in Dovecot and sometimes "socialising" by having a spliff with friends. Mr Cooper asked him: "It's suggested that the purpose of your movements was not for the reason you say, but either for the reason of executing a hit or planning a hit?" Mr Cashman replied: "No, that's not true whatsoever. What you see here is typical of a local lad who sells cannabis in the area." The defendant, of Grenadier Drive, denies the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Ms Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. 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-merseyside-65042977

Rishi Sunak paid over £1m in UK tax since 2019, records show - BBC News

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The UK tax was paid on earnings of more than £4.7m from income and a US-based investment fund.

UK Politics

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has faced calls to be more open about his financial affairs Rishi Sunak paid more than £1m in UK tax over the last three years, details of the prime minister's financial affairs show. The UK tax was paid on earnings of more than £4.7m from income and a US-based investment fund. Mr Sunak first said he would publish a tax return during his unsuccessful campaign to be Tory leader last year. He faced calls to be transparent about his finances after it emerged his wife, Akshata Murty, had non-dom status. The tax details came as MPs questioned former Prime Minister Boris Johnson over whether he misled Parliament over Partygate. Mr Sunak is thought to be one of the richest MPs in Parliament and his personal wealth is something opposition parties have often used as a political attack line. The PM worked in finance before entering politics and he and his family are thought to own several properties, including a Grade II-listed manor house in his North Yorkshire constituency. In the last financial year alone, 2021-2022, the prime minister earned more than £1.9m in income and capital gains, according to the records. Capital gains are taxed at 20% in the UK, while the highest income tax band is 45% on earnings over £150,000. The records show the total UK tax he paid was: Nimesh Shah, chief executive of tax advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, pointed out that Mr Sunak only released a summary of his income and gains, rather than a traditional tax return filed with HM Revenue & Customs. "Whilst the public knows more now than it did before the release, it doesn't show the full picture," he said. Mr Shah said the supporting notes from Mr Sunak's accountants "give an explanation of how his tax position is made, rather than it being left to interpretation of his tax returns". "The release is a fairly controlled way of publishing his tax information." Earlier this month, during a trip to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Sunak said he had been too "busy" to publish sooner. Labour said it was right Mr Sunak had published his tax returns "after much delay". The party's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "They reveal a tax system designed by successive Tory governments in which the prime minister pays a far lower tax rate than working people who face the highest tax burden in 70 years." Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he hoped to be able to publish his tax returns on Thursday. The Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunak "snuck" the records out "whilst the world is distracted with Boris Johnson's Partygate grilling". "People will be much more concerned today about the staggering tax hikes Rishi Sunak has imposed on them," the party's Cabinet Office spokesperson Christine Jardine said. Mr Sunak said he was glad to publish his tax return "in the interests of transparency". Asked on a visit to north Wales if, given his wealth, he could understand what it is like for people struggling to heat their homes, Mr Sunak said: "Ultimately what people are interested in is what I'm going to do for them." Pointing to government support with energy bills, he said tackling the cost of living was his "number one priority". While there is not a long tradition of prime ministers publishing their tax returns, some of Mr Sunak's predecessors have chosen to do so in recent years. Former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron published his tax return in 2016 after revelations about his late father's offshore fund were revealed in the Panama Papers. Theresa May released her tax return during her campaign to be Tory leader in 2016, but did not do so when she was prime minister. The two previous prime ministers, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, did not publish their tax returns. The financial affairs of Mr Sunak and his family were thrust into the media spotlight when he was chancellor in 2022. Mr Sunak's wife, Ms Murty, revealed she had non-dom status, which meant she did not pay UK tax on her overseas earnings. Ms Murty is the daughter the billionaire founder of Indian IT giant Infosys and owns a share of the company, entitling her to dividend payments. As Mr Sunak came under political pressure, Ms Murty released a statement saying she would pay UK tax on her overseas income but retain her non-dom status. At about the same time, Mr Sunak admitted he had held a US green card - allowing permanent residence in that country - while he was chancellor. He returned the green card in October 2021, ahead of his first trip to the US as a UK government minister. Following these revelations, Mr Sunak referred himself to the prime minister's ethics adviser, who cleared him of breaching ministerial rules over the declaration of his financial arrangements. The document released by the government includes an explanation of the prime minister's tax affairs from 2019. The document says all of Mr Sunak's investment income and capital gains "relate to a single US-based investment fund", which is listed as a "blind management arrangement" on the register of ministers' interests. Politicians with share portfolios and investments routinely set up blind trusts when they get government jobs. This allows them to continue earning income from their investments without knowing where the money is invested to avoid any conflicts of interest. The document says "some of the income of the US-based investment fund is also subject to tax in other jurisdictions (including the USA)". Mr Sunak is thought to be one of the richest MPs in Parliament Mr Sunak - who has previously worked as an analyst for the investment bank, Goldman Sachs - has acknowledged that his investments are kept in a financial arrangement known as a blind trust. In February, in an interview with TalkTV presenter Piers Morgan, he was asked whether it was right for prime ministers to have blind trusts. Mr Sunak said: "I think that's better than them having control over them." Mr Sunak's records also show that the prime minister paid tax in the US on dividends in the country. A dividend is a sum of money paid by a company to its shareholders out of its profits. "These US dividends were also subject to tax in the UK," the document says. The document says Mr Sunak's previously held green card status did not impact his tax liability in either the UK or the US during the three financial years reported.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65040300

Boris Johnson clashes with MPs over Partygate denials - BBC News

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The former PM repeatedly insists he did not deliberately lie to Parliament in a marathon grilling.

UK Politics

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson has repeatedly insisted he did not intentionally mislead Parliament over Partygate in a heated grilling by MPs. The former prime minister began the marathon three-hour session with a Bible in his hands, as he swore: "Hand on heart, I did not lie to the House." He admitted social distancing had not been "perfect" at gatherings in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns. But he said they were "essential" work events, which he claimed were allowed. He insisted the guidelines - as he understood them - were followed at all times. But MPs challenged his assertions, with the committee head, Labour's Harriet Harman, at one point describing them as "flimsy", and saying they "did not amount to much at all". He also clashed repeatedly with Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin, angrily telling the senior Tory he was talking "complete nonsense" by suggesting he had relied too much on what political advisers were telling him. The Privileges Committee is investigating statements Mr Johnson made to Parliament, after details of booze-fuelled parties and other gatherings in Downing Street emerged in the media from the end of 2021 onwards. If he is found by MPs to have deliberately or recklessly misled Parliament, he faces suspension from the Commons - a move that might trigger a by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency. Mr Johnson, with a legal adviser at his side, and supporters including former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg sat behind him, was in a combative mood as he took MPs' questions for the long-awaited session. The main thrust of his argument was that boozy gatherings in Downing Street and staff leaving dos had been "essential" work events, which he believed had been in line with the Covid guidelines in place at the time. He insisted statements he gave to the Commons - including when he told MPs in December 2021 that Covid rules and guidance were followed "at all times" - were made "on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time". Shown a picture of himself surrounded by colleagues and drinks during a leaving do, Mr Johnson argued No 10 staff cannot have an "invisible electrified fence around them". "They will occasionally drift into each other's orbit," he said, accepting that "perfect social distancing is not being observed" in the image but denying it was in breach of the guidance. "I believe it was absolutely essential for work purposes," he said of the event for outgoing communications director Lee Cain in November 2020. "We were following the guidance to the best of our ability - which was what the guidance provided." He said when he told MPs on 1 December 2021 that the guidance had been followed at all times, he was recalling the "huge" amount of effort to try and stop Covid spreading within No 10. He gave examples of measures in place such as keeping windows open, working outdoors where possible, limiting the number of people in rooms and testing, which "helped mitigate the difficulties we had in maintaining perfect social distancing". Sir Bernard replied: "I'm bound to say that if you said all that at the time to the House of Commons, we probably wouldn't be sitting here. But you didn't." Asked later in the session by Conservative MP Andy Carter if he should have made these arguments at the time, he said: "Perhaps if I had elucidated more clearly what I meant - and what I felt and believed about following the guidance - that would have helped." Questioned on what he would have told other organisations, if asked at a government pandemic press conference, whether they could hold "unsocially distanced farewell gatherings", Mr Johnson said: "I would have said it is up to organisations, as the guidance says, to decide how they are going to implement the guidance amongst them." Boris Johnson says gatherings at Downing Street - including this leaving do on 13 November 2020 for a special adviser - were work events He also insisted his birthday gathering, in June 2020 at the height of the pandemic, for which he was fined by police, had been "reasonably necessary for work purposes". And he defended the presence of luxury interior designer Lulu Lytle - who was revamping the Johnsons' Downing Street flat - because she was a "contractor" working in No 10. He said then Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who was also present, would have been "just as surprised as I was" about the fines they received. "I thought it was a completely innocent event," Mr Johnson said. "It did not strike me as anything other than an ordinary common or garden workplace event." In another tetchy exchange with Sir Bernard, Mr Johnson was asked about his comments that it was "no great vice" to rely on political advisers for assurances before making statements to the House of Commons. Sir Bernard expressed surprise that Mr Johnson, if there was even "the thinnest scintilla of doubt" about whether rules were followed, would not have sought advice from civil servants or government lawyers. "If I was accused of law-breaking and I had to give undertakings to Parliament... I would want the advice of a lawyer," Sir Bernard told him. A clearly annoyed Mr Johnson told the senior Tory: "This is complete nonsense, I mean, complete nonsense. "I asked the relevant people. They were senior people. They had been working very hard." The committee will deliver its verdict on Mr Johnson by the summer. The full House of Commons would vote on any sanction it recommends. Mr Sunak has agreed to give Tory MPs a free vote on their conscience over Mr Johnson's fate.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65039661

Train strikes planned in March and April suspended - BBC News

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Rail workers across 14 train companies were due to walk out on 30 March and 1 April.

Business

Planned rail strikes in March and April have been called off. RMT union members, including train guards, who work at 14 train companies were set to walk out on 30 March and 1 April. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) - which represents train companies - said it was now focused on "working constructively towards a settlement to this dispute." It comes after RMT members at Network Rail voted to accept a pay deal. The RDG said it was a "welcome step" by the RMT union leaders to call off the planned action. "We are now jointly focused on working constructively towards a settlement to this dispute, which will mean we can do what we have always wanted to do - give our people a pay rise and help secure the long-term future of the railway", a RDG spokesperson said. The RMT, the country's largest rail union, said the proposal tabled by the RDG could lead to a resolution to the national rail dispute. The RDG has not yet made a new or updated offer. But the RMT said the two sides would now hold further talks "with a view to securing a new offer on pay, job security and working conditions". The RMT made clear that the dispute between the train companies and union members had not ended. It said it would continue to prepare to re-ballot members when the current mandates runs out in mid-May. A Department for Transport spokesperson said the "positive step" brought both sides closer to ending the dispute. "After Network Rail employees overwhelmingly voted to accept a similar pay offer earlier this week, we're once again asking the RMT executive to do the right thing and put this fair and reasonable offer to its members, giving them the pay rise they deserve and helping us end this dispute," the spokesperson added. The last rail strike on 18 March saw workers across 14 train operators walk out. It meant that only 40-50% of trains were running, with travellers taking to social media to complain about disruption to their journeys. The ongoing dispute between workers and rail bosses has led to several walkouts since June last year. The UK has seen strikes across several industries over the last twelve months, with workers largely concerned about pay - which has not increased in line with rising prices. Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - is at its highest in nearly four decades.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64896128

Massive asteroid passes between Earth and Moon - BBC News

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The unusually large space object harmlessly bypasses the planet, as predicted by scientists.

Science & Environment

The asteroid will be visible from Earth through binoculars An asteroid large enough to destroy a city has passed between the orbits of the Earth and the Moon - luckily for us, missing both. As predicted by scientists, it passed within 175,000km of the Earth on Saturday after flying past the Moon. It is rare for such a huge asteroid - estimated to be between 40 and 90m in diameter - to come so close to the planet. Astronomers described it as a once-in-a decade event. According to Nasa, it was an important opportunity for astronomers to increase their knowledge of asteroids, in the event that a dangerous object were discovered with the potential to hit Earth. "There is no chance of this 'city killer' striking Earth, but its close approach offers a great opportunity for observations," said the European Space Agency's planetary defence chief, Richard Moissl. But he added that more data was needed to determine the asteroid's composition. With such a close pass of the Earth, the asteroid was visible through binoculars and small telescopes across the globe. A live web broadcast of its approach was provided by The Virtual Telescope Project. The object looks set to return towards Earth's orbit in 2026, but scientists have ruled it out as a threat to the planet on that occasion, too. Earlier this month, a similarly sized asteroid, 2023 DW, was briefly given a one-in-432 chance of hitting Earth on Valentine's Day 2046. Moissl said 2023 DW was now expected to miss Earth by some 4.3 million km. Even if such an asteroid was determined to be heading our way, Earth is no longer defenceless. Last year, NASA's Dart (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft deliberately slammed into the pyramid-sized asteroid Dimorphos. Before Dart's impact, it took Dimorphos 11 hours and 55 minutes to orbit its larger parent asteroid, Didymos.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65061818

Deutsche Bank share slide reignites worries among investors - BBC News

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Worries over the financial strength of the sector persist, with Deutsche Bank down 14% at one point.

Business

Sharp declines in banking shares in Europe have renewed concerns the panic triggered by the collapse of two US banks and rushed takeover of Swiss giant Credit Suisse may not be easily contained. Shares in Germany's Deutsche Bank fell by 14% at one point on Friday, with other lenders also seeing big losses. London's FTSE 100 ended the day down 1.3%, while stock markets in Germany and France dropped even more sharply. But US fears did not materialise. After falling early in the day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.4% and the S&P 500 rose almost 0.6%, while the Nasdaq ended 0.3% higher. The rise came despite declines in shares of big banks such as JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley. In Europe, the banks hit by a sell-off from worried investors included Germany's Commerzbank, which saw shares fall about 5%. France's Societe Generale ended down about 6% while in the UK, Standard Chartered was the biggest faller, down more than 6%. Deutsche recovered from its steepest losses but still closed more than 8% lower. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, told the BBC the drop in Deutsche Bank's share price, and a sharp jump in the cost of insuring against a possible default by the bank, was "indicative of a wider loss of confidence in the banking sector". "There's a gathering fear that central banks may have overdone it with interest rate increases, having left them too low for too long," he said. Central banks slashed interest rates during the 2008 global financial crisis and again when the pandemic hit in 2020 as part of efforts to encourage economic growth. But over the past year or so authorities have been raising rates sharply to try to tame soaring price increases. These rate rises have hit the value of investments that banks keep some of their money in, and contributed to the bank failures in the US. Share prices have fallen across the sector, as high-profile investors warn the collapses are symptoms of deeper problems in the system, with other pockets of distress yet to emerge. Higher interest rates have also raised the possibility of recession, Mr Mould said, and if that happens, "banks will generally find it pretty hard going". The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank helped to trigger the recent loss of confidence Central banks and governments have been trying to calm market worries. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended Deutsche Bank at a news conference on Friday, noting that it had "thoroughly reorganised and modernised its business model" and was "very profitable". Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey also told the BBC that the UK banking system was "safe and sound". But mixed messages from US authorities as to whether they were prepared to guarantee all bank deposits have led to confusion and hopes that calm had been restored to the sector appear to be have been premature. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen convened an unexpected Friday meeting with regulators on financial stability, while use of an emergency lending programme for banks that the US central bank created this month has increased over the past week, the Federal Reserve reported. Bloomberg News also reported that UBS and Credit Suisse were being investigated by the US Department of Justice into whether they had helped Russian oligarchs avoid sanctions. Meanwhile, the financial turmoil sparked by the failures has raised uncertainty about how much higher interest rates might go. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said this week the bank may not lift borrowing costs much more, if the banking panic continues to weigh on lending and slows economic growth. But on Friday St. Louis Fed president James Bullard, who is not currently on the rate-setting committee, said he thought the panic would subside, leading to higher rates than the roughly 5% currently expected. Joachim Nagel, president of Germany's Bundesbank, said still rampant inflation meant central banks should continue to raise rates. He declined to comment on Deutsche Bank, but said market turmoil was to be expected after the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the US and the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse. "In the weeks after such interesting events, it is often a bumpy road," he said. • None Is this a banking crisis - how worried should I be?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65064378

Trucks piled on buildings as tornado hits Mississippi - BBC News

Drone footage captures the devastation after a tornado hits Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

Drone footage has captured the devastation after a tornado hit Rolling Fork, Mississippi. There is widespread destruction in the southern US state, with dozens of people killed, injured or missing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65077137

Ukraine war: Battle for Bakhmut 'stabilising', says commander - BBC News

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Despite Russia spending months trying to take the city, Ukrainian officials say they are holding on.

Europe

The eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been devastated after months of fighting The battle for Bakhmut, the Ukrainian city which Russia has spent months trying to capture, is "stabilising", says Ukraine's commander-in-chief. Earlier this month, Western officials estimated between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops had been killed or injured in Bakhmut since last summer. Moscow is eager for a victory after failing to make major recent gains. Despite this, military analysts believe Bakhmut has little strategic value, with the city's importance now symbolic. The high number of Russian casualties may be the main reason Ukraine has not withdrawn from the city, analysts say. On Facebook, Lt Gen Zaluzhnyi said that while the situation on Ukraine's frontlines "is the toughest in the Bakhmut direction... due to the tremendous efforts of the defence forces, we are managing to stabilise the situation". Lt Gen Zaluzhnyi posted after speaking to the UK's Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, about the situation in Ukraine. His comments are the latest positive signal from Ukrainian officials about the long battle for Bakhmut. The UK's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that Russia's assault on Bakhmut had "largely stalled", citing "extreme attrition" of the Russian force as a cause, and added that Russia had probably shifted its operational focus to the south and north of Bakhmut. Such moves might suggest an "overall return to a more defensive operational design" after Russia failed to achieve significant results from its attempts to conduct a general offensive since January, the UK said. Earlier this week, Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of the country's ground forces, said that Russian troops near Bakhmut were "exhausted". Mr Syrsky added that while Russia had "not given up hope of taking Bakhmut at all costs despite losses in manpower and equipment... they are losing significant strength". And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently visited the frontline near Bakhmut, where he last visited in December. Footage showed him in an old warehouse giving medals to soldiers, whom he called "heroes". The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank, said on Thursday that although Ukraine was still outnumbered by the Wagner group, Ukrainian forces "continue to exhaust the mercenaries, which will enable Ukrainian forces to pursue unspecified future offensive operations". Wagner, a private, mercenary organisation, is at the heart of the Russian assault on Bakhmut. Its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has staked his reputation on seizing the city. The MoD said Russia's difficulties in Bakhmut were likely to have been exacerbated by tensions between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defence. About 70,000 people lived in Bakhmut before the invasion, but only a few thousand remain. For those left behind, including elderly and disabled people, conditions are difficult. Civilians spend almost the whole day in underground shelters because of intense shelling, said the ICRC's Umar Khan, who has been providing them with aid. Mr Khan said people were being pushed to the very "limits of their existence and survival". The capture of Bakhmut would bring Russia slightly closer to controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine illegally annexed by Russia last September.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65072173

Northern Ireland March weather has made for month of contrasts - BBC News

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The saying "mad as a March hare" has certainly rung true about our weather, writes Cee Daly.

Northern Ireland

You have probably heard the saying "mad as a March hare". This month the saying has rung especially true as the weather has been all over the place - to put it mildly. It has always been a month of contrasts and by halfway into March we had warnings of ice, snow and heavy rain. There has been significant snowfall in some areas - enough to build a whole snow family - and temperatures fell to -9C in Castlederg, County Tyrone. That was on 8 March, making it the coldest March night since 2010. Then the rains came, with a warning of heavy downpours from the Met Office in the middle of the month. Over a 24-hour period, Derrylin in County Fermanagh recorded 35.4mm of rainfall, Killowen in County Down measured 29mm and Killylane, in the Glens of Antrim, recorded 26mm. This was followed by a dramatic leap in temperature just ahead of St Patrick's Day. Helen's Bay recorded 16.1C on 16 March, making it the warmest day of the year so far and the highest temp in Northern Ireland since 13 November. Just more than seven days earlier was that icy -9C night in Castlederg - what a difference a week makes. It is not unusual for the fair-skinned to get sunburn on St Patrick's Day as the mid-March sun is of a similar strength to September. This year the spring equinox was the following day, 20 March, when the sun sits directly over the Earth's equator as it heads northward. Both hemispheres share the sun's rays equally at the equinox, and night and day are roughly the same length. Spring is said to be a transitional season and wide variations in weather can occur, from wintry conditions in the first half of the season to warm, almost summer like conditions any time from late April onwards. The sun is strengthening significantly, the oceans are slowly warming and the jet stream is usually further north, which influences where our air is coming from. Air coming in from a southerly direction will always be warmer. With the fierce changes in weather, there is often some truth in a saying often used in reference to March: "In like a lion, out like a lamb." It is likely our recent snow, towards the beginning of the month, is down to SSW - or sudden stratospheric warming - which five years ago helped bring about the infamous Beast from the East. John Wylie, a former colleague who works with the Met Office in Northern Ireland, said that cold and wintery conditions, including significant snowfall, are not uncommon in March. In 2010, 2013 and 2018, each March had highly disruptive snowfall events. Nature has a habit of redressing the balance and the exceptional mildness of February (2.5C above average) has been countered by much colder conditions during the first half of March, with average temperatures around 2.5C below average. At present, it is possible March could end up colder than February which, although unusual, is certainly not without precedent. The latter part of this month has been quite mild, windy at times and wet - a wetter than average month right across Northern Ireland. Up to 23 March, Aldergrove will have had its fourth wettest March on record - with still a week of weather to go. This weekend the clocks spring forward just as a northerly Arctic wind sets in to bring Sunday temperatures back down to single digits. So after a roaring start to spring lets hope we skip through April like a newborn lamb with plenty of sunshine and not as many showers. There were a couple of well-worn weather phrases in the article above, but what about some of the other sayings and pieces of traditional wisdom that we use to predict, describe or decry the weather? Here's a look at a few more. How about "too cold to snow"? This is a saying backed up by science. The colder it gets, the less water vapour it can hold, which reduces the likelihood of snow. But there are many other factors to consider when it comes to whether or not it will snow and it's unlikely that across the island of Ireland we would experience temperatures low enough. So true, but unlikely to happen here. As pet owners and friends of four-legged creatures everywhere can attest, animals can often be predictors of thunderously stormy weather. Cats and dogs are more sensitive than humans to sounds, smells and changes in atmospheric pressure. Their heightened senses can allow them to pick up hints that a storm is coming well before their owners catch wind of it. Just before a storm, your cat's inner ears may detect the sudden fall in atmospheric pressure and it may have learned to associate this with an impending storm. If a storm is already raging in the distance, it may be able to perceive the faint rumble of thunder. Likewise, your dog may be able to smell the incoming rain or the characteristic whiff of ozone gas, often created by lightning which has a sharp, metallic odour. And finally what about this old (sort of) chestnut. "Pinecones open up when good weather is coming" is another with a kernel of truth. In dry weather, pinecones dry out, causing their scales to open out. In damp conditions, they become more flexible and return to a more closed shape.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64974874

Bangor: Nantporth Stadium football complex £63k dispute - BBC News

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The future of community football complex could be in doubt due to a dispute over an unpaid bill.

Wales

Defender Catrin Hughes: "It wouldn't be nice to be denied promotion because of the uncertainty about the stadium" The future of a community football complex could be in doubt due to a dispute over £63,000 in rent and insurance arrears. About 25 teams use the pitches at Nantporth Stadium in Bangor, Gwynedd. But the community interest company (CIC) that runs it has asked for more time to repay Bangor City Council, which has threatened legal action. The council said it had to "act in the best interest of Bangor's tax payers". Nantporth CIC said some of the sum derives from unpaid rent by the former sub-tenants, Bangor City FC. The club - which no longer has an active team - surrendered its lease last year in an agreement that meant the CIC would shoulder the debt. The CIC now wants to negotiate repayment plans with the council, and is asking it to refrain from taking action for 12 months to give assurances to the clubs that use Nantporth. However, the council has asked for payment within 21 days, citing "ongoing breaches of the terms of the lease". Bangor City FC owner Domenico Serafino confirmed it had cleared their debts to the CIC when it left the stadium. About 25 teams use the facilities at Nantporth on a regular basis, including Bangor 1876 Ladies FC Among the teams now using the facilities are Bangor 1876 Ladies FC, who are close to winning their division this year. But to get promoted they need a guarantee they can use the stadium - or another one of the same quality - in future. "We've come a long way in the last few years, this year especially," said defender Catrin Hughes. "It wouldn't be nice to be denied promotion because of the uncertainty about the stadium." The club's youth sides boast about 150 members, and they use the all-weather 3G pitch next to the stadium, which hosts the 2023 Welsh Cup final between Bala Town and The New Saints next month. Ffion Thomas, club treasurer and a mother of two girls who use the facilities, said football was a "big deal in our house". "My girls are out all the time playing football, we train during the week, we have games on Saturdays." Parents Nicola Davies and Ffion Thomas both have daughters who use the facilities Nicola Davies, whose three daughters train at the ground, said they could "miss out on making friends, and miss out on playing football and socialising". Nantporth CIC manage both the stadium - which it rents from Bangor City Council - and the 3G pitch, which it owns. On 8 March, one CIC director, Dilwyn Jones, received an undated solicitor's letter asking for full payment of the debt to the council within 21 days. About £44,000 is owed in back rent, and £19,000 in insurance arrears, but Mr Jones said they "thought there would be some manoeuvring room for negotiation and our initial discussion with the council was that there would be". But he said discussions had "frozen" and he encouraged the council to reopen negotiations on debt repayment and refrain from taking action for 12 months to give assurances to clubs. He added that the CIC was now in a position to start paying back the debt, having recently got the complex back up and running after Bangor City FC surrendered their lease in summer 2022 having stopped playing football after years of financial difficulties. Mr Serafino said that the site has been returned to the CIC "under an agreement signed by the parties and that we therefore have no debts to... [the] CIC". Bangor City Council says it "has taken this action in order to ensure a stable long-term future for the stadium" But Mr Jones believes that "around 90%" of the rent due to the council would have been covered by the football club under the previous sub-letting agreement. He added that the CIC knew when the club left that they would need to pay this debt to the council, which was itself "fully aware" of the situation. Bangor City Council said its dispute with the CIC "relates to ongoing breaches of the terms of the lease". In a statement the council added: "The city council has a statutory responsibility to manage public finances to the best of its ability and act in the best interest of Bangor's taxpayers. "The city council will not comment further on details of this matter as it does not want to influence any potential legal action. "However, it would like to assure the citizens of Bangor that it has taken this action in order to ensure a stable long-term future for the stadium, and which will support the teams and clubs that use the Bangor City stadium."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65074604

Vatican returns Parthenon sculptures to Greece - BBC News

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The Greek culture minister said she hopes their return will set an example for other institutions to follow.

Europe

The Vatican has returned three fragments of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece in a move that has been described as a "gesture of friendship". The decision to return the 2,500-year-old marbles was announced by Pope Francis last year. One is a chunk of a horses head, the other a bearded man and the third a head of a boy. Greece hopes the move will spur other overseas institutions that hold Parthenon sculptures to return them. About 50% of the Parthenon's original sculptures have survived and almost half of them are in the British Museum. "The ceremony today... similar to the gesture by the government of Sicily and the Republic of Italy a few months ago, shows the road that we could follow, that everyone could follow, in order for the unity of the Parthenon to be restored," Greece's culture minister Lina Mendoni said on Friday. As the marbles were returned, dignitaries exchanged hand shakes and smiled in front of the cameras, including the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos. "My personal heartfelt wish is that this initiative is mimicked by others. Pope Francis showed that this is possible and significant," he said. The sculptures were originally created as part of the iconic Parthenon temple in Athens The marbles had been in the papal collection and Vatican Museums for centuries. But Greece has been trying to recover them from the Vatican and other European collections since the beginning of the 20th century. In the early 1800s dozens of marbles were taken from Greece's Parthenon on the orders of Scottish nobleman Thomas Bruce, known as Lord Elgin. He then sold the marbles to the British government, who then displayed them in the British Museum. Reports have suggested the British Museum's chairman, George Osborne, is close to agreeing a deal with Greece. In January, the then UK culture secretary Michele Donelan said that the sculptures "belong here" in Britain. The British Museum is prevented by law from permanently returning the artworks to Greece. But there was speculation that a deal could involve the sculptures heading to Athens on loan in rotation, in return for classical objects that have never been seen outside Greece before.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65071987

Greens: New FM must have 'progressive values' - BBC News

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Scottish Greens says they will quit government if the new first minister does not back climate justice and trans rights.

Scotland politics

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater spoke at the Scottish Greens' party conference The Scottish Greens say they will quit the government if the new first minister does not share their "progressive values". Co-leader Patrick Harvie said they were a "necessity" if the power-sharing agreement with the SNP was to continue. Lorna Slater said a commitment to climate justice and trans rights were "non-negotiable". Humza Yousaf is the only one of the three SNP leadership candidates who has committed to continue the agreement. The Green politicians' comments are seen as the clearest signal yet that they would not work with Kate Forbes or Ash Regan, who are also standing to replace Nicola Sturgeon. They spoke at their party conference in Clydebank, West Dunabrtonshire, as voting continues in the contest to succeed Ms Sturgeon. The result of that ballot will be announced on Monday. Ms Slater, who is also co-leader of the party, said she wanted the Greens to stay in government and continue their work. "But not at any cost," she added. "We will only vote for the SNP's new leader to become first minister if they are committed to the politics of cooperation," she said. "If they respect and share our values of equality and environmentalism. If they will prioritise climate justice. And if they agree that trans rights are human rights and that our trans siblings cannot be used as political fodder by Westminster. "These are fundamental issues for us. They are non-negotiable. If the next first minister shares these values then we would not just remain in government. We should redouble our efforts to build a fairer, greener, and independent Scotland." She said the party would put itself in the best position it could to "deliver change". "If that is in opposition to an SNP government that has lost its way and abandoned its commitments to cooperation, equality and environmental progress then so be it," she added. "With regret, that is where we would go. Because Scottish Greens will always work for people and for planet, and you can't do that in partnership with a first minister who has already set themselves in opposition to both." At the Greens' conference hotel in Clydebank, there's a lot of coming and going - walkers, ice hockey players and GPs here for a conference. That sense of movement and checking-in and checking-out chimes in with the mood. They're at a crossroads, indeed the co-leader Patrick Harvie said the party was standing at a "major junction". They know they could suddenly be "checking-out" out of the Scottish government; the Bute House agreement ripped up if Humza Yousaf is not first minister. They're being very polite and not naming names on the record until voting in the SNP leadership race closes - but they've set out what they call their "progressive values" and have made it clear that Kate Forbes and Ash Regan don't share them. On Monday, the new SNP leader will call the Green co-leaders to set out his or her plans for government shortly after being elected. The Greens' National Council will then decide whether to continue in partnership. Ultimately, the Greens' future in the Scottish government rests with a decision by SNP members. Mr Yousaf is the only candidate committed to challenging Westminster's veto of gender recognition reforms passed by Holyrood. Speaking on Saturday, he said any move away from the Bute House agreement would "destabilise" the Scottish government and maintaining the deal would be one of his first priorities as first minister. Ms Forbes has said she is willing to work with the party, but her drive to put economic prosperity "front and centre" was "non-negotiable". She has also said she would not have voted for the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, and has suggested she may not go to court to defend it. Meanwhile Ash Regan has claimed the SNP is being "held hostage" by the Greens, warning about the "tail wagging the dog" on social policy - in particular the gender reforms which saw her quit government. Mr Harvie said he wanted to be able to co-operate with the new leader. "We need to be clear that a sincere commitment to progressive values cannot be an optional extra in a choice of a first minister; it is a necessity," he told the conference. "And it's not just the policies and the values. It's also about the constructive way of working that's written into the Bute House Agreement - genuinely both sides seeking common ground. "Yesterday I'm told that Kate Forbes said that she wanted to keep working with us… even though she has made it clear in a televised debate that working together simply meant us accepting her agenda… that's hardly the spirit of cooperation. "But conference, there is so much more to what we can deliver if, and only if, we see a first minister who shares our commitment to the progressive values, the genuine spirit of cooperation, and the bold policy programme that runs through the agreement you approved." • None Will the Greens stay in government with the SNP?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65075733

'God, guns and Trump': Thousands turn out for Texas rally - BBC News

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As Donald Trump stares down a potential arrest, it is business as usual at his campaign rally.

US & Canada

A Donald Trump fan dresses up as the former president at the rally In his first public appearance since speculating a week ago that he would soon be arrested, Donald Trump lashed out against the multiple criminal inquiries that have bedevilled him since he left office in January 2021. At an airfield rally in Waco, Texas, in front of thousands of supporters, the former president called the New York City investigation into hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels an expletive. "The district attorney of New York under the auspices and direction of the 'department of injustice' in Washington, DC, is investigating me for something that is not a crime, not a misdemeanour, not an affair," he said, before belittling Ms Daniels' personal appearance. Every piece of his personal, financial and business life, he said, has been "turned upside down and dissected" - but professed that he was "the most innocent man in the history of our country". For the past week, Mr Trump has been posting increasingly menacing statements about "death and destruction" if he were to be indicted on his social media website, but he avoided any such dire warnings during his speech. And earlier on a sunny afternoon in Waco, Texas, the gathering felt more like the carnival-atmosphere campaign rallies of Mr Trump's 2016 presidential bid. Thousands of the former president's supporters wandered through Trump merchandise tents, where they bought t-shirts emblazoned with "God, guns and Trump" and "Trump won". Then they packed onto the asphalt tarmac of the local airport hours before Mr Trump's private jet was scheduled to land. Thousands of supporters wore the shirts emblazoned with 'God, Guns, Trump' They waited in the heat as songs by Abba, Frank Sinatra and Bon Jovi blared on the loudspeakers and cheered as a litany of familiar Trump supporters took turns warming-up the crowd. Rock star Ted Nugent played what was billed as a "fire-breathing" rendition of the US national anthem on his electric guitar, interrupted by an obscenity-laced diatribe that included attacks on the "jack-booted thugs" in the federal government who he said have been wrongfully imprisoning Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021. Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also had their moment on the stage, lobbing pointed attacks on New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who will decide in the days ahead whether to indict Mr Trump. "This attack is an egregious weaponisation of our justice system designed to influence the 2024 presidential race," Greene said. "This is nothing but a witch hunt against President Trump, and he is completely innocent." Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had a moment on stage, using it to attack New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg The crowd - which the Trump campaign estimated will reach 15,000 - offered some boos when Mr Bragg's name was mentioned, but few seemed all that concerned by the New York investigation. "I don't listen to the negative stuff," said Debbie Harvey of Midlothian, Texas, a town near Dallas. "I'm praying that he doesn't get indicted. God still answers prayers." "There doesn't seem to be much to it," said Brian Novie, who lives in nearby Copperas Cove. "And now they seem to be struggling with whether prosecute at all." Novie and his friend Richard Tarner, who like Harvey were attending their first Trump rally, bought commemorative t-shirts that read "Trump in Texas: I was there - where were you?" They said that, even with what is likely to be a range of choices in the 2024 Republican primaries, they were sticking with Mr Trump. "He's proven he can get things done," Tarner said, noting that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Mr Trump's most formidable rival, had yet to demonstrate that he could perform on the national stage. In the run-up to the Waco rally, a number of media outlets and Trump critics had questioned why the former president was holding his first mega-rally of the 2024 campaign in Waco, where 30 years earlier federal and state authorities engaged in an armed standoff with the Branch Davidian religious cult that ended with the death of 86 people. It was an incident that helped fuel an anti-government movement in the US, as terms like Nugent's "jack-booted thugs" were frequently used to describe federal law officers. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the crowd that such connections were an expletive and "fake news". "I picked Waco," he said. "The president called me several weeks ago and said: 'I'm coming to Texas. I want you to pick a great town.' The former president's plane arrived early evening in the kind of dramatic airfield landing he made a signature of his campaigns in 2016 and 2020. The new "Trump Force One" circled the airfield as the song Danger Zone, made popular by the film Top Gun, blared on the loudspeakers. Meanwhile, a speed-artist painted a scowling portrait of the former president on the stage. The work turned out to be an accurately foreshadowing of the mood the embattled former president brought to his appearance. While he would eventually tout his record and make promises about a bright future for America if he is elected, it was clear that his legal troubles - and possible impending arrest - were foremost in his mind.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65078418

Ukraine war: How a Russian child's drawing sparked a police investigation - BBC News

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Masha, now 13, is in a children’s home after Russian authorities placed her father under house arrest.

Europe

Masha Moskaleva has not been seen in public since 1 March In the centre of the Russian town of Yefremov is a wall covered in pictures of war. Giant photographs of masked Russian soldiers with guns and supersized letters Z and V - symbols of the country's so-called special military operation in Ukraine. To tear the skin from those This is the official, patriotic picture of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But in this town, 320km (200 miles) south of Moscow, you'll find another image of the Ukraine war. A very different one. Town councillor Olga Podolskaya shows me a photo on her mobile phone. It's of a child's drawing. To the left is a Ukrainian flag with the words "Glory to Ukraine", on the right, the Russian tricolour and the inscription "No to war!". As missiles fly in from the direction of Russia, a mother and her child stand defiantly in their path. Masha's school contacted the police after the 12-year-old drew this picture The picture was drawn in April 2022 by then 12-year-old Masha Moskaleva. Her father Alexei, a single parent, had contacted the town councillor for advice. He told her that after seeing Masha's drawing, her school had called the police. "The police started investigating Alexei's social media," Olga tells me. "And they told him that he was bringing up his daughter in a bad way." Charges followed. For an anti-war post on social media, Alexei was fined 32,000 roubles (around $415 or £338 at the time) for discrediting the Russian armed forces. A few weeks ago, a criminal case was opened against him. Again, anti-war posts formed the basis for discreditation charges. Alexei is currently under house arrest in Yefremov. His daughter Masha has - for now - been sent to a children's home. Alexei has not even been allowed to speak to her on the phone. "No-one has seen Masha since 1 March," Olga Podolskaya tells me, "despite our attempts to get access to the children's home and to find out how she is. "The Russian authorities want everyone to toe the line. No-one is allowed to have their own opinion. If you disagree with what someone thinks, then don't read their social media posts. But don't put that person under house arrest and their child in a children's home." We are standing outside an apartment block in Yefremov. A window opens and a man looks out. It's Alexei. We're not allowed to communicate with him. Under the rules of his house arrest Alexei is only permitted contact with his lawyer, the investigator and the penitentiary service. Alexei Moskalev is being held under house arrest and faces a possible prison sentence over his social media posts The lawyer, Vladimir Biliyenko, has just arrived. He's come to deliver food and drink which local activists have bought for Alexei. "He is very worried because his daughter is not with him," Vladimir tells me after visiting Alexei Moskalev. "Everything in the flat reminds him of her. He's worried about what may be happening to her." I ask the lawyer why he thinks the authorities have taken Masha away. "If they had real questions for the father, they should have invited him to give a statement. They should have invited Masha, too, and spoken to her," Vladimir says. "None of this was done. They just decided to send her off [to the children's home]. In my opinion, if it wasn't for the kind of administrative and criminal charges Alexei has received, this wouldn't be happening. The social services seem obsessed with this family. I think it's purely for political reasons. The family's problems only began after the girl drew that picture." The Russian authorities want everyone to toe the line. No one is allowed to have their own opinion On the street, I ask Alexei's neighbours what they think of the situation. "She's a good girl, and I've never had a problem with the dad," says pensioner Angelina Ivanovna. "But I'm scared to say anything. I'm frightened to." "Perhaps we could collect signatures in [Alexei's] support," a younger woman suggests. But when asked for her opinion on what is happening, she replies: "Sorry, I can't tell you." I ask if she is frightened about possible consequences. It's a short walk from Alexei Moskalev's apartment block to School No 9, where Masha had studied and that her father says called the police over Masha's anti-war drawing. The school has yet to respond to our written request for comment. When we tried to visit, we were told we couldn't come in. Our telephone calls went unanswered. But I have visited School No 9's website. The images there remind me of the patriotic wall I saw in the centre of town. The home page features Heroes of the Special Military Operation - two dozen portraits of Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine. There are patriotic slogans, too: "Everything for Victory. Let's support our lads on the front line!" Soldiers back from Ukraine visited School No 9 last October. In а speech that day school director Larisa Trofimova declared: "We believe in ourselves and in our Motherland, which can never make a mistake." Across town, supporters of the Moskalev family and journalists are gathering at the local courthouse. The Yefremov Juvenile Affairs Commission is taking legal action to officially restrict Alexei's parental rights. A supporter of Alexei Moskalev raises a sign at the local court that reads: "Return Masha to her father!" It's an initial hearing known as "a conversation" with the judge. Lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko says Alexei had wanted to be here in person. However he hasn't been allowed to interrupt his house arrest to come to court, even though what's at stake is access to his child. In the courthouse corridor an activist unfurls a poster. "Return Masha to her father!" it declares. A police officer tells her to take it down. The Juvenile Affairs Commission has yet to respond to our request to comment on the case of Alexei Moskalev and his daughter Masha. One of Alexei's supporters, Natalya Filatova, believes the story of the Moskalev family reflects the crackdown on dissent in Russia. "Our constitution proclaims freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, total freedom for citizens to express their opinions," Natalya tells me. "But now we're forbidden from doing that."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65015289

Plans to house migrants on ferries to be announced - BBC News

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The government has previously signalled it wants to end the practice of housing people in hotels.

UK

Over 45,000 people reached the UK via the dangerous route last year - up from around 300 in 2018 The government is preparing to announce alternatives to hotel accommodation for migrants as early as next week. The use of ferries will be confirmed, but their exact location may not be announced for another few weeks. Two military sites in England will also be confirmed, and the first migrants are expected to move in within weeks. Sources say each site will house 1,500-2,000 migrants and will initially be used for new arrivals, rather than to rehouse people currently in hotels. The BBC understands more than 51,000 people are being housed in 395 hotels. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has signalled the government wants to end the practice of housing migrants in hotels, which she says costs around £6m a day. Former airbases in Lincolnshire and Essex are among sites being looked at. Private hotels are currently used to house asylum seekers as part of the government's legal obligation to provide people seeking help with a basic level of accommodation. The government says private accommodation options are at maximum capacity and argue they do not represent good value for money for the taxpayer. It has made reducing illegal migration a key priority and has unveiled measures it says will deter people crossing the English Channel in small boats. More than 45,000 reached the UK via the dangerous route last year, up from around 300 in 2018. The government's Illegal Migration Bill would ban anyone who enters the country illegally from claiming asylum on arrival - or in the future. It would also create an annual cap on the number of refugees the UK will settle through "safe and legal routes", and impose a legal duty on the Home Secretary to swiftly detain and remove anyone who arrives illegally. The government's policy to deport migrants to Rwanda has been ruled to be legal by the High Court, but is facing further challenges in the courts. The home secretary has said there is no limit to how many migrants Rwanda would be able to take - however no flights have taken off. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being placed on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country. We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options. "The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65074419

Death sentence man Liam Holden: 'I was tortured into a false confession' - BBC News

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Liam Holden says soldiers used waterboarding torture techniques and put a gun to his head to make him confess to a murder that he did not commit.

Northern Ireland

Liam Holden was 19 when he was arrested and convicted of a soldier's murder It happened almost 40 years ago, but Liam Holden can still recall the sensation of gasping for breath as water was slowly poured on to a towel covering his face. "That feeling will never leave me," he says. "Even talking about it now, I get a gagging sensation in my throat." He was 19 at the time and was being questioned by members of the Parachute Regiment about the murder of a soldier, Private Frank Bell. He died three days after being shot in the head as he patrolled in the Springfield Avenue area of west Belfast in September 1972. The teenage chef was taken from his home and brought to an army post at Blackmountain school, where he was held for almost five hours. By the end of his time in military custody, he had agreed to sign a statement admitting he had shot the soldier. "By the time they were finished with me I would have admitted to killing JFK," he says. So what did the Army do during that time? Liam Holden says he was subjected to sustained torture and then threatened that he would be shot if he did not confess to the killing. "I was beaten and they told me to admit I had shot the soldier, but I said that wasn't true because I didn't. "Then six soldiers came into the cubicle where I was being held and grabbed me. They held me down on the floor and one of them placed a towel over my face, and they got water and they started pouring the water through the towel all round my face, very slowly," he says. "After a while you can't get your breath but you still try to get your breath, so when you were trying to breathe in through your mouth you are sucking the water in, and if you try to breathe in through your nose, you are sniffing the water in. Liam Holden says those who forced him to sign the confession knew he was innocent "It was continual, a slow process, and at the end of it you basically feel like you are suffocating. They did not stop until I passed out, or was close to passing out. "They repeated that three or four times, but were still getting the same answer. I told them I had not shot the soldier." Mr Holden, now a father of two, said the soldiers then changed tactics and put a hood over his head and told him he was going to be shot. "They put me into a car and took me for a drive and said they were bringing me to a loyalist area," he said. "I couldn't see where I was but I was in a field somewhere. One of the soldiers put a gun to my head and said that if I didn't admit to killing the soldier that they were going to shoot me and just leave me there. "I had a hood over my head and a gun at my head in the middle of a field and was told I would be killed if I didn't admit it. There were no ifs or buts, I just said I did it. "I didn't think about going to prison or anything like that, I just confessed to make them stop." The term "waterboarding" was not in use at the time, but Mr Holden's description of what happened to him, which he outlined in court at the time, are remarkably similar to the accounts of others who claim to have been subjected to the same form of torture by the CIA in recent years. Although Mr Holden had an alibi for the time of the shooting, and the only evidence against him was the confession he said he had been forced to sign, he was convicted. "They knew I did not shoot that soldier, they knew. There was no evidence whatsoever apart from that statement that I signed," he says. He was released from prison in 1989 after serving 17 years. Since then, he has campaigned to clear his name and the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which was established to investigate possible miscarriages of justice, referred his case to the Court of Appeal. The commission took the decision based on new evidence and doubts about "the admissibility of reliability" of his confession. Some of the new material included evidence discovered by a Guardian journalist, Ian Cobain, that water torture was used by the British military at the time, despite repeated denials. The journalist was an expert witness for Mr Holden's legal team. Last month, Mr Holden was granted permission to appeal after the Public Prosecution Service said it would not oppose the move. A spokesman for the PPS said its decision was based on confidential evidence compiled by the Criminal Cases Review Commission which had not been available to prosecutors at the time of the trial. "The court of trial was therefore deprived of relevant material that might have led to a different outcome on the question of the admissibility of the incriminating statements, which were the sole basis of the conviction," the spokesman added. "In those circumstances the director concluded that it would not be appropriate to oppose the appeal." Liam Holden said he lost his family as well as his liberty during those 17 years in jail. "I have five brothers and five sisters, but I don't really know them. The older ones moved on, got married and had their own families while I was in jail. The ones who were younger than me when I was sent to prison didn't get the chance to get to know me." His mother died a year after he was released, and his father a short time later. "I'm just sorry they aren't around to see the outcome of this appeal, to see the stigma removed from my name. That is what this is about. I have never mentioned money at any stage. This is just about being found not guilty and that's all it is, that is more important than any compensation they could ever think of offering me." What about the soldiers who tortured him and forced him to sign the confession that led to his conviction? "I would just like one of them to admit it, to acknowledge that they subjected me to what I have said they did. I think that would be almost as good, in my own mind, as the judge saying 'Sorry Mr Holden but you were not guilty," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18525630

Mississippi tornado kills 26 and brings devastation to US state - BBC News

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The storms have killed 26 and devastated rural towns, with Rolling Fork almost completely wiped out.

US & Canada

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Search and rescue efforts are continuing in Mississippi after a deadly tornado hit the US state. At least 25 people have died in the state, and one in Alabama, with dozens more left injured by Friday's tornado. The storms devastated several rural towns, with Rolling Fork in western Sharkey County almost completely wiped out. Mississippi state governor Tate Reeves has declared a state of emergency to help respond to the damage. US President Joe Biden also described the images coming out of Mississippi as "heartbreaking", and said the federal government would "do everything we can to help". "We will be there as long as it takes. We will work together to deliver the support you need to recover," he said in a statement. More storms are predicted to hit parts of Alabama and Georgia early on Sunday and potentially bring large hail. The storm system which ripped through Mississippi produced a tornado that has caused catastrophic damage to communities across the state. The biggest twister obliterated dozens of buildings in several small towns, flipping cars on their sides and toppling power lines. The small town of Rolling Fork, located in Sharkey County in western Mississippi, has essentially been wiped out, according to its mayor. "My city is gone," Mayor Eldridge Walker told CNN. "But we're resilient and we're going to come back." He added that lots of families in his community were "affected and hurting", and all he could see was "devastation". Rolling Fork residents said windows were blown out of the back of their homes. Local resident Brandy Showah told CNN: "I've never seen anything like this... This was a very great small town, and now it's gone." Drone footage of Rolling Fork, shared with the BBC, shows the devastation inflicted on the town. Trucks and trees are shown piled on top of buildings, with detritus scattered over large areas. Cornel Knight told the Associated Press that he, his wife and their three-year-old daughter were at a relative's home in Rolling Fork and that it was "eerily quiet" just before the tornado struck. He said the sky was dark but "you could see the direction from every transformer that blew". He said the tornado struck another relative's house, where a wall collapsed and trapped several people inside. Mississippi state governor Tate Reeves has visited Silver City and Winona to meet with affected residents who had been hit by the tornado's fury. Sharing an update on Twitter, Mr Reeves described the situation as a "tragedy", writing: "We are blessed with brave, capable responders and loving neighbours. Please continue to pray." It is not yet clear whether one or several tornadoes hit the area on Friday night. Although yesterday the National Weather Service warned that several tornadoes were forecast, it is possible the devastation was caused by a "skipping tornado" - a single twister that lifts from the surface only to touch down again. Sam Emmerson from the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma said that the "extremely high-calibre" tornado lofted debris above 30,000ft (9144m). One local weather forecaster, concerned at the strength of a tornado about to hit the town of Amory, momentarily paused his TV forecast to offer a prayer for the residents of the town. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Devastation after Tornadoes roll across Mississippi and Alabama Have you been affected by the tornado or the storms? Only if it is safe to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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/world-us-canada-65075276

MI5 spy reveals secret 'unauthorised' IRA talks - BBC News

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The officer who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland tells the BBC he defied orders from the government.

UK

The BBC's Peter Taylor, pictured here, tracked down the MI5 agent An MI5 spy who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland by defying orders, has broken his silence to the BBC. He has revealed he met IRA leaders in March 1993, despite talks being called off by the British government after IRA bombs killed two young boys in England. What he said in that meeting encouraged them to declare the ceasefire and move towards the process that eventually led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The BBC's Peter Taylor has been trying to find the spy for almost 30 years. He has discovered that what the spy said during the talks was not authorised by the British government. The minutes of the meeting had been published by Sinn Fein - the IRA's political wing - in 1994. They allege that the spy said: "The final solution is union… this island will be as one." "Those words are so controversial and so important," says Taylor in a BBC documentary The MI5 Spy and the IRA: Operation Chiffon. "To Unionists such words would be seen as the ultimate betrayal." The journalist says he wanted to hear what was actually said from the spy's own lips, but to do that he would have to track him down. It is extremely rare to hear an MI5 officer talk about a top-secret operation like this. Its codename was "Chiffon" and it was designed to get the IRA to call a ceasefire and embrace the political process. "It was a seminal meeting that I believe in the long term culminated in the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago," the veteran reporter says in the documentary. Set up in 1991, Operation Chiffon worked as a secret back channel of communication between the leaders of the IRA and the British government. By then the conflict had caused more than 3,000 deaths. Taylor discovers that the spy was known to the IRA as "Fred" but his real name is Robert. In the documentary, Robert reveals to Taylor that his face-to-face talks with the IRA on 23 March 1993 had not been authorised by the British government. "I was... on my own, dealing at one remove with the IRA's leadership in the most crucial matter affecting Irish and probably British politics. I knew I had to succeed, and only consistency and patience would achieve this." He said that for years, he felt guilty for doing what he did. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: "Robert" talks to Peter Taylor about his 1993 meeting with IRA leaders "Yes, I misled the prime minister so I misled the Queen as well. It was a hard and really very unpleasant thing to have on your conscience. I felt very alone." The IRA had just carried out a bomb attack in Warrington, injuring 50 people and killing two children aged three and 12. It put an end to the British government's willingness to engage with the IRA, and the secret meeting was called off at the last minute by then-prime minister John Major. Talks were called off after the Warrington bombs But Robert had received a previous message from the IRA indicating they were shifting towards a political rather than military way forward and was worried that by not turning up for the meeting, the embryonic peace process would be put in jeopardy. "I had all sorts of thoughts going through [my mind]. A concern that I was going against my own government and the Queen," Robert tells Taylor in the documentary. After hours spent soul-searching in the countryside south of Stormont, the spy resolved to go ahead, defying his boss John Deverell, the head of MI5 in Northern Ireland who had ordered him not to go. Senior republicans Martin McGuinness and Gerry Kelly were at the meeting, representing the leadership of the IRA and Sinn Fein. It lasted around three hours and took place in Londonderry at the home of Brendan Duddy, a nationalist businessman passionate about peace. The republicans had expected Robert to be accompanied by his boss, and were suspicious that he had turned up alone. "McGuinness did most of the talking. It was not a friendly interrogation," says Robert. During the meeting, Martin McGuinness asked what the intentions of the 'Brits' were, believing that Robert was speaking as he had presented himself - "the British Government Representative". Robert said that the goal was ultimately to unify Ireland. His exact words were noted down in minutes written by Gerry Kelly: "The final solution is union. It is going to happen anyway. The historical train - Europe - determines that. Unionists will have to change. This island will be as one." Robert admits to Taylor that he had no authority to make such a claim and that it flew directly in the face of British government policy. "Those words are so incendiary and so important because they appeared to indicate that, behind the scenes, the British government had a policy - that it wasn't divulging at this stage - to work towards Irish unity," explains Taylor. His words appeared to have resonated with the Republicans. Speaking to Taylor in February, Gerry Kelly described the meeting as a "seminal moment". "We were told he was a British government representative. We just took him at his word - that's what he was there for, he would represent the British government and therefore we were talking to the British government," says Mr Kelly. "It gave hope there was a possibility of a peace process through meaningful talks. I think he [Robert] did the right thing and he can claim to have been part of history," he said. During a break in the meeting, the host Brendan Duddy said to Robert, "I think you've got them, I think they're going to call a ceasefire." Robert did not come clean with the British government about the meeting but the secret came out later in the year [28 Nov 1993], when The Observer ran a front page scoop revealing that a British official had secretly met the IRA three days after the Warrington bomb. "This is hugely embarrassing because the government had repeatedly denied that there had been any face to face meetings with the IRA," Taylor explains in the documentary. Taylor tracked him down more than 20 years ago. The trail to Robert was triggered by a signed inscription in a book the spy presented to Brendan Duddy. The inscription - a quote in Latin from Virgil's Aeneid - translated, read: "Perhaps one day it will be good to remember these things," and was signed "Robert". The letter Robert sent to Peter Taylor But, following MI5's rules, he lied to Taylor, and said he wasn't the man he was looking for. But in 2021, the journalist received a letter. "Dear Mr Taylor: You will no doubt be surprised to hear from me after so many years. For a variety of reasons I could now give you some background which might fill in some gaps - were you so interested. Two of the leading figures from my involvement have died [Martin McGuinness and Brendan Duddy] the third, crucially for me, is my wife. It is her death, which puts me in a position to contact you. Yours sincerely Robert [surname withheld]" "I'd like what I did to be remembered," he tells Taylor in the documentary. The MI5 Spy and the IRA: Operation Chiffon is broadcast on BBC Two at 19:00 (21:50 in Northern Ireland) and on BBC iPlayer at 19:00. • None What is the Good Friday Agreement?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65038587

Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds calls for more generous society - BBC News

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Leader Jane Dodds said the party offers a "generous vision for our country" at a conference.

Wales politics

Jane Dodds will tell her party's conference that Liberal Democrats understand the value of community A more generous society is needed for the challenges facing Wales and the UK today, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats told party members. Jane Dodds said the Lib Dems offer a "generous vision for our country". They are the alternative to Tory "mindless destruction", Labour "managerialism" and nationalist "empty, populist solutions", Ms Dodds said. She spoke on Saturday, day one of the two-day Welsh Lib Dem conference taking place in Swansea. Promising the Lib Dems will play their part in removing every Conservative MP from Wales at the UK general election expected next year, Ms Dodds said she is proud her party is "making the case for stronger ties with Europe, rejoining the single market and customs union". This is needed to "resuscitate our economy and protect our freedoms" and help build a "generous welfare state as an essential part of creating a fairer future for all of us," she argued. UK Conservative ministers are "driving our country into the ground", "demonising the most vulnerable, smashing our public services, and trashing our economy", Ms Dodds told the conference. But she also attacked the politics in Cardiff Bay, saying she gets "so frustrated when it feels like we're content in Wales with simply shuffling along bit by bit". "Shuffling along and playing games when people are waiting years for health treatment, children and young people are languishing on mental health waiting lists, and NHS dentistry is in crisis." Jane Dodds is the only Lib Dem in the 60-member Senedd and the party has no Welsh MPs Debates at the conference include motions on creating a "Celtic Sea powerhouse", on establishing a powerful independent NHS executive to lead the health service in Wales and on moving to a four-day working week. The Lib Dems made significant gains in Powys at last year's local elections, becoming the largest party there and leading the previously independent-led council by joining together with Labour councillors to form a cabinet. In the 2019 general election the Lib Dems came second to Conservatives in the Powys seats of Brecon and Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire, constituencies they have previously held. UK Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey will also address the conference on Saturday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-65055887

Person dies in listeria outbreak linked to cheese - BBC News

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Three people are affected by the outbreak linked to a Wiltshire firm's Baronet cheese.

Wiltshire

Listeria has been linked to batches of the soft cheese Baronet One person has died in a listeria outbreak and people have been warned to avoid Baronet semi-soft cheeses which were recalled as they were contaminated with a related strain of the bacteria. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) warned people not to eat the cheeses as they contained high levels of the bacteria. The FSA has not confirmed The Old Cheese Room, in Wiltshire, which makes the cheeses, was the source. The firm said it was working "closely" with the FSA. There have been three cases of listeria linked to the outbreak, resulting in the death of one person, the FSA confirmed. Several batches of Baronet, Baby Baronet and Mini Baronet soft cheeses made by the Old Cheese Room have been recalled. The agency is continuing to investigate whether the person who died had eaten Baronet cheese. Cases were identified in the south of England and London, but the product is distributed nationally. Listeria bacteria can cause mild symptoms like stomach ache but can cause more serious complications Tina Potter, the FSA's head of incidents, said: "A closely genetically related strain of listeria monocytogenes found in samples of Baronet cheese, was found in all three cases in this outbreak. "However, that does not necessarily mean that all those involved in the outbreak contracted listeriosis as a result of eating Baronet cheese. "Although a source of listeria has been found in cheese products, work to ascertain the cause of the outbreak is continuing." The agency said the outbreak strain has also been found in some food products and samples taken from other places where the cheese has been sold, supplied and served from. The bacteria can cause listeriosis, a rare infection that usually goes away on its own, but can have serious complications including causing meningitis. Symptoms can be similar to flu and include a high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. The Old Cheese Room said that none of its other cheeses have been affected by the outbreak. "As a responsible cheesemaker we carry out regular cleaning, disinfecting and swab testing of our making and ripening rooms," they said in a statement. "Since the test that showed a trace of listeria monocytogenes in a single batch of Baronet, we have changed our monthly testing regime to positive release - this means that we test every batch of cheese before it leaves us. "None of our other cheeses have been affected by this." Ms Potter said vulnerable people should be particularly concerned with following the product recall advice, including pregnant women and the elderly. Guidance issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said Baronet cheese is sold in both small individual rounds and as 1kg wheels. "The cheeses are sometimes served sliced from a deli counter, so it may not always be clear whether you have purchased an affected product. "If in doubt, consumers are advised to contact the retailer they bought their cheese from to find out if the Baronet cheese they have purchased is from the batches affected and in the meantime to not eat the product," the guidance states. Richard Elson, UKHSA head of incidents and response, said: "Listeriosis is a rare infection and most people will only experience mild symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhoea, which usually pass within a few days without the need for treatment. "But people with weakened immune systems, who are pregnant, or are infants or elderly are at greater risk of developing severe symptoms." Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-65069415

Rent rise: Sara Lewis's daily Aberllefenni bench protest - BBC News

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Sara Lewis, 55, who has to use an oxygen bottle, spends six hours a day on the bench in her village.

Wales

"It's just a horrible situation to be in," says Sara Lewis A woman has been sitting on a bench for hours a day in protest over rising rent costs on her home. Sara Lewis, 55, who has a lung disease, has to use her oxygen bottle on the bench at Aberllefenni, Gwynedd. Her rent has increased from £435 to £550 after her new landlord bought the property and 15 others in the village. Walsh Investment Properties said the original rental amount - under a previous landlord - was "not sustainable". "My home is my haven," said Ms Lewis, who has lived in the property, Glanyrafon, for 22 years. "The furthest I'm going is the bench. If I belong anywhere, it's Glanyrafon. Sara Lewis has lived in her home for 22 years Ms Lewis receives £300 as part of her Universal Credit payment towards her monthly rent, and has recently heard that Gwynedd council will provide £100 of discretionary funding, which leaves her to find an extra £150 each month. "I'm protesting about the [UK] government to begin with for this standard £300 a month rent, which is ridiculous, and against Gwynedd council. "It's so stressful. It's just a horrible situation to be in." Ms Lewis, who cannot work because of her emphysema, has spent six hours each day sitting on the bench between last Monday and Friday. She said that being out in the wind and the rain is affecting her health but she is prepared to continue next week. Walsh Investment Properties bought 16 homes in the village last year Walsh Investment Properties director Chris Walsh has previously said that most of the properties had been paying "a low rent for a number of years", adding that was "not sustainable in the current economy [and] we feel it is fair and reasonable to charge a market rent". Local Member of the Senedd [MS] Mabon ap Gwynfor, who is supporting Ms Lewis, said "benefit payments haven't kept pace with rent increases". "We need to see a change in the local housing allowance and ensure that the UK government pays people properly to be able to live in their communities," he said. Gwynedd council said it was "committed to supporting any individual who is facing difficulties as a result of the housing crisis". "All applications for discretionary housing payments submitted to us are assessed by our benefits team as a matter of urgency." The Department for Work and Pensions has declined to comment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65074607

French police clash with water reservoir protesters - BBC News

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The unrest follows weeks of protests against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms.

Europe

French police have fired tear gas at protesters at a large demonstration in the west of the country. Thousands of people had gathered in Sainte-Soline to protest against plans for a new water reservoir. Several police cars were set on fire after clashes broke out at the construction site. The unrest follows weeks of anti-government demonstrations in Paris and other cities over President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms. Though unrelated to the protests over plans to raise the state pension age, the latest demonstration adds to the growing sense of public anger within France. Opponents of the irrigation project in Sainte-Soline, near Poitiers, marched in large numbers on Saturday despite a ban on gatherings in the district. The procession set off late morning, with at least 6,000 people taking part, according to local authorities, although organisers claim the group numbered 25,000. They are protesting against one of the reservoirs being built in the Deux-Sèvres department - developed by a group of 400 farmers to reduce mains water usage in the summer. France's worst drought on record last year intensified discussions over water resources. Supporters of artificial reservoirs say they could provide the solution to shortages during future dry spells. But opponents say the project favours large agricultural producers for crop irrigation in the summer and would not directly help the local community. "While the country is rising up to defend pensions, we will simultaneously stand up to defend water," said the organisers, gathering under the banner of "Bassines non merci" - "No to reservoirs, thank you". More than 3,000 police officers were deployed to Sainte-Soline, while officials said at least 1,000 potentially violent activists had joined the demonstration. Security forces fired tear gas to stop some who reportedly threw fireworks and projectiles as they approached the fenced-off construction area. Officials say several people have been arrested and police have seized weapons, including pétanque balls and meat knives. President Macron said: "We will never give in to this violence. In a democracy, we do not have the right to use violence." Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said violence displayed against officers in Sainte-Soline was "unspeakable" and "unbearable". The large procession is calling for an end to the development Some of the demonstrators in Sainte-Soline saw this struggle as linked to the nationwide protests against President Macron and his decision to force through a rise in the pension age. "What is happening today, this convergence of struggles - this struggle for water is similar to the one for pensions," said Benoit Jaunet, a spokesperson for the Deux-Sèvres Peasant Confederation. "We are facing the same violence. Our work, our water are being stolen for a few people. And that's not right." Widespread protests have gripped France in recent weeks. The situation in Paris and other cities was calmer overnight, but security forces have remained on high alert following days of clashes with protesters. Demonstrations have largely been peaceful, but several French cities have witnessed episodes of violence this week. In Bordeaux, the entrance to the town hall was set alight. In Paris, tear gas was fired and hundreds of fires were lit. But the Council of Europe - the continent's leading human rights group - has warned that sporadic acts of violence "cannot justify excessive use of force by agents of the state" or "deprive peaceful protesters of their right to freedom of assembly". Protesters have been emboldened by the government's use of constitutional power to ram through reforms without a vote in the National Assembly. King Charles III's state visit to France was postponed at the request of President Macron. The trip to Paris and Bordeaux was due to begin on Sunday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65076537

In pictures: Rubbish and fires in French protests - BBC News

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King Charles has postponed a state visit to France after protests over pension reform turned violent.

In Pictures

King Charles has postponed his first state visit to France after protests over pension reform turned violent. Huge numbers of people have taken part in demonstrations across France over legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Refuse collectors have been on strike for over two weeks in several cities, with Paris seeing thousands of tonnes of uncollected rubbish on the streets. Some protesters set fire to the piles of rubbish on Thursday - the clean up began early Friday morning. Demonstrations in central Paris were peaceful, but some groups smashed shop windows, burnt rubbish and clashed with riot police. In the city of Bordeaux, people gathered against the reform and chanted: "Macron, resign!" A fire engulfed the front door of the Bordeaux town hall on Thursday evening.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-65062962

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to pay almost £2k speeding fine - BBC News

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The Greater Manchester mayor admits driving at 78mph on a motorway with a temporary limit of 40mph.

Manchester

Andy Burnham said he accepted the court's decision as he was "going too fast" Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has been fined for speeding after admitting driving at 78mph on a motorway where there was a reduced 40mph limit. Mr Burnham was ordered by a court to pay nearly £2,000 in fines, charges and costs and given six penalty points. As first reported by Wigan Today, he was travelling on the M62 towards Liverpool last July. In a statement, Mr Burnham accepted he was "going too fast". He said: "On the night in question, I was travelling home on the M62 westbound in normal motorway conditions intending to come off at Junction 10 for the M6. "When I got close to the junction, it became clear it had recently been closed and I had to re-route quickly back onto the main motorway." Mr Burnham said he was "not aware of any variable speed limit in place on the smart motorway at the time" and only found out about it when the letter notifying him arrived in the post. "If I had been aware, I would not have been travelling at that speed," he added. "That said, I acknowledge that, at 78 mph, I was going too fast and accept the court's decision." Andy Burnham was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2017 before being re-elected for a second term in May 2021. The mayor has responsibilities around the governance and budgets relating to Greater Manchester Police. According to the website for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the mayor is the public's voice on policing matters, taking on the responsibilities of the police and crime commissioner. 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-65075890

Derbyshire PC to keep job after using database to find woman on Instagram - BBC News

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The panel rules sacking the PC was "not a proportional or appropriate outcome" for his actions.

Derby

The misconduct panel heard evidence at the force's headquarters in Ripley An officer will keep his job after it was found he used the Police National Computer (PNC) to find a woman on Instagram. Derbyshire PC Jack Harrison followed a woman's car at a Co-op supermarket before checking the database on the car's registration in September 2021. After getting the details of the vehicle's owner, he followed her on the app. The panel chair said dismissal was "not a proportional or appropriate outcome". The officer, who joined the force in January 2019 after being a special constable for three years, burst into tears at the outcome. The officer is said to have followed the woman in his patrol car from a Co-op store in Wirksworth At a misconduct hearing, PC Harrison was given a final written warning, which will be on record for five years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. The officer denied the allegations and said he believed his actions "were within policing standards". However, the panel said it concluded that he did carry out the PNC check for a non-policing purpose and that he searched for the woman's name on Instagram minutes later after the check. This was based on evidence seen on a screenshot of the woman's phone. The hearing heard evidence that after the officer followed the woman at the Co-op in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, he sent flame and heart eyes emojis to the same woman's Instagram. Panel chair Jayne Salt said PC Harrison had acted with "naivety not cynicism" and - partly because of that - a final written warning was appropriate for his actions. The woman said PC Harrison had reacted to some of her Instagram posts Ms Salt said the panel had considered the fact that PC Harrison had not followed up his Instagram "follow" by messaging her directly. However, it was heard that he had sent her another emoji to her in December 2021 before deciding to block her. The misconduct hearing previously heard PC Harrison followed the car because he felt it was "involved with criminality" and claimed the speed was "too fast" when exiting the store. But the woman, who cannot be named, told the hearing the "weird" events on that day had made her feel uncomfortable and "worried" about her security. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-65071673

Alison Hammond: Man arrested over blackmail claims - BBC News

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Police say they arrested a 36-year-old man at an address in Warwickshire on Saturday evening.

Birmingham & Black Country

A man has been arrested on suspicion of blackmailing TV presenter Alison Hammond. West Midlands police said the 36-year-old was arrested at an address in Warwickshire on Saturday evening. According to a report in The Sun, the This Morning presenter, 48, has paid out large sums after falling victim. It is alleged the Birmingham-born celebrity had been threatened that lies would be spread about her if she did not co-operate with demands. On Sunday evening, police said the man had been released on conditional bail. The presenter has been announced as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off The presenter came to prominence as a contestant on the third series of Big Brother in 2002. She was promoted to co-presenter of This Morning in 2020, appearing alongside Dermot O'Leary on Fridays. There have also been appearances on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2010 and Strictly Come Dancing in 2014. Last week she was announced as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off, replacing Matt Lucas. She also appeared alongside actor Richard E Grant to host the 2023 Baftas. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk • None Alison Hammond to be new Bake Off co-host The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-65077545

Liz Truss resignation honours list criticised by ex-aides - BBC News

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The former PM, who spent 49 days in office, has reportedly nominated four people for peerages.

UK

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has been criticised by two former aides for choosing to submit a list of resignation honours. Ms Truss, who spent only 49 days in office, has put forward four people, the Sun and i reported. Tory party donor Jon Moynihan, aide Ruth Porter, ex-Vote Leave's Matthew Elliott and think tank boss Mark Littlewood are said to be on the list. A spokesman for Ms Truss said it would not be "appropriate" to comment. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to block the move. Any outgoing prime minister is able to recommend people for honours after they've resigned, although not all have chosen to. Allies say Ms Truss's list is "modest" but former aides are among those expressing anger that she is making any nominations at all. Two former advisers told the BBC they did not think she should be putting anybody forward, given her short time in office. One said they were "relieved to no longer be working for her and having to defend the indefensible". Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner called it a "list of shame", saying the former PM and her supporters "took a wrecking ball to the economy in a disastrous six-week premiership that has left millions facing mortgage misery". Wendy Chamberlain MP, the Lib Dems' chief whip, described the move as "truly remarkable", adding: "Rishi Sunak must block these honours immediately as allowing Truss to dish out positions of influence shows a stunning lack of humility." The BBC has not confirmed the names of those reported to be on the list. Mr Littlewood is director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market supporting think tank that was associated with Ms Truss and her former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng. Mr Elliott, who helped found the Taxpayers Alliance group, which campaigns for lower taxes, was chief executive of the main pro-Brexit campaign during the 2016 referendum. Ms Porter ran Ms Truss' Tory election leadership campaign and briefly served as her deputy chief of staff in No 10. The register of MPs' financial interests shows that Mr Moynihan donated £50,000 in two separate transactions to her Tory leadership campaign. It's unclear when Ms Truss' nominations would be assessed by the Cabinet Office, which is already considering nominations from Boris Johnson. King Charles is also expected to hand out honours to mark his coronation. Outgoing prime ministers can ask the monarch to bestow peerages, knighthoods, and other honours on any number of people of their choosing. Mr Cameron nominated 59 people for honours when he resigned, while Ms May nominated 51.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65075328

Northampton: Teenagers charged with murder of 16-year-old - BBC News

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The boys, 16 and 14, appear in court over the stabbing of Northamptonshire school pupil Rohan Shand.

Northampton

Two teenage boys, aged 14 and 16, have appeared in court charged with the murder of a 16-year-old who was stabbed to death in Northampton. Rohan Shand, known to his family and friends as Fred, died in Kingsthorpe, at about 15:35 GMT on Wednesday. The two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons appeared at Northampton Magistrates' Court. They were remanded in youth detention accommodation and will next appear at Northampton Crown Court on Monday. A 49-year-old man and a 21-year-old man who were arrested in connection with Rohan's death have both been released with no further action, Northamptonshire Police said. The boy's family were said to be "devastated" at his death, which happened on Harborough Road, close to the junction with The Cock Hotel. A post-mortem examination indicated the teenager died from a single stab wound to the chest. Northamptonshire Police said specially trained officers were supporting the boy's family. The 16-year-old died following an incident on Harborough Road, close to the junction with The Cock Hotel Officers have said they would still like to speak to witnesses, anyone with information, or anyone with CCTV, doorbell, or dashcam footage of the area at the time. Helen Freeman, who lives in Kingsthorpe, said her son had been friends with Mr Shand and described him as "funny" and very popular. "It's devastating to see your child so upset. I don't think I've seen my son cry as much as he did last night, but his mates have been there for him," she said. An online appeal to raise money towards the funeral has already collected more that £19,000. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-65073463

Nelson Piquet fined for racist and homophobic comments about Lewis Hamilton - BBC Sport

Three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet is fined for using racist and homophobic language about British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

Last updated on .From the section Formula 1 Three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet has been ordered to pay five million Brazilian Reals (£780,000) for making racist and homophobic comments about Lewis Hamilton. The 70-year-old Brazilian used a racially offensive term in referring to Hamilton in an interview in 2021. Hamilton called for "archaic mindsets" to change after the footage surfaced. Piquet later apologised for his "ill-thought-out" racially abusive remark about the British Mercedes driver. Formula 1, Hamilton's Mercedes team and world motorsport governing body the FIA condemned Piquet's comments where he discussed the accident between Hamilton and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who is the partner of Piquet's daughter, on the first lap of the 2021 British Grand Prix. Piquet said he "made no defence" of the remarks, but added the term he used "is one that has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for 'guy' or 'person' and was never intended to offend". In another interview that surfaced later, Piquet used racist and homophobic language when describing how Hamilton missed out on the 2016 championship to Nico Rosberg. Seven-time world champion Hamilton is the sport's only black driver. The charges against Piquet were brought by four human rights groups, including Brazil's National LGBT+ Alliance, which wanted Piquet to pay 10 million Brazilian Reals for alleged moral damages. A Brazilian court ruled on Friday he must pay five million Brazilian Reals ($953,000), with Judge Pedro Matos de Arrudo saying the amount of compensation was given "so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia". • None Watch the nail-biting final of The Apprentice • None An access-all-areas podcast follows the footballer as he decides

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/65074698

Gwyneth Paltrow trial: Actress denies hit-and-run in ski crash - BBC News

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The actress testifies she felt "hurt and violated" when she says a man crashed into her on the slope.

US & Canada

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Jaw-dropping moments from the courtroom as Gwyneth Paltrow testifies Gwyneth Paltrow has denied in court that she caused a 2016 ski collision in Utah that the man suing her says has left him with life-changing injuries. Terry Sanderson, 76, says the Hollywood actress caused the crash. He is seeking damages of $300,000 (£244,000). Ms Paltrow, 50, has countersued. She testified that he collided with her and left her feeling "hurt and violated". Lawyers for Mr Sanderson say Ms Paltrow was distracted by her children on the slope, and fled the crash. According to his civil lawsuit, Mr Sanderson suffered a lasting brain injury and four fractured ribs. Ms Paltrow testified in court on Friday, day four of the trial, that the crash left her with a sore knee and she got a massage afterwards. "There was a body pressing against me and a very strange grunting noise," she said, describing how Mr Sanderson, a retired eye doctor, allegedly crashed into her from behind on a beginners' slope at Deer Valley in February 2016. "Is this a practical joke. Is someone doing something perverted?" she told the court she recalled thinking in that moment. "He was groaning and grunting in a very disturbing way," she added. They fell on the ground together, and were almost "spooning", she said. She later clarified that she was not accusing Mr Sanderson of sexual assault. Terry Sanderson was in court on Friday The Oscar winner also apologised for screaming a profanity at him after the crash. "After an incident like that when you feel hurt and violated, unfortunately adrenaline can take over, and emotion as well," she said, explaining her anger at the time. Lawyers for Mr Sanderson asked if she remembered her nine-year-old son, Moses, shouting "mommy, mommy, watch me." She said she did not recall that. The Goop lifestyle brand founder also denied her children had been a distraction as she skied at the upmarket Park City resort. "I was skiing and looking downhill as you do," she said. "And I was skied directly into by Mr Sanderson." Mr Sanderon's legal team sought to undermine her credibility, suggesting it was misleading to say she was suing for a symbolic $1 when she is also seeking reimbursement of legal fees, which could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Throughout her testimony Ms Paltrow remained calm, sipping regularly on water, and even complimenting the shoes of the plaintiff's lawyer during cross-examination. On Thursday, a doctor testified that Mr Sanderson had previously been a "high-energy person", but "deteriorated abruptly" after the crash. On Friday, his daughter Shae Herath took the stand to tell the court: "This is not my dad. This is an alternate version of my dad." Lawyers for Mr Sanderson on Friday grilled Ms Paltrow on why she did not personally inquire if he was OK. She said she was too angry about the crash to do so herself, but her ski instructor had checked on Mr Sanderson. Mr Sanderson, she said, had mumbled that he was OK. "I did not cause the accident, so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him," Ms Paltrow said. The day's skiing - including lessons for her, her now-husband, Brad Falchuk, and four children - cost over $9,000, lawyers for Mr Sanderson noted. Ms Paltrow's lawyers argue Mr Sanderson is to blame for the accident and that he had several medical conditions before the collision, including vision and hearing loss from a stroke; a brain disorder that caused excessive fluid build-up; and occasional depression. The trial, before a jury of eight people, will continue on Monday. This case hinges on skiing etiquette with both parties claiming that they were the downhill skier and therefore had right of way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65072367

Patriotic Alternative: The town fighting the far-right with Welsh cakes - BBC News

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When Patriotic Alternative started targeting a Welsh town, the community found a way to push back.

UK

Annie had never heard of Patriotic Alternative before it started leafleting her town Far-right groups have been stoking tensions in UK towns by posting inflammatory leaflets through people's doors and staging anti-migrant rallies. In one town in south Wales, a local community has banded together and is planning a peaceful counter-protest. Annie, 73, has lived in Llantwit Major on the south coast of Wales for more than 50 years. She lives in an old church building, loves guerrilla gardening and co-ordinates a seed-swap with other gardening enthusiasts in her community. She has seen her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow up in the town. And now, she is one of the unlikely ringleaders of a local pushback against a national far-right group that is targeting Llantwit Major. It is not a fight Annie pictured herself taking on. Patriotic Alternative has been staging anti-migrant protests across the UK, and leafleting communities where there are existing tensions about the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers. It started leafleting Llantwit Major in February, soon after Vale of Glamorgan Council announced that temporary houses for refugees were going to be built on the site of a closed-down primary school. The leaflets promoted a protest against the development on 25 March, and read: "Llantwit says no to a migrant camp" and: "No more migrants - Wales is full". Like many in the town, Annie had never heard of Patriotic Alternative. But she started to feel their influence. Debates on the local Facebook group became increasingly heated. Friendly small talk in cafes and on the street quickly turned into anxious conversations. On 21 February, the town's football club posted a statement on social media saying: "Racism, xenophobia and discrimination have no place in Llantwit". Shortly afterwards, the Cardiff branch of a national anti-racism organisation came to Llantwit Major, meeting people who were worried and promising to co-ordinate a response. Then there was radio silence. "I just thought, 'this is ridiculous, let's just get on with it, what's stopping us?'" another Llantwit resident - Rhian, whose name we've changed - told BBC News. Rhian created a new WhatsApp group chat made up of anyone she thought might be worried - including the head of the knitting club, the football club's matchday DJ and the town's punk-turned-priest, Father Edwin Counsell. Like most people in the group, Jack, the football club DJ who also works at his family's cafe, told BBC News that he doesn't have a background in political activism. But he felt protective of his community and the "misfits" that live there: "Llantwit is overwhelmingly a very positive, friendly town… where weirdos and eccentrics are welcome." The group said the idea of a full-blown counter-protest felt intimidating - they didn't want to inadvertently invite agitators of any political background. In the end, they felt the best way to challenge the group was with non-violent resistance - "the spirit of welcome", Fr Counsell told BBC News. The day will kick off with an overnight vigil at the church the night before, he said, followed by a Welsh cake giveaway during the day. Another church will also open a space during the day for anyone feeling anxious about Patriotic Alternative. "Welsh cakes are a symbol of hospitality," Fr Counsell said. "So if you meet a far-right, neo-fascist bonehead who looks out of place here, the critical question you must ask that person is: 'Would you like a Welsh cake?'" It has been branded a "day of kindness". "Do I want to welcome these people to Llantwit?" Fr Counsell said. "To tell you the truth, I don't, I want them to go away and let us get on with sorting out a local issue. But if they are going to come, then I hope they see something in our welcome." There is, however, undeniable tension in the town - Annie said she has occasionally been challenged while handing out leaflets for the "day of kindness". One man spoke to her at length about "how much he hated Muslims", she said. Another woman told her she'd just bought and renovated a house near the site of the development, and that while she was happy for Ukrainians to be housed there, "if anyone else comes, I'm moving". But the issue is not black and white - and for many in the town, their opinions sit in a grey area. Some generally approve of the rehousing of asylum seekers, but disagree with how the plans are being carried out. Annie, for example, said she agrees with the principle but worries that those in the new houses will be segregated from the rest of the town. Others worry that a sudden increase in population could put a strain on local services. One woman, responding to the council's announcement on Facebook, wrote that Llantwit is "a small town which is already growing too fast for it to cope… Now we have this". In particular, a number of people hoped the site was going to be used to build a new health centre, which those behind the day of kindness said they understood and sympathised with. But this is also something Patriotic Alternative has directly seized on in its posts targeting the town, with slogans such as: "Where's the medical centre?". Llantwit Major is not a single case. Patriotic Alternative has targeted other towns in the UK, often where there are hotels used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. In north Rotherham, leaflets warned residents of "white genocide". The group has made several visits to Skegness, where tensions are already high around the occupation of hotels, which some residents feel would otherwise be used by holidaymakers. A demonstration outside a hotel in Kirkby, Merseyside, in February, made news headlines when it descended into disorder. Patriotic Alternative has a significant reach online, the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) told BBC News. Analysis from CCDH found that tweets posted by Patriotic Alternative's founder, Mark Collett, were collectively viewed more than 10.6 million times before he - and the group - were suspended from Twitter on 23 February. Now, the group primarily shares content on less mainstream platforms. "Smaller social media platforms, out of the glare of intense scrutiny, are incredibly dangerous breeding grounds for extremism," Callum Hood, head of research at the CCDH, told BBC News. Leaflets, photos of which were shared with BBC News, that were posted to residents in Rotherham, repeated a white supremacist conspiracy theory Councillors, community leaders and groups which work with refugees in the affected areas have told BBC News that hotels are often in inappropriate locations, and local communities and councils are only involved at the last minute, if at all. In Knowsley, the council said it had been given 48 hours' notice before the hotel was used to house asylum seekers. And in Llantwit, even those who are positive about the housing development believe it was "sprung" upon the community without much notice. Vale of Glamorgan Council has said it only got permission to build the houses in December. The Home Office told BBC News it will "continue to engage with local authorities as early as possible, whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people". Tim Squirrell, from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), told BBC News that it is exactly these kind of "wedge issues in local areas" that are exploited by the group, to "boost their profile and gain recruits". Patriotic Alternative sees concerns around immigration and asylum as "'winning issues' that will gain them local support and allow them to introduce people to their more overtly extreme beliefs", he said. On its website, Patriotic Alternative describes itself as a "community building and activism group", and campaigns about what it claims are "issues such as the demographic decline of native Britons in the United Kingdom, the environmental impact of mass immigration and the indoctrination and political bias taking place in British schools". For Annie, thinking about the prospect of a far-right group coming to her town makes her feel "scared, anxious and horrified" - but at the same time, she says she is "amazed at how solidly everyone is behind us". Jack agreed. Despite the flyers, he said most people didn't want the protest to happen: "What you generally find is how diplomatic it is here. People actually listen to each other, consider things and find compromises." Even for most of those who are concerned about the housing development, he said, "they're like - 'yeah, but we don't want neo-Nazis here'".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65057093

Ukraine war: Why Bakhmut matters for Russia and Ukraine - BBC News

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Tens of thousands have died fighting for a city with little strategic value. Why?

Europe

Russia has virtually destroyed Bakhmut in its attempts to seize the city For more than seven long months, this small industrial city in eastern Ukraine has been pounded by Russian forces. According to its deputy mayor, Oleksandr Marchenko, there are just a few thousand civilians left living in underground shelters with no water, gas or power. "The city is almost destroyed," he told the BBC. "There is not a single building that has remained untouched in this war." So why are Russia and Ukraine fighting so hard over this pile of rubble? Why are both sides laying down the lives of so many of soldiers to attack and defend this city in a battle that has lasted longer than any other in this war? Military analysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value. It is not a garrison town or a transport hub or a major centre of population. Before the invasion, there were about 70,000 people living there. The city was best known for its salt and gypsum mines and huge winery. It holds no particular geographic importance. As one Western official put it, Bakhmut is "one small tactical event on a 1,200-kilometre front line". And yet Russia is deploying huge military resources into taking the city. Western officials estimate between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or injured so far in and around Bakhmut. Ukraine has suffered many casualties - such as this soldier being buried in Lviv - in its defence of Bakhmut The Kremlin needs a victory, however symbolic. It has been a long time since the summer when Russian forces seized cities like Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. Since then what territorial gains they have made have been incremental and slow. So Russia needs a success to sell to pro-Kremlin propagandists back home. Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Co-operation Centre, told the BBC: "They are fighting a political mission, not a purely military one. Russians will continue to sacrifice thousands of lives to achieve their political goals." Russian commanders also want to take Bakhmut for military reasons. They hope it might give them a springboard for further territorial gains. As the UK Ministry of Defence noted in December, capturing the city "would potentially allow Russia to threaten the larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk". And then there is question of the Wagner mercenary group that is at the heart of the assault. Its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has staked his reputation, and that of his private army, on seizing Bakhmut. He hoped to show his fighters could do better than the regular Russian army. He has recruited thousands of convicts and is throwing waves of them at Ukrainian defences, many to their deaths. If he cannot succeed here, then his political influence in Moscow will diminish. Mr Prigozhin is at odds with Russia's defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, criticising his tactics and now complaining about not getting enough ammunition. There is, Mr Kuzan said, a political struggle between both men for influence in the Kremlin "and the place for this struggle is in Bakhmut and its surroundings". Few civilians remain in Bakhmut, which was once home to about 70,000 people So why has Ukraine been defending Bakhmut so doggedly, losing thousands of troops in the process? The main strategic purpose is to use the battle to weaken Russia's army. One Western official put it bluntly: "Bakhmut, because of the Russian tactics, is giving Ukraine a unique opportunity to kill a lot of Russians." Nato sources estimate five Russians are dying for every one Ukrainian in Bakhmut. Ukraine's national security secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, says the ratio is even higher at seven to one. These numbers are impossible to verify. Serhii Kuzan told the BBC: "As long as Bakhmut fulfils its function, allowing us to grind down the enemy's forces, to destroy much more of them proportionately than the enemy inflicts losses on us, until then we will of course keep on holding Bakhmut." By defending the city, Ukraine also ties up Russian forces that could be deployed elsewhere on the front line. Like Russia, Ukraine has also given Bakhmut political significance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made the city an emblem of resistance. When he visited Washington in December, he called it "the fortress of our morale" and gave a Bakhmut flag to the US Congress. "The fight for Bakhmut will change the trajectory of our war for independence and for freedom," he said. The battle for Bakhmut has raged for months So what if Bakhmut falls? Russia would claim a victory, a rare piece of good news to bolster morale. Ukraine would suffer a political, symbolic loss. No longer would Ukrainians be able to cry "Bakhmut holds!" on social media. But few believe there would be a huge military impact. The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said: "The fall of Bakhmut won't necessarily mean that the Russians have changed the tide of this fight." Mick Ryan, a strategist and former Australian general, believes there would be no fast Russian advance: "The Ukrainians… will be withdrawing into defensive zones in the Kramatorsk areas that they have had eight years to prepare. And the city sits on higher, more defensible ground than Bakhmut. Any advance on the Kramatorsk region is likely to be every bit as bloody for the Russians as its campaign for Bakhmut." So perhaps what matters most in the battle for Bakhmut are how many losses each side has incurred and what that might mean for the next phase in this war. Will Russia have suffered so many casualties that its capacity to mount further offensives will have been weakened? Or will Ukraine have lost so many soldiers that its army would be less able to launch a counter-offensive later in the spring?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64877991

Putin: Russia to station nuclear weapons in Belarus - BBC News

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The US Defense Department says it does not believe Russia is preparing to use the nuclear weapons.

Europe

The Iskander - seen here in an archive photo - has a range of up to 500km (310 miles) Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, President Vladimir Putin has said. President Putin said the move would not violate nuclear non-proliferation agreements and compared it to the US stationing its weapons in Europe, according to Russian state media. Moscow would not be transferring control of its arms to Minsk, he added. The US said it did not believe Russia was preparing to use the nuclear weapons after the announcement. "We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture," the US Defense Department said in a statement. "We remain committed to the collective defence of the Nato alliance." Belarus shares a long border with Ukraine, and with Nato members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. This will be the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based nuclear arms outside the country. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 meant weapons became based in four newly-independent states - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan - with the transfer of all warheads to Russia completed in 1996. The Belarusian regime is a firm Kremlin ally and supporter of the invasion of Ukraine. President Putin told Russian state television on Saturday that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. "There is nothing unusual here either," he said. "Firstly, the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries." Russia will start training crews to operate the weapons from next week. The construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed by 1 July, President Putin added. A small number of Iskander tactical missile systems, which can be used to launch nuclear weapons, have already been transferred to Belarus, President Putin said. He did not specify when the weapons themselves would be sent. The announcement to station weapons in Belarus comes only days after Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, during which Russia and China issued a joint statement saying "all nuclear powers must not deploy their nuclear weapons beyond their national territories, and they must withdraw all nuclear weapons deployed abroad." On Sunday, a top security adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia's plans are a "step towards internal destabilisation" of Belarus and predicted anti-Russian sentiment in the country would grow. "The Kremlin took Belarus as a nuclear hostage," Oleksiy Danilov wrote on Twitter. And exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said that Russia's deployment of tactical nuclear weapons "grossly contradicts the will of the Belarusian people". President Putin's comments come after President Zelensky renewed his plea for more military support from his Western allies. Earlier this week, some 18 countries signed an agreement to supply the war-torn country with at least one million artillery shells over the next year. But in an interview with a Japanese newspaper, President Zelensky said Ukraine could not launch a potential counter-offensive in the east of the country until further ammunition arrived.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65077687

King Charles's France visit postponed after pension protests - BBC News

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Emmanuel Macron says the trip could not go ahead because of pension protests during the trip.

UK

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed after a request by President Emmanuel Macron, Downing Street says. The president said "we would not be sensible and would lack common sense" to go ahead after unions called a day of pension protests during the visit. The trip to Paris and Bordeaux had been due to begin on Sunday. But both cities were caught up in violence on Thursday, some of the worst since demonstrations began in January. Buckingham Palace said the decision to postpone the three-day visit by Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, was due to the "situation in France". "Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found," the statement added. President Macron said that from the moment on Thursday night when unions announced a 10th national day of action for Tuesday, two days into the state visit, he felt it would be inappropriate for the King and Camilla to travel. "As we have considerable friendship, respect and esteem for His Majesty and the Queen Consort and the British people, I took the initiative this morning to call [the King] and explain the situation... Common sense and friendship led us to suggest a postponement." The UK government added the decision had been "taken with the consent of all parties". Mr Macron said France had proposed moving the trip to early summer, "when things calm down again". The King and Queen Consort, pictured in Bolton in January The decision is a significant loss of face for France and for President Macron. This was supposed to have been a showcase for France, introducing the new monarch to the best of French life and cementing a newly awakened friendship. The president's opponents on the left and right reacted fast. Eric Ciotti of the Republicans said the cancellation brought "shame on our country" while Jean-Luc Mélenchon on the far left was delighted the "meeting of kings at Versailles" had been broken up, adding that "the English" knew that France's interior minister was "pathetic on security". The protests had made the trip impossible. Several French cities saw violence on the sidelines of Thursday's largely peaceful demonstrations that attracted more than a million people. The entrance to the town hall in Bordeaux was set alight. In Paris, tear gas was fired and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said 903 fires were lit, in a city where refuse has been left uncollected since 6 March. Hundreds of police officers were hurt across France, but protesters were injured by stun grenades and the Council of Europe said there was no justification for "excessive force" by authorities. For much of Friday morning, French officials had sought to reassure the public that the state visit, from 26 to 29 March, would go ahead and that security was in place. Some UK journalists had already travelled to Paris to cover the event. This was a hugely important trip for the King: a first state visit, and to one of the UK's closest and oldest allies. The King and Camilla were due to ride along the Champs-Elysées in the heart of Paris and have a banquet at Versailles with President Macron. Camilla was expected to open an art exhibition at one of the main Paris attractions, the Musée d'Orsay. They were then expected to head to Bordeaux. But every step of the visit was at risk of being targeted by protests and eventually it was cancelled. Even the people who roll out the red carpets were planning strike action. Interior Minister Mr Darmanin said earlier on Friday that there were "no known threats" to the King. Bordeaux Mayor Pierre Hurmic said the trip to his city had been adapted so it "can go ahead under the best security, so as not to expose the King to the slightest difficulty". However, facing the prospect of showing the King through rubbish and graffiti-strewn streets, with every public appearance smothered in security, and every movement threatened by strikes, the French president made the obvious choice. It may have been a joint decision with the UK government, but he was the one under pressure. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Rubbish and e-scooters set on fire in France pension protests The trip to Bordeaux, originally intended to focus on organic vineyards, went up in flames. The town hall, its front door set alight on Thursday, was due to be part of the visit. Domestically, the image would have played badly for the president. Dining with a king in Versailles would have been jarringly inappropriate and could have played rather too directly into the hands of his detractors. A TV interview that President Macron gave on the eve of Thursday's national action appeared to galvanise protesters, when he described the government's reforms as an economic necessity, saying he was prepared to accept the resulting unpopularity. His government decided on Monday to force through the reforms, which raise the pension age from 62 to 64 and extend contributions by workers to 43 years. As the president and prime minister realised they would struggle to pass the law in the National Assembly, they resorted to a constitutional power to bypass a vote. "I listened to Macron yesterday and it was as if someone was spitting in our face," said Adèle, a 19-year-old law student in Nanterre. "For this pension reform, there is another way and if he doesn't do that, it's because he's not listening to the people. There's a clear lack of democracy," she told the BBC. While the postponement will be highly embarrassing for President Macron, it will also be disappointing for King Charles. State visits are made on the advice of the government. All the background briefing had been that this was an important diplomatic statement about rebuilding relationships with European neighbours. The King and Camilla were due to travel from France to Germany on Wednesday. Charles's first state visit will instead begin in Berlin. • None In pictures: Rubbish and fires in French protests

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65064510

Alesia Nazarova: Man charged with murder of Portadown mother - BBC News

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There is a "familial connection" between the accused and Alesia Nazarova, the court hears.

Northern Ireland

Alesia Nazarova was 37 and a mother of one A 25-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Alesia Nazarova in Portadown. The 37-year-old mother was found dead at her Church Street home on Tuesday. Kornelijus Bracas, originally from Lithuania but with an address at Church Street in Portadown, is accused of murdering Ms Nazarova and attempting to murder her daughter. The court was told there was a "familial connection" between the accused and the victims. Ms Nazarova's body was discovered after a fire at the property. Her 12-year-old daughter was home at the time. She was rescued from the fire and taken to hospital for treatment, but she has since been discharged. Mr Bracas is also charged with arson and stealing a bank card belonging to Ms Nazarova. He appeared via video link before Lisburn Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning. A detective told the court he could connect the accused to the charges. No application for bail was made and no further details emerged during the hearing. Mr Bracas was remanded into custody and will appear again on 21 April before Craigavon Magistrates' Court.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65074202

France protests: Macron takes off watch during TV interview - BBC News

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The French president removed his watch during an interview, drawing criticism from left-wing politicians.

Europe

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. French President Emmanuel Macron has been criticised after he removed his watch during an interview about pension changes. France is gripped by protests and strikes over Mr Macron's decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Mr Macron's representatives said the president took off the watch because it was "clinking on the table". But his critics have claimed the watch shows he is out of touch with the public. Some wrongly claimed it was worth up to €80,000 ($86,000; £70,000), but the Élysée Palace said this was not correct. The incident happened part way through an interview on Wednesday, when Mr Macron was justifying his reasons for lifting the pension age. As he rested his forearms on the table, a thud could be heard. The president then placed his hands under the table as he continued talking. When he brought them back up, the watch had been removed. His team insisted the removal was entirely innocent. But the missing timepiece quickly drew his critics' attention. Now you see it... French President Emmanuel Macron removed his watch during an interview about his controversial pension changes Clémence Guetté, an MP for the opposition left-wing La France Insoumise party, has been taking part in the protests against the pension reform. She tweeted that as the president was claiming minimum wage earners had unprecedented purchasing power, "the final image" was him "removing his pretty luxury watch". "The president of the rich has never worn his name so well," said her colleague, Farida Amrani. The exact cost of the watch was debated online, with some of Mr Macron's critics suggesting it was worth €80,000. But the Élysée Palace told French media the president was wearing a Bell & Ross BR V1-92 model, which is personalised with a coat of arms. Prices online for this watch, without the personalisation, are between €1,660 and €3,300 (£1,460 and £2,900). "He has been wearing it very regularly for more than a year and a half," the palace added in a statement. Mr Macron has long been criticised by his political rivals for supporting the wealthy. In February, he came under attack for giving Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, France's highest honour, while people were on the streets protesting about their financial futures. He has argued the changes to the retirement age are a "necessity" to keep the pension budget from running into deficit. His government decided last week to use a special constitutional power to force through the reform without a vote, after realising they would struggle to pass in the National Assembly. The move triggered two no-confidence votes, which the government survived. The controversy has renewed unrest across the country, which began in January when the plans were unveiled. A visit by King Charles III this weekend has had to be postponed as a result. Alongside the protests, there have been widespread strikes that have involved transport workers, teachers, rubbish collectors and oil refinery workers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65069823

No Ukraine offensive without more weapons – Zelensky - BBC News

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There has been talk for some weeks of Ukraine launching a spring offensive against Russian forces.

Europe

President Zelensky said he would not send his troops to the front lines without more tanks, artillery and Himars rocket launchers President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia cannot start until Western allies send more military support. He told a Japanese newspaper he would not send his troops to the front lines without more tanks, artillery and Himars rocket launchers. In an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, he said the situation in eastern Ukraine was "not good". "We are waiting for ammunition to arrive from our partners," he said. And when asked about the expected counter-offensive, he said: "We can't start yet, we can't send our brave soldiers to the front line without tanks, artillery and long-range rockets." He added: "If you have the political will, you can find a way to help us. We are at war and can't wait." There has been talk for some weeks of Ukraine launching a spring offensive against Russian forces. Ukrainian commanders have hinted it might be imminent. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, said this week it might come "very soon". Some analysts say Ukraine's military is talking up the idea of a counter-offensive to discomfit their Russian counterparts. They want Russian commanders to spread their forces thinly along the front lines, ready for any attack, rather than concentrate them in particular places, such as the eastern city of Bakhmut. Other analysts believe a counter-offensive is possible soon. A US-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, last week suggested that Russia's own offensive was potentially losing momentum and concluded: "Ukraine is therefore well positioned to regain the initiative and launch counter-offensives in critical sectors of the current front line." But President Zelensky is more pessimistic. He has often warned that the war could drag on for years unless Western allies speeded up the delivery of weapons. But this is the first time he has actually said the counter-offensive itself might be delayed by the lack of Western equipment. His remarks reflect not only his desire to encourage more speed, but also his frustration at what he sees as the lack of haste. Ukraine's allies have promised more tanks, artillery and longer-range missile systems. But some countries are struggling to deliver what they pledged, while others are taking more time than expected to get the equipment to Ukraine. Western officials say military support is arriving, but admit training and planning is taking time. They also point to other factors such as muddy terrain making it hard for any army to start manoeuvring easily and break through front lines. Such is the speculation about Ukraine's counter-offensive - in particular, when and where it might come - that the defence ministry has urged people to stop discussing potential plans. Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar claimed on social media that only three people had the right to disclose military plans publicly - the president, the minister of defence, and the commander in chief. "All others can only quote them," she wrote. "Please stop asking experts questions about a counter-offensive on the air, please stop writing blogs and posts on this topic, please stop publicly discussing the military plans of our army." • None The front line where Russian eyes are always watching

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65075952

Principal resigns after Florida students shown Michelangelo statue - BBC News

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One Florida parent complained Michelangelo's iconic statue amounted to pornography.

US & Canada

A principal of a Florida school has been forced to resign after a parent complained that sixth-grade students were exposed to pornography. The complaint arose from a Renaissance art lesson where students were shown Michelangelo's statue of David. The iconic statue is one of the most famous in Western history. But one parent complained the material was pornographic and two others said they wanted to know about the class before it was taught. The 5.17m (17ft) statue depicts an entirely naked David, the Biblical figure who kills the giant Goliath. The lesson, given to 11 and 12-year-olds, also included references to Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" painting and Botticelli's "Birth of Venus". Principal Hope Carrasquilla of Tallahassee Classical School said she resigned after she was given an ultimatum by the school board to resign or be fired. Local media reported that Ms Carrasquilla did not know the reason she was asked to resign, but believed it was related to the complaints over the lesson. They also said Ms Carrasquilla had been principal for less than one year. In an interview with US outlet Slate, the chair of the school's board, Barney Bishop III, said that last year the principal sent a notice to parents warning them that students were going to see Michelangelo's David - but that this wasn't done this year. He called it an "egregious mistake" and said that "parents are entitled to know anytime their child is being taught a controversial topic and picture". "We're not going to show the full statue of David to kindergartners. We're not going to show him to second graders. Showing the entire statue of David is appropriate at some age. We're going to figure out when that is," Mr Bishop said. On Thursday, Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, moved to expand a law that banned public schools from teaching sexual education and gender identity. Teachers who violate the law face being suspended or losing their teaching licences. The David was completed by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504. It was instantly hailed as a masterpiece, with Renaissance artist Giorgio Vasari saying the David "surpassed" any statue that had ever existed before. Queen Victoria gifted a copy of the David to the South Kensington museum - later the V&A - in 1857. When she first saw the cast, she was apparently so shocked by the nudity that a fig leaf was commissioned to cover up the genitalia. The V&A's website says that the leaf was kept "in readiness for any royal visits, when it was hung on the figure using two strategically placed hooks."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65071989

Funeral for WW2 veteran Flt Sgt Peter Brown moved as crowds expected - BBC News

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Too many mourners were expected at Flt Sgt Peter Brown's funeral which was planned for Wednesday.

London

It is thought Flt Sgt Brown travelled to the UK from Jamaica and falsified his age in order to serve in World War Two The funeral of one of the last black RAF World War Two veterans has had to be moved as too many people were expected to attend the service. Organisers were inundated with requests to join the service for Flt Sgt Peter Brown, who died alone aged 96 in Maida Vale, west London. The funeral had been due to take place in a 140-capacity chapel in Mortlake on Wednesday. But Westminster City Council said a new date and venue were being arranged. It follows a recent appeal for people to attend Flt Sgt Brown's funeral. Council officials are working with the RAF and Ministry of Defence to ensure Flt Sgt Brown is given the "send-off he deserves". The RAF said Flt Sgt Brown was "an example of the selfless contribution of all Commonwealth personnel" Born in Jamaica in 1926, Flt Sgt Brown enlisted in the RAF Volunteer Reserve in September 1943. He trained as a wireless operator/air gunner and was posted to RAF Scampton. After the war ended, he re-enlisted in the RAF, working as a signaller. A Westminster City Council spokesperson said: "Details of the future date and venue are still being finalised but will be announced as soon as possible. "We are looking to secure a venue closer to Mr Brown's home in Westminster." The council said it believes the chapel would not hold the large number of people expected to turn up. Lord Mayor of Westminster Hamza Taouzzale said he would be among those to attend the service. "We owe him - and the many others like him - a huge debt of gratitude," he explained. "His obvious modesty meant that we did not know of his actions until after his passing." He added that "despite extensive efforts, no family members have been traced". Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65076119

Last ever UK death sentence conviction quashed - BBC News

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Liam Holden, the last person to be sentenced to death in the United Kingdom, is cleared by the Court of Appeal of murdering a soldier in west Belfast in 1972.

Northern Ireland

A Belfast man, who was the last person to be sentenced to death in the United Kingdom, has been cleared of murdering a soldier in 1972. Liam Holden spent 17 years in jail after being convicted. His death sentence was commuted to a life term. At the time, he told the court he was forced to sign a confession after soldiers threatened to kill him and used water torture on him. On Thursday, the Court of Appeal in Belfast overturned his conviction. The Crown had previously said it would not object to the holding of an appeal after assessing evidence contained in a confidential annexe of material. This showed that by interrogating Mr Holden for more than three hours, the military was in breach of clear government guidelines that suspects arrested by soldiers should be handed over immediately to the RUC for questioning. The Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, sitting with two other appeal court judges, said on Thursday that as evidence of the Army guidelines had not been made known to either the defence or prosecution teams during his trial, the appeal was being allowed and the conviction quashed. Speaking outside court, Mr Holden said: "I'm delighted that after 40 years its over. But it's a pity my parents weren't alive to get this result." Although the death penalty was abolished in Britain in 1969, it remained in Northern Ireland until 1973. Mr Holden was 19 and working as a chef when he was taken from his home and brought to an Army post at Blackmountain school, where he was held for almost five hours. By the end of his time in military custody he had agreed to sign a statement admitting he had killed Private Frank Bell, who died three days after being shot in the head as he patrolled Springfield Avenue, west Belfast, in September 1972. "By the time they were finished with me I would have admitted to killing JFK," he said in an interview earlier this week. Mr Holden said he was subjected to sustained torture and then threatened that he would be shot if he did not confess to the killing. "I was beaten and they told me to admit I had shot the soldier, but I said that wasn't true because I didn't," he said. "Then six soldiers came into the cubicle where I was being held and grabbed me. "They held me down on the floor and one of them placed a towel over my face, and they got water and they started pouring the water through the towel all round my face, very slowly. "After a while you can't get your breath but you still try to get your breath, so when you were trying to breathe in through your mouth you are sucking the water in, and if you try to breathe in through your nose, you are sniffing the water in. "It was continual, a slow process, and at the end of it you basically feel like you are suffocating." Mr Holden said he eventually confessed after he was threatened with being shot.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18525631

UK economy: When are you going to feel better off? - BBC News

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How politicians answer that will set the terms for the next election, writes Laura Kuenssberg.

UK Politics

When are you going to feel better off? How politicians answer that big question sets the terms for the next election. The response is certainly not this week. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak might have told MPs "we are halving inflation" but repeating that political slogan in the Commons doesn't make it true. In fact he was wrong - just as economic sages were mistaken. Prices went up faster in February than in January - which came as a surprise to the experts. Interest rates edged up too and will make rent, mortgages and credit more expensive. The message to workers, firms and families this week is bleak - your costs are going up but don't ask for a pay rise and don't put your prices up if you're a business. There is no shortage of evidence of how hard it is for millions of families to pay the bills. By the Treasury's admission inflation "strangles growth and erodes family budgets". And its effects can be long-lasting. As one German economist said: "Inflation is like toothpaste. Once it's out, you can hardly get it back in again." As an aside, even that essential item has gone up significantly, with one famous brand hiking prices of a tube from £3 to £4. What the government hopes is that next month, and the month after that, and the month after that, the number crunchers are correct and inflation will drop pretty sharply by the end of the year and the toothpaste does, after all, go back in the tube. But inflation slowing down doesn't mean prices will drop. What politicians and the public have to confront is that there could be many years where voters feel hard up. For this week's show we asked Richard Hughes - the country's number cruncher in chief who runs the independent Office for Budget Responsibility - how he would answer that big question. If you're squeamish about your finances you might want to look away now. He told me we're in the middle of "the biggest squeeze on living standards we've faced in this country on record" - but also it might be five or even six years before people start feeling more prosperous again. As he put it: "People's real spending power doesn't get back to the level it was before the pandemic even after five years, even by the time we get to the late 2020s." Gulp. There is also a separate and tricky conversation to be had about the influence of his organisation, the OBR. Their work, famously ignored by Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng when they were in charge, tells governments how much they can spend and borrow if they want to stick to their own rules about when they will balance the country's books. The idea is that with an independent body publicly checking ministers' arithmetic the public can have confidence in what's being done. But their forecasts, as Mr Hughes happily admits, often turn out to be wrong, and change every six months. Yet they can have enormous influence over what politicians decide. For example, several sources told me the government only decided to expand childcare in the recent Budget because the OBR told them more than half of the cost would be covered by the benefit of getting some parents back to work. You can, as many politicians do, believe in the merits of having an independent expert cast their eye over the figures, but also have quiet concerns about how the OBR can draw the limits of political conversations when its forecasts - through no fault of its own - change dramatically. Whether you are asking an economist, a politician, or just looking at your own bank balance, the broad assessment is not likely to shift - times are tough for the foreseeable future. Inflation - the politicians' nightmare - is likely to drop by the end of the year, but Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are going to have to tempt you to the ballot box in 2024 when the country still feels hard up. We can already see the outlines of the Conservatives' script. With inflation (they fervently hope) down and the economy (fingers crossed) avoiding recession there will, ministers believe, be signs the country's fortunes have turned and they can persuade hard-up voters to stick with them. As one minister says: "The argument we want to make is 'I'm just starting to feel better off, don't risk it'." This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: So we just have to accept life will be even harder, chancellor? We've lived through unprecedented hard times, they'll argue, and things are getting better so don't take a chance on something new. The aspiration is also that ministers will be able to start cutting taxes again - perhaps in the autumn of this year or more likely next spring. One former cabinet minister says voters will start to feel better off once a Conservative government is re-elected because they hope they'll be able to say during the campaign that "inflation is lower, wages outstripping inflation" and they have a "clear plan for the economy". Even if Rishi Sunak becomes an expert in political gymnastics it's unlikely the Conservatives will avoid taking any flak for the hammering incomes have taken while they've been in charge. But you can expect in the next few months for ministers to emphasise more regularly the help that's already on offer - whether that's cheaper bus fares or the hugely expensive energy price guarantee. If you ask Labour politicians when the country will feel better off the answer is also far in the future. One shadow minister says the decline in living standards has been "brutal" while another says "people are not going to feel better off for a very long time". Even if inflation does start to slow, if you believe the polls that show Labour way ahead the tough economic reality for many families gives them a political advantage. However strongly the Conservatives argue they've had to deal with unprecedented pressures, hard-up voters do not tend to reward those in charge. But wise Labour heads are all too aware that successful oppositions don't just say "we're not the other guys". That's why we're seeing the leadership put so much time and effort into trying to create a sense they would spend taxpayers' money wisely and talk repeatedly about how they would get the economy to grow. The shadow minister believes Labour tends to win when it offers "hope after years when the Tories look a bit clapped out". So when we ask "when are you going to start feeling better off?" the answer is "not much, if at all, before the next election". It's likely that vote will happen when there is not much cash in our own pockets or the public purse. And we face a conversation where the Conservatives seize on any signs of progress to claim a change is not worth the risk while Labour highlights the hard times we have been living through and says it's time for something else. Just like economic forecasts, political predictions can turn out to be miles off. And of course, how we make a living and how the country pays its way is not the only factor determining how people vote. But after years of hardship you'll be asked in the general election who you believe will help you be better off. The answer millions of voters give will likely determine who takes No 10.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65075966

Liam Holden: Army torture forced murder confession, court rules - BBC News

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Parachute Regiment troops tortured Liam Holden into saying he killed a soldier in 1972, a judge rules.

Northern Ireland

Parachute Regiment troops tortured Liam Holden, pictured in 2012, into saying he killed a soldier, the judge ruled The family of a Belfast man has been awarded £350,000 in damages after he was tortured into admitting killing a British soldier in 1972. Liam Holden was subjected to waterboarding techniques while in military custody and his treatment led to a confession, the High Court ruled. His conviction for murdering Private Frank Bell was quashed a decade ago. The last man in the UK sentenced to hang, Mr Holden died last September, aged 68. His death penalty was commuted and he was released 17 years into a 40-year sentence, the rest of which he spent on licence. He always maintained he was hooded, waterboarded and had a gun pointed at his head before wrongly admitting to shooting Private Bell. Mr Holden's murder conviction was finally quashed in 2012, and he was then awarded £1m for losses suffered due to the miscarriage of justice. Delivering Friday's ruling in the damages case against the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the judge said Mr Holden genuinely believed he was going to be killed. With paratroopers having wrongly and unlawfully induced him to make the admission, the MoD was held liable for his malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. "The plaintiff was subjected to waterboarding; he was hooded; he was driven in a car flanked by soldiers to a location where he thought he would be assassinated," said the judge. "A gun was put to his head and he was threatened that he would be shot dead. Liam Holden, aged 18, was taken into police custody in 1972 "Hooding of the plaintiff, in the circumstances as alleged, constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment in breach of Article 3 of the [European Convention on Human Rights]," he said. The judge said that while the soldiers had an "honest belief" they were acting lawfully they knew their actions would injure Mr Holden and "unquestionably acted in bad faith". Their actions left Mr Holden with significant psychological effects, said the judge. According to the Holden family and their solicitor, this was the first time a court had found waterboarding took place during The Troubles. After the ruling, the family expressed sadness and relief. "My father is not here to see this finished," his son Samuel Bowden told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme. "What he went through should never have happened... today it's all clear that he was innocent." At a previous court hearing, Mr Holden gave his account of his treatment by soldiers after his arrest. He said he was pinned to the floor while a towel was placed over his face. "They started pouring a bucket of water slowly through the towel," he said. "The first thing I felt was the cold, then trying to breathe and then sucking water in through my mouth and up my nose. "It was like you were just drowning." Samuel Bowden (right) said the ruling left the family with a sense of sadness and relief He said that up to four sessions of questioning and waterboarding were carried out. Mr Holden was then hooded, dragged out of a chair and taken to a loyalist area of Belfast. "While we were driving one of the soldiers was tapping my knee with a gun, saying: 'This is for you'," he told the court. "They took me out of the car and brought me into a field, put a gun to my head and said if I didn't admit to shooting the soldier they would shoot me." Asked by his barrister how he had responded to the alleged threat, Mr Holden replied: "I just said: 'I shot the soldier.' "[I] made a cock-and-bull story about where I shot him from, where I got the weapon, where I dumped the weapon and how I got away." A forensic psychiatrist who examined Mr Holden in 2016 said he described being plagued by nightmares more frightening than any real-life experience. His son Samuel said his criminal record made it difficult to get work, leave the country or just "get a normal life going".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65063511

Scotland 3-0 Cyprus: Scott McTominay's late double secures win in Euro 2024 Group A opener - BBC Sport

Scott McTominay's late double secures a comfortable win for Scotland over Cyprus in their European Championship qualifying Group A opener.

Last updated on .From the section Football Scott McTominay's late double secured Scotland a comfortable winning start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign at home to Cyprus. John McGinn's close-range finish - the Aston Villa midfielder's 16th goal for his country - was reward for a dominant first-half display. And the Manchester United midfielder added his second moments later. Steve Clarke had billed it as a must-win game against Group A's lowest seeds, who ended the game with 10 men after a late red card for Nicholas Ioannou, and it was job done in that sense. But the Scotland head coach will know that, despite their first winning start to a Euro qualifying campaign since 2006, improvement will be needed as top seeds Spain visit on Tuesday. • None Lessons as Scots and Spain start with 3-0 wins • None Reaction and as it happened The dawn of new qualifying campaign brought the Tartan Army to Hampden full of optimism. They were rewarded with a dominant first-half performance during which they were rarely under threat and probed at the Cypriot defensive wall with consistency and determination. All that was lacking was a little more cutting edge in the vital area - directly in front of goal. That was a theme until late on, with the result still uncertain until McTominay stepped up. Scotland's intent was clear. Get at Cyprus down the flanks, particularly the left. That pattern was fairly consistent, but the first real threat came down the other side when Aaron Hickey danced into the box and, from the tightest of angles, forced goalkeeper Demetris Demetriou into a low save at his post. Clarke's side were cruising, comfortable on the ball and showing an impressive level of composure. The left flank proved the route to the crucial opening goal as Stuart Armstrong fed Andy Robertson, who timed his run perfectly to stay marginally onside and cross first time. The ball deflected perfectly into McGinn's path as he instinctively raced to meet it and finish from close range to take his Scotland tally to one more than the talismanic James McFadden. Che Adams came close after super interplay with McGinn, but his shot was tipped over and the unfortunate striker left the field early in the second half with a worrying looking injury. The second half show dipped significantly and the creeping doubt began to emerge that Cyprus might just nick something. Finally, though, Scotland got there - thanks to three of their own substitutes. Ryan Christie did superbly to win possession and fire in a cross ,Lyndon Dykes nodded it on and McTominay raced onto it to half-volley home. An enormous cheer and accompanying sigh of relief engulfed Hampden before McTominay capitalised again when Robertson laid the ball into his path and he calmly dispatched it home with ease. The 3-0 scoreline adds significant and welcome gloss to the occasion. Clarke will be delighted with that but equally happy to get through this unscathed. It became something of a struggle until very late on, but the players stayed calm and avoided a calamity. The initial signs were very positive in the first period, with Scotland in complete control. They were perhaps a touch cautious in getting into dangerous areas directly in front of goal, but the performance was strong and promised more as the game wore on. That said, Cyprus were very well organised and proved sticky opposition. The concern will be how standards seemed to slip. There was little composure in the final pass or deliveries from wide areas, but the substitutes made a significant impact to get Scotland over the line. What they said Scotland head coach Steve Clarke: "We spoke a lot about getting off to a good start and I thought we started the game really well. The movement, the rotation of the players, the creation of space was good. We deserved the lead at that time. "I thought up until 30 minutes we were good and I don't know whether we went a bit casual, we switched off a little bit and Cyprus made it difficult for us. Second-half was a slightly difficult game and we slowed the game too much, but it is nice to look at the bench and bring on Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie." Cyprus head coach Temuri Ketsbaia: "I believe we lost to the better team. Scotland deserved to win the game, well done to them. Congratulations. "I'm disappointed that we didn't give our best. We tried to change our formation, we tried to put more offensive players. It cost us because we conceded two easy goals." Hampden will be rocking now as Spain visit Hampden on Tuesday (19:45 GMT), while Cyprus visit Armenia in a friendly. • None Offside, Cyprus. Kostakis Artymatas tries a through ball, but Andronikos Kakoullis is caught offside. • None Goal! Scotland 3, Cyprus 0. Scott McTominay (Scotland) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Andrew Robertson. • None Attempt missed. Minas Antoniou (Cyprus) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Charalampos Charalampous. • None Ryan Porteous (Scotland) wins a free kick on the right wing. • None Attempt missed. Andrew Robertson (Scotland) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Lyndon Dykes. • None Goal! Scotland 2, Cyprus 0. Scott McTominay (Scotland) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the top left corner. Assisted by Lyndon Dykes with a headed pass. • None Attempt saved. Andronikos Kakoullis (Cyprus) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Charalampos Charalampous. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64997970

Man Utd takeover latest: Sheikh Jassim also submits second bid after Sir Jim Ratcliffe - BBC Sport

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim joins Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in submitting a second bid to buy Manchester United.

Man Utd takeover latest: Sheikh Jassim also submits second bid after Sir Jim Ratcliffe Last updated on .From the section Man Utd

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65054294

Halt Israel legal reform, urges defence minister - BBC News

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Yoav Gallant's call comes as Israelis opposed to the changes hold further nationwide mass rallies.

Middle East

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt controversial plans for an overhaul of the justice system. His intervention came as Israelis opposed to the changes held mass rallies across the country for the twelfth week in a row. Mr Gallant added his voice to warnings the crisis is causing social upheaval and could harm Israel's security. So far, however, Mr Netanyahu has defied calls to scrap the shake-up. In a brief televised statement, Mr Gallant described the reform plan as a "clear, immediate and tangible danger to the security of the State". He said members of the Israeli Defence Forces were angry and disappointed, with an intensity he had never encountered before. The law is part of the right-wing government's contentious plan to limit the powers of the judiciary, which has led to months of protests. It includes enabling parliament to overrule decisions made by the Supreme Court - a move that critics say will undermine the independence of the judiciary and could be used for political ends. But Mr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the public at the last election. Mr Gallant's remarks were welcomed by opposition leader Yair Lapid, who praised the minister's "brave step". But far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Mr Netanyahu to sack the defence minister, saying he had caved in to opposition pressure. Separately, a new Incapacitation Law, which passed by 61 votes to 47 in the 120-seat Knesset on Thursday following a heated all-night debate, prevents a prime minister from being declared unfit to hold office by the attorney general. It stipulates that only the prime minister or three-quarters of their cabinet can declare them unfit to hold office on physical or psychological grounds. Mr Netanyahu is standing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. He denies any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a "witch hunt".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65076682

Andrew Lloyd Webber's son Nicholas dies aged 43 - BBC News

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The composer says his family is "totally bereft" by the loss of his Grammy-nominated son.

Entertainment & Arts

Andrew Lloyd Webber pictured with his son Nicholas in 2010 The Grammy-nominated eldest son of Andrew Lloyd Webber has died aged 43, the composer has announced. Nicholas Lloyd Webber, a composer and record producer, had been having treatment for gastric cancer and died at Basingstoke Hospital, Hampshire. "His whole family is gathered together and we are all totally bereft," Lord Webber, 75, wrote on Twitter. Lord Lloyd Webber, whose hit musicals include Cats, said on Thursday that Nick had been moved to a hospice. In a post on Twitter on Saturday evening he wrote: "I am shattered to have to announce that my beloved elder son Nick died a few hours ago". His son was nominated for a Grammy for musical theatre alongside his father as well as David Wells and David Zippel for Lord Lloyd Webber's Cinderella. He also scored the music for an adaptation of The Little Prince. The news followed a video posted by Lord Lloyd Webber on Instagram on Thursday, where he said his son was recovering from "this first bout of pneumonia" caught as a result of his "ghastly" cancer. In the video the composer, who also wrote the music for The Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar, thanked the people of Ukraine who sent him a Cats t-shirt following the announcement that his son was critically ill. He said: "It's incredibly moving... everything they're going through they have been so incredibly thoughtful about dearest Nick. "I'm going to go and see Nick in a minute, and I'm going to pass on all of the fantastic wishes that I've had for him all the way from everywhere all around the world."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65078024

England v Ukraine: Reece James withdraws from squad for 'assessment of ongoing issue' - BBC Sport

Chelsea defender Reece James will miss England's Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday.

Last updated on .From the section England Chelsea defender Reece James will miss England's Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday through injury. The 23-year-old has returned to the Premier League club for what the Football Association says is "assessment of an ongoing issue". James came on for Arsenal's Bukayo Saka after 85 minutes of Thursday's 2-1 win over Italy in Naples. Manager Gareth Southgate has decided not to call up any replacements. James missed last year's World Cup with a knee injury and picked up another knee problem in December which kept him out for another month. The remainder of the England squad, including the suspended Luke Shaw, will continue their preparations at the Tottenham Hotspur training ground on Saturday. • None Watch the nail-biting final of The Apprentice • None An access-all-areas podcast follows the footballer as he decides

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65074856

Gandhi says disqualification 'politically motivated' - BBC News

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Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi says he "will not stop" after being stripped of his MP status.

India

Rahul Gandhi speaks to the media in Delhi on Saturday, a day after being disqualified from parliament The leader of Indian's opposition Congress party Rahul Gandhi has said his disqualification by parliament was politically motivated. On Friday, India's parliament stripped Mr Gandhi of his MP status a day after he was sentenced to two years in prison in a defamation case. He was convicted by the court for 2019 comments about PM Narendra Modi's surname at an election rally. The governing BJP says his expulsion conformed with parliamentary rules. A 2013 Supreme Court order says that a lawmaker convicted in a crime and sentenced to two or more years in jail stands disqualified from the parliament with immediate effect. Speaking at a news briefing on Saturday, Mr Gandhi said: "It makes me no difference if I'm disqualified... Disqualify me for life.... I will keep going, I will not stop." Although India's opposition parties don't always agree on political issues, many of them have supported Mr Gandhi over his disqualification. On Friday, 14 parties approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the federal government was misusing investigative agencies to target BJP's opponents. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the action against Mr Gandhi was a consequence of his demand for a parliamentary investigation to probe allegations against the Adani Group. The huge conglomerate was accused of decades of "brazen" stock manipulation and accounting fraud by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research earlier this year. The Adani Group has denied allegations of financial fraud. "My job as I see it is to defend the democratic nature of this country," Mr Gandhi said after his disqualification. "That means defending the institutions of this country, that means defending the voice of the poor people of this country, that means telling the people of this country the truth about people like Mr Adani, who are basically exploiting the relationship they have with the prime minister," he said. "I was disqualified because Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scared of my next speech on Adani... I can see it in his eyes." Mr Gandhi's supporters say his disqualification is a sign that India's democratic system is weakening, and more protests against the government are planned in the coming days. He will not be allowed to take part in national elections due next year, unless his sentence is suspended or he is acquitted in the case. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, said the decision to disqualify Mr Gandhi was in accordance with parliamentary laws, and criticised his party for questioning the verdict. Federal Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav said Mr Gandhi had insulted members of the caste grouping known as Other Backward Classes (OBC) under which the name "Modi" falls. "Insulting any surname is not freedom of speech," he said. But some experts have questioned the severity of Mr Gandhi's sentence. Joyojeet Pal, an associate professor of information at the University of Michigan, said that it was "highly unusual" for a first-time offender like Mr Gandhi to be given the maximum possible punishment of two years' imprisonment. "Both low-level politicians and parliamentarians in India are known to engage in extreme speech on social media and in their public meetings. A conviction of this scale, with the consequence of removing the primary challenger to Modi, is practically unheard of," Prof Pal added.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-65074804

Pallbearers of late Queen's coffin recognised in special honours list - BBC News

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King Charles formally recognises the roles played by scores of royal aides and military personnel.

UK

Eight Grenadier Guards carried the coffin of the late Queen during her state funeral Eight pallbearers who carried Queen Elizabeth II's coffin at her funeral are among those to be recognised in a special honours list. King Charles has honoured scores of royal aides and military personnel for the roles they played during the period of national mourning. Angela Kelly, the Queen's dresser, has also received recognition. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, died at Balmoral in September last year, aged 96. In some of the most poignant moments of the late Queen's funeral, eight Grenadier Guards in uniform carried her coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, into London's Westminster Abbey and her final resting place at St George's Chapel in Windsor. Millions of people around the world watched as Lance Sergeant Alex Turner, Lance Corporal Tony Flynn, Lance Sergeant Elias Orlowski, Guardsman Fletcher Cox, Guardsman James Patterson, Lance Sergeant Ryan Griffiths, Guardsman Luke Simpson, and Guardsman David Sanderson carried out their duty. Notably they carried the lead-lined coffin with the Imperial State Crown, sceptre and orb on top up the steep steps of the chapel in Windsor Castle's grounds. Conservative MP Tom Hunt said at the time: "I can't imagine how hard and emotionally challenging it must have been to have carried her late Majesty's coffin just once. "With billions watching, they've done her late Majesty and the country proud." The soldiers, from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, have been recognised with the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver). Royal Regiment of Scotland pallbearers who brought the Queen from Balmoral to her lying-in-state at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh received the same honour. The Royal Air Force flight crew who transported the Queen's coffin from Scotland to London, other coffin bearers, and senior government officials are also included in the Demise Honours list. The late Queen with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and the monarch's dresser Angela Kelly (on right in black) Ms Kelly, who worked for the Queen for more than 25 years, has been made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO). The pair are understood to have had a close relationship, and the Queen gave Ms Kelly permission to write a behind-the-scenes account of her years as her official dressmaker and friend. Ms Kelly helped to keep the Queen's style modern and relevant - the late monarch once wore a pair of glasses personalised with Swarovski crystals in the shape of the letter Q at a 2010 film screening in Canada. During the height of the Covid pandemic, Ms Kelly is thought to have isolated with the Queen at Windsor Castle as part of a small group of royal household staff. The late monarch's stud groom, Terence Pendry, with her pony Emma The late Queen's page, Paul Whybrew, who appeared in the monarch's 2012 London Olympics skit with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, was awarded Commander of the RVO. Terence Pendry, who worked as the Queen's stud groom and held the reins of her pony, Emma, as the funeral cortege travelled through Windsor, received the same honour. Former ladies-in-waiting Philippa de Pass and Jennifer Gordon Lennox were made Dame Commanders of the RVO. The RVO is bestowed by the King - and not on the advice of the prime minister - to people who have served the monarch and the Royal Family. The honour was founded by Queen Victoria in 1896.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65069857

Daniel White strangled and slit wife's throat in their home - BBC News

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Daniel White kicked open his wife's locked door, strangled her and then cut her throat.

Wales

Angie White was strangled and her throat was slit Alexa recordings were used to piece together how a domestic abuser murdered his wife. Daniel White, 36, kicked open Angie White's locked bedroom door, strangled her and cut her throat. He then fled the house in Swansea in his wife's car before phoning police to confess in October 2022. White, from Idris Terrace, Plasmarl, was given a life sentence of at least 20 years and 10 months at Swansea Crown Court after admitting murder. Officers went to their home where they found the front door unlocked and the body of Mrs White, 45, in her bedroom. Swansea Crown Court heard labourer White had a long history of domestic violence, including against Mrs White. At the time of the murder, he was on licence from prison after receiving a 10-year extended sentence for rape and assault. Fearful of her husband, Mrs White had installed a mortice lock on her bedroom door, which White kicked in after an argument started on WhatsApp. Neighbours heard banging, shouting and screaming at about 03:00 GMT on 22 October last year before hearing a car drive away. Shortly before 06:00, White called police, telling a call handler: "I've strangled her and cut her throat. She's dead. "We argued and she locked the door and said she wanted me out. "All I wanted to do was take my stuff and leave. I just shut her up. "I strangled her, I ran downstairs, and I cut her throat to make sure she was dead." The court heard the couple had an Amazon Alexa, which can control household electrical items when activated by a voice prompt. Detectives discovered voice commands made by White and his wife at the time of the murder had been saved. Prosecutor William Hughes said: "Police have been able to discover that at 3.03am Angie in her bedroom said, 'Alexa, volume three'. "At 3.16am Daniel White's voice can be heard saying, 'Alexa stop'. "He then goes back downstairs into the living room and says, 'Turn on - Alexa' but what can also be heard is that he is out of breath and these appear to be the moments when, the Crown say, he has gone to get the knife. "He then returns to the bedroom at 3.18am when he says 'Alexa, turn on the electric light', and at 3.19am he says, 'Alexa, turn off the TV'. "So, the Crown's reasonable interpretation is after 3.03am and before 3.16am Daniel White had burst through the door and initially strangled Angie, then went downstairs to get the knife, and thereafter cut her throat." The court heard the couple had begun arguing on WhatsApp. The last message they exchanged was at 03:11. A pathologist found Mrs White died from knife wounds to her neck. But there was also evidence she had been strangled. Mrs White's family said nothing would be able to bring her back White previously admitted murder but refused to attend court for sentencing. Defence barrister Peter Rouch said the marriage was effectively over and what happened was "a spontaneous act of violence". He said: "I am not suggesting that is justification, but Your Honour has asked what led to it, and it would seem by putting the picture together as best one can, from the messages and the timings, that seems (to be) what has taken place." "He does not have the courage to face the family and friends of the woman whose life he so brutally ended," he said. "You have a disgraceful history of assaulting women who have had the great misfortune to be in a relationship with you." He said: "When you entered the bedroom you strangled her, probably rendering her unconscious. "When she was face to face with you, with your hands around her throat, she must have been absolutely terrified. "After she probably lost consciousness, you didn't seek help for her, you went downstairs and got a knife. "You took it into her bedroom in order to kill her, to finish her off." The judge said he had a "cowardly desire to dominate her". He added: "You did just that - you savagely slit her throat knowing that would kill her." Speaking afterwards, Mrs White's family said: "Angie was a much-loved daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and auntie. "Nothing can bring our beloved Angie back. We shall miss that silly giggle for evermore. "Daniel White admitted his guilt but continued to use his manipulative behaviour to delay the outcome. "He deliberately absences himself in what we see as his continuing attempts to control this situation and his cowardliness in avoiding facing us and justice for what he did to Angie." A Ministry of Justice spokesman said a review was underway. "This was a horrific crime and our sympathies are with the family and friends of Angie White. As with all serious further offences a review is now underway and it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage," he said. "Serious further offences are rare but we are investing £155m more every year into the Probation Service to improve the supervision of offenders and recruit thousands more staff to keep the public safe."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65067194

Plymouth tree felling 'really good' for city, council official says - BBC News

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The felling of over 100 trees in Plymouth will lead to a "fabulous result", the official says.

Devon

Trees in Plymouth city centre were felled at night after an executive order was signed by council leader Richard Bingley A senior council official has insisted a redevelopment scheme behind the felling of 110 trees in Plymouth will be "really good" for the city. Giles Perritt, the council's assistant chief executive, was speaking after campaigners succeeded in getting the High Court to extend an injunction on Friday preventing further felling. Council leader Richard Bingley, who faced a no confidence vote over the felling, intends to resign on Monday. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Perritt added that felling the trees "will be really good for Plymouth in the short and medium term". "We are really anxious to work with people who are unhappy with what we're doing and make sure we deliver a fabulous result for the city centre," he added. Giles Perritt, the council's assistant chief executive, said of the tree-felling that "change is difficult" The redevelopment scheme would replace a "tired 1980s" shopping precinct which, once the shops shut, became a "dangerous and unhappy place" with a modern area which could be enjoyed all year round, he said. "We are very pleased we are able to continue removing the trees that have already been felled and making our city centre a little more habitable for pedestrians, shoppers and businesses who work there." Challenged about the loss of the trees, he said 169 new trees would be planted and insisted the council had changed the plans after previous consultations with residents showed support for the existing mature trees. "There are going to be more trees and more biodiversity," he said. Mr Perritt also responded to criticisms that the tree felling had taken place late at night, saying the council "always does tree works in busy places at night". He added it was "normal practice for any sensible council". Asked about the imminent departure of council leader Mr Bingley, Mr Perritt said he could not comment on politicians' motivations, but stressed previous administrations had also given major support to the redevelopment programme. At the High Court in London on Friday, Sir Ross Cranston backed protesters' bid to keep the injunction stopping felling in place pending a full legal challenge over the council's actions. "The injunction will continue. The remaining trees cannot be felled at least for the time being," he said. He added: "Once they are gone they are gone", adding there was a "serious issue to be tried" over the lawfulness of the council's decision-making process. Trees which had already been toppled, as well as fallen branches and stumps, can be removed subject to an expert report. Plymouth City Council argued the felling had to be done before the pre-election period, noting it was not a legal requirement, but a preferable one. Council boss Richard Bingley signed an executive order allowing the scheme and soon after, the trees were felled after dark on 14 March. In response, campaigners obtained an injunction which was served in the early hours. Campaigner Alison White said her group was "really happy with the decision" made by the High Court to pause the felling In a statement released after the hearing, the council said it aimed to "transform a tired and run-down part of the city centre". "High Streets up and down the country are struggling. Our decision to transform Armada Way was a mandated, democratic decision, agreed by Plymouth City Council's elected members," it said. The council said it acknowledged people's concerns, but said others were "very clear they want this change". On Friday, Alison White, head of campaign group Save the Trees of Armada Way, said her group was "really happy with the decision" made by the High Court. "The decision to completely destroy our urban forest against overwhelming public opposition in a way that avoided public scrutiny is indefensible." Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-65074972

John Lewis: Mary Portas warns retailer it has 'let go' of its soul - BBC News

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In an open letter the retail consultant says the store is "part of our collective cultural identity".

Business

Mary Portas said John Lewis and its supermarket chain, Waitrose, were part of the "fabric of everyday British life" Retail consultant Mary Portas has written an open letter to John Lewis warning that the department store had "let go" of its soul. The brand expert described the UK retail giant as part of "our collective cultural identity". Her comments come after John Lewis revealed it was considering a change to its employee-owned business structure, so altering decades of tradition. Chair Sharon White said she wanted the brand to thrive for generations. Ms Portas' intervention is via an open letter on the networking website Linkedin, addressed to Ms White and John Lewis' new chief executive Nish Kankiwala. "You are custodians of one of the most valued, loved, and trusted retail brands this country has," the retail consultant wrote. She said John Lewis and its supermarket chain, Waitrose, were part of the "fabric of everyday British life". Earlier this month the department store signalled job cuts were in the pipeline after it cancelled its staff bonus and reported pre-tax losses of £234m in what it said was a "very tough year". If the group pursues the idea of selling a minority stake in the business, it will end it being exclusively owned by its employees. But Ms Portas said: "Your task isn't to turn around just another mediocre retailer under threat of going under. You're fighting to save part of our collective cultural identity. "But what's worrying me is that you might think your fight is purely financial. It's not." Describing the battle as more nuanced, Ms Portas said what laid ahead was about "the soul of your brand." "Somehow, in recent years, you've let go of the soul." Mary Portas said British brand history was littered with firms who tampered with the crown jewels of their identity Her letter said: "What we want is to come to you when we're expecting our first baby and panicking about buying a cot... when we've finally made it onto the property ladder and want curtains and a sofa bed that'll last". But she warned that was "being slowly chipped away. From loud headlines to daily whispers". Ms Portas said she appreciated the partnership needed "money men" but added: "Never forget to balance all that with the commercially instinctive, reactive, creative, retail-born folk in the business. "It's an art. Not a science." She urged the group to recommit to the principles it was founded on - common ownership. "We know British brand history is littered with those who tampered with the crown jewels of their identity. "But failure for John Lewis and Waitrose is not an option. We can't lose you too." John Lewis chair Sharon White said "we've always been open to new partnerships" In response, John Lewis chair Sharon White said it was the "biggest privilege of my life to be custodian of the Partnership". "I am here to ensure that it not only survives, but thrives for generations." Ms White said 100 million customers visited its department stores last year, a third up on the previous year and half a billion customers visited the App and website. "We want our brands to continue to grow," she said. "We've always been open to new partnerships with investors or likeminded companies to share in our growth. "I will not rest until the partnership is restored to full health," she added.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65070604

Record revenue for staff agencies supplying NHS - BBC News

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Companies thrive as the health service struggles with staffing gaps and increased patient demand.

Health

The NHS relies on agency staff to fill gaps Companies providing freelance staff to the NHS to cover for big shortages of doctors and nurses have seen their income rise by tens of millions of pounds since 2019. Two companies, amongst the largest providing workers to the NHS, saw their turnover rise by 80% and 77.5%. BBC News looked at the financial records of about 20 agency businesses providing services in the UK. Health leaders say staff shortages mean they have to spend on freelance cover. In November, BBC News revealed total spending on agency staff in England had been £3bn in 2021, up 20%. And the following month, a Freedom of Information request by Labour revealed one hospital had paid £5,200 for a single shift by a freelance doctor. In the latest financial records seen by BBC News, Medacs Healthcare, "the largest supplier of locum doctors to the NHS", reported an 80% increase in sales, to £160.9m, between 2019 and 2021. "We're proud to partner with the NHS to provide them with a round-the-clock supply of flexible healthcare workers," the company said. "Our fees are fixed and capped by the NHS and government-approved frameworks we work through." ID Medical, which says it is the largest UK provider of healthcare professionals to the NHS, reported a turnover of £145.4m in 2022, up 15% on 2019. It paid one director more than £800,000 last year. The company said it worked within NHS agreements, adding: "We continue our commitment to driving costs down further In partnership with the NHS, through our broad range of long-term sustainable solutions." Both Medacs Healthcare and ID Medical refused to reveal what proportion of their business was with the NHS. Independent Clinical Services, which trades as Thornbury Nursing Group and Scottish Nursing Guild, reported a turnover of nearly £273m in the 2021 financial year, up 77.5% on 2019, of which, it says, the NHS accounts for less than half. "We recognise the strain the NHS and other care providers are under and proactively work with customers to support strategic, longer-term workforce provision," ICS said. And it had "played a crucial role in supporting care providers during the pandemic". ICS is controlled by Acacium Group, registered in Jersey, which, in turn, is controlled, through an investment-fund structure, by a Canadian-headquartered investment company, the group's ultimate parent. Hospitals need freelance doctors and nurses to fill gaps in rotas - but demand for patient care is now outstripping the supply of staff, health leaders say, which is why agency bills have increased. Sir Julian said trusts were desperate to reduce spend on agency staff Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, representing trusts, and a former hospital boss himself, said: "These figures underline the current challenge in terms of the cost of agency staff for trusts. "All trusts are desperate to reduce those costs and indeed reduce the reliance on agency staff." Sir Julian said the NHS was facing major challenges: The cost of agency staff was a "major factor for NHS organisations who want to see a much more sustainable approach". Less should be spent on agency provision and more converted into permanent staff. In England, trust leaders are allowed to pay a maximum of 155% of normal staff rates for any agency replacements - unless paying more is the only way to maintain safe staffing levels There are also official NHS flexible staff banks which place health workers with employers who need to fill temporary gaps. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "While temporary staffing allows the NHS to meet fluctuations in demand, we are controlling spending by capping hourly pay, prioritising NHS staff when shifts need filling and hiring agency staff through approved NHS frameworks to ensure value for money. "We will soon publish a long-term workforce plan to ensure we have the right numbers of staff, with the right skills to deliver high quality services fit for the future."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65042658

Energy firms call for windfall tax to fall with prices - BBC News

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It comes ahead of a package of measures on energy security, which the BBC understands will be announced on Thursday.

Business

Energy firms have called on ministers to reduce the windfall tax as oil and gas prices fall, ahead of a package of measures on energy security expected to be announced on Thursday. Trade body Offshore Energies UK said that "when prices drop, it is fair that the windfall tax should fall away". It came as the Financial Times reported that ministers are set to offer energy firms relief on windfall taxes. The Treasury insists it keeps all taxes under review. Last year, the government introduced a windfall tax on oil and gas firms, to help fund its scheme to lower energy bills for households and businesses. A windfall tax is used to target firms which benefit from something they were not responsible for. Energy firm profits have soared recently, initially due to rising demand after Covid restrictions were lifted, and then because Russia's invasion of Ukraine raised energy prices. Oil and gas prices have now come down from their highs. David Whitehouse, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said the windfall tax has "damaged the confidence" of companies to invest in the long-term energy security of the UK. "If this tax is changed, as conditions and prices have changed, that would be a positive move that would go some way to start rebuilding confidence," he said. He added it would also spur companies to invest in the UK energy industry and in new technologies such as offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture, as well as in jobs. It comes as the government is expected to set out measures to boost the UK's energy security on Thursday. A Whitehall source confirmed the plans, which will be set out by the Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps, will focus on bringing down wholesale electricity prices in the UK and reducing energy bills for consumers and businesses. The Financial Times reported that ahead of this, ministers have been holding talks with energy firms about adjusting the windfall tax if oil and gas prices dropped below a certain level. Shadow climate secretary, Ed Miliband said the report was more evidence that next week's announcements would be "Fossil Fuel Thursday". He said it would see "giveaways to companies already making record profits, for a policy that will make no difference to energy bills or security, fleecing the public whilst trashing the climate." The Treasury insists it does not comment on speculation. But said the windfall tax "strikes a balance between funding cost of living support from excess profits while encouraging investment". It added that "the more investment a firm makes into the UK, the less tax they will pay".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65077495

Rishi Sunak promises anti-social behaviour crackdown - BBC News

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Offenders could be made to pick up litter or wash police cars within 48 hours of being given an order.

UK

Those caught engaging in anti-social behaviour could have to carry out their punishment in hi-vis clothing People who vandalise public spaces will have to repair the damage they cause within 48 hours of being given an order, under new government plans. Communities will also have a say on how offenders are punished, No 10 said. The pilot, covering 10 areas, aims to show the public such acts are "quickly and visibly" punished. But Labour accused the government of "slashing" neighbourhood policing and trying to copy their plan on "tough community payback". The pilot forms part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce on Monday. Mr Sunak hopes the measures will stamp out the scourge of anti-social behaviour "once and for all". The new plans will see police and crime commissioners (PCCs) given funding to ensure people responsible for offences such as graffiti and vandalism start repair work as soon as possible. Offenders will be made to wear jumpsuits or hi-vis jackets and work under supervision so that they are visible to members of the public, to assure them "justice is being done". In cases where damage has already been cleaned up, they will be assigned other tasks which benefit their local area, such as litter picking or volunteering in shops. There are also plans to tackle homelessness and begging within the new measures. Police and local authorities will be granted new powers to address people who are judged to be causing a "nuisance on the street" - including obstructing shop doorways or begging at cash machines. Council workers and law enforcement officers will also be given the "tools" to direct people who are deemed to be causing a "nuisance on the street" to health and social services. Further detail on where the pilots will take place and how much it will cost is expected to be set out in the coming days. It will be rolled out across England and Wales in 2024. Communities Secretary Michael Gove separately confirmed the government will ban the sale of nitrous oxide, telling the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg its recreational use is having an "unacceptable" effect on people's perception of safety in public spaces. He added: "We are doing this because if you walk through any urban park you will see these little silver cannister which are the evidence of people regarding public spaces as arenas for drug taking." The plans to crack down on anti-social behaviour comes after a highly critical report into the Metropolitan Police by Baroness Casey, which cited austerity as a factor behind the erosion of the London force's frontline policing. The report, published earlier this week, said London no longer has a functioning neighbourhood policing service as teams have been "decimated" and the force has become "less connected and less accountable". Ahead of the plan being published, Mr Sunak said: "For too long, people have put up with the scourge of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods. "These are not minor crimes. They disrupt people's daily lives, hold businesses back and erode the sense of safety and community that brings people together. "That's why I'm bringing forward a new plan to crack down on this behaviour once and for all - so that everyone can feel proud of where they live." This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The plan sets out how the government's "community payback" scheme - where offenders are sentenced by courts to do unpaid work, such as cleaning up public places - will be expanded. The government has already said it will increase the number of hours of unpaid work offenders are given from five million to up to eight million a year. Under a new pilot, delivered by the Probation Service working with some local authorities, teams of offenders will be rapidly deployed to clean up more urgent incidents of anti-social behaviour. It said it will also extend offenders' involvement in campaigns such as Keep Britain Tidy's annual Great British Spring Clean. Last year 1,500 offenders spent almost 10,000 hours on 300 community clean-up projects across the campaign. The government aims to double this in 2023. Last month, Labour said its plans to tackle anti-social behaviour included fly-tippers being forced to remove litter as part of "clean-up squads", and councils being able to make offenders remove graffiti or rubbish they had dumped. Responding to the government's latest plans, shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: "The Conservatives have let anti-social behaviour make people's lives a misery by slashing neighbourhood police and letting offenders get away without punishment. "They have been content to oversee crumbling frontline services meaning these crimes are now plaguing communities, blighting town centres and leaving people feeling unsafe." Mr Reed said the government was "once again following where Labour has led by trying to copy our plan on tough community payback", and that it was "embarrassing" that all the Conservatives could come up with was a pilot covering only 10 areas. The remarks follow a speech earlier this week by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accusing the Tories of being "soft" on anti-social behaviour - "the crime that most affects working class communities".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65077271

SDLP: Eastwood says his party is 'here to stay' - BBC News

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Colum Eastwood tells the SDLP's annual conference in Derry his party had a "bruising" election in May.

Northern Ireland

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Colum Eastwood says the SDLP is "here to stay" despite last year's "bruising" election The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader has dismissed political "naysayers" and insisted his party is "here to stay". Addressing his party's annual conference, Colum Eastwood acknowledged the party had been through a "bruising electoral contest" last May. He told SDLP members in Londonderry that "the adversity we face now is nothing compared to the adversity this party has shouldered in the past". "We are a party that is ready to get back to work and we will win again," he said. The SDLP leader and MP for Foyle said last year's assembly election had "exacted a high price". He told members that those who had written off the party before should be ignored. "The people in this hall today, and the many friends and colleagues outside, the values they represent and the vision we set for this island can never be written off," he added. "We're going to embark on a long-term political strategy with the goal of reimagining our country," Mr Eastwood said, acknowledging his party's commission for a new Ireland, which he said was "shifting gear". "This is when we are at our best - when we bring together an unstoppable coalition." He also called for an end to the "poisonous politics of veto" at Stormont and accused the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of being "wreckers" of the institutions. "The DUP need to get back to work or get out of the way," Mr Eastwood said. He added sharing power was the "engine" of Stormont and not an "optional extra". The DUP has boycotted devolved government at Stormont over Northern Ireland Protocol concerns The party's conference came days after MPs including those in the SDLP voted to back the Windsor Framework agreed by the UK and EU. The framework is designed to make trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK easier. It gives the Stormont assembly more say over EU rules and has been welcomed by most Northern Ireland parties. Mr Eastwood said the DUP, which voted against the deal, was "digging its heels in". And he added that if the party held out on returning to power sharing at Stormont, the "only alternative" would be a new settlement between London and Dublin. "If we are unable to secure lasting reform of the institutions then the only alternative is a new settlement that retains power with the Irish and British traditions that share this island. "And if political parties will not work together, then there must be a new model of shared stewardship between the British and Irish governments." He told SDLP members that the choice facing the DUP is not about the Northern Ireland Protocol or framework, but whether they "can share power with their neighbours". It makes sense that the SDLP would choose its heartland of Foyle to bring its members together. There is no shying away from how hard a time the party has had recently. It lost four seats last year in May's assembly election and recent polls haven't proved any more positive. That said, the party's south Belfast MP Claire Hanna has said that since then, the SDLP has been doing some serious thinking and reflection. In other words: they may be down but they're not out, if Colum Eastwood can help it. He believes in the message he's selling but it's not the audience in Derry he needs to persuade. The next electoral test for the SDLP is just eight weeks away.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65070878

Gordon Moore, Intel co-founder and creator of Moore's Law, dies aged 94 - BBC News

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Mr Moore famously predicted that computer processing power would double every two years.

US & Canada

Silicon Valley pioneer and philanthropist Gordon Moore has died aged 94 in Hawaii. Mr Moore started working on semiconductors in the 1950s and co-founded the Intel Corporation. He famously predicted that computer processing powers would double every year - later revised to every two - an insight known as Moore's Law. That "law" became the bedrock for the computer processor industry and influenced the PC revolution. Two decades before the computer revolution began, Moore wrote in a paper that integrated circuits would lead "to such wonders as home computers - or at least terminals connected to a central computer - automatic controls for automobiles, and personal portable communications equipment". He observed, in the 1965 article, that thanks to technological improvements the number of transistors on microchips had roughly doubled every year since integrated circuits were invented a few years earlier. His prediction that this would continue became known as Moore's Law, and it helped push chipmakers to target their research to make this come true. After Moore's article was published, memory chips became more efficient and less expensive at an exponential rate. Mr Moore's article contained this cartoon, predicting a time when computers would be sold alongside other consumer goods After earning his PhD, Moore joined the Fairchild Semiconductor laboratory which manufactured commercially viable transistors and integrated circuits. The expansion of that company lay the groundwork for the transformation of the peninsula of land south of San Francisco into what is now known as Silicon Valley. In 1968 Moore and Robert Noyce left Fairchild to start Intel. Moore's work helped drive significant technological progress around the world and allowed for the advent of personal computers and Apple, Facebook and Google. "All I was trying to do was get that message across, that by putting more and more stuff on a chip we were going to make all electronics cheaper," Moore said in a 2008 interview. The Intel Corporation paid tribute to its co-founder, saying in a tweet: "we lost a visionary". This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Intel This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Intel's current CEO Pat Gelsinger said Gordon Moore had defined the technology industry through his insight and vision, and inspired technologists and entrepreneurs across the decades. "He leaves behind a legacy that changed the lives of every person on the planet. His memory will live on. "I am humbled to have known him," Mr Gelsinger said in a tweet. Moore dedicated his later life to philanthropy, after starting a foundation with his wife Betty that focussed on environmental causes, known as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Among those causes included protecting the Amazon River basin and salmon streams in the US, Canada and Russia. "Those of us who have met and worked with Gordon will forever be inspired by his wisdom, humility and generosity," the foundation's president Harvey Fineberg said. In 2002, Moore received the Medal of Freedom - the highest civilian honour in the US - from President George W Bush. • None Beyond the first law of computing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65073812

TikTok banned on all London City Hall devices amid security concerns - BBC News

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The firm behind the app offers to meet Sadiq Khan to address what it calls "misconceptions".

London

The Greater London Authority said the rule would apply to 1,200 staff at City Hall London City Hall staff will no longer be allowed to use TikTok on official devices amid security concerns. The Greater London Authority (GLA) said the rule would apply to 1,200 staff. It mirrors a similar decision by the UK government to ban ministers from using the app on their work phones following a security review. TikTok strongly denied claims it gave users' data to China's government and offered to meet Sadiq Khan to address what it called "misconceptions". The app, which has exploded in popularity in recent years, gathers a lot of information on users - including their age, location, device and even their typing rhythms. Its cookies also track user activity elsewhere on the internet. US-based social media sites also do this, but TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has faced claims of being influenced by Beijing. The UK Parliament made its decision on Thursday to ban the app from its network over security concerns and it is a move the GLA wants to adopt too. "In line with the government's decision, TikTok will no longer be available on GLA devices." The Scottish government also announced on Thursday it would join the Welsh government in banning the app from official devices. In response to City Hall's announcement, TikTok said it believed the bans were based on "fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics". A spokesman for the app added: "We are readily available to meet with the Mayor to address any concerns, but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors. "We have begun implementing a comprehensive plan to further protect our European user data, which includes storing UK user data in our European data centres and tightening data access controls, including third-party independent oversight of our approach." Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65068651

At least 23 killed as tornado rips through Mississippi - BBC News

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The US state is waking up to devastation after storms brought high winds and golf ball-sized hailstones.

US and Canada

Local Mississippi TV station WAPT spoke to Rolling Fork resident Shanta Howard who said it was a fight for life. “We had to help dead bodies out of the house, so that is very disturbing,” she told WAPT. Another resident Andy Anderson said he and his wife ran to take shelter. “Ran down to the tub in the bathroom with my wife (and) threw pillows on top of us,” he said. Meanwhile, local news station WTVA 9 News is reporting that the Mayor of Amory, Corey Glenn has announced a temporary curfew for residents and told them to boil their water after the city water department was struck by the twister. The curfew will be in effect from 8pm until 6am.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/65074954