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Ukraine war: Russian air strikes cut power at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The electrical power supply at Europe's largest nuclear power plant is lost after Russia launches missiles. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Drone footage posted by Ukrainian official shows Lviv debris after Russian strike
At least nine people have been killed and power at Europe's largest nuclear plant has been lost after Russia launched missiles across Ukraine.
The attacks hit cities from Kharkiv in the north to Odesa in the south and Zhytomyr in the west.
Buildings and infrastructure were hit in Kharkiv and Odesa, with power blackouts in several areas. Attacks on the capital Kyiv are also reported.
Ukraine said Russia fired 81 missiles, in what is the biggest strike in weeks.
The military claimed it successfully shot down 34 cruise missiles and four of the eight Iranian-made Shahed drones which were fired.
The attacks mark the biggest day of Russian missile strikes on Ukraine since the end of January, when 11 people died after dozens of buildings were struck in several regions.
In Thursday's attacks, at least five people were killed in Lviv in western Ukraine, after a rocket hit their home, the region's governor Maksym Kozytskyi said on Telegram.
Russian shelling killed three people in the southern city of Kherson, where a public transport stop was hit, Ukraine's presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said.
While one person died and two others were injured following drone and missile strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to governor Serhii Lysak.
Nuclear energy operator Energoatom said a strike at the Zaporizhzhia plant meant the "last link" between the facility and the Ukrainian power system was cut off.
For the sixth time since it was taken over by Russia a year ago, the facility is now operating on diesel generators, which have enough supplies to last at least 10 days.
The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called for a commitment to protecting the safety of the plant, saying he was "astonished by the complacency" surrounding the successive strikes since the invasion began.
"Each time we are rolling a dice. And if we allow this to continue time after time then one day our luck will run out," Rafael Grossi said.
Russia-installed officials in the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region said the halt in electricity supplies to the power station from Ukrainian-held territory was "a provocation".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was "a difficult night", after Russia resumed its "wretched tactics".
He said energy systems were being restored and all services were working after the "massive" rocket attack struck critical infrastructure and residential buildings.
In Kyiv, emergency services are at the scenes of blasts in western and southern districts of the capital where the mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, said explosions had taken place.
Mr Klitschko said cars were burning in the courtyard of one residential building and he urged people to stay in shelters. Much of the city has been left without electricity, with four in 10 people without power, he added.
People gathered outside a residential building in Kyiv following the strikes
A mass missile attack struck an energy facility in the port city of Odesa, triggering power cuts, its governor Maksym Marchenko said. Residential areas were also hit but no casualties were reported, he added.
"About 15" strikes hit Kharkiv city and region, with "critical infrastructure facilities" and a residential building targeted, regional administration chief Oleg Synegubov said.
Other regions hit include Vynnytsia and Rivne in the west, and Dnipro and Poltava in the centre of the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion just over a year ago. Since then tens of thousands of combatants and civilians have been killed or injured and millions of Ukrainians became refugees.
The US Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, suggested on Wednesday that President Putin might be planning to drag out the war for years but that Russia was not strong enough to launch major new offensives this year.
She said the war in Ukraine had become a "grinding attritional war in which neither side has a definitive military advantage".
"We do not foresee the Russian military recovering enough this year to make major territorial gains, but Putin most likely calculates the time works in his favour, and that prolonging the war including with potential pauses in the fighting may be his best remaining pathway to eventually securing Russia's strategic interests in Ukraine, even if it takes years," she said.
Emergency workers attended burning cars damaged by the Russian missile strikes in Kyiv
Ms Haines said Russia might turn to defending the territories it now occupies, adding that it would need additional "mandatory mobilization and third-party ammunition sources" to sustain even its level of operations in Ukraine.
Ukraine's military says it has pushed back intense Russian attacks on the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut despite Russian forces claiming to have taken control of its eastern half.
Moscow has been trying to take Bakhmut for months, as both sides suffer heavy losses in a grinding war of attrition.
"The enemy continued its attacks and has shown no sign of a let-up in storming the city of Bakhmut," the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said. "Our defenders repelled attacks on Bakhmut and on surrounding communities."
Between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut since it began last summer, Western officials say. The figures cannot be verified independently. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64897888 |
T-level delays: Colleges face disruption after courses are pushed back - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The rollout of four technical courses in England is being pushed back because of quality concerns. | Family & Education | The government has delayed four of its flagship T-levels, which had been due to roll out in England from September.
Technical qualifications in areas such as hair and beauty are among those that had been planned for the coming academic year.
But the Department for Education (DfE) said more work was needed to ensure they were of sufficient quality.
The Association of Colleges (AoC) welcomed that decision but said the news had caused "massive disruption".
School leaders' union ASCL was concerned about the impact on students who had planned to start the courses in September.
The first T-level results were given out to 1,029 students in England last year - with a 92% pass rate.
Six further T-levels were due to launch in September - but three of them are now being delayed until 2024:
A fourth, in catering, is being delayed until "beyond 2024".
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said T-levels would give post-16 students a technical option of equal quality to A-levels.
"T-Level technical qualifications will only be approved for delivery where we are sure they are good enough and can be delivered to a high standard," she said. And more work was needed, which would "not be possible in time for launch this September".
Kevin Gilmartin, of the ASCL school leaders' union, warned that Year 11 students who had planned to study the delayed T-levels "may now have missed the opportunity to apply for alternative courses and this will be a real distraction just months before they sit their GCSEs".
He added that the DfE's timescale for broader changes to 16-19 qualifications by 2025 - which includes approving funding for Level 3 qualifications other than A-levels and T-levels - was "simply unworkable".
AoC chief executive David Hughes said the DfE was "right to ensure only T-Levels of high enough quality enter the market", but added: "Colleges will be massively disrupted by this announcement happening so late in the year.
"Colleges already had plans in place for how to deliver these now delayed T-levels, and have been marketing them to potential learners.
"Alternative arrangements will now need to be made urgently."
Qualifications that overlap with the delayed T-levels, such as BTecs, were due to have their funding cut from 2025, by which time the T-levels were meant to have been in place for two years.
However, Ms Keegan said this time frame would remain the case for the three qualifications being pushed back to 2024, despite the delay to their introduction.
She said there would be "at least one year" between the introduction of a T-level and the removal of funding for overlapping qualifications, and that the implications for qualifications that overlap with the catering T-level - being moved to 2025 - would be announced at a later date.
Mr Hughes said that, while T-levels were "an important addition to the qualification landscape", they should be completed by two year groups of students before other qualifications were defunded.
James Kewin, of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said it made "absolutely no sense to press ahead with plans to scrap existing Level 3 qualifications" in the delayed subject areas.
A total of 18 T-levels will be available from September - and the following new courses will roll out as planned: | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-64904427 |
King Charles visits Surrey avian influenza scientists - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The King is given a tour of the Animal and Plant Health Agency's headquarters in Surrey. | Surrey | King Charles looks at mosquitos under a microscope at the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Weybridge, Surrey
King Charles has congratulated scientists for their work in combating the largest-ever avian influenza outbreak in the UK.
Since October 2021, there have been 330 confirmed cases of avian influenza across the country.
The King was given a tour of the Animal and Plant Health Agency's (APHA) headquarters in Weybridge, Surrey.
He said he was "full of admiration" for the staff at the Weybridge site - the UK's main animal health laboratory.
The King's tour on Thursday included briefings on avian influenza and bovine tuberculosis, as well as plant health challenges including invasive non-native species.
King Charles met members of staff during his visit to the Animal and Plant Health Agency
He also visited specialist research laboratories to see genome mapping and a mosquito laboratory to learn about APHA's vector-borne disease programme.
In an impromptu speech, the King said: "I'm full of admiration for what you do, what you manage to achieve against these huge challenges in all directions. I know many have been working such late hours for days and days.
"So I can only say you are totally heroic, we're incredibly lucky to have you battling away for our safety and our future."
The APHA government agency is responsible for controlling endemic and exotic diseases in animals, plants and bees.
During the visit, the King also learnt about the potential threat posed by mosquitos.
Lord Benyon, minister for biosecurity, marine and rural affairs with King Charles
Ahead of the visit, chief veterinary officer Dr Christine Middlemiss, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm delighted that their hard work over the last three winters is being recognised at such a level.
"The scale of avian influenza outbreaks across the UK and Europe has been unprecedented and our response has been underpinned by the world-leading science and disease control work carried out at Weybridge."
Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-64893806 |
Ukraine war: Why Bakhmut matters for Russia and Ukraine - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | 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 |
Wimbledon 2023: Clare Balding to lead BBC coverage of this year's Championships - BBC Sport | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | null | Clare Balding will be the lead presenter for coverage of this year's Wimbledon in July, the BBC announces. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Clare Balding will be the lead presenter for the BBC's coverage of this year's Wimbledon.
Balding takes over from Sue Barker, who decided to step down from her role at the end of the 2022 Championships after 30 years of broadcasting live sport for the BBC.
"It's a huge honour to be given this responsibility but I am very aware that no one person can fill Sue's shoes," said Balding.
Balding has worked on Wimbledon as a reporter, commentator and presenter for the BBC since 1995.
The award-winning presenter has also worked on other major sporting events for the corporation, including seven summer Olympic Games.
Balding added: "This will always be a team effort and we're lucky that the BBC line-up includes former professionals with huge insight as well as wonderful reporters and commentators.
"It's my job to bring out the best in them and to help make our viewers feel they have a front-row seat on the greatest sporting stage."
Director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater said Balding will bring her "passion and knowledge for the prestigious event" to the viewers watching at home.
As with last year, Isa Guha will present the early coverage before Balding takes over later in the day.
The partnership between the BBC and the All England Lawn Tennis Club is the longest in sports broadcasting history, spanning more than 85 years on BBC TV and more than 95 years on BBC radio.
• None Listen to all-new versions of their biggest hits and a surprising cover
• None Searching for new converts in Manchester: The Mormons Are Coming follows young missionaries during their make-or-break training | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/64902037 |
Adidas Kanye West's Yeezy shoes 'collectors' items' - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A US shoe chain says sales are up 30% since the sportswear giant dropped Mr West over anti-Semitic comments. | Business | US retailer Impossible Kicks said people saw the Yeezy trainer as a "collector's item" and sales had spiked 30%
Shoppers in the US are buying Kanye West's Yeezy shoes as collectors' items since Adidas ended its partnership with the rapper, a US shoe chain has said.
Impossible Kicks said sales had risen by 30% since the sportswear giant parted ways with Mr West over anti-Semitic comments he made last year.
Adidas has said it is unsure what to do with the £1bn (€1.2) worth of shoes left from its association with West.
But Impossible Kicks CEO John Mocadlo said buyers had not been put off.
The US retailer, which has 17 stores across 11 states, said sales had risen sharply since the relationship soured and ties were cut last October.
A pair of Yeezy 350 "Zebra" shoes sells for between $340 and $360, (£285-£302) compared with around $260 four months ago, according to Mr Mocadlo.
"People are targeting the product as a collector's item now. When they come into a store they don't even know he's associated with the product," Mr Mocadlo told the BBC's Radio 4's Today Programme.
Adidas said it was considering selling the footwear and donating the profits to charity and had ruled out other options, such as burning them.
The firm said giving the shoes away for free was also complicated, notably because their resale value had surged.
But Mr Mocadlo said the company had "a lot of soul-searching to do".
"The product they're sitting on does have a value. There's a lot of resellers who'd be very interested in getting them because there's still a lot of people who still want the product," he said.
And the retailer did not believe there was a conflict in selling the goods: "We stand against everything he [West] says, we just sell it because it's a collector's item and there's very limited supply at this point."
Adidas ended its relationship with West, who goes by the name of Ye, when the artist posted anti-Semitic tweets after showing a "White Lives Matter" T-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week in October.
The sportswear brand said at the time it would "not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech".
The company said the split cost the firm £534m (€600m) in the last three months of 2022 and warned investors profits could be hit by at least £444m (€500m) in the 2023 financial year.
Adidas boss Bjorn Gulden said: "We should not do a decision just to please someone. We should do a decision when the consequences of that decision are the most positive that we can do." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64892898 |
Hamburg shooting: Video appears to show person firing weapon - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | null | The moment a suspected gunman attacked a Jehovah's Witness hall was caught on camera. | null | Video shot by an eyewitness appears to show a person firing a weapon through a window at a Jehovah's Witness centre in Hamburg, Germany.
Seven people, including an unborn baby, were killed in the attack in the German city of Hamburg, police say.
They say the gunman acted alone on Thursday evening, and later took his own life. His motives are unknown.
The suspect, named only as Philipp F, 35, is a former member of the religious community, who had "ill-feelings".
Read more on this story. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64910862 |
Cardiff car crash: Tributes to three found dead after night out - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Tributes are paid to three people who were found dead in a crashed car days after going missing. | Wales | Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision
Tributes have been paid to three people who were found dead in a crashed car days after they went missing.
Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, were found in a car which had come off a major road in Cardiff.
Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were taken to hospital where they remain in a critical condition.
All five had been on a night out in Newport when the car is believed to have veered off the A48 into trees, with it unclear what exactly happened.
Sophie Russon was having surgery on Monday evening, while friends of the group held a vigil at the scene.
South Wales Police said specialist officers are trying to "piece together" what happened.
Family and friends had made repeated appeals to find the missing group over the course of the weekend.
The mother of one of the women said she had been told to stop contacting police for updates.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: BBC reporter at the scene of busy road where missing group found
Speaking at the scene, a friend of the three women said she believed the police "could have done a lot more".
Tamzin Samuels, 20, said: "They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found. We found them before the police found them - we rang the police."
She added: "They were really popular girls, the life of the party, and it was really out of character for them to do what they did, which is why we knew something was wrong."
The women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of the city late on Friday.
They then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay, a caravan park in the seaside resort of Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.
A Snapchat photo shared by Ms Ross' sister showed her and Mr Jeanne together on the night they went missing.
The group was last seen in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, in the early hours of Saturday, but it is not yet clear when the crash happened.
Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, are seriously injured in hospital
Tributes have been paid on social media with family members confirming their loved ones had died.
One of Miss Smith's relatives wrote: "I will not comment on anyone other than Eve Smith to confirm that she has been confirmed as deceased.
"Thank you for your support and shares and I won't be answering messages please allow us some time as a family to digest this terrible news."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Flowers were laid near the scene of the accident
A friend of Miss Ross and Miss Smith wrote: "I don't really have the words right now."
Talking about Miss Ross, the friend said: "You were one of a kind, I'm going to miss trying to 'life coach' you as you would've said. You were a real ray of sunshine especially on my bad days."
Describing Miss Smith, she added: "Eve Smith you were truly a beautiful young girl", saying her heart was "made of gold".
Darcy Ross, pictured here with Rafel Jeanne, on Snapchat
A friend of Mr Loughlin said: "I'm so proud of us all pulling together out there searching for our dear friends last night.
"It's heartbreaking what's happened to Rafel Jeanne and those two girls. My body is still shaking and I can't stop being sick, the thought of them all there all of that time.
"Many times I have driven past, it just makes me so sad."
He described how "helpless" Mr Loughlin must have felt "trapped inside", adding: "Wish Sophie a speedy recovery and I send all my love and strength to all the families involved."
BBC journalist Adam Hale said no obvious signs of a crash were visible, even in daylight, to drivers using the slip road to approach the busy roundabout over the weekend.
"I was one of the potentially thousands of motorists who will have passed the scene of the accident over the weekend who could be forgiven for not noticing anything out of the ordinary," he said.
"There are a lot of trees that line that particular stretch of road that could easily obscure a car that had left the road.
"In terms of things you'd expect to see in the aftermath of a road accident - tyre marks on the road, parts of a car strewn across the way - none were clearly visible to myself or friends or family who live in the area and also travelled past the site across Saturday and Sunday."
Dominic Shields, 58, lives close to the site of the crash and said his running route goes through the area.
"I was going to run there on Sunday but decided to go to Cardiff fields instead," he said.
"It really makes you think, 'if I just made a different choice?'
"I drove down the slip road four times on Saturday and Sunday and it just brings home how often you are on autopilot.
"If I had my wits about me I could have seen something and got help to to them sooner."
Floral tributes have been left at the site of the crash
A number of floral tributes have been left at the scene of the collision.
One said: "Fly high. You're in a better place now. This was the last thing we expected. I know you're still partying up there."
Newport West MP Ruth Jones urged people to avoid speculating about the collision on social media.
Ms Jones told BBC Radio Wales's Drive: "I know people have taken to social media to express their condolences, but rumours and things are circulating and sometimes it's quite tricky to actually establish the facts.
"I think people need to be careful because there are families who are grieving tonight."
South Wales Police's Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies said: "Our thoughts are with the families of all those affected by this tragic incident.
"Specialist officers are carrying out an investigation to piece together what has happened.
"Family liaison officers are supporting the families involved at what must be a hugely difficult time for them.
"To ensure independent oversight, South Wales Police has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is usual in these circumstances."
A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: "Three of those who were reported missing have been found deceased, two have been taken to hospital with serious injuries.
"Specialist officers are supporting the families of those involved and enquiries are ongoing.
"The case has been referred to the IOPC in line with normal procedures."
The IOPC said: "We will carry out an assessment in due course to determine what further action may be required from us." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64867187 |
HS2 line between Birmingham and Crewe delayed by two years - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Government blames soaring construction prices but says it is "committed" to the high speed rail link. | Business | The Birmingham to Crewe leg of high speed railway HS2 will be delayed by two years to cut costs.
The government suggested Euston station's opening could also be delayed as an "affordable" design is worked on.
Transport secretary Mark Harper blamed soaring prices and said he was "committed" to the line linking London, the Midlands and North of England.
HS2 has been beset by delays and cost rises. In 2010, it was expected to cost £33bn but is now expected to be £71bn.
Mr Harper said "significant inflationary pressure" and increased project costs meant the government was to "rephase construction by two years".
He said the decision had been "difficult" but that it was part of "controlling inflation and reducing government debt".
Mark Thurston, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, recently told the BBC that he and the government were examining the phasing of the build and the timing.
John Foster from business group CBI said the delay would harm investor confidence in the rail sector.
"Delays to projects may create short-term savings, but they can ultimately lead to higher overall costs and slow down the UK's transition to a better, faster and greener transport network," Mr Foster added.
Labour said the decision to pause the HS2 at Birmingham was "astonishing".
Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the party had committed to delivering HS2 in full if it gets into government, and to partly funding the work by its green prosperity plan.
The head of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Henri Murison, said the delay was "disappointing" and "holds back economic benefits".
The project is grappling with the rising cost of materials due to the high rate of inflation.
The government hopes that the delays will allow it to spread the cost over a longer period of time, making it more affordable by reducing annual expenditure.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who will outline his Budget next week, wants debt to fall as a percentage of GDP within five years - a target explicitly set by the Prime Minister.
Michael Fabricant, Conservative MP for Lichfield in Staffordshire, which contains part of the HS2 line, said he would ask the government whether the delay "marks the end of HS2 north of Birmingham for good and whether HS2 will make good the damage already done in southern Staffordshire".
He added: "Simply saying the project is delayed is not good enough. The area has been blighted by whole fields turned into construction sites."
Last week, Mr Thurston said the impact of inflation had been "significant" in the past year, affecting the costs of raw material, labour, energy and fuel.
"We're looking at the timing of the project, the phasing of the project, we're looking at where we can use our supply chain to secure a lot of those things that are costing us more through inflation," he said.
HS2 trains are scheduled to carry the first passengers between Old Oak Common station in West London and Birmingham, between 2029 and 2033.
Euston station in London is currently scheduled to open later, by 2035. Further stretches to Crewe and then to Manchester are due by 2034 and 2041.
Most of the HS2 leg to Leeds was scrapped in 2021. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64901985 |
Georgia drops 'foreign agents' law after protests - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The ruling party says it will pull a controversial Russian-style bill amid widespread criticism. | Europe | Protesters have accused the Georgian government of trying to steer the country away from the EU
Georgia's ruling party has said it will withdraw a controversial draft law, in the face of mass protests and widespread international criticism.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Tbilisi this week in anger as a Russian-style law began its passage through parliament.
Under the bill, non-government groups and media would be targeted if they take over 20% of funding from abroad.
The main ruling party said it was pulling the bill "unconditionally".
Describing itself as a party of government responsible to all members of society, Georgian Dream referred to the need to reduce "confrontation" in society.
Georgia has applied for candidate status of the European Union and sought to join Nato. EU officials had condemned the draft legislation as incompatible with EU values.
In a statement, the EU delegation in Georgia said the move to drop the law was a "welcome announcement" and encouraged political leaders to resume "pro-EU reforms".
The government's U-turn followed a second night of clashes between riot police and protesters outside parliament. Tear gas and water cannon were used to disperse the demonstrators as they chanted "no to the Russian law".
Protesters arrested during the demonstrations have been released, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Officials said some were brought before the court but the rest "were released based on the expiration of the term of stay in the pre-trial detention centre".
Meanwhile, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili praised protesters for coming out against the proposal. Ms Zourabichvili had backed the demonstrations and had vowed to veto the bill, although ultimately the government would have had the power to override her move.
"I want to congratulate society on its first victory. I am proud of the people who made their voices heard," Ms Zurabishvili said in a televised address from New York. "There is distrust towards the government as we pursue our European path."
In its statement, Georgian Dream complained that the proposal had been unfairly labelled and said that as the "emotional background subsides" it would explain the importance of the bill and transparency in foreign funding to the public.
Despite the decision to drop the bill, opposition parties said they had no plans to halt the protests. They called for clarity on how the proposals were to be withdrawn and demanded the release of protesters detained this week.
Armaz Akhvlediani, an independent opposition member of parliament and former secretary-general of Georgian Dream, welcomed the party's promise to withdraw the legislation but said it had "Russian interests" that worked against "democracy and rule of law".
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili had earlier condemned the "stir" over the bill. His party maintained that the legislation mimicked American laws from the 1930s, an argument also used by the Kremlin when it passed a similar law in 2012.
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said Russia had "absolutely nothing" to do with the bill, as he sought to distance his country from the protests.
He said the Kremlin did not inspire the proposal and that the US "pioneered the practice of introducing these laws".
Mr Peskov also advised Russians living in Georgia to be "extremely careful" and stay away from the street riots.
That Russian law has gradually intensified and now suppresses Western-funded NGOs, independent media, journalists and bloggers, who are required to label their content with the sinister phrase "foreign agent".
"Again and again they are trying everything to take us far away from the European Union, European values," said 30-year-old protester Luka Kimeridze.
Eka Gigauri of Transparency International in Georgia told the BBC that NGOs were already subject to 10 different laws and the finance ministry already had full access to accounts, funding and other information. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64899041 |
Increase in mental health callouts received by police over past five years - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Some forces told the BBC they saw incidents multiply by four or five times between 2017 and 2022. | UK | Sgt Paul Shelley and mental health nurse Owen Winsland work within the Merseyside team
Police forces across Great Britain have seen a significant rise in the number of mental health incidents they have dealt with in the past five years.
Some 21 forces out of 48 in England, Scotland and Wales responded to a BBC freedom of information request - and every force reported a rise since 2017.
In Merseyside, mental health-related incidents increased from 7,629 in 2017 to 28,039 last year - a 313% rise.
The government says such pressures are stopping officers fighting crime.
The Home Office said a new approach involving police and health partners is being developed to free up police time and better care for people in a mental health crisis.
BBC Two's Newsnight asked forces how many incidents had been tagged as involving mental health each year.
Of those that responded, police in North Wales saw the largest proportional increase, responding to more than five times as many incidents in 2022 (3,910) as in 2017 (781).
Gloucestershire Police saw the lowest rise, an increase of 16% over the same five-year period - from 6,737 incidents to 7,369.
It is not clear how the data was collected by individual forces and whether the definition of mental health incidents differed between forces, or changed over the five years.
Newsnight was given exclusive access to Merseyside Police's mental health triage team.
As part of the team, a mental health nurse and a police officer work together in Liverpool visiting those who are thought to be struggling with their mental health.
A triage car was first commissioned in 2019 as part of a six-month pilot and it was then recommissioned in April 2020. There are now three cars in the area. Experts believe the model reduces the amount of time police spend on such cases.
Police officers are believed to spend 20-40% of their time dealing with mental health calls and incidents
"It can help prevent hospital admission, get [patients] more access to more appropriate support and in a more timely fashion," says Owen Winsland, a mental health nurse on the team. "And for the police, it reduces the amount of officer time that is spent dealing with health and social care issues."
"Certainly in my time, 17 years, we've never had any standardised formal mental health training," Sgt Paul Shelley told Newsnight. "We do have inputs from health around - in particular - diagnosis and how to deal with people in a particular way."
The College of Policing defines a mental health incident as "any police incident thought to relate to someone's mental health where their vulnerability is at the centre of the incident". And police officers are estimated to spend 20-40% of their time dealing with such incidents.
Some police chiefs believe the rise is down to police increasingly being seen as the first resort for people in a crisis, as well as a lack of capacity in the community to deal with growing mental health demands.
In November last year, the commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police said for every mental health patient his officers deal with, they spent an average of 14 hours in A&E. Sir Mark Rowley said officers were doing health and social care work that was "not police work".
The Home Office said the new approach it is developing "will make it easier for staff in police control rooms to identify the right agency to deploy at the outset when responding to 999 calls concerning individuals experiencing a mental health crisis".
The government says £150m capital investment announced last month will improve the places and spaces across the NHS for people experiencing - or at risk of experiencing - mental health crises to receive care and support in more appropriate settings outside of A&E.
It says the funding will allow for the procurement of up to 90 new mental health ambulances, which will take specialist staff directly to patients to deliver support on scene or transfer them to the most appropriate place for care. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64891572 |
Mystic Meg: Astrologer dies aged 80 - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The TV star, whose real name was Margaret Lake, was a well-known TV figure in the 1990s. | Entertainment & Arts | The Sun's editor Victoria Newton said Mystic Meg's death was "devastating news"
TV astrologer Margaret Lake, better known as Mystic Meg, has died aged 80.
She was a well-known TV figure in the 1990s, appearing on the National Lottery, and has written horoscopes for the Sun for more than two decades.
According to the newspaper, Lake died in the early hours of Thursday morning after being admitted to hospital last month after suffering from flu.
Her agent Dave Shapland said: "Without any question, she was Britain's most famous astrologer by a million miles.
"Nobody came close to Meg in that respect. She was followed by millions in this country and also around the world.
"She even became part of the English language - if a politician, somebody from showbiz or ordinary people in the street are asked a tricky question they will say 'Who do you think I am, Mystic Meg?'
"It shows what an impact she made."
Israeli-British TV personality Uri Geller led the tributes to Mystic Meg on social media, noting that she was "so identifiable by name and image".
"The quintessential fortune teller who brought mystery and mystique to millions of believers. She defied the dreary sceptics, as did her fans," he wrote. "Much love and positive energy, Meg, on your onward journey."
Mystic Meg, pictured in 1996, is well known for appearing on the National Lottery
The Sun's editor Victoria Newton said: "This is devastating news. We have lost an icon.
"For more than two decades Mystic Meg has been a must-read column and cemented her as Britain's most famous astrologer.
"She was a true professional whose guidance helped our readers daily - our postbag bears testament to this."
Born in 1942 in Lancashire, Lake was perhaps best-known for presenting Mystic Meg Predicts on the National Lottery from 1994 to 2000, which aired on BBC One.
The item saw Mystic Meg deliver a 45-second reading during which she attempted to predict facts about the future lottery winner, before the numbers were drawn.
Illusionist and magician Uri Geller noted Mystic Meg was "so identifiable by name and image"
Mystic Meg pictured with TV presenter Andi Peters and on stage at the Live and Kicking Red Nose Awards show in 1995
Her regular spot was dropped by the BBC in a programme shake-up in 1997, but the following year she made a comeback for a sketch alongside comic Brian Conley.
She was also an astrologer for the News of the World until its demise in 2011 and her predictions also featured in publications in Australia and the US.
In her practice, she worked with runes, crystal balls, I Ching, tarot and numerology. According to astrological charts, Mystic Meg's star sign was a Leo.
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Over the years, she also released a number of books including Mystic Meg's Astrolife and Mystic Meg's Lucky Numbers For Love Life And The Lottery.
A previous Lotto roll-over winner credited Mystic Meg with prompting her to check her ticket after she had hidden it in a biscuit tin next to her bed.
After mother-of-four Mary Jones from Gwynedd, North Wales, won £9.3 million in 2004 she said: "I read Mystic Meg in The Sun and it said don't forget to check your lottery ticket. I couldn't believe it when I realised it had come true." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64900348 |
Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis: Bruno Fernandes 'brilliant' in Europa League last-16 first-leg win - BBC Sport | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | null | Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag praises the brilliance of Bruno Fernandes in his side's dominant Europa League last-16 first-leg victory against Real Betis. | null | Last updated on .From the section European Football
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag hailed goalscoring skipper Bruno Fernandes as the star man in his side's Europa League last-16 first-leg victory against Real Betis.
Fernandes had taken the brunt of huge criticism heaped on United following Sunday's record 7-0 Premier League humiliation at Liverpool.
But Ten Hag confirmed in the build-up the Portuguese would remain captain if Harry Maguire was not on the field - and Fernandes repaid that faith with an outstanding contribution to a much-needed win.
It included his eighth goal of the season as he headed home Luke Shaw's 58th-minute corner.
"He was the best player on the pitch," said Ten Hag. "He played a little deeper role and he was brilliant, making the game from the back position, with a lot of good passes in between the lines. From there we created a lot of chances."
• None Reaction from Old Trafford and Thursday's European action
Ten Hag accepted Fernandes was not perfect. A late tackle on Betis' former Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo brought the midfielder a yellow card and did not look good.
But the United boss admitted it is a fine line Fernandes has to tread.
"His passion is his strength," added Ten Hag. "But sometimes he has to control that because when it's too much, it becomes a weakness. He knows that, but there are always small margins."
Fernandes ran away to celebrate his goal with his hands to his ears as the home fans chanted 'Bruno, Bruno' in his honour, showing they are behind him as well.
Marcus Rashford, Antony and Wout Weghorst were also on the scoresheet as United put themselves in a strong position to reach the last eight when the tie is concluded in Seville next week.
But Ten Hag knows one win alone will not banish the memory of Sunday's annihilation at Anfield, especially as he had been irritated by some of his side's performances preceding it, including the Carabao Cup final victory against Newcastle.
"We don't ignore it," he said. "We made mistakes and we got hammered. We showed complacency and you can never do that in top football.
"In the weeks before, I was not happy against Newcastle and the performance against Leicester in the first half, but sometimes you have to get the bad result where everyone opens their eyes."
In his programme notes, Ten Hag described the Anfield debacle as 'unacceptable' and said he had left his players in no doubt such performances would not be tolerated.
And, in a move that smacked of the Dutchman applying collective responsibility for the loss rather than singling out individuals for blame, he named an unchanged line-up.
For half an hour, all went well.
The hosts dominated as Rashford drove home his 26th goal of a magnificent season in the sixth minute after Fernandes' cross had been diverted into his path.
Further chances were created - the issue was none of them went in.
Bravo twice denied Rashford, Fernandes had a shot blocked and Weghorst's near-post effort was deflected wide even though he didn't get a corner.
Betis' form in La Liga, where they are fifth, suggested they were not as poor as it appeared and Ayoze Perez proved it when he drilled home a low shot from the angle of the penalty area.
Had the on-loan Leicester City forward got a second after he was set up by Juanmi - gifted possession by David de Gea, who rolled a pass straight to him from inside his six-yard box - anxiety might have spread through home ranks.
As it was, Perez's deflected shot bounced back off a post and United survived - although question marks remain over keeper De Gea, whose contract expires in the summer.
Even Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini, who barely said anything noteworthy to the media during his three years as Manchester City boss, couldn't resist a pre-match dig at United after their seven-goal defeat at Liverpool.
As the weeks pass, it will be interesting to see if any individual does pay a price for what unfolded in what many view as the Premier League's greatest rivalry.
For now though, it can be claimed normal service has resumed.
Antony's superb curling shot restored the home side's advantage seven minutes after the restart and Weghorst found the net with a first-time strike eight minutes from time.
The key element of that late effort though was the contribution of Facundo Pellistri.
Good enough to play all three games for Uruguay in Qatar at the World Cup, the 21-year-old was only making his fifth United appearance, all off the bench.
But Pellistri's role in Weghorst's second United goal suggests he will be called upon more often as the campaign reaches its crucial phase.
Ignoring the safety-first option of a pass back to halfway, he took off on a run past the Betis defence to the byeline where he sent a cross back to Scott McTominay, whose effort was blocked and bounced kindly for Weghorst to finish.
• None Offside, Manchester United. Casemiro tries a through ball, but Jadon Sancho is caught offside.
• None Attempt saved. Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes.
• None Attempt missed. Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is too high. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes with a cross following a corner.
• None Attempt missed. Casemiro (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes.
• None Attempt blocked. Jadon Sancho (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
• None Attempt saved. Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Abner with a cross.
• None Offside, Manchester United. Raphaël Varane tries a through ball, but Facundo Pellistri is caught offside.
• None Goal! Manchester United 4, Real Betis 1. Wout Weghorst (Manchester United) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner following a corner.
• None Attempt saved. Scott McTominay (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Facundo Pellistri. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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Chaim Topol: Fiddler on the Roof star dies aged 87 - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The acclaimed actor and singer also appeared in Flash Gordon and the Bond film For Your Eyes Only. | Entertainment & Arts | The actor Chaim Topol, best known for his portrayal of milkman Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof, has died at the age of 87, Israel's president has said.
His death was confirmed by President Isaac Herzog, who described Topol as "one of the giants of Israeli culture".
Topol was Oscar nominated for his all-singing performance in the 1971 film adaptation of the musical.
His other famous film role included in Flash Gordon, Follow Me, and the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
Herzog described Topol, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease several years ago, as "a gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and above all entered deep into our hearts".
The actor, singer and illustrator, he added, had "represented us with great respect".
British actor and comedian Omid Djalili, who followed in Topol's footsteps by playing Tevye in a production of the musical during a run at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2017, led the tributes.
He posted: "Anyone who plays Tevye knows he can never top Topol. God rest his soul."
Israeli-British TV personality Uri Geller also paid his respects, sharing a picture of himself with the "sweet and modest" late star, and former Israeli President Shimon Peres.
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Meanwhile, Frozen actor Josh Gad offered: "There is no way to overstate how much this man and this performance meant to me.
"Topol is a large reason why I became an actor. In fact, his performance of Tevye in Fiddler was the very first performance I ever saw on a Broadway stage. RIP to a great."
Chaim Topol in 1974 as scientist Galileo Galilei in the biographical film Galileo, directed by Joseph Losey and based on the play by Bertolt Brecht
Topol was born in Tel Aviv in 1935, and began his acting career in an entertainment troupe during his Israeli army service.
He rose to prominence in the Israeli comedy Sallah Shabati, about the hardships of a Mizrachi Jewish immigrant family in Israel in the early 1960s, which won him a Golden Globe award for most promising male newcomer.
More film roles followed in both Israel and the US, including the titular part in the 1975 adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's Galileo, as Dr Hans Zarkov in the 1980 sci-fi adventure Flash Gordon, alongside Brian Blessed, and opposite Sir Roger Moore as the smuggler Milos Columbo in the 1981 James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only.
But it was for playing Tevye, a troubled milkman in the village of Anatevka who attempts to maintain his Jewish traditions by marrying off his five daughters, that he will be most remembered.
The role, which saw him perform songs such as If I Were a Rich Man, scored him a second Golden Globe, this time for best actor.
He was on active duty with the Israeli army when he was received his Academy Award nomination - becoming the first Israeli actor to do so - in 1972. But he was granted leave so he could attend the ceremony in Los Angeles.
The late actor and singer pictured playing the troubled milkman Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof
Speaking to Desert Island Discs in 1983, the actor said he still believed the producers "were very brave to let me have that part".
"Considering that I was 30 years old, considering that my English was so limited - a vocabulary of 50 words - I still don't understand how they let me have it."
The decision to cast Topol, instead of US actor Zero Mostel, who had made the role famous on stage, was a controversial one at the time but he later thanked his predecessor.
"Anyone who ever plays Tevye should be thankful to Zero Mostel," Topol was once quoted as saying. "He gave us all room and I know I wouldn't have done the movie without the advantage of a year's rehearsal on stage."
Reprising the role in the 1991 Broadway revival of Fiddler On the Roof, he was also nominated for a Tony Award for best actor.
Topol would play the part more than 3,500 times, he once claimed, on stages around the world from the late 1960s until 2009.
Away from acting, the charitable star founded Variety Israel, an organisation that provides support for children living with disabilities and their families.
He also served as the president of Jordan River Village, a free overnight camp for sick Israeli children.
In 2005, Topol was voted the 90th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet. And 10 years later, he was awarded the Israel Prize - the country's most prestigious award - for lifetime achievement and special contribution to society and the state.
He is survived by his wife Galia and their three children.
His son Omer Topol, this week called his father an "amazing actor who developed all kinds of tactics to cover up the problems that began to arise".
"When he won the Israel Prize, his Alzheimer's was in its early stages," he confirmed.
"He spoke wonderfully at the ceremony, and also at other events, and no one even felt it." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64898895 |
UN buys huge ship to avert catastrophic oil spill off Yemen - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The vessel will head to Yemen and remove 1.1 million barrels of oil from a stricken tanker. | Middle East | The FSO Safer has been abandoned since 2015 and is carrying 1.1m barrels of oil
The UN has purchased a huge ship that it hopes will prevent an environmental catastrophe off the coast of Yemen.
For years, more than a million barrels of crude oil have been sitting on a decaying supertanker in the Red Sea.
There are fears the vessel could soon break apart or explode, risking one of the worst oil spills in recent memory.
But on Thursday, the UN said it had purchased a crude carrier that would head to Yemen and remove the oil from the stricken ship.
"The purchase of this suitable vessel... marks the beginning of the operational phase of the plan to safely remove the oil and avoid the risk of an environmental and humanitarian disaster," Achim Steiner from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said, adding that it was a "major breakthrough".
A UNDP statement said the ship - which it purchased from major tanker company Euronav - was undergoing routine maintenance in China and would arrive for the operation in early May.
"A major spill would devastate fishing communities on Yemen's Red Sea coast, likely wiping out 200,000 livelihoods instantly. Whole communities would be exposed to life-threatening toxins. Highly polluted air would affect millions," it said.
The organisation added that a potential oil spill could cost up to $20bn (£16.7bn) to clean up.
The UN had been searching for years for a solution and appealed for donations. The planned operation is estimated to cost $129m of which $75m has been received and another $20m has been pledged, it said.
The stranded ship - the FSO Safer - was left abandoned off the port of Hodeida after Yemen's civil war broke out in 2015. It has not been serviced since.
It was constructed as a supertanker in 1976 and converted later into a floating storage for oil. It is anchored near the Ras Isa oil terminal, which is controlled by Yemen's rebel Houthi movement.
The 376m (1,233ft) vessel holds an estimated 1.14m barrels of crude oil.
The Safer's structural integrity has deteriorated significantly since maintenance operations were suspended in 2015, when the Houthis seized large parts of Yemen and a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of the government. The ensuing conflict has reportedly killed more than 150,000 people and left more than 23 million in need of aid.
Mr Steiner told reporters on Thursday: "Let me be very clear - this is a risky operation and things could go wrong." He added that it could still be suspended if they fail to raise enough funds.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen meets terrified children running from civil war and 'ghosts' in Yemen | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-64904985 |
Ukraine war: The renowned airman fighting from a low-flying helicopter - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The BBC gets rare access to a renowned airman and his ageing helicopter during a low-flying mission. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The best way to come back alive is to stay low, hugging the ground, and skimming the treetops. Too low and you can be shot down by machine gun fire - too high and you can be detected by enemy air defence systems.
For helicopter pilots in war-time Ukraine, there is little margin for error.
He has flown countless combat missions for Ukraine's Sikorsky Brigade and been decorated for valour. He tells us his age - 34 - but not his last name.
"The closer to the target, the lower we fly. It's one or two metres above ground," he tells the BBC. "It's not enough just to strike the target. You have to come back safe and bring your crew and helicopter back safely for the next mission."
Over the past year some of his fellow pilots have not made it back.
We were given rare access to Ukraine's war in the skies at an air strip on a patch of open ground. We can't say where it is - if Russia could identify the location, it would be a major target.
We watch Roman take off for his latest sortie on Ukraine's eastern front with our camera in the cockpit. His helicopter is followed by two others; their blades slice the air beneath a muddy grey sky.
Below them a Ukrainian trench zigzags across the landscape, and a village lies deserted.
They speed across a frozen lake as if skating on ice. Half an hour later they return, having unleashed 80 missiles.
Roman comes in to land circling low enough over our heads for us to see him wave from the window. He's renowned among fellow airmen in his brigade for executing difficult manoeuvres - a Ukrainian top gun in an ageing Soviet aircraft.
His Mi-8 helicopter is about as old as he is, and lacks heavy armour, or modern warning systems about incoming missiles. Every mission could be his last.
"Of course, there is some risk," he says after touching down. "I just don't think about this. If it happens, it will not be my problem, it will be a problem for my relatives". It sounds like a joke, but his expression is concealed by his balaclava.
The helicopter fires missiles during a sortie in eastern Ukraine
He will not disclose his target, but chances are it was close to the eastern city of Bakhmut - which the Russians are battling to encircle.
"It was just an ordinary mission. You concentrate 100% on your task," he says. "You think of your guys waiting for you on the ground. They are really striving if they call for aviation."
What he doesn't think about is the Russian troops on the receiving end.
"If they came here with war," he tells me, "we are just protecting our country. We are not aggressors. We are the victim. And if to win this war we should kill Russian soldiers, we are ready to kill them all."
As soon as the helicopters land, maintenance crews converge, refuelling and rearming the aircraft to be ready for the next flight.
The missiles are loaded by hand. One is inscribed with a crude message to Russian troops.
Within minutes Roman has co-ordinates for a new target and is wheels up again.
He says Ukraine can't win this war with the Soviet equipment it's got.
The helicopter on the ground in eastern Ukraine
A spokesman for his brigade spells it out.
"We need new helicopters with navigation equipment, high precision weapons and ammunition," he tells us. "We need everything."
Add this to the fighter jets already requested by President Volodymyr Zelensky, and it's a long list for what may be a long war.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded last year, Roman was part of a Ukrainian peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now this former peacekeeper sees a danger of endless conflict with Russia.
"Just look back at our history," he says. "We have always had problems with our neighbour. When we win this one if they don't change, they will come back to attack us again, in years or in decades." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64779505 |
Eurovision 2023: Mae Muller announced as UK act for song contest - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The 25-year-old will perform I Wrote A Song at May's competition as the UK hosts on Ukraine's behalf. | Entertainment & Arts | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Mae Muller will represent the United Kingdom at this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
The 25-year-old will perform her track I Wrote A Song at the competition in May, hoping to follow the success of Sam Ryder last year.
"To compete in such a massive music competition is simply brilliant," she said, describing her involvement as "a dream".
The UK is one of the last competing countries to reveal its song for 2023.
Following the same selection process as last year, the BBC has been working with a management company to pick the act.
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Muller was born in 1997 - the year the UK last won Eurovision - and has previously supported Little Mix on tour as well as working with artists like Aitch and Sigala.
"I'm a huge fan of so many of the artists that have found success at Eurovision, from ABBA to Måneskin," Muller said.
"Sam Ryder was so amazing last year and proved the UK can be back on the left-hand side of the leaderboard."
Ryder came second in last year's contest, giving the UK its best result in 20 years.
Muller said she was aware she had a lot to live up to.
"This is obviously such a level up from anything I've ever done, and I can really feel it," said the singer. "You've got to go big and you've got to do it right."
She said Ryder had already been in touch with some tips. In an Instagram video, he also congratulated Muller on her selection.
"You're in for the most wild, inexplicable ride and I'm chuffed for you," he said. "Have a blast."
The UK's Sam Ryder won the jury vote in last year's contest with his song Space Man
After years of dismal results, Ryder turned things around for the UK at the 2022 competition, placing second to Ukraine.
TaP Music management, which has worked with Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding, were the team who selected the TikTok star and his song Space Man for the contest.
This year, they started with "a shortlist of 50 or more" acts, said co-owner Ben Mawson; but when they met Muller, they instantly "fell in love with her".
"We needed someone with a huge amount of charisma and an incredibly strong voice, who can perform flawlessly on the night without making any mistakes," added the firm's co-president Anna Neville.
"Mae is witty, she's funny, We've got so much faith in her. Mae is going to bring it home."
Spiky break-up songs are Mae Muller's trademark, and I Wrote A Song is no exception.
Over a polished club beat, she gleefully takes down a cheating ex, listing all the things she wants to do to him - make a scene outside his house, crash his car, generally make his life a misery.
Instead, she goes meta, working out her anger by writing a song about writing a song about him. "And that's what we call growth, ladies and gentlemen," she said in a video introducing the song.
Described by one colleague as "a Bulgarian nightclub banger" and by my 13-year-old as "too good for Eurovision", it's certainly the most contemporary, credible song we've sent to the contest in a long time.
Muller was pictured outside Radio 2 headquarters after being announced as the UK entrant
Mae's sassy north London charisma conveys the depth of her contempt, and the singalong chorus is instantly memorable.
The flourishes of flamenco guitar are more Mi Chico Latino than La Isla Bonita. But still, they're an astute acknowledgment of Europe's influence on a British music industry that too often sees itself as superior.
As for the song's chances, I'm in two minds. My first reaction to the song was like a cat tasting wasabi: Get this horror show away from me.
It took a couple of listens to fully embrace Mae's campy insouciance. After 24 hours, I can't get it out of my head - but in Liverpool, she only gets one chance to impress the Eurovision voters.
The country will be holding its breath to see what they decide.
Like Ryder, Muller will spend the months leading up to the contest promoting her song to outside the UK.
"There's an extra Eurovision dynamic, which involves going to countries you wouldn't ordinarily go to on a promotional campaign," said Mawson.
"Lots of travel, lots of radio and TV, lots of interviews. It's going to be be a tiring few months for her - but hopefully fun."
Muller said she was raring to go. "I can't wait to see you all. I can't wait to get to Liverpool," she posted on TikTok. "I'm very excited! What is life?"
Most of the 37 competing countries have confirmed the song and act they will be sending to Liverpool, with a deadline set for 13 March for the handful who have yet to confirm their plans in public.
There are typically two ways a Eurovision entry is chosen: An internal selection, in which an act is chosen behind the scenes; or a national selection, involving a TV show where the winner gets to fly their country's flag in Liverpool.
Thousands of Eurovision fans follow how each country chooses its act with events like Super Saturday gripping devotees across the continent.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The rundown on the 2023 contest in 50 seconds
Normally, the country who wins hosts it the following year but organisers ruled it was too dangerous in Ukraine, following Russia's invasion, so the BBC was asked to host it instead.
Earlier this week, tickets for May's event sold out in 90 minutes, with fans now being warned scammers are targeting their hotel bookings with phishing cyber-attacks.
All the build-up, insights and analysis is explored each week on a new BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.
Eurovisioncast is available on BBC Sounds, or search wherever you get your podcasts from. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64888312 |
Nicola Bulley: Man, 34, arrested over police scene footage - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Man is held on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice. | Lancashire | Nicola Bulley was last seen during a riverside walk on 27 January
A man has been arrested over footage shot from inside a police cordon on the day the body of Nicola Bulley was found in a river in Lancashire.
Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared while walking her dog and her body was found 23 days later in the River Wyre.
Lancashire Police said the 34-year-old man from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, was arrested on Wednesday morning.
He was detained on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice.
The arrest relates to footage taken from inside a police cordon on 19 February.
Ms Bulley, who worked as a mortgage adviser, was last seen walking her springer spaniel Willow after dropping off her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.
Her disappearance sparked a major search operation in St Michael's on Wyre. Her body was recovered more than three weeks later in the river a mile away from where she was last seen.
The man was arrested with assistance from West Mercia Police, and has since been released on bail with conditions, police said.
A spokesman for the force said: "Our priority is, and has always been, to support Nicola's family and the wider community in St Michael's.
"We hope this arrest provides reassurance that we take concerns seriously and will act on them."
It comes following reports of a number of apparent content creators descending on the village where Ms Bulley went missing.
Experts have claimed social media algorithms that reward and encourage controversial content fuelled the waves of online interest in Ms Bulley's disappearance.
During the investigation, Det Supt Rebecca Smith said social media users had been "playing their own private detectives".
Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk
• None Police looking for Nicola Bulley find body in river
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-64896952 |
Mental-health crisis from Covid pandemic was minimal - study - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Most people remained resilient, BMJ research suggests, but some groups were still badly affected. | Health | People's general mental health and anxiety symptoms hardly deteriorated at all during the pandemic, research suggests.
Most people are resilient and made the best of a difficult situation, it says.
The BMJ review analysed 137 studies, most from high-income European and Asian countries.
Depression became a little worse overall and among women, older people, university students and those belonging to sexual or gender minorities.
Other studies have found women felt the impact of the pandemic more because of the jobs they do and the role they play in family life.
"At a population level, there has been a high level of resilience during Covid-19," the Canadian researchers, from institutions including McGill, Ottawa and Toronto universities, say.
"And changes in general mental health, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms have been minimal to small."
But the pandemic continues to affect societies around the world.
"The pandemic has affected the lives of many people - and some are now experiencing mental-health difficulties for the first time," the researchers say.
"Governments should continue to ensure that mental-health supports are available and respond to population needs."
The review did not look at lower-income countries, or specifically focus on children, young people and those with existing problems, the groups most likely affected, experts say, and risks hiding important effects among disadvantaged groups.
"There is evidence from other studies of considerable variation - with some people's mental health improving and others' deteriorating," Dr Gemma Knowles, from King's College London, said.
"This may mean no overall increase - but this shouldn't be interpreted as suggesting the pandemic didn't have major negative effects among some groups."
Other studies suggest the pandemic increased mental distress for particular groups, such as children, young people and parents in poverty.
As many as one in six seven-16-year-olds and one in four 17-19-year-olds in England had a probable mental disorder in 2022, an online NHS survey found, up on previous years.
Separate NHS figures show the number of children in contact with mental-health services rose by nearly 30% between 2020-21 and 2021-22, to nearly a million.
And in a survey by mental-health charity Mind, in 2021, about a third of adults and young people said their mental health had become much worse since March 2020.
Those most affected by the pandemic were people who struggled with their mental health before Covid.
Dr Roman Raczka, who chairs the British Psychological Society's division of clinical psychology, said the full picture remained unclear and more studies among people with health problems in deprived areas were needed.
"We do know that overstretched and underfunded mental-health services have been unable to meet soaring demand in recent years," he said.
Olly Parker, from charity YoungMinds said the study findings were "interesting" but differed from some recent research on young people's mental health.
"We know that more and more young people are reaching out for help and not being able to get it fast enough, and that many would say the pandemic put a further strain on their mental health," he said.
"Rather than focusing on the impact of the pandemic, we'd like to see action on how to tackle the record numbers of young people being referred for further support."
The charity Mind said its local services had been facing "increasing demand since the first lockdown", and the complexity of calls to its helpline went up "significantly" during the pandemic.
"It's important to note that most of the studies in this review are from high-income European and Asian countries, so overlook the toll taken on some less visible - but more disadvantaged - groups," said Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64890952 |
Lola James: Murder accused filmed limp body, court told - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Jurors are shown footage of Kyle Bevan and Lola James hours after she was injured. | Wales | Lola James died at the Noah's Ark children's hospital on 21 July, 2020
A man accused of murdering a two-year-old girl while her mother slept recorded a video of her limp body, telling the camera "she's gone".
Lola James died in hospital on 21 July 2020 having suffered a "catastrophic" head injury and 101 external injuries.
In footage shown to jurors, Kyle Bevan, 31, from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, tries to make injured Lola stand before allowing her to fall to the floor.
He denies murdering her four months after moving in with Lola's mother.
Sinead James, 30, denies causing or allowing her death at the family home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC told jurors at Swansea Crown Court the video was shot sometime after Mr Bevan carried out a "brutal and extremely violent physical assault" on Lola in the early hours of 17 July.
Taken on his propped-up phone, a topless Mr Bevan was seen lifting an unresponsive Lola and trying to place her on her feet and get her to stand.
He then lets her go and a thud can be heard as she falls to the ground.
Lola James was described in court as "happy" and "beautiful"
Mr Bevan then places Lola back on the sofa where she can be heard snoring, and he walks towards the camera saying: "She's gone. She's gone."
He sent the video to his mother, Alison Bevan, a healthcare worker, who said she chose not to watch it.
In transcripts of messages shown to the jury, Ms Bevan urges her son to call the emergency services. Almost an hour later he messaged back asking her to call an ambulance.
The jury has been told about a catalogue of injuries to Lola while in Mr Bevan's care including extensive damage to both her eyes and brain injuries compared with those found in car crash victims.
Mr Bevan has claimed the family dog, an American bulldog called Jessie, caused Lola's injuries by pushing her down the stairs.
"If this really was an accident," Ms Rees said, "why was Kyle Bevan spending time staging a recording like this rather than doing everything he could to contact the emergency services?"
Lola's mother Sinead James is charged with causing or allowing her death
The court heard that Facebook messages between the couple showed Lola had suffered a series of injuries in the months leading up to her death, including a bloodied nose, a grazed chin and a split lip.
Following the last injury Mr Bevan sent a message to Lola's mum claiming the toddler had fallen off her bed.
Casey Morgan, a close friend of Ms James, testified about incidents before Lola's death.
She said on 7 July she saw Mr Bevan push a pram into the road outside her house with another child still in it.
Sobbing, she recounted how her friend asked to come over to her house but said Mr Bevan arrived first.
"He was foaming by the mouth, his eyes were huge, he didn't look good," Ms Morgan said. "He was aggressive and it was really scary."
She said Ms James arrived with Lola looking "petrified".
The day Lola was taken to hospital, Ms Morgan said she got a message from her friend saying "something's happened to Lola".
When she arrived at her friend's house she said Mr Bevan was holding on to his hair in the kitchen saying, "it's all my fault, it's all my fault", adding "they're going to pin it on me".
The jury was shown messages between the two defendants, sent while Lola was in hospital, in which Mr Bevan insisted the pair relay the same story to the police about what happened.
Mr Bevan wrote their accounts needed to be "bang on".
The previous owner of the family dog, Coral Barker, said the American bulldog had not been aggressive with her four young children, calling her a "nanny dog", adding she liked "cuddles and fusses".
When cross-examined by John Hipkin KC, defending Mr Bevan, he asked Ms Barker: "Do you know where Jessie is now?"
Ms Barker said: "She was put to sleep a couple of months ago."
Mr Hipkin said: "Was that because she injured someone." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64906521 |
Small boats: Sensible to give France cash to stop crossings, says PM - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Rishi Sunak says £63m a year is delivering benefits, as he meets French President Emmanuel Macron. | UK Politics | Spending more money with France to stop small boat crossings is a "sensible investment", Rishi Sunak has said during an Anglo-French summit in Paris.
The PM has met French President Emmanuel Macron and the two men are holding a news conference later.
Speaking ahead of their meeting, Mr Sunak said giving France £63m a year to boost policing on its beaches was yielding benefits for the UK.
He argued it was better than paying to house migrants in the UK.
"I think everyone knows that we are spending £5.5m a day plus on hotels - we would rather not do that, and the best way to stop that is to stop people coming in the first place," he said.
The UK government hopes to use the summit to boost UK-French efforts to stop migrants crossing the English Channel.
But the two countries are not expected to reach a deal on returning migrants arriving in the UK to France.
The French government is thought to prefer a deal between the UK and the European Union, something of a frustration to British diplomats who would like to see quicker action.
"We want a EU-UK returns agreement and will push that forward," the prime minister's spokesman said.
"But it is equally important that there is work on the ground right now to stop the crossings we are seeing even in these winter months."
A French government source said: "At this stage, and due to Brexit, there is no readmission agreement between France and the United Kingdom."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The UK government has “lost control” of its borders, says the Labour leader.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer argued that without a returns agreement for failed asylum seekers, the talks between the UK and France would "make a bad situation worse".
"We'll have people who can't go through the system, can't be returned, and they will therefore end up in hotels and other accommodation at the taxpayers' expense," he added.
The conflict in Ukraine, nuclear power and renewable energy are also on the agenda at the Paris summit.
Mr Sunak also said he was planning to talk to the French president about relations with China, ahead of Mr Macron's visit to the country.
The prime minister met Mr Macron at the Elysee Palace on Friday morning and the two men are now taking part in a roundtable discussion with French and British companies.
Mr Sunak is being accompanied on his trip by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Environment Secretary Therese Coffey.
The summit comes in the week Mr Sunak unveiled his plans to deter people from making the channel crossing in small boats.
Under the plans, anyone found to have entered the UK illegally would not only be removed within 28 days, but also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future.
Those arriving on the UK's beaches would either be returned to their home country, or another "safe third country" like Rwanda.
A group of migrants brought to Dungeness in Kent, after being rescued by the RNLI
The British government feels the relationship with their opposite numbers in Paris on this issue has improved significantly in the last couple of years.
But Downing Street's desire "to make the small boat route across the Channel unviable" is a bold ambition - especially given that the numbers proving it to be the opposite have continued to rocket.
More than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from about 300 in 2018.
So far this year, around 3,000 people have arrived on small boats, but the two governments claim their joint work has stopped a similar number from embarking on the journey.
An announcement on deepening co-operation on the issue is expected, rather than a big breakthrough.
The joint work the two countries do on this issue remains politically sensitive, as our Europe editor Katya Adler writes here.
Officials point out that both the UK and France are nuclear powers, members of the G7, G20 and the Nato defence alliance and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
Brexit has been something of a stone in the shoe of the relationship between the UK and France in recent years.
But diplomats believe the deal between the UK and the European Union on Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland creates a much better atmosphere between the two countries.
It is a month of particularly intense activity between the two countries - as King Charles and the Queen Consort will be in France in a few weeks.
Next year marks the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, which put an end to centuries of rivalry between the two countries. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64909510 |
Heavy snow and high winds bring treacherous travelling conditions - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Motorists described being stuck for hours after heavy snow caused lane closures on the M62 motorway. | UK | Traffic on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway ground to a halt after snow swept in
Heavy snow overnight has brought treacherous conditions to parts of the UK, with motorists in affected areas warned to travel only if essential.
Yellow warnings of snow and ice are in force across much of the UK, with freezing conditions and strong winds also disrupting rail and air travel.
Some areas may see 50mph winds and 40cm (1ft 3in) of snow as blizzards cause "significant disruption".
Heavy snow has caused long delays on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway.
Drivers reported stationary traffic on the eastbound carriageway between Rochdale in Greater Manchester and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.
National Highways said two lanes had been closed between junctions 20 and 22, causing around 17 miles of congestion by midday.
Dozens of Twitter users described spending hours stuck in standstill traffic early on Friday morning.
One woman who got stranded on a nearby road told the BBC she had "never seen anything like it" and had to be helped by mountain rescue.
Kim Ward was on her way home from to Halifax from a concert in Manchester overnight with her sister-in-law, niece and a friend.
The M62 is in the area subject to the Met Office's severe weather warning for snow
She told the BBC: "The M62 was shut, so we thought we would take the A road.
"We thought we would be alright, but as we got higher and higher, it just got worse and worse.
"We spent a couple of hours completely stuck, freezing - we actually started nodding off in the car.
"Next thing we knew mountain rescue were knocking on the window with their torches."
Ms Ward continued: "I have been on numerous ski holidays, but I have never seen anything like it, up on the top there.
"It's scary, thinking you are going to actually spend the night here in the car."
A severe weather warning for snow from National Highways remains in place across the North East, Midlands, and North West on Friday.
Temperatures overnight were expected to match Wednesday's, the coldest of the year so far, before falling further on Friday night.
BBC weather forecaster Billy Payne said blizzard-like conditions could occur later on Friday as east to north-easterly winds strengthen, particularly over high ground.
"This could of course make travel more difficult with snow piling up more in some areas," he added.
The winter weather has been named Storm Larisa by the French weather service.
A postal delivery worker wearing shorts in heavy snow fall during his delivery rounds in Oldham, Greater Manchester
Hundreds of schools across the UK had to close because of the conditions.
Forecasters say there could be further sleet and snow at the weekend, and yellow warnings are in place for northern England and Scotland until Sunday morning.
Similar warnings covering north and central England, Wales and northern Ireland are due to lift at 09:00 GMT on Saturday.
Milder air is forecast for Sunday into Monday when a thaw will begin and conditions will start to improve.
Yellow weather warnings are issued when severe weather that could cause disruption to everyday life is possible, according to the Met Office's website.
Heavy snow in the North West on Thursday is expected to continue overnight
Merseyrail said the first trains on Friday would be cancelled due to the weather conditions.
Meanwhile, National Highways said it had closed the A66 between Bowes in County Durham and Brough in Cumbria in both directions, while the A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire was closed in both directions for about 14 miles between Flouch, South Yorkshire, and Hollingworth, Greater Manchester.
Derbyshire County Council added it had closed six roads, with many minor roads also impassable.
The wintry conditions have caused at least 350 schools to shut in Wales.
Air passengers are being advised to check with their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information.
The RAC said there had been 50% more breakdowns than usual in the worst affected areas - with some drivers stuck in the snow in parts of South Yorkshire and Wales.
"Given the weather, we recommend thinking carefully before setting out," RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said.
"With more snow forecast, things are likely to get worse on the roads before they get better." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64904704 |
Hamburg shooting: Seven killed in attack on Jehovah's Witness hall - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | An unborn baby was among those killed by the gunman, who was a former member of the religious group. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Seven people, including an unborn baby, have been killed in a shooting at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in the German city of Hamburg, police say.
They say the gunman acted alone in Thursday's attack, and later took his own life. His motives are unknown.
The suspect, named only as Philipp F, is said to have had "ill feelings" towards the religious community, of which he had previously been a member.
Video has emerged appearing to show him firing through a window of the hall.
At a briefing on Friday, the police said four men and two women were shot dead. All the dead were German nationals.
Eight people were injured, four seriously. A Ugandan and a Ukrainian were among those hurt.
A woman who was seven months pregnant was shot - killing her unborn baby. The mother survived.
The first emergency call came at 21:04 local time (20:04 GMT) on Thursday, to report that shots had been fired in the building on Deelböge street, Gross Borstel district, the police said.
Officers were on site four minutes later, and they were almost immediately joined by special forces. The officers had to break windows to enter the building where about 50 people had gathered.
The suspect - described as 35-year-old "sports shooter" who had a gun licence - had fled to the first floor. His "lifeless body" was found shortly afterwards.
He had managed to shoot nine magazines of ammunition, and 20 more were found in his backpack.
German Senator Andy Grote said "fast and decisive actions" by police officers had saved many lives. He also described the attack as the "worst crime" in Hamburg's recent history.
Police confirmed that they had previously received an anonymous tip-off that raised concerns about the perpetrator's mental health. Officers had visited him after the tip-off - but did not have enough grounds to take away his gun at the time.
Gregor Miesbach, who filmed the gunman shooting through a first-floor window, told the Bild newspaper: "I didn't realise what was happening. I was filming with my phone, and only realised through the zoom that someone was shooting at Jehovah's Witnesses.
"I heard loud gunshots... I saw a man with a firearm shooting through a window and filmed it," he said.
Lara Bauch, a 23-year-old student who lives nearby, told the DPA news agency that "there were about four bursts of gunfire - several shots were fired in each burst - with gaps lasting roughly 20 seconds to a minute".
She said that from her window she could see a person frantically running from the ground floor to the first floor. "The man was wearing dark clothing and moving fast," she added.
An alert was sent on the federal warning app, NINAwarn, on Thursday evening telling locals that "one or more unknown perpetrators shot at people in a church".
Local residents were told not to leave their homes amid the ongoing police operation.
Footage showed police escorting people out of the meeting hall, some to ambulances.
Forensic experts worked at the scene through the night
The reasons behind the shooting were "still completely unclear".
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described it as a "brutal act of violence", saying his thoughts were with the victims and their relatives.
In a statement, the Jehovah's Witness community in Germany said it was "deeply saddened by the horrific attack on its members at the Kingdom Hall in Hamburg after a religious service".
Forensic experts in white suits worked through the night inside the brightly lit interior of the meeting house.
Jehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement, founded in the US at the end of the 19th Century.
In its latest report from 2022, the movement says there are about 8.7 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, including about 170,000 in Germany.
In the city of Hamburg, there are believed to be nearly 4,000 members of the organisation.
Jehovah's Witnesses are probably best known for their door-to-door evangelism; witnessing from house to house and offering Bible literature.
Although Christian-based, the group believes that the traditional Christian Churches have deviated from the true teachings of the Bible, and do not work in full harmony with God.
Germany has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe, including a clause that anyone aged under 25 must pass a psychological evaluation before getting a gun licence.
In 2021, there were around one million private gun owners in Germany, according to the National Firearms Registry. They account for 5.7 million legal firearms and firearm parts, most of them owned by hunters.
After mass arrests were made last December in relation to a suspected plot to overthrow the government, the German authorities are planning to tighten the country's gun laws even further.
• None Video appears to show suspect firing through window. Video, 00:01:18Video appears to show suspect firing through window | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64910415 |
Weather: Snow causes widespread disruption and school closures - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A new amber weather warning is in place after more than 300 schools are closed due to heavy snow. | Wales | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A farmer from Conwy describes how he is trying to keep his sheep safe in snowy conditions
Nearly 300 schools were closed across Wales due to heavy snow which caused widespread disruption and cut off rural communities.
The Met Office upgraded its weather warning to amber, running from midday Thursday until 09:00 GMT on Friday.
Bus services were cancelled in Wrexham and roads closed in Denbighshire.
Schools were closed in Wrexham, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Powys, Blaenau Gwent, Gwynedd, Torfaen and Caerphilly.
It comes after about 10cm (4in) of snow fell on Wednesday.
Flintshire council has announced all schools across the county will close on Friday as heavy snow is expected to continue to cause disruption into the morning.
There were 235 schools closed across north Wales on Thursday.
More than 200 schools were closed on Wednesday after heavy snow fell in south, west and mid Wales.
The Met Office said heavy snow was likely to cause significant disruption. The amber warning affects Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Powys and Wrexham.
It also warned of ice from 04:00 on Friday to 10:00 in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Torfaen.
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BBC weather presenter Sabrina Lee said the affected areas could see 10 to 20cm (4 to 8in) of snow, with a chance of up to 30cm (12in) on higher ground.
A yellow warning for snow and ice is also in place for 10 of Wales' 22 local authority areas until 14:00 on Friday.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Large parts of Wales have seen heavy snowfall on Thursday
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Anglesey County Council leader Llinos Medi told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast gritters had been out overnight on the island.
It was important during the day that carers could get out to rural areas, she said. She urged people to check on vulnerable neighbours.
Tucker and Molly enjoying the snow in Pandy, Wrexham
Farmer John Jones took extra feed for his sheep near Llandyrnog, Denbighshire on Thursday morning
The Met Office warned vehicles could become stranded on roads, with rail services cancelled and possible power cuts.
The mountain road between Heol y Glo and Llangynwyd in Bridgend county was impassable at points because of heavy snowfall.
In north Wales, the A542 Horseshoe Pass between Llangollen and Pen-y-Stryt in Denbighshire, and the A4086 in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, were both closed.
The A543 was also shut in both directions from the A5 at Pentrefoelas, in Conwy, to the Llyn Brenig turn off.
The B4368 between The Abermule pub, in Abermule, Powys, and the Newtown turn off at Kerry was impassable in both directions.
The B5113 was closed in both directions from the B5427's Llanrwst turn off, at Nebo, in Gwynedd, to the A5 at Pentrefoelas.
Bryn Road, at Bryn-y-Baal, Flintshire, is impassable in both directions between Llewelyn Drive and Alltami Road.
For the latest traffic updates, you can follow Traffic Wales.
Bus services have also been affected. Arriva Buses Wales said all services in Wrexham had begun again after they were earlier suspended.
Further updates to bus services can be found here.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sabrina Lee explains why Wales has had snow
A warning for heavy snow was issued for Conwy | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64893497 |
A cartel's mistake may explain kidnappings in Mexico - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A theory that the kidnapping of four Americans was a case of mistaken identity gains strength. | Latin America & Caribbean | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video shows the moment four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico
Four Americans were kidnapped by armed men last week soon after crossing into the Mexican border city of Matamoros. Two of them were killed and two survived the ordeal.
For now, the Mexican government remains tight-lipped about the motive for the attack. However, the attorney general's office in the state of Tamaulipas said the theory that this was a case of mistaken identity was "strengthening".
Officials wouldn't comment on two specific suggestions - that a drug gang had confused them either for US-based rivals, Haitian drug gang members or people smugglers. But they said there were multiple and "diverse" lines of investigation, and that none was being ruled out at this stage.
Matamoros is caught between warring factions of the Gulf Cartel, as they battle for control of the so-called plazas - the drug smuggling routes north into the US.
Apparently unwitting, the group of friends from North Carolina drove their minivan straight into that maelstrom. Their ordeal lasted for four days.
As the US citizens were being moved between safehouses to prevent detection, the US Embassy issued a statement demanding their immediate release. For any Mexican cartel - or even a common criminal gang operating along the border - that will have spelt trouble.
The armed gang will have understood immediately that the full force of a joint operation by US and Mexican federal law enforcement was going to be turned in their direction. Had the motive been ransom, as is so often the case in Mexico, they will have realised it was now very unlikely to be paid.
Far easier, then, to simply turn the Americans over and deflect some of the intense heat bearing down on their gang.
"My guess is that's the most reasonable explanation for what happened," says Mexican drug war analyst, Alejandro Hope. "They might have had connections or contacts with local police and they just told their contacts where their safehouse was."
Kidnappings in Mexico are disturbingly common. Last year, Mexico reached the horrific figure of 100,000 people disappeared or missing in the country. Most kidnappings are carried out with complete impunity, particularly in the case of undocumented immigrants travelling north to the US.
In comparison, this case was resolved incredibly quickly. Some Mexicans voiced frustration on social media at the speed with which such crimes are resolved when foreigners are involved.
"In under a week. And the thousands and thousands of kidnapped Mexicans?" wrote one Twitter user.
"That's not untrue," says Mr Hope. "Mexican institutions have a limited set of capabilities. But if they focus those capabilities on specific cases, yes, they can solve them."
"It's about visibility and political impact," he says.
Clearly, in this instance, the political will in Mexico to find a solution couldn't have been higher.
US Ambassador Ken Salazar met Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to discuss the matter, and said the US State Department had "no greater priority" than the well-being of its citizens abroad.
The case was brought to an end within 24 hours.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mexico missing: 'If I find a body, I recover a piece of my son' | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-64825204 |
Elle Edwards: Three arrests in connection with fatal shooting at pub - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Elle Edwards, 26, was shot in the head while celebrating with friends at a pub on Christmas Eve. | Liverpool | Three people have been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of a woman outside a Merseyside pub on Christmas Eve.
Elle Edwards, 26, was shot in the head while celebrating with friends at The Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village.
A man and a woman, both 23, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, Merseyside Police said.
Thomas Waring, 20, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender.
Mr Waring, of Private Drive, Barnston, Wirral, is due to appear at Wirral Adult Remand Court on Thursday.
The man, from Heswall, and woman, from Tranmere, have been released on bail.
Connor Chapman, 22, has already been charged with murdering Ms Edwards and is due to go on trial on 7 June.
Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-64897319 |
Breakthrough as eggs made from male mice cells - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Researchers have created eggs from the cells of male mice, raising the prospect of male couples having their own children. | Science & Environment | A Japanese researcher has told a major genetics conference that he has created eggs from the cells of male mice.
The research, still in its early stages, involved turning male XY sex chromosomes into female XX ones.
Prof Katsuhiko Hayashi from Osaka University is working on developing fertility treatments.
The development, which he has submitted for publication in the scientific journal Nature, raises the prospect of male couples having their own children.
Prof George Daley of Harvard Medical School, who is not involved in the research, said that there was still a long way to go before society was faced with such a decision.
''Hayashi's work is unpublished but fascinating. [Doing this on Humans] is harder than the mouse," he said. We still don't understand enough of the unique biology of human gametogenesis (the formation of reproductive cells) to reproduce Hayashi's provocative work in mice''.
Details were presented at the human gene-editing summit at the Crick Institute in London.
Prof Hayashi, a globally respected expert in the field, told delegates at the meeting that the work was at a very early stage. The eggs, he said were of low quality and the technique could not be used safely on humans at this stage.
But he told BBC News that he could see current problems overcome in ten years and he would like to see it available as a fertility treatment for both male and female and same sex couples if it is proven to be safe to use.
"If people want it and if society accepts such a technology then yes, I'm for it".
Prof Katsuhiko Hayashi announces that he has created eggs from male mice cells
The technique involves first taking a skin cell from a male mouse and then turning it into a stem cell - a cell that can turn into other types of cell.
The cells are male and therefore have XY chromosomes. Prof Katsuhiko's team then delete the Y chromosome, duplicate the X chromosome and then stick the two X's together. This adjustment allows the stem cell to be programmed to become an egg.
The technique could be used to help infertile couples where women are not able to produce their own eggs. He stressed though that it was a long way off from being available as a fertility treatment.
"Even in mice there are many problems in the quality of the egg. So before we can think of it as a fertility treatment we have to overcome these problems, which could take a long long time," he said.
Prof Hayashi said he would not be in favour of it being used by a man to create a baby using his own sperm and artificially created eggs.
"Technically this is possible. I'm not so sure whether at this stage it is safe or acceptable for society".
Prof Amander Clark, a stem cell scientist from the University of Californa, Los Angeles said that the LBGTQ+ community should have a say in the use of the technology for reproduction.
"The LGBTQ+ community have unique needs when it comes to having a family. It may be possible in the future for same-sex reproduction based upon current research using laboratory models to develop the technology.
"However, today this technology is not available for human use, safety and efficacy has not been proven, and it is unclear how long the technology will take to get to the clinic. There is still much to learn about the human germ line and fundamental knowledge gaps serve as a barrier to translating this research to humans."
Alta Charo, professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Maddison, said different cultures would have "profoundly different views" on whether to use the technology, if it became available.
"In some societies a genetic contribution to one's children is considered absolutely essential, and for them it's a question of 'is this a step to take?' for those who are not in a heterosexual arrangement.
"For other societies that's not as nearly as important, and child adoption is perfectly acceptable, because for them families are more about the personal relationship and less about the biological connection."
Prof Haoyi Wang, of the Chinese Academy of Science believes there is a very a long way to go before the technology could be considered for use in the clinic.
"Scientists never say never, in principle it has been done in mice so, of course, it may be possible in humans, but I can foresee a lot of challenges and I couldn't predict how many years that would be." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64893170 |
'Sushi terror' pranks outrage Japan as police make arrests - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Some sushi trains are no longer running conveyor belts amid fears of customers tampering with food. | Asia | It's feared a wave of unhygienic pranks will scare off sushi train customers
Japanese police have arrested three people over "sushi terror": viral, unhygienic pranks that are threatening the world-famous feature of sushi conveyor belt restaurants.
Last month, a video of a man licking a soy sauce bottle on a sushi conveyor went viral, sparking outrage.
In the video, he can be seen squashing sushi dishes at a Kura Sushi restaurant branch.
Since then, dozens of such videos have proliferated sparking public concern.
Incidents filmed include diners - many of whom are children and young people - spoiling others' orders by touching sushi dishes passing by.
One video which emerged last month showed a customer putting wasabi on another's dish, while another person licked the presented chopsticks.
In another video, filmed at a Sushiro chain outlet, a diner is seen rubbing saliva on passing sushi pieces.
The viral trend has horrified many Japanese and spurred action from several conveyor-belt sushi chains - known as kaitenzushi locally.
"I know people from overseas look forward to eating sushi here so as a Japanese person, I am ashamed of such actions," one woman Yukari Tanaka told the BBC.
Another person, Nana Kozaki, said: "Kaitenzushi is Japanese culture we can be proud of but actions of few people like that really ruins that."
Others said they were "a bit scared" by the trend - admitting they were less willing to go to restaurants.
Japan is renowned for its exacting cleanliness standards and culinary etiquette.
So the "sushi terrorism" pranks have not only shocked millions around the country but also led to falls in share prices of companies like the Sushiro chain.
This has spurred several kaitenzushi chains to make public appeals for offenders to stop their food sabotage.
Some eateries have even made the choice to stop operating their main attraction altogether - with sushi conveyor belts coming to a halt across the country.
In eastern Japan, the Choushimaru chain said it would stop using its conveyor belts altogether after a customer placed a cigarette butt in a jar of pickled ginger.
Staff will now bring dishes to customers directly - and only hand out condiments and sauces when they've taken their seats.
A spokesman for the Kura Sushi - the restaurant chain targeted by those arrested on Wednesday - said the viral video trend was "extremely dangerous" and posing a threat to the foundation of the conveyor-belt restaurant model.
"Conveyor belt sushi is something we are proud of as part of Japanese culture. We want to make sure our customers can eat sushi delivered on the belt safely and comfortably," he said.
Several sushi chains have already threatened legal action - but Wednesday's detentions are believed to be the first arrests of offenders.
Police in the central Japanese city of Nagoya allege Ryoga Yoshino, 21, licked a communal soy sauce bottle at a Kura Sushi conveyor-belt sushi restaurant on 3 February.
Two minors aged 19 and 15 were also involved. Police said their actions constituted obstruction of business under Japan's Penal Code.
All of the suspects admitted to the wrongdoing, police said. One also reportedly apologised for his actions.
Restaurant-owning companies had already been struggling - with global supply chains under strain to a weaker yen, the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic.
Many had to raise prices on their cheapest offerings last year.
Now they face another struggle with the wave of unhygienic pranks.
It's led to restaurants around the country scrambling to reassure customers of their hygiene standards.
The Sushiro chain changed its service rules last month, requiring diners to collect their own utensils and condiments from staff to cut down on potential sabotage attempts.
Kura Sushi has now also developed an alert system, where some of its conveyor belts will now be equipped with sensors and cameras.
If a person is caught returning a plate that has been tampered with, an alert will be sent to the chain's offices in Saitama prefecture, near Tokyo and Osaka. The affected restaurant would also be informed, Kura Sushi said.
The company said the new sensors would also be able to identify the specific plate and seat number affected. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64898111 |
Ukraine war: Urgent UN warning after power interrupted to Ukraine nuclear plant - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | "How can we allow this?" an official asks after the Zaporizhzhia facility again lost off-site power following Russian strikes. | Europe | That's all for our live coverage for now
We leave you with the headline that the power is back on at Ukraine's largest power plant - after an interruption following the biggest Russian missile barrage for weeks. The team had a hectic morning as reports of the fresh strikes came in. Kyiv said more than 80 missiles were fired - 34 of which were shot down. Moscow said its hypersonic missiles were involved. The most extraordinary line of the day came from Rafael Grossi, the man who heads up the UN's nuclear watchdog. In a chastening address to colleagues about Zaporizhzhia, he said: "What are we doing? How can we sit here in this room this morning and allow this to happen? This cannot go on." Several deaths have been reported across Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying 10 regions were struck. Crews in Ukraine have been working to restore power after damage to infrastructure. Thanks for tuning in today. The page has been put together by Nathan Williams, Anna Boyd, Jasmine Andersson, Tarik Habte, Gem O'Reilly, Alex Fouché, Andre Rhoden-Paul, Alys Davies, Tom Spender, James FitzGerald and me. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-64899277 |
Boots cuts Advantage Card points earned per pound - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Customers will receive 3 pence worth of loyalty points for every £1 spent, down from 4 pence. | Business | Boots is changing the way its loyalty card works by offering discounts on more of its own-brand products but cutting the points earned per pound.
The health and beauty retailer said that from May, holders of the Advantage Card would collect 3p worth of points for every £1 spent, instead of 4p.
The move comes when many retailers' costs are increasing amidst record rises in energy bills and overheads.
One retail analyst said shoppers "want their jam today rather than waiting".
"Loyalty schemes where shoppers collect points to use later are losing appeal as shoppers want the best price and discount right now, and the cost of running these schemes is also significant," said Catherine Shuttleworth.
After the changes, every point people earn will continue to be worth 1p to spend in Boots.
Boots added that customers would be able to save 10% in store on 6,000 of its own-brand products.
It said customers would also save on hundreds of products with its Price Advantage scheme in a move which was to "make things stretch that little bit further". Price Advantage allows Boots card holders exclusive access to lower prices on certain products.
It said the move was in response to customer feedback.
On its website, Boots said: "We understand that more customers are looking to access instant savings, so offering 10% off our Boots own brand range will give even more opportunities to save.
"We understand that many customers still love saving up their points for big purchases in the future, so will continue to offer 3p worth of points for every £1 spent at Boots."
The retailer said students would continue to receive a 10% discount storewide, alongside the extra 10% for Boots branded products.
Recent research suggests that shoppers have been switching away from branded products at certain retailers and opting for own-brand equivalents to save money at the till, as inflation - the rate at which prices rise - reaches record highs.
Ms Shuttleworth said Boots is competing with other High Street firms to hold on to shoppers amid rising cost pressures, and that points "really aren't enough" anymore.
"Boots is faced with shoppers that are looking for better prices and great value and are shopping far and wide to find it from discount retailers like B&M and Home Bargains to supermarkets and online," she told the BBC.
"Younger shoppers in particular are well versed in unlocking immediate discounts offered to them."
She said that with the cost-of-living crisis, shoppers are increasingly savvy about making their money stretch as far as possible.
"Changes to schemes and devaluation of points can mean that shoppers choose to give up collecting their points and simply shop elsewhere," she said.
Annich McIntosh, managing editor of Loyalty Magazine, said Boots had been the "last bastion of high-value loyalty points".
"It always had been one of the more generous schemes since the start of the loyalty push," she said.
The shift to instant discounts was common across retailers, she said, allowing companies to continue to collect extremely valuable data about spending habits, while keeping their own costs down.
They could also use the power of differential pricing to push their own-brand products, and have branded products supplied cheaper, to enhance profits. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64899536 |
Ukraine war: Latvia sends cars seized from drunk drivers to help Kyiv - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The confiscated vehicles are being delivered under a Latvian scheme to help the Ukrainian military. | Europe | The impounded cars have been transferred to a charity delivering donated vehicles to Ukraine
Cars confiscated from drunk drivers in Latvia are being sent to Ukraine, under a new scheme designed to help the war effort there.
Eight seized vehicles left a car pound in the capital, Riga, on Wednesday and are due to cross the border soon.
It is the first convoy to be sent under the plan, approved by the Latvian parliament last month.
MPs agreed to allow the transfer of state-owned cars to the Ukrainian military and hospitals.
Late last year, Latvia changed the law so that drivers found with three times the legal limit could have their vehicles seized and sold by the government.
Latvia has among the worst rates of drinking and driving in Europe, according to public broadcaster LSM, with an estimated 3,500 cases a year.
The change in the law led to a surge in confiscations that filled state pounds in Latvia in a matter of weeks.
As a result, authorities pledged to hand over two dozen cars a week to Twitter Convoy, a Latvian charity that sends donated vehicles to Ukraine.
"No-one expected that people are drunk-driving so many vehicles," the NGO's founder, Reinis Poznaks, told Reuters news agency. "They can't sell them as fast as people are drinking. So that's why I came with the idea - send them to Ukraine."
The first eight cars had a combined value of about €18,500 (£16,500), according to Latvian website Delfi. One owner had left a Russian flag pinned on his seized vehicle, Reuters reported.
About a quarter of Latvia's population are ethnic Russians and Latvia moved fast after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to ban dozens of websites assessed as disseminating Kremlin propaganda.
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly sought to justify the war in Ukraine as providing protection for Russian-speakers with the Kremlin's protection. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64903201 |
Only drive if necessary, motorists told as heavy snow falls - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Met Office warns of "treacherous conditions", forecasting up to 40cm (16in) of snow overnight in parts of England and Wales. | UK | You've been capturing the snow around the UK today.
Here's some of our favourite shots.
While some have been experiencing travel woes, others have been making the most of the snowy weather Image caption: While some have been experiencing travel woes, others have been making the most of the snowy weather
A Weather Watcher in North Wales sent in this striking image of the ice on plants at Keepers Pond, Blaenavon Image caption: A Weather Watcher in North Wales sent in this striking image of the ice on plants at Keepers Pond, Blaenavon
As you can tell, we're partial to your pictures of our canine friends - this one is in Derbyshire Image caption: As you can tell, we're partial to your pictures of our canine friends - this one is in Derbyshire
We're also partial to a sun set scene, especially when it features a dusting of snow - such as this view over Loch Broom, near Ullapool in the Highlands Image caption: We're also partial to a sun set scene, especially when it features a dusting of snow - such as this view over Loch Broom, near Ullapool in the Highlands | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-64883505 |
Indian Wells 2023: Emma Raducanu beats Danka Kovinic to reach second round - BBC Sport | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | null | Britain's Emma Raducanu overcomes a disrupted build-up to earn a gutsy first-round win at Indian Wells, despite deciding only 20 minutes before the start to play. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Britain's Emma Raducanu overcame a disrupted build-up to earn a gutsy first-round win at Indian Wells, despite deciding only 20 minutes before the start to play.
The 2021 US Open champion, ranked 77th, faces Poland's Magda Linette next at the prestigious tournament.
"I didn't feel too good this morning," she told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
"I'm just so happy with the way I fought and dealt with the circumstances.
"I just woke up feeling not great to be honest. I felt quite ill so I'm just happy to have played the match and then to win it despite how I felt today.
"Today before the match, I did not warm up. Two minutes before I was called I was sleeping in the treatment room so I'm just proud to have got out there and then won."
In the men's draw, Andy Murray defeated Tomas Etcheverry 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-4 to reach the second round while fellow Briton Jack Draper needed just 55 minutes to win his opener, beating Switzerland's Leandro Riedi 6-1 6-1 to set up a meeting with compatriot Dan Evans.
Indian Wells is one of the biggest events outside of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
Since sensationally winning the US Open as a virtually unknown teenage qualifier, Raducanu has been unable to build on that success as her progress continues to be stalled by fitness problems.
Various injuries over the course of 2022 wrecked her chances of finding momentum in her first full year on the WTA Tour and the wrist problem that ended her season returned to threaten her participation in Indian Wells.
With tonsillitis also forcing her out of a tournament in Austin last week, the British number one summed up her fortunes by telling BBC Sport: "When it rains, it pours."
But an efficient victory over 62nd-ranked Kovinic - in Raducanu's first match since losing to Coco Gauff at the Australian Open - should help lift any lingering gloom.
Raducanu trailed 2-0 in each of the two sets, but grew in confidence as 28-year-old Kovinic produced a stream of errors.
Kovinic played some loose shots and struggled with her first-serve percentage in both sets, with Raducanu staying patient and playing smart to grind out a solid win.
• None Listen to all-new versions of their biggest hits and a surprising cover
• None Searching for new converts in Manchester: The Mormons Are Coming follows young missionaries during their make-or-break training | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/64909690 |
Ukraine hit by Russian missiles day after West's offer of tanks - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Eleven people have been killed and 11 others injured after strikes hit buildings in several regions. | Europe | The aftermath of a Russian strike was seen on Thursday in the town of Hlevakha, outside Kyiv
Russia launched a wave of missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, a day after Germany and the US pledged tanks to aid Kyiv's fight against the invasion.
Eleven people died and 11 others were injured after 35 buildings were struck across several regions, the state's emergency service said.
It added the worst damage to residential buildings was in the Kyiv region.
Officials also reported strikes on two energy facilities in the Odesa region.
The barrage came as Russia said it perceived the new offer of military support, which followed a UK pledge to send Challenger 2 battle tanks, as "direct" Western involvement in the conflict.
In what was a sustained and wide-ranging attack, the head of the Ukrainian army said Moscow launched 55 air and sea-based missiles on Thursday.
Valery Zaluzhny added that 47 of them were shot down, including 20 around Kyiv.
Earlier, Ukraine's air force said it had downed a cluster of Iranian-made attack drones launched by Russian forces from the Sea of Azov in the south of the country.
A 55-year-old man was killed and two others wounded when non-residential buildings in the south of the capital were struck, officials reported.
The offensive was a continuation of Russia's months-long tactic of targeting Ukraine's infrastructure. The freezing winter has seen power stations destroyed and millions plunged into darkness.
After Thursday's strikes, emergency power cuts were enforced in Kyiv and several other regions to relieve pressure on the electricity grid, said DTEK, Ukraine's largest private power producer.
A day earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to provide Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks, following weeks of international pressure. They are widely seen as some of the most effective battle tanks available.
The heavy weaponry is expected to arrive in late March or early April.
President Joe Biden later announced the US would send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks, marking a reversal of longstanding Pentagon arguments that they are a poor fit for the Ukrainian battlefield.
Canada has also promised to supply Ukraine with four "combat-ready" Leopard tanks in the coming weeks, together with experts to train Ukrainian soldiers in how to operate them.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that 12 countries had now joined what he called the "tank coalition".
But for tanks to be "game-changer", 300 to 400 of them would be needed, an adviser to Ukraine's defence minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"The sooner we defeat Russia on the battlefield using Western weapons, the sooner we will be able to stop this missile terror and restore peace," Yuriy Sak said.
Speaking on the same programme, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said sending tanks to Ukraine would make a big difference to the country's ability to win the war.
He also warned that Russia was planning a fresh offensive, just as reports began emerging from Ukraine of missile strikes following drone attacks overnight.
On Thursday, the US designated Russia's Wagner group, which is believed to have thousands of mercenaries in Ukraine, a transnational criminal organisation.
It also imposed fresh sanctions on the group and their associates to "further impede [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's ability to arm and equip his war machine", Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in the statement.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64411259 |
UK microchip firms ask government for hundreds of millions - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The boss of a leading microchip maker warns without huge investment companies will go abroad. | Business | Semiconductors, or microchips, are used to control electronic devices
The boss of one of the UK's leading microchip firms is calling for the government to invest "hundreds of millions" in the sector.
Millions of products from cars to washing machines and mobiles rely on microchips also called semiconductors.
Scott White, of Pragmatic Semiconductor, said without a huge funding boost UK firms will go abroad.
The government said it would soon publish its strategy to improve access to skills, facilities and tools.
It comes as a new report says the UK government "must act now to secure the future of the vital UK semiconductor industry".
Mr White, Pragmatic's chief executive, said the government "can't just spend a few tens of millions of pounds" on the semiconductor sector, as "that isn't enough to move the needle".
"It has to be hundreds of millions, or even more than £1bn, to make a substantive difference," he said.
"It is not about unfair subsidies, it is about having a level playing field with other countries around the world."
Mr White said that other governments were "investing substantially" in their microchip industries, and that the UK had to follow suit.
Pragmatic Semiconductor employs 200 people across its headquarters in Cambridge and at two production sites in Country Durham.
Mr White added that while the company wanted to keep manufacturing in the UK, "that only makes sense if the economies are justified compared to elsewhere".
Scott White says the UK industry just wants a "level playing field"
A joint report published on Thursday by the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) found "skills shortages, high costs and low public awareness threaten the UK's position in the vital semiconductor race".
The study follows a global shortages of microchips in recent years temporarily halted production of everything from games consoles to cars.
The IOP and RAE are calling for financial support for the sector in the UK.
They also want to see more children encouraged to study sciences at school, to help increase the number of qualified potential employees, and highlighting the importance of the sector.
The report - entitled UK Semiconductor Challenges and Solutions - also calls for the government to release its long-awaited national semiconductor strategy. This has now been two-years in the making.
The IOP's director of science, innovation and skills, Louis Barson, said the UK cannot simply rely on importing the microchips it needs.
He said: "We need a strong homegrown semiconductor industry, and that is critical to our economic security and physical security."
The UK's semiconductor sector is valued at $13bn (£11bn), according to one recent estimate. That might sound like a lot, but the global industry is said to be worth $580bn (£490bn).
Meanwhile, a parliamentary report last autumn said that the UK only produced 0.5% of the world's semiconductors.
The IOP says that there are currently 40 or so semiconductor firms in the UK, with 25 doing manufacturing work. And it estimates that the total workforce is around 11,400 people.
There have recently been some worrying signs for the industry in the UK.
Last week, the UK's top chip-designer Arm announced that it would be listing its shares on the New York Stock Exchange instead of London's. The news came despite UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meeting with bosses from Arm's parent company, Japan's SoftBank.
Arm is due to list its shares in New York rather than London
In addition, another UK chip firm, IQE, has already warned that it might have to relocate abroad without more government support for the sector.
All this comes against a backdrop of big overseas government investment in the semiconductor sectors. Last summer, the White House announced that it would invest $50bn in the industry in the US over five years, $29bn in boosting production, and $11bn in research and development.
It is a similar picture in the European Union, with Brussels planning to invest €43bn ($46bn; £38bn).
"Other countries are continuing to invest significantly in their own semiconductor industries, and the UK will fall behind without timely government action and a coherent strategy," said Prof Nick Jennings, chairman of the RAE's engineering policy centre committee.
In addition to the matter of funding, the IOP and RAE want the government to confirm that it will proceed with its proposed plan to set up a national body for the sector, a so-called "semiconductor institute".
"Crucially it could speak for the sector, provide a coordinated voice that would allow the industry to present a united front," said Mr Barson.
A government spokesman said: "Our forthcoming semiconductor strategy will set out how the government will improve the sector's access to the skills, facilities and tools it needs to grow. The strategy will be published in due course." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64872465 |
Moscow police officers who abused women sanctioned - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Identified as abusing protesters by a BBC investigation, the two officers are sanctioned by the EU. | Europe | Ivan Ryabov, who subjected female anti-war protestors to brutal interrogations, was among those sanctioned
Two Moscow police officers identified by the BBC as perpetrators of abuses against female anti-war protesters have been sanctioned by the EU.
The EU accused Ivan Ryabov and Alexander Fedorinov of arbitrary arrest and torture.
They were among nine people and three institutions sanctioned over sexual and gender-based violence, to coincide with International Women's Day on Wednesday.
Others included Taliban ministers and officials from South Sudan and Myanmar.
A BBC Eye investigation detailed how Ivan Ryabov was identified by protesters who had been physically abused by him when they were detained in March 2022.
Alexander Fedorinov was identified by the BBC using facial recognition software.
Announcing the sanctions in a statement, EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Police Josep Borrell said the EU was moving "from words to action" in its commitment to "eliminate all forms of violence of violence against women".
He said the sanctions were "enhancing efforts to counter sexual and gender-based violence, to ensure that those responsible are fully accountable for their actions, and to combat impunity".
The two Moscow police officers were sanctioned for their role in "arbitrary arrests and detentions as well as torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in the context of the censorship and oppression led by the Russian authorities".
On 6 March last year, a group of anti-war protesters were arrested and taken to Moscow's Brateyevo police station. There, at least 11 detainees - mostly young women - were subjected to physical abuse at the hands of a plainclothes police officer.
Anastasia identified the police officer who abused her using a data leak from a food delivery app
The officer didn't give his name, and there was no record of him on any police websites. The protesters felt they had little chance in identifying their abuser, who they called the "man in black".
That was until a huge data leak from the popular Russian food delivery app, Yandex Food, provided the breakthrough they needed.
Anastasia - who says she had been suffocated with a plastic bag by the "man in black" - trawled through the data and found only nine users who had ordered food to Brateyevo police station. Working with the other victims, she searched the names and phone numbers included in the leak, looking for pictures she recognised.
Finally she came across a face that was imprinted in her memory - it was the "man in black" and his name was Ivan Ryabov.
Anastasia also wanted to identify another officer who was present that evening and refused to give his name. The detainees had called him the "man in beige".
Although he wasn't involved in the abuse of protesters, Anastasia felt he was somehow in charge. "All communication took place through him," she said.
Using facial recognition on a short video captured inside the police station, the BBC was able to name the man as Alexander Fedorinov. At that time, he was the acting head of the Brateyevo police department.
The BBC identified Alexander Fedorinov, acting head of the Brateyevo police department, from this video
Despite appeals mentioning Ryabov and Fedorinov, sent to Russian authorities from victims and a Moscow politician, there was no evidence that either of the men had faced any repercussions inside Russia. The BBC did not receive a response after contacting the two men for comment in August 2022.
But as of 7 March 2023, both men are now subject to an asset freeze and travel ban within the EU.
Anastasia told the BBC that the year since her arrest has not been easy. "But Ryabov's inclusion on the sanctions list only strengthens my belief that I did and said the right thing," she said.
Anastasia has left Russia and says she is happy to be in a country where she isn't afraid to share her anti-war views on social media.
Ivan Ryabov and Alexander Fedorinov were sanctioned alongside two acting Taliban ministers - Neda Mohammad Nadeem and Muhammad Khalid Hanafi - responsible for the decrees which banned women from higher education in Afghanistan.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Listen to the “man in black” shouting insults at Marina and Alexandra
The list also included high-ranking members of the Russian armed forces whose units systematically participated in acts of sexual and gender-based violence in Ukraine in March and April last year.
It also named two South Sudanese officials, who according to the EU had commanded government militias which used sexual violence as a tactic of war and a reward for the men under their command.
And the EU also sanctioned Major-General Toe Ui, Myanmar's deputy minister of home affairs, along with the country's Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs (OCMSA), where he was formerly second-in-command. OCMSA is accused of using sexual violence and torture against men, women and members of the LGBT community.
The other institutions sanctioned were Qarchak Prison in Iran, where pro-democracy protestors have been detained, and the Syrian Republican Guard, which is accused of using widespread sexual and gender-based violence to repress and intimidate the Syrian people.
BBC Eye Investigations tells the story of how these young Russian women came together to expose the identity of their torturer and his commanding officer. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64838937 |
Snow and travel delays expected as Arctic blast hits UK - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | People across the Peak District and Pennines are being warned of potential disruption on Thursday. | UK | A row of snow-covered houses in Aberbeeg, Wales on Wednesday
Forecasters have warned of heavy snow and travel disruption as a wave of Arctic air brings icy conditions to central and northern England.
An amber warning affecting an area between Stoke-on-Trent and Durham is set to come into force at 15:00 GMT on Thursday.
The warning indicates a likelihood of travel delays, power cuts, and that some rural communities will be cut off.
It comes after the UK recorded its coldest March temperature since 2010.
The area affected by the amber warning includes the Peak District, Leeds, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North Pennines.
The Met Office said around 10-20cm (4-8in) of snow is likely to fall across much of the area, with 30-40cm (12-16in) in some parts, and to be accompanied by "strong winds bringing blizzard conditions".
The amber warning is not set to be lifted until midday on Friday.
Less severe yellow weather warnings for snow and ice remain in place for much of the rest of the UK. These mean journey times are likely to be longer and icy patches on untreated roads and pavements are expected.
National Highways in England has issued a severe weather alert for snow in the North West, North East and Midlands between 09:00 GMT on Thursday and 08:00 GMT on Friday.
Road users are being warned to plan ahead for possible disruption and that challenging conditions could include poor visibility.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch latest UK weather forecast: Will I get snow in my area tomorrow and into the weekend?
Motoring organisation the RAC has urged drivers to take the weather warnings seriously and to work from home if possible.
Those with no choice should make sure tyres are properly inflated, and oil, coolant and screenwash are topped up, it said.
National Rail has also warned snowy and icy conditions could affect trains in south-eastern England over the next few days.
Other warnings in place are:
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BBC Weather's Jennifer Bartram says the cold spell is due to a change in wind direction "with northerly winds bringing cold air down from the Arctic".
She said although it was not unusual to have snow and cold weather at the start of March, "this feels like a bit of a shock to the system after what was a mild and relatively dry February for most".
Early morning swimmers braved the cold at King Edward's Bay, near Tynemouth on the north east coast of England on Wednesday morning
A picturesque snow-covered mountain reflects off the water at Lochcarron in the Highlands
People across the UK have been enjoying the snow
To prepare for the cold spell, two coal-fired power stations have begun generating power again.
The plants in West Burton in Lincolnshire were due to close last September, but the government requested they stay open for an extra six months because of fears of possible power shortages.
Some ski resorts in Scotland have opened runs after the heavy snowfall, with Snowsport Scotland saying it hoped the recent weather would be "the start to another boost for the mountains".
"Looking at the forecast, this could be our biggest week of the year," said Alison Grove from Snowsport Scotland.
A man runs on during freezing conditions in a park in Blackwood, Wales
A group of women swimmers brave the freezing conditions as they gather to celebrate International Women's Day at King Edward's Bay, near Tynemouth
A level-three cold alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the whole of England and will remain in place until midnight on Thursday.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, the agency's head of extreme events and health protection, advised people to check on vulnerable relatives, adding that pensioners or anyone with an underlying health condition should heat their home to at least 18C (64F).
Veterinary charity PDSA advises giving dogs and cats extra blankets for their beds over the winter months. Raised beds can keep older dogs away from draughts, while cats may like high-up dens.
Motorists drove through heavy snowfall on the M5 near Taunton, Somerset
A Scottish terrier plays in the snow on the Dunstable Downs in Bedforshire
A wild horse leaves footprints in the snow in Colpy, Aberdeenshire | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64875441 |
Gary Lineker says he will 'keep speaking for those with no voice' after asylum row - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Match of the Day host was criticised for tweets he posted about the government's new asylum plan. | UK | Gary Lineker has said he will try to keep speaking up for people with "no voice", after criticism of his tweets on the government's asylum policy.
The Match of the Day host had said the language setting out the plan was "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she was disappointed by the remarks.
The BBC said it was having a "frank conversation" with Lineker about the BBC's need to remain impartial.
On Tuesday, the government outlined its plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.
Opposition MPs and humanitarian organisations have strongly criticised the proposals to detain and swiftly remove adults regardless of their asylum claim - but the PM and home secretary have defended the plan, saying stopping the crossings is a priority for the British people.
The presenter described it on Twitter as an "immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".
His remarks were criticised widely by Conservative MPs and ministers, including Ms Braverman and Downing Street.
The furore surrounding Lineker's latest remarks puts pressure on the BBC, with director general Tim Davie having made impartiality a cornerstone of his leadership.
Responding to some of the criticism on Wednesday, Lineker tweeted: "Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree."
He followed up shortly after with: "I have never known such love and support in my life than I'm getting this morning (England World Cup goals aside, possibly). I want to thank each and every one of you. It means a lot.
"I'll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice."
Earlier, Ms Braverman told BBC One's Breakfast she was "disappointed, obviously" in his comments.
"I think it's unhelpful to compare our measures, which are lawful, proportionate and - indeed - compassionate, to 1930s Germany.
"I also think that we are on the side of the British people here."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Suella Braverman says she is "disappointed" by Gary Lineker's tweet
Downing Street later said Lineker's criticism of the new asylum policy was "not acceptable".
The prime minister's press secretary told reporters: "It's obviously disappointing to see someone whose salary is funded by hard-working British (licence fee) payers using that kind of rhetoric and seemingly dismissing their legitimate concerns that they have about small boats crossings and illegal migration."
But beyond that, they added, "it's up to the BBC" and they would not comment further.
A spokesman for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said comparisons with Germany in the 1930s "aren't always the best way to make" an argument.
Lineker, who has presented Match of the Day since 1999, is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about £1.35m in 2020-21.
He has in the past been vocal about migrants' rights and has taken refugees into his home. He has also been critical of successive Conservative governments over issues including Brexit.
In October, the BBC's complaints unit found Lineker had broken impartiality rules in a tweet asking whether the Conservative Party planned to "hand back their donations from Russian donors".
The comment came after the then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urged Premier League teams to boycott the Champions League final in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Davie said in 2020 he was prepared to sack people to protect the BBC's reputation for impartiality.
He issued new social media guidelines and said he was willing to "take people off Twitter" - a comment which Lineker responded to at the time by saying "I think only Twitter can take people off Twitter".
The presenter's frequent outspoken online posts have been viewed by some as a test of the BBC's ability to balance its impartiality duty with its ability to attract top talent in the era of social media.
Earlier on Wednesday, when asked about how many "strikes" the presenter has had over social media posts, Mr Davie said he wasn't going to speak specifically about individuals.
He added: "I think the BBC absolutely puts the highest value on impartiality and that's clearly important to us."
In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Lineker indicated he had no intention of retracting his comment or steering clear of politics outside of his work for the BBC.
Richard Sambrook, the BBC's former director of global news, said the controversy highlighted the need for the broadcaster to clarify how impartiality rules apply to its sport staff and freelancers.
He told Radio 4's PM programme similar cases would "corrode trust" in the BBC unless the position was made clearer.
The Lineker row also comes amid scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the appointment of BBC chairman Richard Sharp and his relationship with Boris Johnson.
A committee of MPs said last month Mr Sharp had committed "significant errors of judgement" by not disclosing his involvement in the then-prime minister's financial affairs while seeking the senior BBC post. Mr Sharp insists he got the job on merit.
The broadcaster's editorial guidelines state the organisation is "committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output" and that "public comments, for example on social media, of staff [or] presenters... can affect perceptions of the BBC's impartiality".
A spokesperson for the corporation said: "The BBC has social media guidance, which is published.
"Individuals who work for us are aware of their responsibilities relating to social media.
"We have appropriate internal processes in place if required.
"We would expect Gary to be spoken to and reminded of his responsibilities."
The corporation has also responded to previous criticism of Lineker by highlighting that he is not involved in its news or political output and is a freelance broadcaster, not a member of staff. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64891734 |
Gary Lineker says he does not fear BBC suspension over asylum policy tweet - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Match of the Day host said he stands by his tweet that criticised the government's asylum policy. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Gary Lineker says he stands by tweets criticising government's asylum policy
Gary Lineker has said he does not fear BBC suspension in an impartiality row over a tweet criticising the government's asylum policy.
The Match of the Day host has tweeted that he is "looking forward to presenting" the show on Saturday.
Lineker had compared the language the government used to set out asylum plans to "that used by Germany in the 30s".
Speaking to the BBC, the home secretary said the comment "diminishes the unspeakable tragedy" of the Holocaust.
Despite the intense criticism, Lineker expects to be retained as a presenter. The BBC has not commented.
He wrote on social media: "Happy that this ridiculously out of proportion story seems to be abating and very much looking forward to presenting [Match of the Day] on Saturday. Thanks again for all your incredible support. It's been overwhelming."
Suella Braverman told the BBC's Political Thinking podcast the Nazi comparison used by Lineker was "lazy and unhelpful".
The home secretary said her family "feel very keenly the impact of the Holocaust" as her husband is Jewish and said it was "offensive" to draw the comparison.
When it was put to her by host Nick Robinson that Lineker was passionate about the rights of asylum seekers, she said the Germany comment was an "unhelpful way to frame the debate".
The BBC said on Wednesday it was having a "frank conversation" with Lineker about the BBC's guidelines on remaining impartial following his Twitter remark.
Asked by a reporter if he regretted the post, the host answered: "No".
Pressed on whether he had spoken to the BBC director general, he said he had and that they "chat often". Asked if he stood by the tweet, he said: "Course".
Speaking in the Commons earlier on Thursday, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said Lineker's remark was "disappointing and inappropriate" and referenced her grandmother who escaped Nazi Germany.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Suella Braverman says Gary Lineker's tweet about immigration policy is "a lazy and unhelpful comparison to make".
Ms Frazer said it was "important for the BBC to retain impartiality if it is to retain the trust of the public who pay the licence fee" but that the broadcaster is "operationally independent" of the government.
Former culture secretary Sir John Whittingdale urged the government to ensure "all those who are presenters on the BBC" - including freelancers like Lineker - were covered by impartiality rules when the charter was reviewed.
But Richard Sambrook, the BBC's former director of global news, said on Twitter it had "become unsustainable for the BBC to force freelance presenters to fall in line with BBC policies in their non-BBC activities".
He added that the policy was "full of fudge" and the BBC needed to clarify "to what extent impartiality rules extend beyond news".
On Tuesday, Suella Braverman outlined the government's plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.
Opposition MPs and charities have strongly objected to the proposals, but the PM and home secretary have defended the plan, saying stopping the crossings is a priority for the British people.
Lineker's remarks have been widely criticised by Conservative MPs but he has received support by many on social media who oppose the government's proposals.
In response to some of the criticism, Lineker tweeted on Wednesday: "I'll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no choice."
Lineker, 62, who has presented Match of the Day since 1999 also works for LaLiga TV.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The corporation's former editorial policy controller Richard Ayre said the presenter had a choice to make over his role at the BBC.
He said Lineker must consider whether to stay or to leave and "become a social media influencer".
Mr Ayre, a former member of the broadcasting regulator Ofcom's content board, said it was "unacceptable" to have someone who works for the BBC "comparing Suella Braverman to the third Reich".
Asked whether BBC director general Tim Davie may have to let the sports presenter go, Mr Ayre told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't think he is going to have any choice but to let him go unless he can be certain that this is the end of it."
The former BBC trustee was also asked about BBC chairman Richard Sharp, who is facing criticism over his role in facilitating a £800,000 loan for then-prime minister Boris Johnson.
Mr Ayre said the BBC's chairman was "hanging by an absolute thread", adding: "It is quite likely that, within the next few days or weeks, we'll perhaps see two heads roll - one from the left and one from the right, the chairman and Gary Lineker.
"And then, maybe, once each side has scored a goal, we can get back to normal business." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64899472 |
Lidl lifts all restrictions on fresh produce - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The supermarket is ending restrictions that it had put on some fruit and vegetables as shortages ease. | Business | Lidl is lifting restrictions on the sale of fruit and vegetables as supply issues begin to ease.
Last week the supermarket had put limits of three per customer on sales of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, but it said that by Monday, all limits will be lifted.
It comes after Asda and Morrisons also lifted restrictions on the sale of some fruit and vegetables.
Many supermarkets restricted sales of some salad items blaming bad weather.
Limits on cucumbers will be lifted at Morrisons, although the supermarket is still restricting sales of tomatoes, lettuces and peppers to two per person.
Asda is lifting restrictions on cucumbers, lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, raspberries and salad leaves, but limits of three per person remain in place for tomatoes and peppers.
It said that supply of remaining restricted produce is expected to be back to normal within weeks.
The unusually cold spell of weather in Europe and North Africa affected some harvests which then had a knock-on effect on supply of fruit and vegetables to the UK.
In the winter months the UK imports around 95% of its tomatoes and 90% of its lettuces, most of them from Spain and north Africa, according to trade group the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
The UK also gets some produce at this time of year from domestic growers and the Netherlands, but those supplies have been tighter since farmers in both countries have cut back on their use of greenhouses due to higher electricity prices.
The National Farmers' Union has called for more support for UK growers.
The idea behind the supermarket restrictions was to ensure that as many customers as possible could buy what they need.
Food and farming minister Mark Spencer held a video meeting with representatives from UK supermarkets in late February, aimed at finding out what supermarkets were doing to "get shelves stocked again" and how the UK can avoid a repeat of the current situation.
Mr Spencer had asked retailers to "look again" at how they work with farmers to "further build preparedness for these unexpected incidents". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64908081 |
Army urged to stop giving out ceremonial daggers as gifts after murders - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A coroner writes to the defence secretary after a veteran used his retirement gift to kill a couple. | Somerset | Collin Reeves used a ceremonial dagger, given to him when he left the Army, to kill his neighbours
The Army has been urged to stop giving out weapons as retirement gifts after a veteran used a ceremonial dagger to murder his neighbours.
Collin Reeves killed Stephen Chapple, 36, and wife Jennifer, 33, in 2021 after a long-running parking dispute.
The dagger had been handed to Reeves when he retired from the British Army.
Senior Somerset Coroner Samantha Marsh has written to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace urging him to consider the "appropriateness" of such gifts.
Stephen and Jennifer Chapple were stabbed to death while their children slept upstairs
"The dagger was not a blunt replica, it was a fully functional weapon capable of causing significant harm, injury and, sadly, in the Chapples' case, death," she wrote in a prevention of future deaths report.
"Please reconsider the appropriateness of providing anyone leaving the British Army, regardless of rank or status, with what is to all intents and purposes a deadly weapon.
"Such presentation/gifting has essentially put a deadly weapon in the community where I understand it sadly remains, having never been recovered as it was removed from the scene prior to police attendance, and I am not persuaded that this is appropriate."
Reeves, an ex-Royal Engineer who served in Afghanistan, was jailed for life in June last year and ordered to serve at least 38 years after being convicted of the double murder in Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset.
Reeves called police just a few minutes after the killings to confess, but later denied murder, claiming he was guilty of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.
But two forensic psychiatrists found he was not suffering from psychosis or acute post-traumatic stress disorder, and diagnosed him with only mild to moderate depression.
On the night of the murders, Reeves was caught on a security camera climbing the fence separating his garden from the victims' garden, and entering through the back door.
The court heard that the Chapples and Reeves previously had a good relationship but it had deteriorated when Mrs Chapple learned to drive and bought a second car.
Rows over parking spaces escalated to the point that Reeves' wife Kayley and Mrs Chapple had told their friends they were anxious about bumping into each other on the school run.
The Defence Secretary has until April 25 to respond to the coroner's report.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-64896245 |
Rare 'snow tornado' spotted by Shetland crofter - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | null | Michael Peterson witnessed the phenomenon while feeding his sheep in snowy conditions. | null | Have you ever seen a "snow tornado"?
Michael Peterson was feeding his sheep on his croft in Shetland when he spotted the rare weather event following a hailstorm on Tuesday.
He told BBC Radio Shetland he was lucky to be in the "right place at the right time".
An Arctic blast continues to hit many parts of Scotland, with school closures in Shetland, Aberdeenshire and Highland. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64900417 |
Channel migrants: Rishi Sunak to meet Emmanuel Macron - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | After years of tense UK-France relations, it's all smiles ahead of a key Paris summit on Friday. | World | The French president and UK prime minister have much to discuss at Friday's summit
Paris is world famous for romance. But what about bromance (or romance fraternelle, as the UK's French cousins might say)?
An explosion of mutual admiration is predicted in the French capital this Friday when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets President Emmanuel Macron.
But is bromance exaggerated? Perhaps a bit glib?
After seven years of pretty appalling Franco-British relations following the UK's Brexit vote, and with conventional warfare back and raging in Europe as Russia continues its bloody assault on Ukraine, there is a voracious appetite on both sides of the Channel for new beginnings and constructive co-operation.
And there are remarkable similarities between the French and British leaders.
Former investment bankers and finance ministers, who attended elite schools, they are both ideologically from the centre-right. They were young when they took the reins of power: Mr Sunak is 42, while Mr Macron became the youngest president in French history at 39.
Rather diminutive in stature, the two men are hugely ambitious. Part of their "let's get down to business" image is a liking for signature, sharply tailored, slim-cut navy suits. France's Le Monde newspaper noted, in a flourish of sartorial snobbery, that Mr Sunak's seemed "too tight".
But there are other similarities the two men probably prefer not to boast about.
France has been gripped by protests against Macron's plan to raise the retirement age to 64
Neither of them has a convincing popular mandate. Mr Sunak became prime minister after his predecessor's resignation. Mr Macron's Renaissance party runs a minority government after punishing parliamentary elections.
The two leaders are beset by public sector strikes: over pay in the UK and pensions in France. Critics accuse them of arrogance at times and of seeming distant from the concerns of most voters. Mr Sunak, because of his personal wealth; the French president, for his grand manner. He's mockingly dubbed "Jupiter" at home, implying he sees himself as godlike, and also "president of the rich" because of some of his policies.
Of course, Mr Sunak voted for Brexit, while Mr Macron once touted himself as Mr Europe. They are by no means two peas in a pod. But in a post-Brexit and post-pandemic world challenged by Russia and China, they share an apparent conviction that political pragmatism, rather than dogmatic ideology, is the order of the day.
London and Paris have billed Friday's summit as ambitious - covering immigration, the environment, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Iran's nuclear programme, civil nuclear co-operation, bilateral trade, youth opportunities, how to handle China and more.
But what can actually be achieved in such a short meeting? Is this more symbolism than content?
Rishi Sunak is trying to tackle the problem of people crossing the Channel from France in small boats
Mr Macron has a defence and security message uppermost in his mind. Mr Sunak has a big focus on migration, as I discuss below. But as the UK's ambassador to France Menna Rawlings pointed out in a French media interview, what was important was actually getting the two sides together at this high level after five years.
Meetings like this between the UK and France used to happen pretty much annually. Covid has been a factor in the summit-freeze, of course, but it was the Brexit process that really opened a chasm of bad-tempered bitterness between these two countries with their long history of frenemy-ship.
Now though, the enormity of the geopolitical crisis over Russia and Ukraine and the impact it's having on wider continental security and on energy prices has helped focus minds and calm relations, reminding both sides of the values they share.
French political commentator Pierre Haski predicts Mr Macron will use the summit on Friday to showcase France and the UK as big military powers, standing side-by-side and shoulder-to-shoulder.
They are Europe's only significant military players (Germany's pledge to become one will take a very long time to realise). Both countries have a seat on the UN security council. Both are nuclear powers - testing their warheads at the same facility in France - and they've worked very closely together inside Nato since the start of Russia's invasion.
The UK and France are close military allies and Nato members
Mr Haski notes that Mr Macron, a long-time champion of boosting European defence (not necessarily an "EU army"), with individual countries investing more in security, has seen his dream finally taking shape - and yet it's been the US, not France, leading the way in the face of Moscow's aggression.
"He needs to be seen to be playing the Nato game," says Mr Haski.
Meanwhile Mr Sunak will arrive in Paris this Friday with migration very much on his mind.
He's made stemming the arrival of migrants to the UK one of five pledges against which he says he should be judged by voters come next year's general election.
But tough words at home and a cosier relationship with Paris won't stop the people-smugglers' boats trying to cross the Channel. And this is an issue where expectations of the summit should probably be limited.
Numbers have been steadily on the rise - 46,000 people crossed those waters in small boats last year alone - grabbing UK headlines, causing tragic loss of life and leading over time to much finger pointing between Britain and France.
France and the UK have cooperated in recent years on the Channel migrant crisis, but people keep making the journey
The UK says Paris hasn't been doing enough to stop the dinghies leaving along France's coastline, despite increasing UK financial support. France rejects the accusation, saying it prevented over 30,000 people making the crossing last year. The French government receives an estimated three times as many asylum claims as the UK annually. It insists, when it comes to small boats across the Channel, it's suffering the effects of the UK's asylum policy - something the UK government strongly contests.
"Migration is not only an issue for the UK," an Elysée official said again pointedly this week. "We need to accept a broader focus. It is not Britain versus the continent, or Britain versus France. It is very much a global issue."
Both sides have already spoken of their ambitious co-operation agreements to crackdown on people smuggling gangs. They openly admit it's a shared problem. But what Mr Sunak is unlikely to get in public, or private, despite the new warm mood of Franco-British pragmatism, is an assurance from Mr Macron that France will take back asylum-seekers who've crossed the Channel from his country.
That scenario has been described to me by a number of French journalists as politically toxic. The left would accuse Mr Macron of doing the UK's policing for them, they say, while the far right would accuse him of filling up France with those they label "illegal migrants".
It's not the first time the French have protested to UK lawmakers that "we have politics too."
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now in its second year - something the UK and France want to halt
I heard the same argument often, during those bitter post-Brexit negotiations with the EU, where Mr Macron appeared to relish the role of "bad cop" - even though, in reality, his position was rarely dissimilar to that of the other big EU power, Germany.
The UK became engulfed in a domestic political crisis post-Brexit, but the concern of Mr Macron, an overt champion of the EU, those close to him would say, was that if the UK got the advantages of bloc membership after leaving (such as a favourable financial services deal or customs breaks) that would play into the hands of the increasingly popular French far right which, in those days, was agitating for "Frexit" - that is, France leaving the European Union.
That, in the French president's mind, according to Macron-watchers, was a key reason for sounding tough on Brexit, as well as the wider EU argument of "protecting their single market".
Former UK ambassador to France Peter Ricketts thinks Franco-British ties suffered particularly badly after Brexit because of the two countries' closeness:
"The friction of Brexit fell on to the UK-French relationship. We live next door to each other. No country has closer links to us in so many ways, whether it's through family, business, or war commemorations. We are so very alike that our relationship is often a competitive one. It's like sibling rivalry."
Many UK politicians and much of the country's popular press believed Paris was out to punish its neighbour, dismissively nicknamed "Les Rosbifs". There were rows over customs, migrant smuggler dinghies and fishing rights (including the UK getting out the gunboats in 2021 as both countries postured out at sea). Boris Johnson's successor as prime minister, Liz Truss, publicly questioned whether the French president was a friend or foe to the United Kingdom.
French relations with the UK have been tense in recent years
But now says, Pierre Haski, "No-one in France talks about Brexit. It hardly features at all in the French media." Deals with the UK won't be viewed in those terms anymore. And EU membership is more popular in France these days, even if a distaste for Brussels' perceived interference is still widespread.
It's also important to point out, that while Franco-British political relations have been fractious and strained over the last years, contacts of course continued between the cross-Channel neighbours.
Ambassador Ricketts spoke to me with enthusiasm about King Charles' upcoming trip to France, closely co-ordinated with Downing Street. You could say it's the icing on the gâteau of a sweeter Franco-British understanding.
This will be the King's first state visit. And the French, Peter Ricketts observes are "really touched." It's a strong symbol of the ties between the two countries, he says, that rises above politics.
The French - who violently finished off their own monarchy a couple of hundred years ago - are rather obsessed by, you could say enamoured with, the British Royal Family, an influential figure at the Elysée confided in me.
"We all watched the [TV series] The Crown. We were addicted," she gushed.
Queen Elizabeth II made frequent visits to France during her reign, and spoke French fluently
Ahead of Friday's summit the Elysée Palace told journalists that France and the UK are "committed not only to work together, but to work together for the benefit of each other."
Translation: the two countries are no longer in post-Brexit defensive mode. There's a new confidence that cooperating and collaborating won't immediately be seen as a win for one, or the weakness of the other.
"Emmanuel Macron is willing to invest in Rishi Sunak," Lord Ricketts told me, even though the prime minister faces a general election next year, with the odds stacked against him.
I once heard Franco-British relations likened to a climate, rather than an evolving relationship.
If that is the case, the weather is currently looking clement.
Rishi Sunak's recent Brexit deal with the EU over Northern Ireland has also really helped the bilateral atmosphere. Paving the way for possible new deals to ease other post-Brexit complications like trade hurdles at Dover and Calais, and job opportunities in France and the UK for youngsters. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-64891459 |
Food fraud probe into beef falsely labelled as British - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A supplier is under investigation after pre-packed meat was found to be from South America and Europe. | Business | The National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) is investigating potential food fraud involving pre-packed sliced beef which was labelled as British but came from South America and Europe.
A supermarket in the UK has been forced to remove products from its shelves.
The unit has declined to name the retailer or the supplier of the meat.
Andrew Quinn, deputy chief of the NFCU, said it was not a food safety issue but a matter of food fraud, which it takes very seriously.
Mr Quinn said: "The retailer was notified on the same day that we took action against the food business suspected of the fraud and immediately removed all affected products from their shelves.
"The retailer continues to work closely and cooperatively with the NFCU investigation to progress the case against the supplier. This is not a food safety issue but a matter of food fraud."
The BBC has contacted UK supermarkets for comment. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, the Co-op, Waitrose, Morrisons, Iceland and Marks & Spencer said they are not the retailer that had been supplied with the beef.
Charlotte Di Cello, Waitrose commercial director, said: "We know each and every farmer that produces our Waitrose beef. At Waitrose, higher welfare means higher welfare and British means British. These standards are fundamental to our makeup and this will never change."
The investigation - codenamed "Operation Hawk" - was made public in December by the Food Standards Agency, which is the parent body of the NFCU.
At the time it said it was looking into the directors of a company which sold large volumes of pre-packed meat to UK supermarket retailer "who pride themselves on only selling British products".
However, it did not disclose details of the probe, including what type of meat was in question.
Some trade associations told Farmers Weekly magazine, which revealed that beef was at the centre of the investigation, they were disappointed that it had taken until now for some facts to be released.
A spokesman for the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, said: "It is only today that we have found the product concerned is beef, and it is our belief, given the popularity of sliced cooked beef across all trade channels, that its sale by food fraudsters will not have been limited to a single supermarket.
"The NFCU's current play book has the potential to damage UK overseas trade simply by their policy of a lack of transparency and industry engagement."
The NFCU's Mr Quinn said: "Any fraud investigations of this nature take time to go through evidence and bring to any outcome, including any potential prosecution.
"We take food fraud very seriously and are acting urgently to protect the consumer." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64904334 |
Weather forecast for the UK - BBC Weather | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | null | Weather forecast for the UK | null | This is the weather forecast for the UK. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast-video/21416743 |
Doctors' strike threatens tackling backlog, warn NHS bosses - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Health leaders say it is inevitable next week's 72-hour walkout in England will have an impact. | Health | Data for England is shown by NHS trust, where the trust includes at least one hospital with a Type 1 A&E department. Type 1 means a consultant-led 24 hour A&E service with full resuscitation facilities. Data for Wales and Scotland is shown by Health Board and in Northern Ireland by Health and Social Care Trust.
When you enter a postcode for a location in England you will be shown a list of NHS trusts in your area. They will not necessarily be in order of your closest hospital as some trusts have more than one hospital. Data for Wales and Scotland are shown by NHS board and by Health and Social Care trust in Northern Ireland.
Comparative data is shown for a previous year where available. However, where trusts have merged there is no like-for-like comparison to show. Earlier data is not available for all measures, so comparisons between years are not always possible.
A&E attendances include all emergency departments in that trust or health board, not just major A&E departments, for example, those who attend minor injury units.
Each nation has different target times for some of the measures shown, therefore comparisons between them may not be possible. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64827249 |
Up to 30,000 Russian casualties claimed in Bakhmut - BBC News | 2023-03-09T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The number of killed and wounded is out of proportion to the city's worth, say Western officials. | Europe | Bakhmut has lost most of its pre-war population since the start of the Russian invasion
Between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed and wounded in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut since it began last summer, Western officials say.
The epic nature of the battle is out of all proportion to Bakhmut's strategic significance, they add.
But after more than six months of grinding, horrific fighting, the future of Bakhmut still hangs in the balance.
Since the fighting began, some 90% of its pre-invasion population has fled.
This small administrative city in the Donbas is a wasteland of shattered buildings and trees.
Even if it falls to Russia - something that could still take time and is not guaranteed - Moscow will, Western officials say, have gained little and lost much.
For Ukraine, one official said, the battle for Bakhmut has been "a unique opportunity to kill a lot of Russians".
Ukraine's military has also paid a heavy price, although Western officials reject figures cited on Tuesday by Russia's defence minister.
In a statement to a defence meeting, posted on Telegram, Sergei Shoigu said Ukraine had lost 11,000 troops in February alone.
"The Kyiv regime's indifference towards its own people is astonishing," Mr Shoigu claimed, perhaps deliberately flipping Ukraine's criticism of Moscow's own human-wave tactics on its head.
By contrast, they believe the Wagner mercenary group, which has led Russia's attempt to capture Bakhmut, is running short of manpower and equipment.
In the latest in a series of broadsides against the Russian military, Wagner's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian military of failing to supply the ammunition Wagner needs to take the city.
This, Prigozhin argued, was the result of "ordinary bureaucracy or a betrayal".
Whatever happens to Bakhmut - one official said he thought the Russian effort was "stalling" - there's a clear hope among Ukraine's allies that the battle has wrecked Moscow's chances of making any further meaningful headway in the near future.
One Western official dismissed the battle for Bakhmut as "quite a small tactical event" which held no strategic significance "for either side".
In his remarks posted on Telegram, Sergei Shoigu said the "liberation of Artyomovsk [the Russian name for Bakhmut] continues," and he suggested that it would represent a breakthrough.
"The city is an important defensive hub for Ukrainian forces in the Donbas," he said. "Taking control of it will allow… further offensive actions into the Ukrainian military's defensive lines."
But Western officials said there was currently no sign of any wider Russian offensive.
The general in charge of Moscow's war effort, Valery Gerasimov, they said, was "under pressure".
"It's hard to see how he's going… to regain the initiative,"
This isn't the first time Kyiv's Western backers have suggested that Moscow's campaign has come unstuck. Similar claims were made following Ukraine's lightning counter-offensives last autumn.
But Russia's territorial gains over the winter have been extremely modest.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has been receiving fresh batches of Western military equipment, including tanks and other armoured vehicles, and laying plans for its own offensive, which could come as early as May. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64880268 |
England 10-53 France: Hosts slump to record home defeat against Six Nations holders - BBC Sport | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | null | France produce a ruthless display to condemn England to their heaviest home defeat and keep their Six Nations title defence alive with a seven-try win. | null | France produced a ruthless display to condemn England to their heaviest home defeat and keep their Six Nations title defence alive with a seven-try win.
Thomas Ramos scored the first of France's tries before Thibaud Flament powered over from close range.
Charles Ollivon added a third to hand France a 24-point lead at the break.
Freddie Steward crossed but Flament and Ollivon did so again and Damian Penaud scored twice as England fell to the third biggest defeat in their history.
Victory with the full quota of five points means France will take the title race into the final weekend, regardless of Ireland's result against Scotland on Sunday.
France, who had not won in the Six Nations at Twickenham since 2005, showed exactly why they are the number two side in the world and among the favourites to win the World Cup on home soil in six months.
Meanwhile, England's title challenge is over in humiliating fashion and means this is the first Six Nations campaign where they have lost two home matches.
It is a stark reminder of the work they need to do to catch the best teams in the world - and things could get even worse with a trip to face Grand Slam-chasing world number one side Ireland in Dublin next weekend.
There was a noticeable buzz as England fans made their way to Twickenham with Marcus Smith given a chance to steer the ship at fly-half following his excellent display for Harlequins over the same blades of grass last weekend.
Smith was given the nod instead of the experienced Owen Farrell, who dropped to the bench, with the hope it would ignite the England attack.
But you could still feel the heat from the pre-game stadium pyrotechnics when Ramos opened the scoring in the first minute with his third try of the tournament.
France sniffed an opportunity and moved the ball wide quickly for the full-back to scamper clear. It was a sign of what was to come.
Flament had a short run-up before bursting on to a flat pass to carry three white shirts over the line for the second, and Ollivon momentarily wore Smith on his back for the third.
The game was out of sight by the interval and England had barely laid a glove as they trailed by their biggest ever half-time deficit at home.
The hosts must have had the stern words of Steve Borthwick and his staff ringing in their ears as they emerged for the second half like a different team.
Smith's crossfield kick almost reached Max Malins on the full before Steward used all his might to crash over near the posts.
Scrum-half Alex Mitchell had been introduced off the bench and immediately injected pace into the England attack, while Farrell replaced centre Henry Slade.
The volume went up a level but France showed the clinical edge their hosts were lacking and the influence of the world-class Antoine Dupont began to tell.
The France captain nudged the ball over the England defence for Romain Ntamack to palm back to Flament for the bonus point, and England's fire was extinguished.
More boot to ball in the swirling rain and more white shirts running backwards. This time Smith collected the ball deep in English territory before being hauled down as Ollivon claimed the loose ball for try number five.
England had thrown in the towel but France were intent on adding to their misery. Gael Fickou's crossfield kick bounced fortuitously for Penaud and then it was a race between the wing and Alex Dombrandt with only one winner.
Penaud was over again moments later after latching on to a flat pass to run England's noses in it for the seventh try.
Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Live: "There are no excuses. From the off, England have not been at the races. It's miserable for England fans, the players, the management.
"I'd like to say you write it off as a bad performance but England were exposed. Ireland will be watching this game thinking we can do that. We can play that way. We can manipulate England in that manner.
"It will put more doubt into the England coaching set-up. We have questioned whether England are playing the right game. They cannot expect to win games against the top teams if they play in that manner."
• None The A-list movie star sits down for an honest chat with Tony Bellew
• None Listen to all-new versions of her greatest hits and a classic cover | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64928055 |
Fears of a hidden rise in Roma children in care - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Court cases show families in acute need, but unable to access benefits due to lack of settled status. | UK | Roma community workers in Bradford say there has been a rise in the number of Roma children subject to care proceedings, but they may not be visible in official data, because parents fear discrimination if they identify themselves as Roma or Gypsy.
Care cases we observed during a family court reporting pilot at Leeds Family Court showed some Roma families were in acute financial difficulty, and their children were living in homes without adequate food or heating.
Most Roma families in Bradford are originally from Eastern Europe, and settled after 2004 when citizens of new EU states were allowed to move to the UK.
However, some have not obtained settled status required by the Home Office since Brexit for EU nationals permanently resident in the UK.
That means they are not entitled to access services and benefits.
In one case we followed, Bradford council took several young children from one family into care six months ago.
The father is abroad and told the council he wanted the children to live with him outside the UK. The father had not instructed a lawyer and did not participate in the proceedings.
The mother was in prison, and was expected to be released shortly. Her barrister told the court the mother wanted the children to live with her again.
The mother was learning English, and wanted to turn her life around, the lawyer said. She added, "She has shown me that she is really determined".
Court papers show that social workers first contacted the family in 2020.
The parents had separated, and the mother was living with her own family. There were violent incidents in the home.
In August 2021, the police were called and "noted that there seemed to be no electricity as the landlord had cut off the supply," the papers show. The children were "seen to be dirty and dishevelled" there was "limited fresh food" in the house.
The council moved the mother to emergency accommodation. Social workers remained worried, noting a lack of food, even though the mother was being given supplies. Unknown adults were staying with the family, and the children's school attendance was "still an issue".
The youngest child appeared unwell to social workers, but was not being taken to health appointments. Professionals "had to intervene to book GP appointments" for the children.
Because of problems with the temporary accommodation, the council moved the family to a hotel. Staff there alerted social workers that the mother was leaving the children alone there "for hours at a time". In May 2022, staff came across a small bag containing white powder. The mother "accepted to social care that she was using cocaine".
She was then arrested and detained, and the children taken into care. The court was told they are doing well in their foster placements, especially one little boy.
"In the short time he has been in placement, we have seen an immediate change in his presentation," the report said.
"He is chatty and comfortable expressing his wishes and feelings."
There will be another hearing in May.
The mother in this case did not have settled status, and the council had been helping her try to get it for herself and the children. But she said she did not have their identification documents as they were with the father.
Daniel Balaz runs the community interest company "Connecting Roma" to help families and Bradford Children's Services work together. He said it was not an accident that we observed several care cases involving Roma families in Bradford - even though the community are a small minority in the city.
Bradford has a population of over half a million people, and it's estimated there are between 13,000 and 20,000 Roma.
Mr Balaz said he was seeing more cases involving children of Roma heritage because families were under acute financial pressure. The deadline for resident EU citizens to apply to the Home Office for settled status was two years ago, but many had missed it.
He said it was common for Roma to lack the paperwork they need to complete an application.
Mr Balaz said it was unlikely the increase he had observed would show up in official data, because so many Roma families were reluctant to identify themselves as Roma or gypsy.
"They feel they would be stereotyped or discriminated against," he said, adding that now they were also "reluctant" to put down their country of origin. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64919261 |
Gary Lineker: Impartiality row leads to fresh calls for BBC chairman to resign - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The BBC chairman is under renewed pressure with the broadcaster in the grip of a major impartiality row. | UK | Pressure is growing on BBC chairman Richard Sharp to resign amid the Gary Lineker impartiality row.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the presenter's suspension "has shown failure at the top".
Mr Sharp's appointment is being investigated over his relationship with Boris Johnson. He denies wrongdoing.
But ex-BBC head Greg Dyke said the Sharp allegations had "helped fuel the perception" the corporation bowed to government pressure on Lineker.
Fresh questions are being asked about Mr Sharp's position in light of another impartiality row involving Match of the Day host Lineker.
An ongoing KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an £800,000 loan guarantee for the then PM Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.
The BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.
An MPs' committee said Mr Sharp made "significant errors of judgement" in doing so while applying for the BBC job. He insists he got the job on merit.
Mr Sharp has previously admitted the affair had embarrassed the BBC but insisted he had "acted in good faith to ensure that the rules were followed".
Lineker's suspension for his criticism of the language used around the government's asylum policy and likening its rhetoric to Nazi Germany triggered an impromptu walkout by BBC Sport staff that has taken TV and radio coverage off air.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed said the government had "systematically attacked and undermined the independence of our BBC" and that the chairman's position was "totally untenable".
"We need leadership at the BBC that upholds our proud British values and can withstand today's consistently turbulent politics and Conservative bullying tactics," he added.
Mr Dyke, who led the BBC between 2000 and 2004, said Lineker's suspension was a "mistake" and "undermined its own credibility".
The decision to suspend Lineker was signed off by director general Tim Davie who, unlike Mr Sharp, is not appointed by the government.
Mr Sharp has previously accepted he set up a meeting between the Cabinet Office and Sam Blyth, a Canadian multi-millionaire and distant cousin of Mr Johnson who had offered to help him financially.
The Cabinet Secretary Simon Case instructed Mr Sharp to have no further involvement in the loan discussions as it could raise conflict of interest issues in light of his BBC application.
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Mr Sharp, who has insisted he got the job on merit, did not disclose his involvement in arranging the meeting when he was vetted ahead of his appointment.
The process is being investigated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the BBC Board has said it will review his conflicts of interest without giving a timeline for when it will be completed.
BBC culture and media editor Katie Razzall makes the point that the organisation has no say in its chairman's appointment and that as a board member, Mr Sharp does not have a say in editorial matters.
The chairman is in charge of upholding and protecting the BBC's independence and ensuring the BBC fulfils its mission to inform, educate and entertain, among other things.
Mr Sharp was named as the government's preferred candidate for the BBC chairmanship in January 2021 and at the time the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee backed his appointment.
The government's choice is ultimately decided by the prime minister - at the time Mr Johnson - on the advice of the culture secretary, who is in turn advised by a panel.
As he is appointed by the government, Mr Sharp can only be sacked by the secretary of state or resign, he cannot be axed by the BBC.
Labour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Mr Sharp is "totally unable" to handle the Lineker row and has written to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer asking for his position to be "urgently clarified".
She wrote: "He is the one who should be giving staff, viewers and complainants the confidence that the organisation has acted proportionately and fairly. He is totally unable to perform this function."
Ms Powell also called on Ms Frazer to give details on any conversations she had with Mr Sharp, as well as Director General Tim Davie and other BBC executives about Lineker's suspension.
Former journalist Baroness Wheatcroft, a crossbench peer who sits on the Lords Communications and Digital Committee, added the BBC should "call for the suspension" of "clearly political" Mr Sharp after the Lineker row.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The problem is that the BBC has guidelines, but it doesn't apply them fairly. Guidelines only work if they are applied right across the board within the scope of the guidelines, and clearly the BBC has failed on that."
Former head of BBC TV News and director of sport, Roger Mosey, also called for Mr Sharp to go as he said the chairman had "damaged the BBC's credibility".
He wrote on Twitter: "Ideally, Lineker should stay within clear, agreed guidelines. And the BBC should send out its executives to be interviewed and explain how they intend to resolve this crisis."
Prof Steven Barnett, professor of communications at the University of Westminster, told BBC News he had supported Mr Sharp's appointment but now thought he should go.
"It is clear it is now a big question mark over the whole of the BBC's output and commitment to impartiality," he says.
Downing Street previously said it was reserving judgement on Mr Sharp's appointment until investigations are completed.
The BBC has approached Mr Sharp for comment. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64926923 |
Mikaela Shiffrin: American skier wins 87th World Cup to break long-standing record - BBC Sport | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | null | Mikaela Shiffrin becomes the greatest Alpine skier of all time with her 87th World Cup win - exactly 12 years after making her debut. | null | Last updated on .From the section Winter Sports
Mikaela Shiffrin became the greatest Alpine skier of all time with her 87th World Cup win - exactly 12 years after making her debut.
Slalom victory in Are, Sweden, saw the 27-year-old American surpass the record of 86 held by Swede Ingemar Stenmark since 1989.
She had drawn level with Stenmark in winning the giant slalom on Friday.
Shiffrin, who won her first World Cup in the same resort in 2012, said her achievement was "hard to comprehend".
She clocked one minute 41.77 seconds across her two runs, putting her 0.92 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Wendy Holdener in the standings.
"The best feeling is to ski on the second run when you have a lead," said Shiffrin.
"You have to be smart but also I just wanted to be fast too and ski the second run like its own race, and I did it exactly how I wanted and that's amazing."
Shiffrin, who turns 28 on Monday, was surprised on the finish line by her brother, Taylor, who she did not know was in attendance.
The Colorado native made her World Cup debut on 11 March 2011, competing in the giant slalom in the Czech Republic.
This season she has amassed 13 wins across all disciplines so far and has secured the overall, slalom and giant slalom World Cup crystal globes.
Meanwhile on the men's World Cup circuit, Marco Odermatt wrapped up his second successive overall title with giant slalom victory in Kranjska Gora.
He leads Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde by 486 points with five races remaining, but retained his title with Kilde - Shiffrin's partner - skipping this weekend's giant slalom races. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/64925857 |
Li Qiang: China appoints Xi Jinping ally as premier - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Li Qiang received almost every vote from more than 2,900 delegates at the rubber-stamp parliament. | China | Li Qiang, left, is the former Communist Party leader of Shanghai
The man nominated as China's next premier by President Xi Jinping has been formally appointed by parliament.
Li Qiang, the former Communist Party leader of the country's biggest city of Shanghai, will now lead the government, replacing retiring Li Keqiang.
The 63-year-old received almost every vote from more than 2,900 delegates at the National People's Congress.
A close ally of Mr Xi, he is seen as a pragmatist and will be tasked with reviving China's struggling economy.
New ministerial appointments are expected to be announced on Sunday.
No reporters were allowed in the room while ballots were cast during a meeting of China's rubber-stamp parliament. There was applause as Mr Xi cast his vote.
Mr Li - who is now the second-highest ranking official in China's political system - received a total of 2,936 votes, with just three delegates voting against his appointment and eight abstaining.
He then took an oath, swearing to be loyal to China's constitution and to "work hard to build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilised, harmonious and great modern socialist country".
Mr Li was President Xi's chief of staff in the early 2000s, when Mr Xi was party chief of Zhejiang province. Mr Li was made party secretary of Shanghai in 2017.
During the pandemic, he oversaw Shanghai's strict lockdown, which led to some residents struggling to access food and medical care.
His appointment comes after Mr Xi secured a historic third term as president on Friday.
The president has solidified his rule as China reopens from his bruising zero-Covid policy that has fuelled anti-government protests. The country is also facing a falling birth rate that threatens its economic growth engine.
The so-called Two Sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) this week is closely watched as it provides a glimpse into China's direction in the coming years.
Since Mao Zedong, leaders in China had been limited to two terms in office. When Mr Xi had this restriction changed in 2018, it transformed him into a figure with a reach not seen since Chairman Mao.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Why China's president gets two teacups...in 59 seconds | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-64924440 |
Snow and ice disrupt schools, roads and trains in Wales - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Areas of north and west Wales can expect up to a foot of snow on Friday, the Met Office warns. | Wales | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Heavy snow has caused widespread disruption to schools, roads and rail services in mid and north Wales for a second day.
A Met Office yellow warning for snow was in place until about midday as the Arctic blast continued to hit the UK.
A further yellow warning for ice until 10:00 GMT on Saturday warns of temperatures as low as -11C (12F).
More than 350 schools were closed on Friday and people were urged to avoid travelling.
Sixty-two homes in Merthyr Tydfil lost power on Friday morning but this has since been restored.
Meanwhile, SP Energy Networks also reported power cuts in the Mold area, at Carmel, Greenfield, near Holywell, in the Whitford area, Flintshire, and at Bwlchgwyn, near Wrexham.
Transport for Wales has suspended its trains between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno, and Shrewsbury and Llanelli via the Heart of Wales on Friday due to the weather.
The provider added that passengers were advised not to attempt travel.
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Heavy snowfall led to the closure of several major roads on Friday, but traffic conditions improved throughout the day.
The A458 remains closed in both directions at Buttington, Powys, from the Buttingdon roundabout to Halfway House.
A section of the A55 was closed earlier but has since re-opened, Traffic Wales said.
Traffic cameras show snowy conditions on the A55 in Flintshire
North Wales Police said it was "advising motorists to only travel if necessary" on Friday morning.
"We are experiencing a high number of calls, please be patient and only use the 999 line in an emergency," the force added.
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It is estimated some areas could see up to 30cm (12in) of snow, with a snow depth of 27cm (10.6in) at Capel Curig, Conwy county, the greatest depth so far recorded in the UK.
At 09:00, Met Office weather stations recorded 16cm (6in) of snowfall in Lake Vyrnwy, Powys, 5cm (1.9in) in Hawarden, Flintshire and Bala, Gwynedd, and 4cm (1.5in) in Sennybridge, Powys.
At Llanrwst, Conwy county, paramedic Tom McLay skied to his job in the town's ambulance station from his home in Capel Curig about 9 miles (14kms) away.
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Lynda Jones, who owns Fronheulog Caravan Park in Lake Vyrnwy, said she was "so glad" the caravan site is shut until 1 April.
The site homes sheep and two horses, which she admitted were lapping up the snow.
"They love it because they're so young - they're out in the snow playing, they're like little kids," she said.
Katie Wilby, of Flintshire council, told Radio Wales Breakfast: "It's pretty challenging conditions. We've had gritting crews out ploughing and gritting all night. We've had extra vehicles out.
"There has been significant snowfall overnight. We've seen 20 to 40 centimetres in places, particularly on high ground, but I think most parts of Flintshire have seen snow this morning and will wake up to snow.
"It's coming down as fast as we're clearing it at the moment so it's really tricky."
Ms Wilby added that the authority has spread about 360 tonnes of gritting salt and covered 1,466 miles (2,360km) of road in 36 hours.
She said some disruption must be expected, adding: "We are working really hard to keep the roads open but I would advise that people don't travel unless absolutely necessary."
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Councillor Hugh Jones, lead member for environment at Wrexham council, added: "All our resources have been out overnight. The work has been hampered by a number of fallen trees as well, but we have managed to get the main routes open.
"The advice is if you don't have to travel, don't travel, because there will be enough people who have to travel to spread the salt.
"People have to understand that our teams have been working for over 24 hours, so it's really a tough time."
Arriva bus said that Wrexham services suspended on Friday morning have since returned to operation but buses would only be using the main roads until further notice.
Both Wrexham and Flintshire councils have also confirmed that all refuse and recycling collections will be suspended on Friday, with updates posted to their respective websites.
Tucker and Molly enjoying the snow in Pandy, Wrexham on Thursday
Helen Kynaston, of the Newtown Community Cafe in Powys: "This morning it was snowing really heavily early on.
"Yesterday was a major challenge and we only had a handful of customers, but our chef managed to get in. It took my neighbours and I about three-quarters of an hour to dig [us] out.
"We made the bowling club really nice and warm and we had requests from our regular customers who really struggled, so we delivered to them which we don't normally do on a Thursday."
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Meanwhile, Brian Dulson from Tanat Valley Coaches said the company has had to cancel its Powys services for a second day.
He said: "Still pretty heavy in the last couple of hours. Our local schools are closed.
"Everywhere the snow is really bad, so it's getting the buses out because if you get stuck in the snow it's a nuisance. We've got little lanes and side roads, our routes are not just on the main roads." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64912164 |
Gary Lineker: BBC director general Tim Davie's interview in full - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | null | Watch Nomia Iqbal's full interview with the BBC director general on the Gary Lineker crisis. | null | Tim Davie, the BBC's director general, says he will not resign over the fallout related to Gary Lineker's removal from Match of the Day.
In this interview, he is pressed by correspondent Nomia Iqbal on trust in the BBC, accusations of double standards and whether he faced pressure from the government to remove Lineker. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64928580 |
Sharon Stone says Basic Instinct role cost her custody of her son - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Her famous flash in the 1992 erotic thriller made the judge rule for the father, she says. | US & Canada | Sharon Stone's famous flash in the 1992 hit movie Basic Instinct made the judge award custody of her son to the father, the actress says.
Actress Sharon Stone says one of her most famous roles caused her to lose custody of her son in 2004.
Her famous flash in the 1992 Basic Instinct warped perceptions of her, Stone said on a podcast.
"Do you know your mother makes sex movies?" Stone recalled the judge asking her four-year-old son.
Backlash from the scene, where she briefly exposes herself while crossing her legs, has made her avoid similar roles, she says.
Stone and her then-husband Ron Bronstein adopted their son, Roan, in 2000. But when the couple divorced in 2004, the judge awarded custody to Mr Bronstein.
The loss caused Stone severe heartache, she told host Bruce Bozzi on the Table for Two podcast.
"I ended up in the Mayo Clinic with extra heartbeats in my upper and lower chamber of my heart," Stone said. "It literally broke my heart."
Considering how much sex and nudity appears on TV today, Stone said, her treatment after the hit movie was brutal.
"You saw maybe like a 16th of a second of possible nudity of me," Stone said. "And I lost custody of my child."
Stone said others in Hollywood judged her for her role in the erotic thriller as Catherine Tramell, a novelist who seduces a police detective, played by Michael Douglas.
"I got nominated for a Golden Globe for that part, and when I went to the Golden Globes and they called my name, a bunch of people in the room laughed," Stone said.
"I was so humiliated," she said. "I was like, does anybody have any idea how hard it was to play that part? How gut-wrenching and frightening"?
Stone said she now avoids roles that cast women in a sexualised light or with dark personalities. But she added that fans should not confuse actors with their characters.
"The guy who played Jeffery Dahmer — no one thinks he's a [person] who eats people," Stone said. "It makes him a very complex person who took an incredibly difficult part." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64892225 |
Budget 2023: Universal credit claimants to get more childcare cost help - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The announcement in next week's Budget is part of government plans to encourage people back to work. | Business | Parents claiming universal credit are to get more help with childcare costs under government's plans to encourage people back into work.
The chancellor will announce in his Budget on Wednesday that the government will start paying childcare costs up front for those on the benefit.
Charities have warned the current scheme of paying and claiming a refund risks people getting into debt.
Jeremy Hunt says the Budget aims to put the country on a path to growth.
At the moment, people in England, Scotland and Wales who are eligible for the current support pay childcare costs upfront and then claim a refund.
But the support has also been frozen at £646-a-month per child for several years, meaning it has not kept up with the rising cost of care.
Mr Hunt is also expected to announced that the maximum amount people can claim for childcare on universal credit will be increased by several hundred pounds. An exact figure for the increase has not yet been given.
Under the plans set to be announced, benefit claimants will be asked to attend more meetings with work coaches and attend skills bootcamps to help them get back to work.
The government's "back to work" plan will also aim to get over-50s in employment, as well as people with disabilities and those on long-term sickness.
Speaking ahead of the Budget, the chancellor said: "For many people, there are barriers preventing them from moving into work - lack of skills, a disability or health condition, or having been out of the jobs market for an extended period of time.
"I want this back-to-work Budget to break down these barriers and help people find jobs that are right for them.
"We need to plug the skills gaps and give people the qualifications, support and incentives they need to get into work."
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will announce plans for childcare payments in the Budget on Wednesday
It comes after BBC News previously reported unemployment was almost at its lowest rate since the 1970s after official figures showed around 1.3 million people in the UK were unemployed in December 2022 (an unemployment rate of 3.7%).
The average annual price for full-time nursery childcare in England for a child under-two was more than £14,000 in 2022, according to children's charity Coram.
This means the cost of childcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) - taking up nearly 30% of the income of a couple with two young children.
And a survey of 24,000 parents, which was published this month by campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, found 76% of mothers who pay for childcare feel it no longer makes financial sense for them to work, according to Reuters.
Lauren Fabianski, head of campaigns and communications at Pregnant Then Screwed, added childcare and early years education should be seen as infrastructure.
She said: "Parents cannot work without good quality, affordable childcare. We have to see the government invest in this in order to get more women back into the workplace."
Labour's shadow work and pension's secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Over recent months, Labour has outlined welfare reforms to get Britain back to work and now the Tories are following our lead."
Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned the UK economy will shrink this year, even though every other major economy will grow.
The Bank of England also predicted a recession in the UK this year - although it is likely to be shorter and not as severe than previously forecast. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64927833 |
Manchester Arena: Ex-bomb suspect regained citizenship in MI5 U-turn - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Security services no longer suspect Mohammed Soliman helped plan the Manchester Arena attack. | UK | Mohammed Soliman was detained for eight months after losing his British citizenship, his mother said
A former suspect in the Manchester Arena bombing had his British citizenship revoked and then returned after MI5 changed its view of his role in the attack, the BBC can reveal.
Mohammed Soliman, 26, was arrested in Libya after being stripped of his citizenship over suspicions he helped prepare the May 2017 attack.
He appealed the decision and said he was mistreated while detained in Libya.
But the government avoided a court case by returning his citizenship in 2021.
He has always said he did not knowingly help the bombers.
The Home Office declined to answer specific questions about the case, but said the UK has one of the world's most robust counter-terror systems.
By not proceeding to a full hearing, the court did not consider Mr Soliman's claims about ill treatment in Libya or how he came to be arrested there, including any role played by British intelligence.
He was detained for eight months, his mother said in a police witness statement.
The BBC has been told he was arrested on the basis of information from the UK.
Reporting restrictions preventing Mr Soliman from being named in relation to these events have now been lifted after the BBC wrote to the court, allowing the story to be told for the first time.
Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds injured when Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.
MI5 has said publicly that its assessment is that no-one other than Salman and his brother Hashem Abedi, who is serving life in prison, were knowingly involved in the bomb plot.
A public inquiry last week was critical of MI5's decision making before the attack. It also said the brothers were probably helped by an unknown source in Libya.
During the early weeks of the police investigation, over 20 people were arrested.
A key feature of the case soon emerged: the Abedi brothers had asked several friends and relatives to buy chemicals used to make the bomb.
Mr Soliman, who worked in a takeaway with Hashem Abedi, was among them.
Ten litres of sulphuric acid were purchased using his own bank details and Amazon account in March 2017.
The chemical was delivered to Mr Soliman's home and officers raided the property after the attack.
Twenty-two people died in the bombing on 22 May 2017
All those questioned about buying chemicals denied knowing of the bomb plot and said Hashem Abedi had claimed he needed help purchasing the products for legitimate reasons. None were charged in relation to the attack and some became prosecution witnesses at Hashem Abedi's trial.
However, Mr Soliman was not in the UK or about to come back, so was not questioned by police and did not provide his version of events.
He had flown out of Manchester in April that year, eventually making his way to stay with family in Benghazi, Libya.
In July 2017, the home secretary Amber Rudd removed his citizenship. As is typical in such cases, she was acting on advice from MI5.
He was arrested by Libyan law enforcement the same month.
Mr Soliman appealed against the removal of his citizenship at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).
The government justified its actions by saying he was an associate of Salman Abedi, might have known about the bombing beforehand, and might have helped in its preparation.
SIAC is a semi-secret court and many of its hearings and rulings are never made public, because they include sensitive evidence which the government says it cannot divulge.
Mr Soliman's case took place entirely in secret.
It ended in July 2021 without going to a full hearing. The then home secretary Priti Patel "decided to withdraw the decision" to deprive Mr Soliman of his British citizenship, according to the formal document which confirmed the move.
In doing so, she was also acting on advice from MI5, but their advice had changed - without Mr Soliman ever being questioned by British police.
As part of the appeal, Mr Soliman claimed he had been subjected to "detention and ill treatment" abroad after his citizenship was removed.
The BBC has been told his arrest in Libya was ultimately because of information from the UK.
He was not publicly named in the UK in connection to the case until Hashem Abedi's trial. His arrest in Libya, therefore, could not have been based on information in the public domain.
It is a controversial issue because British police have not made formal requests for suspects in the arena case to be arrested and questioned in Libya, partly owing to the potential for allegations of torture and British complicity in it.
Hashem Abedi was arrested in Libya the day after the arena attack, after his brother had been named as the bomber. British authorities have denied requesting his arrest. He was transferred to the UK in 2019, and later claimed he had been tortured during questioning in Libya.
His lawyers included these claims in an unsuccessful attempt at halting his trial in 2020.
The families of two victims told the BBC how police said that, if Mohammed Soliman was in the UK, he would have been tried alongside Hashem Abedi.
Caroline Curry from South Shields, whose 19-year-old son Liam was killed, said that at the time of the trial a senior detective had claimed Mr Soliman "would have been alongside him charged with 22 counts of murder".
Liam died alongside girlfriend Chloe Rutherford, 17, whose family say they were told the same thing.
Both families think detectives believed he would not return and the claims would not be tested. In fact, a charging decision had never been taken.
After Mr Soliman's citizenship was restored, he returned to Britain in October 2021 and was arrested on arrival.
He answered detectives' questions and denied knowing anything about the bomb plot.
In a witness statement, Mr Soliman said Hashem Abedi had pressured him to let him use his bank card, saying he needed it to buy car engine oil.
"I was not aware and did not suspect that Hashem and/or Salman planned to attack any location or person or carry out any form of terrorist attack," his statement said.
Mr Soliman also said his flight from Manchester had been planned before Hashem purchased the sulphuric acid, and he was eventually going to Libya, where he was due to enrol at university.
He was told by the police he would not be charged with any offence and would face no further action.
The BBC attempted to contact Mr Soliman for comment but has received no response.
The Home Office said: "The government, working with our world-class police and security and intelligence agencies, will always take strongest action possible to protect national security and public safety."
Do you have information about this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64890833 |
In pictures: Northern Ireland's snow day - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The heaviest falls were in the east but most areas saw at least some overnight snow. | Northern Ireland | A puppy enjoys its first experience of snow
While blizzard conditions and heavy snow led to school closures and travel disruption, it also provided a picturesque scene for many people to wake up to.
Some areas were more severely affected than others with the east of Northern Ireland bearing the brunt of the snowfall.
People flocked to Stormont to take advantage of the snowy slopes
The view in Carryduff on the outskirts of Belfast
However, most places saw at least a light dusting.
Roads in Antrim were passable but motorists were warned to be extra careful
At its worst, some roads were described as "treacherous" especially over high ground.
Industrial action has had an impact on some gritting operations
A tape measure shows how deep some of the snowfalls were overnight - this was in Armagh
More than 200 schools across Northern Ireland closed, leaving thousands of pupils at home for the day.
Closed schools allowed children an opportunity to show their creativity in other areas
An amber warning was issued for counties Antrim, Down and Armagh while other areas were given a less severe yellow warning.
The early morning view over the river Foyle
Enjoying the snow on the Stormont estate while Parliament Buildings remains in cold storage
And it's not over yet as a weather warning remains in place for Friday night and Saturday morning when low temperatures will see icy conditions persist. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64916450 |
Mark Drakeford says grief will not stop his work in emotional speech - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Welsh first minister says his grief at losing his wife will not stop his work for Labour. | Wales politics | Mark Drakeford has been Welsh Labour leader since 2018
In an emotional speech to his party First Minister Mark Drakeford has said his grief losing his wife will not stop his work for Labour.
Close to tears, the Welsh party leader thanked those who showed him kindness after his wife Clare died in January.
He also called for Sir Keir Starmer to ditch first past the post in favour of proportional representation.
But the UK Labour leader said it was not a priority for an incoming Labour government.
Earlier Sir Keir said he would return control over economic aid to Welsh ministers if he became PM.
Mr Drakeford spoke at Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno on Saturday.
He said in recent weeks he had been given "words of kindness and sympathy, from people within our party, and also from people I've never met".
"That has been a strength to me, personally - a heartfelt thanks to you all."
Later he added: "Even when our hearts are weighed down with the intolerable burden of grief, we know our duty, our moral obligation... that this party has to run towards the dangers that blight so many lives, and never ever run away from them."
In his speech he gave his strongest support yet for major reforms to the Westminster electoral system.
He called for Sir Keir Starmer to bring an end to the first past the post voting system, which sees MPs elected based on which candidate wins the most votes in a constituency.
Keir Starmer and Mark Drakeford both spoke on the first day of Welsh Labour conference.
"The next Labour government must lead the task of democratic renewal," he said.
"I do not believe that we can go on simply accepting a system which time and time again produces Conservative majorities on a minority of the votes cast."
Appearing to address critics of proportional representation within his own party, Mr Drakeford said: "To those who continue to fear a change in the electoral system.
"I say simply look at what we have done here in Wales - 25 years of winning and working within a proportional electoral system."
He accused the Conservatives of hollowing out democracy with a "dreadful brand of selfish, self-enriching politics, where even a football commentator is expected to toe the Tory line or to find their job at risk".
Responding to Mr Drakeford's calls for voting reform, Sir Keir said praised Mr Drakeford's "powerful speech".
"I don't think anybody could not be moved by Mark's speech." He added: "It's not a priority for an incoming Labour government."
This was an emotional speech from Mark Drakeford whose enthusiasm for public life is clearly undimmed by his recent tragedy.
With all eyes at conference on an expected general election in 2024 he gave a rousing endorsement of UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
But while Mr Drakeford is passionate about securing a UK Labour victory, it's also the case that the two men have very different views on some policy issues.
Sir Keir looked uncomfortable when Mr Drakeford argued for electoral reform at Westminster and the avowed socialist, Mark Drakeford, looked less than enthused by Sir Keir's emphasis on "sound money" .
Welsh Labour conference has always loved Mark Drakeford as first minister and his rapturous reception continued this time.
Delegates gave Sir Keir a notably warmer reception than he's had at previous Welsh party conferences, a sign perhaps of the party's increasing confidence ahead of the next election. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-64926567 |
Meta exploring plans for Twitter rival - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Meta is looking at plans to launch a new social media app in its bid to displace Twitter. | Technology | Meta, the parent firm of Facebook and Instagram, is working on a standalone, text-based social network app.
It could rival both Twitter and its decentralised competitor, Mastodon.
A spokesperson told the BBC: "We're exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates.
"We believe there's an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests."
A Twitter-like app would allow Meta to take advantage of the current chaos at the Elon Musk-led company, where cost-cutting has been rampant.
Twitter has been struggling to hold on to its advertising base since Mr Musk's takeover of the platform late last year.
Companies have pulled back spending following Twitter's move to restore suspended accounts and release a paid account verification which resulted in scammers impersonating firms.
According to MoneyControl, the new app is codenamed P92, and will allow users to log in through their existing Instagram credentials.
Meta's app will be based on a similar framework to the one that powers Mastodon, a Twitter-like service which was launched in 2016.
The new app would be decentralised - it cannot be run at the whim of a single entity, bought or sold.
Meta's plans come at a time when its biggest platform, Facebook, is struggling to attract the attention of a younger audience.
It has also heavily invested in the metaverse, a virtual world where users interact and work - which has yet to come to fruition.
Its video-sharing app, Instagram, is also facing stiff competition as content makers or hit influencers abandon the platform for TikTok.
It was not immediately clear when Meta would roll out the new app. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-64917397 |
DR Congo's M23 ceasefire: Angola to deploy troops after failed truce - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Angola's soldiers are to help secure M23 rebel areas after a ceasefire it brokered failed. | Africa | M23 rebels say they are withdrawing from several captured villages
Angola says it will send a military unit to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, days after a truce it brokered failed to end fighting.
Both sides in the conflict - the M23 rebels and government troops - have accused each other of breaking the ceasefire that began on Tuesday.
An East African force was also recently deployed to the area, which is rich in minerals and has dozens of militias.
The UN says the conflict forced 300,000 people from their homes last month.
This happened in North-Kivu province, which borders Rwanda and Uganda, and is a fertile and mountainous area long plundered by rival groups.
There is increasing concern about the humanitarian crisis caused by the fighting, which was still ongoing on Friday.
The European Union has just started an operation to fly in aid to the regional capital, Goma, saying humanitarian agencies have become overwhelmed.
A statement from the Angolan president's office said the soldiers would be deployed to help secure areas that have been held by the M23 rebel group and to protect ceasefire monitors.
Kenyan soldiers, who are part of the East African Community Regional Force, have deployed to these areas too.
The rebels, who are widely reported to be backed by Rwanda, had just hours earlier said they would withdraw from several captured villages.
The Congolese government will welcome the arrival of Angolan troops to help in the fight against the rebels.
But there is a danger of this becoming a wider international conflict.
More than 20 years ago the armies of at least eight African countries fought a war in eastern DR Congo, dubbed "Africa's world war", that caused immense suffering for the civilian population.
Rwanda has for many years criticised the Congolese authorities for failing to disarm Hutu rebels - some of whom are linked to the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
It denies backing the M23, which has captured vast swathes of territory over the past year and has been advancing towards Goma.
A decade ago, M23 fighters also captured large parts of North Kivu - but were eventually routed by UN and regional troops and as part of a peace deal disarmed.
Largely made up of Congolese army deserters, they first took up arms in 2009 accusing the government of marginalising the country's ethnic Tutsi minority and failing to honour previous peace accords. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-64927180 |
Gary Lineker: Why his comments present a problem for the BBC - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | How the presenter's remarks, comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany, place the BBC in a pickle. | Entertainment & Arts | The BBC is speaking to Lineker over comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany
As the UK's most scrutinised media organisation in increasingly polarised times, to say Gary Lineker's recent tweets cause difficulty for the BBC is an understatement.
The director general, Tim Davie, has made impartiality a key platform of his leadership.
Trust in the corporation is at the heart of this. It matters if the public believes its public service broadcaster doesn't represent their views, or that the BBC is shaped by a particular perspective.
Davie has previously said: "If you want to be an opinionated columnist or a partisan campaigner on social media then that is a valid choice, but you should not be working at the BBC."
All staff and on-air talent are bound by "due" impartiality which the BBC is committed to achieving across its output.
Director general Tim Davie has said people who want to be opinionated columnists should not be working at the BBC
Ofcom defines due impartiality, an important distinction from simply impartiality, as "means adequate or appropriate to the subject and nature of the programme".
To use the classic example: If someone says the earth is round, the BBC does not have to give equal weight to someone else who claims the earth is flat.
Lineker is a sports presenter. He tweets on his personal Twitter account.
If a news presenter commented, as he has done, about the government's asylum policies, or about Brexit for example, they would at the very least receive a very serious warning.
Lineker, as somebody associated with sport for the BBC, and who argues he is a freelancer, is in a different position.
"I try to be sensible," he told Radio 4's Media Show in 2021, saying that as a freelancer he's "considerate" to his employers when it comes to what he tweets.
He added that the BBC rules "only apply to people in news and current affairs".
From the outside, it can appear more complicated.
The BBC's editorial guidelines state: "Where individuals identify themselves as being linked with the BBC, or are programme makers, editorial staff, reporters or presenters primarily associated with the BBC, their activities on social media have the potential to compromise the BBC's impartiality and to damage its reputation."
Lineker presents Match of the Day, the BBC's flagship football programme
Lineker's Twitter account has 8.7m followers. So he has a huge platform.
And, whatever the set up of the BBC as a broadcaster, with sport and news being distinct from one another, for audiences that distinction can be less clear. In many people's minds, if you are on the BBC, you work for it, and Lineker happens to be one of corporation's most high profile presenters.
That's why the BBC's editorial guidelines also say that people with platforms have a greater responsibility to uphold impartiality.
Last year, a different tweet by Lineker was found to have broken BBC rules. That concerned a post about the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urging a boycott of the Champions League final in Russia.
The Match of the Day host added: "And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?"
The BBC's Executive Complaints Unit ruled that, although the star is not required to uphold the same impartiality standards as BBC journalists, he has an "additional responsibility" because of his profile.
"We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters," the ruling said.
To his detractors, Lineker has form. He has made comments before that some have found controversial, including, in 2016, that the government's treatment of asylum seekers was "hideously racist and utterly heartless".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Suella Braverman says she is "disappointed" by Gary Lineker's tweet
But he is also a much loved and well respected sports broadcaster. Match of the Day is a very popular programme.
He may be the BBC's highest paid star, but he could probably earn even more if he switched to another broadcaster.
Lineker clearly cares deeply about the issue of migrant crossings, and he has taken refugees into his own home in the past.
He has not removed his original Twitter comments criticising the government's asylum announcements, which he posted on Tuesday.
After those tweets caused controversy, he tweeted on Wednesday: "Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree."
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He also thanked his followers for their "love and support", pledging to "continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice".
Lineker appears bullish. And he isn't the only sports presenter straying into politics this morning, with BT Sport anchor Jake Humphrey describing the government's "stop the boats" pledge as being "a cruel slogan".
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The News Agents presenter and former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis said it was "curious that Gary Lineker [was] free to raise questions about Qatar's human rights record - with the blessing of the BBC - over the World Cup, but cannot raise questions of human rights in this country if it involves criticism of government policy".
However, this is arguably a false equivalence. Voicing an opinion on a government policy about migrant crossings, a divisive subject, is not the same thing as highlighting well-documented human rights breaches in Qatar, something which is a matter of fact.
The BBC is in a difficult position. They say a "frank" conversation is being had with Lineker. But in the end, what are the options?
With some Conservative MPs calling for him to be sacked, not for the first time, the pressure is mounting.
Perceptions on impartiality matter, but it's also clear that impartiality can be politicised by people who have an agenda against the BBC.
As it navigates the demands of its editorial standards, its talent and its audiences, the BBC is walking a tightrope. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64889868 |
Police unwittingly released Idaho murders suspect - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | null | Two weeks before the Idaho murders suspect was arrested, police pulled him over in a traffic stop. | null | An Indiana state trooper unknowingly pulled over the Idaho murders suspect in a traffic stop, only to let him off with a verbal warning.
Bryan Kohberger, 28, was pulled over twice on 15 December for following other vehicles too closely in his white Hyundai Elantra.
He was arrested last Friday on suspicion of killing four students while they slept. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64034446 |
Belvedere deaths: Nadja De Jager and her sons found at house - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Nadja De Jager and her sons Alexander, nine, and Maximus, seven, were found on Thursday morning. | London | Alexander, nine, and Maximus, seven, were found dead at the scene
A woman and her two sons have been found dead in a house in south-east London.
The Met says Nadja De Jager, 47, Alexander, nine, and Maximus, seven, were found in Mayfield Road, Belvedere, on Thursday morning.
The force says it is not seeking anyone in connection with its investigation.
Det Insp Ollie Stride said: "This is a deeply sad case and we are continuing to establish the circumstances that led to this tragic incident."
The children's school paid tribute to the two brothers, saying they were "loving and caring".
Belvedere Infant and Junior School said the boys were "model pupils", adding that it was "clear that they were each other's best friend".
The police said officers forced entry into the property after being called about concerns for the welfare of the occupants at the address at around 11:50 GMT.
The victims' family has been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.
A heavy media presence has descended on this leafy street, which is a stone's throw from Franks Park.
Officers in this part of Bexley are knocking on doors and speaking to neighbours to try to piece together exactly what might have happened - although most people here are not speaking to journalists.
Forensic teams have been searching a vehicle outside this semi-detached house, which is now a crime scene.
A wheelie bin has also been taken inside for analysis.
Forensic officers have been in attendance
Det Insp Stride said: "I would like to thank the local community for their co-operation while our officers go about their inquiries.
"Our thoughts today are very much with the family as they struggle to come to terms with their loss and we ask that their privacy be respected at this extremely difficult time."
Emergency services went to the house after a report raising concerns for the occupants' welfare was made
London Ambulance Service said a medic was sent out in a fast-response car, along with two incident response officers, but the woman and two boys were pronounced dead at the scene.
Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64916557 |
Eating disorders: Patients in Wales could be sent to Scotland - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Georgia Taylor, who was treated for anorexia, says she was made to feel "like an object". | Wales | Georgia Taylor has called for specialist centre to be set up in Wales
People with eating disorders in Wales could be sent as far away as Scotland in order to get treatment.
Patients were sent to Cotswold House, a specialist NHS unit in Oxford, but this system ended in August.
Georgia Taylor, 19, from Bridgend, was treated for anorexia there in 2022 but said not knowing where she was going made her feel like "an object".
The Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) said this was "in line" with other parts of the UK.
Until August, there was a 10-year contract with Oxford NHS Trust, guaranteeing beds for patients from south Wales.
Now patients are assessed on the "greatest clinical need" by an NHS England panel, which then decides where in the UK they will be treated.
Wales does not have an adult inpatient eating disorder unit, with the Welsh government looking into the feasibility of establishing one - something Georgia believes is needed, along with a focus on early intervention.
Dr Isabela Jurewicz, chairwoman of the devolved eating disorder faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said the new way of placing people meant they would be "negatively impacted" due to the uncertainty of where they will be treated.
Georgia was treated at Cotswold House but had an uncertain wait before being sent there
Georgia said the wait for a bed at a treatment centre was traumatising, but Cotswold House had "really good staff members".
She added: "It was so uncertain where I was going to go. It just made me feel like I was an object. I could have died if it had gone on any longer."
Dr Jurewicz said the end of the Oxford contract meant explaining to patients that doctors did not know where they would be treated, adding "to what is already a really difficult and stressful situation".
She also said there was a "big need" for education about eating disorders.
Georgia says she is "still having to live with my eating disorder to this day"
Georgia said a lack of education at school about eating disorders meant she felt like "it was something I needed to hide or something I needed to be ashamed of".
"I'm still having to live with my eating disorder to this day. I am fighting really, really hard.
"I want to go to university. I want to volunteer abroad I want to continue having a job and enjoy my life.
"But this is still there in my background and I'm still very dependent on the eating disorder and community mental health team for this support."
Jo Whitfield from eating disorder charity Beat says everyone in Wales must able to access specialist treatment at the earliest opportunity
Jo Whitfield from the eating disorder charity Beat said she had heard of patients being sent as far as Scotland for treatment, which was "devastating for patients".
The charity called on the Welsh government to publish a plan with timescales to ensure "everyone in Wales is able to access specialist treatment at the earliest opportunity".
This was echoed by Member of the Senedd Sarah Murphy, the new chairwoman of a cross-party group on eating disorders who has struggled with anorexia herself.
She told Wales Live: "We need timescales now. It's been long enough. Eating disorders and the treatment was in crisis before the pandemic, it's more of a crisis now.
"I was very severely ill and I was days away from being admitted to an adult psychiatric unit at the old East Glamorgan Hospital because we had nothing here in Wales."
The WHSSC said it was looking at paying for beds from the independent sector to provide care "potentially closer to home".
A Welsh government spokesman said it was investing an extra £2.5m in 2022-23, adding: "Most people who need to access services, including in-patient care, will receive this care in Wales and we are also working with NHS Wales to scope the feasibility of a specialist eating disorder unit in Wales.
"We expect all health boards to provide specialist, multi-disciplinary support for people with eating disorders." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64888723 |
Gary Lineker: Football star who became a Saturday TV fixture - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The ex-England player is one of the most recognisable figures associated with the BBC. | UK | For many years, Gary Lineker has been one of sport's most famous faces - both on the football pitch and on television screens.
The last week has seen the Match of the Day host again move from the back pages to the front, after his criticism over the government's asylum plans sparked an impartiality row.
The 62-year-old is one of the most recognisable figures associated with the broadcaster, and is part of the footballing landscape in the UK.
He took over as host of the BBC's football highlights programme in 1999 after a stellar career as a striker for England, Leicester City, Everton, Spurs and Barcelona that finished in Japan.
One of the broadcaster's highest-paid presenters, Lineker is viewed by many as one of the faces of the BBC - and he has not shied from using his high profile to express his political views.
His outspoken positions on divisive issues have earned him criticism and plaudits in equal measures - and, on occasion, caused BBC bosses a headache.
The corporation is committed to impartiality, meaning staff and stars are expected to follow guidance on expressing political opinions in the BBC's output and on social media.
But Lineker, who is technically a freelancer rather than a BBC employee, has not always bitten his tongue.
In 2022, he posted a story on Twitter about the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urging a boycott of the Champions League final in Russia. He asked: "And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?"
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds
The incident led to the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) upholding a complaint and concluding that, as "one of the BBC's highest-profile stars", he did not meet the corporation's editorial standards on impartiality.
In 2018, Lineker posted a thread of tweets as Conservatives held a no-confidence vote in Theresa May, who was then prime minister, and indirectly criticised Labour's leader at the time, Jeremy Corbyn.
Two years earlier he blasted some in the media for being "hideously racist and utterly heartless" to refugees.
He has taken refugees into his home and spoken passionately about the need to protect people who come to the country in need.
Despite criticism from politicians, some in the media and colleagues, Lineker has steadfastly defended his right to speak out on issues that matter to him, often to his 8.7 million Twitter followers.
Lineker scored more than 300 career goals for club and country
The presenter is the face of Match of the Day and the FA Cup
A tweet aimed at Jonathan Agnew, a BBC cricket host who had criticised his 2018 political posts, summed up his approach. "I'll continue to tweet what I like and if folk disagree with me then so be it," he wrote.
Lineker has now caused a row with a tweet commenting that the government's new Illegal Migration Bill was an "immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".
Responding to critics of his comments, he said he would "continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice".
For its part, the BBC said that when it came to leading its football and sports coverage, Lineker was "second to none".
But it said: "We consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines" - and "he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies".
Lineker has previously argued he can impart his opinion because he is a freelancer. On top of that, he works on BBC's Sport output, away from the inevitably more sensitive news operation.
But critics point to the £1.35m he was paid by the BBC in 2021/22, a sum which makes him the highest paid presenter whose salary must be disclosed (although this does not include famous faces who are employed via private production firms).
They also argue his platform comes via his BBC work, and so he should follow its rules.
Lineker is contracted until 2025, and on top of hosting Match of the Day also fronts the BBC's coverage of major football tournaments and co-presents BBC Sports Personality Of The Year.
He also works as a presenter on LaLigaTV, which covers football in Spain for viewers in the UK and Ireland.
The media company he co-founded - Goalhanger Podcasts - produces The Rest Is Politics, a regular political discussion show featuring former Labour aide Alastair Campbell and ex-Tory minister Rory Stewart.
He has worked for other broadcasters, including a stint presenting the Champions League for BT Sport, and is also widely known as the face of Walker's Crisps, a business founded in his home town of Leicester.
Before taking to the airwaves, Lineker first made his name with his local team, Leicester City FC, in 1978.
His goalscoring habit continued after moves to Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, and he topped the scoring charts for both teams in the First Division - the top flight of English football before the Premier League was created.
He made his England debut in 1984 and played 80 times for his country - the last time in 1992.
His tally of 48 international goals has been bettered by only three Englishmen.
He retired from the game in 1994 - having notably never been shown a yellow card - and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64895590 |
The chef, the model and Rishi's missing millions - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The inside story of Britain’s biggest Bounce Back Loan fraud - £10m stolen by one criminal gang. | UK | Ten people have now been convicted for their roles in laundering millions of pounds
The final three members of a money laundering gang which also stole £10m of UK taxpayers' money after taking advantage of a covid loan scheme, have been sentenced.
It means the BBC can now tell the full story of a case that illustrates just how easy it was to exploit a scheme aimed at supporting small businesses struggling during the pandemic.
In 2020, the gang used scores of bogus companies to take advantage of the then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Bounce Back Loan scheme.
Any small company could apply for up to £50,000 of taxpayers' money but, in the rush to save the economy, checks on borrowers were limited.
In fact, the gang's £10m is only a drop in the ocean. The National Audit Office estimates the taxpayer could lose billions of pounds in Bounce Back Loan fraud.
The latest convictions - bringing the total number to 10 - are a good result for the Organised Crime Partnership, a joint unit made up of the National Crime Agency and Met Police.
It's thought the gang laundered as much as £70m. But only £181,600 of the money has been recovered and it's believed other offenders involved in the fraud are still at large.
The gang were able to steal so much money because long before covid, its ringleaders had already established a network of bogus companies to launder cash from VAT fraud and other criminal activities, including drug dealing and construction scams.
But when the pandemic struck, Artem Terzyan, a Russian, and Deivis Grochiatskij from Lithuania, who had been on the NCA's radar since 2017, suddenly found themselves with a reduced income.
Artem Terzyan and Deivis Grochiatskij spent the money on watches, holidays and cars
As the world locked down, criminals were hit just like legitimate businesses. The pair realised they had to diversify, targeting the UK Government Bounce Back Loans emergency scheme which saw more than 1.5 million loans worth nearly £47bn approved.
The men bagged £10m - they applied for the cash claiming their bogus companies were in danger of going bust.
But they got careless. As well as the loan cash, they continued to launder other money, all under the noses of the NCA.
So when officers arrested them again in November 2020, they found overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing.
The men deposited thousands of pounds each day in banks across London
At their trial in December 2021, the court heard how both men had used the money to buy high-end watches, foreign holidays and cars. The rest of the cash had been transferred immediately abroad.
The NCA's John Coles says usually only lottery winners could suddenly spend money so freely.
"These people won the lottery in a totally different way."
In December 2021, Terzyan and Grochiatskij were jailed for laundering as much as £70m and stealing £10m in Bounce Back Loans. Terzyan is serving 17 years - and Grochiatskij, 16.
The last of three trials concluded on Friday at Kingston Crown Court, with the final three defendants receiving suspended sentences. It means reporting restrictions can now be lifted.
We found details of two of the companies' directors by scouring social media accounts
Each of Terzyan and Grochiatskij's bogus companies that received Bounce Back Loan money in 2020 had a real person appointed as a director.
We decided to trace two of these directors and find out if they had any idea where the money had gone.
Scouring court documents and the files of Companies House, the names of two of these bogus firms stood out - Bart Solution Ltd and JK Consult Ltd. The prosecution said they had been used to launder large amounts of money.
Just over £10m was paid into and out of the accounts of Bart Solution Ltd during 2020. The prosecution told the court most of this money came from Bounce Back Loans.
In court, JK Consult LTD was described as a "shell company" with no assets. Despite that, millions of pounds was deposited into its accounts and then sent on to other companies both in the UK and around the world.
The Companies House database also provided us with two names - each one a director of the two bogus firms. Povilas Bartkevicius was the name listed for Bart Solution Ltd - and Yekaterina Kobrina, the director of JK Consult Ltd.
By examining social media accounts we learned that Mr Barkevicius is a chef, while Ms Kobrina is a model with thousands of followers on Instagram. Both have links to the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, so we went to try to track them down.
We enlisted the help of BBC colleagues based in Vilnius, but a scan of local telephone and government online directories came up blank, with neither director listed.
Povilas Bartkevicius told the BBC he was working two jobs to make ends meet
Mr Barkevicius stopped posting on social media in 2021, but his final posts show he worked at an expensive restaurant just outside the capital.
We rang the restaurant but were told that he was not working there, and they refused to give us his home address. They then became suspicious and wanted to know why we were searching for him. It felt like a dead end.
So we decided to get creative. Taking the user name of his Facebook and Instagram accounts, we searched for him elsewhere online - Telegram and Tiktok. But with no luck.
Then we tried the activity app Strava, which cyclists, runners and walkers use to track their progress. Remarkably, we found he had an account and that he had not set it to private.
It showed that in the summer of 2022, he cycled from the same location every morning and returned each evening. We followed this trail back through the city to a Soviet-era block of hundreds of apartments - but which one was his?
The inside story of a crime gang that stole millions of pounds in government loans.
We then did more digging on Facebook and discovered he likes BMWs. In fact, he posted a picture of his car, asking members of a BMW owners' group for help with a broken rear light. We hunted around the car parks near the blocks and matched the photo online to his silver BMW. Bingo.
The following day we were up in the dark at 05:30 - it was below zero and there was snow on the ground. We drove to the block and parked near his car, waiting by the communal door.
Too cold to cycle, we assumed he must now be driving to work. Within minutes, Mr Bartkevicius walked out of the block of flats and we were there to greet him.
We introduced ourselves and asked if he knew where the money in the bogus company he was linked to had gone. He seemed genuinely shocked to see us and confused by our question. He insisted he had no idea he had been a named director for Bart Solution Ltd.
He said he had read accounts of the court case in the papers but knew nothing about what the gang were up to before then.
"I heard that they were laundering money, but I didn't know that they laundered £10m [in] my name," Mr Bartkevicius told us.
He insisted he was in the dark about the loan money.
"If I had some money, even 10,000, I wouldn't work two job," he said. "I just married two months ago. I was working all weekends, just to be able to buy everything for my wedding."
He maintained he had no idea what happened to the money. He has not been interviewed by the police in Lithuania or the NCA in the UK.
Yekaterina Kobrina says she has 'huge loans'
But what of the model Yekaterina Kobrina?
We rang a clothes shop in Vilnius which she used to model for, to see if we could book her for an assignment. But the owner was suspicious and wouldn't help.
Ms Kobrina had posted a lot of photos on her social media of holidays in exotic places, but very little about her life in Vilnius.
Bizarrely though, after searching a whole range of local Facebook groups, one of her posts popped up in a group full of people angry about the poor quality of produce available in their local supermarket.
We could see Ms Kobrina regularly complained about the state of the vegetables, especially the potatoes.
We traced the shop to an area of grimy tower blocks in the north of the city. We spent the next couple of days in the area trying to trace her. But it was only after a tip-off from a local BBC producer, that we spotted her walking down a street.
She seemed surprised when we approached her, but she shook my hand, laughed and told me how nice it was to see me.
We asked her about the company she was a named director of - JK Consult Ltd - and if she knew where all the money from the Bounce Back Loans had gone.
Ms Kobrina told us: "I don't have any answers, you can check that all my property is leased, I have huge loans. I don't know anything. You should ask other people. Because I live in Vilnius, in Lithuania.
"No comments, only with my lawyer." Then she drove away.
We learned later that she had been interviewed by police in Lithuania, but had not been charged.
So, despite our efforts, we were no closer to knowing whether Mr Bartkevicius or Ms Kobrina knew anything about the fraud or what their names were being used for.
The most recent government report estimated 8% of all Bounce Back Loans could be lost to fraud or error
One man who is not surprised by this story is Mike Craig, who has waged a one-man campaign to highlight problems with the loans.
His Twitter profile has tens of thousands of followers and his "Mr Bounceback" website tries to help legitimate firms.
The most recent government report estimated 8% of all Bounce Back Loans could be lost to fraud or error.
To date, 273 investigations have been launched - involving £160m of bogus loans. Forty-nine people have been arrested.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said the government was "bearing down" on this fraud. A spokesman said: "We are working with lenders, law enforcement, and partners across government to recover fraudulently-obtained loans. We wholly support the Insolvency Service in penalising those who sought to defraud the scheme for their own financial gain."
Mr Craig says the loan scheme was obviously vulnerable from the start - requiring no affordability or credit checks, which was "like a jackpot for a lot of people".
"At the start I thought all you need for a Bounce Back Loan is an eligible company and a pulse. But it turns out you didn't need either," he says.
I ask him where that leaves the taxpayer? He replies, "Stuffed for billions of pounds". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64879444 |
Hamburg shooting: Police spoke to gunman weeks before attack - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | He co-operated with officers and there were not enough grounds to take away his gun, police say. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A man who shot dead seven people in Germany was visited by police last month after a tip-off raised concerns about his mental health.
He co-operated with officers and there were not enough grounds to take away his gun at the time, police said.
The 35-year-old suspect, named only as Philipp F, had a licence to own the weapon for sporting purposes.
The country is preparing a new law involving tighter curbs on gun ownership, the interior minister said.
Seven people, including an unborn baby, were killed in Thursday's attack which unfolded at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in the city.
The first emergency call came at 21:04 local time (20:04 GMT) to report that shots had been fired, and officers were on site four minutes later.
Video appeared to show the gunman firing through a window. He then stormed the building where dozens of people had gathered, firing nine magazines of ammunition before apparently turning the gun on himself after police arrived.
Eight people were injured, including a woman who was seven months pregnant. She survived but her unborn baby was killed.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the death toll could rise.
Floral tributes have been placed outside the Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in Hamburg
German Senator Andy Grote said "fast and decisive actions" by police officers saved many lives. He described the attack as the "worst crime" in Hamburg's recent history.
Officials said the suspect had "ill feelings" towards the religious community, of which he had previously been a member before leaving "on bad terms".
Jehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement, founded in the US at the end of the 19th Century.
In its latest report from 2022, the movement says there are about 8.7 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, including about 170,000 in Germany. In the city of Hamburg, there are believed to be nearly 4,000 members.
On Friday, Hamburg Police Chief Ralf Martin Meyer said officers visited the man in February after they received an anonymous letter claiming he "bore particular anger toward religious believers, in particular toward Jehovah's Witnesses".
The letter also said he "might be suffering from a mental illness, although it had not been medically diagnosed".
Police said he was co-operative and had an open conversation with the officers. "The bottom line is that an anonymous tip in which someone says they're worried a person might have a psychological illness, isn't in itself a basis for [such] measures," Chief Meyer said.
Forensic experts worked at the scene of the shooting on Deelböge street through the night but have since left the area.
Mourners have left floral tributes near to the front door. One man, holding his little boy and girl by the hand, told the BBC he tried to come home last night but his way was blocked by police wielding assault rifles.
Germany already has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe, including a clause that anyone aged under 25 must pass a psychological evaluation before getting a licence.
In 2021, there were about one million private gun owners in Germany, according to the National Firearms Registry. They account for 5.7 million legal firearms and firearm parts, most of them owned by hunters.
After mass arrests were made last December in relation to a suspected plot to overthrow the government, the German authorities have been under pressure to tighten the country's gun laws even further. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64918160 |
Gary Lineker: BBC boss Tim Davie 'sorry' after sport disruption in Lineker row - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Football coverage was severely impacted by a staff walk-out in support of the Match of the Day host. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch Nomia Iqbal's interview in full: Tim Davie is asked whether he has lost control of the BBC
BBC director general Tim Davie has apologised to licence fee payers after a day of sports programme disruption.
Football shows were pulled at the last minute on Saturday after presenters and commentators walked out in support of Match of the Day host Gary Lineker.
Match of the Day was reduced to a 20-minute edition.
Lineker was suspended after criticising the government's controversial asylum policy. But Mr Davie denied the government pressured him into the move.
As well as having no presenter, Match of the Day on BBC One on Saturday night was broadcast without commentary, and pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright did not appear.
The programme was also without its famous theme tune and opening credits. The show started with a graphic reading "Premier League Highlights" before launching straight into clips from the Bournemouth v Liverpool game - the usual commentary replaced by the sound of the crowd.
Mr Davie admitted it had been a "difficult day" for the corporation but said "we are working very hard to resolve the situation".
Interviewed by BBC News, Mr Davie said "success for me is getting Gary back on air and together we are giving to the audiences that world-class sports coverage which, as I say, I'm sorry we haven't been able to deliver today".
The director general said he would "absolutely not" be resigning but admitted "this has been a tough time for the BBC".
He said there had been no "pandering" to any political party amid accusations from opposition parties that BBC executives had bowed to pressure from Downing Street and ministers over the anti-government tweet.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How the row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds
Mr Davie said Lineker had been asked to "step back" after getting "involved in party political matters". He added he was prepared to review impartiality rules for freelance staff like Lineker.
In the Sunday Mirror, Lineker's son, George, is quoted as saying he thought his father would return to presenting Match of the Day. However, George said "he [Lineker] won't ever back down on his word".
Commenting on the Illegal Migration Bill on Tuesday, Lineker called it an "immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".
His suspension on Friday triggered a wider debate about BBC impartiality, the government's asylum policy and the position of the broadcaster's chairman Richard Sharp.
It also led to an unprecedented day of turmoil for the BBC's sport operation, with staff including some of the most recognisable faces and voices associated with its football coverage downing tools.
On a day which should have featured morning to evening football programming on TV and radio, the BBC was forced to air re-runs of programmes or play podcasts on Radio 5 Live to plug gaps in the schedule.
Football Focus was due to air at noon but was pulled when host Alex Scott tweeted it "doesn't feel right going ahead with the show today" an hour-and-a-half before it was due to start.
Final Score was axed from the 16:00 slot when host Jason Mohammad told the BBC he was refusing to present.
Radio 5 Live's regular Saturday morning show Fighting Talk was cancelled when staff boycotted, a decision host Colin Murray said was "taken by the entire... team and myself".
Fans tuning in to follow the afternoon's action on TV were met with re-runs of Bargain Hunt and The Repair Shop. At one point, 5 Live resorted to replaying old pre-recorded material.
Before Match of the Day aired on BBC One at 22:20, a continuity presenter told viewers: "We're sorry we're unable to show our normal Match of the Day, including commentary tonight, but here now is the best action from today's Premier League matches."
There are major questions surrounding Sunday's planned coverage and whether the BBC can get Match of the Day 2 with Mark Chapman onto TV screens. The host was absent from the airwaves on Saturday.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak called Lineker a "talented presenter" in a statement on Saturday evening, but added the row was not a matter for the government.
He said: "As prime minister, I have to do what I believe is right, respecting that not everyone will always agree. That is why I have been unequivocal in my approach to stopping the boats.
"Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in a timely manner, but it is rightly a matter for them, not the government."
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said "individual cases are a matter for the BBC," but Downing Street and several senior ministers have been vocally critical in recent days.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer have both attacked the presenter for implying a comparison between the government's language and Nazi Germany.
Ms Braverman said the Nazi comparison used by Lineker was "lazy and unhelpful".
Senior Labour politicians have expressed support for Lineker, including leader Sir Keir Starmer. He said the government should focus on fixing the asylum system rather than "whingeing on" about Lineker and accused BBC bosses of bowing to pressure from ministers.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for BBC chairman Richard Sharp to stand down, saying the row exposed "failings at the top" of the corporation.
"We need leadership at the BBC that upholds our proud British values and can withstand today's consistently turbulent politics and Conservative bullying tactics," he added.
Earlier on Saturday, Greg Dyke, who acted as director general between 2000 and 2004, said the BBC had "undermined its own credibility" over its handling of the row.
He pointed to the ongoing controversy surrounding Mr Sharp, adding the Lineker move could create the impression the "BBC has bowed to government pressure".
An ongoing KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an £800,000 loan guarantee for the then PM Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.
The BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.
Former head of BBC TV News and director of sport, Roger Mosey, also called for Mr Sharp to go and said the chairman had "damaged the BBC's credibility".
However, others have been more supportive of the BBC's actions. Richard Ayre, former controller of editorial policy at the corporation, said on Friday the BBC had "no choice" but to take action against Lineker.
He said the BBC's director general Tim Davie had "clearly tried" to reach an agreement with Lineker but failed, adding: "It's inevitable now that having in effect not sacked him but removed him temporarily at least, the BBC will now come under a torrent of criticism saying it's acting under the government's behest."
Lineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about £1.35m in 2020-21. He is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.
BBC employees are expected to remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.
BBC News has been told that the Match of the Day production team were not told in advance about its decision on Lineker.
Lineker has not yet publicly commented on the latest developments and was seen attending a Leicester City home game on Saturday. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64918162 |
Cyclone Freddy: Winds and rain lash Mozambique as storm arrives - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Freddy, which has caused at least 28 deaths over a month, has hit mainland Africa for a second time. | Africa | Streets are already flooded in some coastal areas
Mozambique is being lashed by rain, powerful winds and flooding as Cyclone Freddy makes landfall for the second time in a month.
The southern African nation has received more than a year's worth of rainfall in the past four weeks.
Freddy may become the longest-lasting storm on record, having formed to the north-west of Australia 34 days ago.
One person is reported to have died, bringing the death toll to at least 28 since the storm first made landfall.
The cyclone made its second landfall near the eastern seaport of Quelimane at around 22:00 (20:00 GMT) on Saturday.
People have been urged to move into temporary shelters - including schools, churches and warehouses.
More than half a million people could be at risk of a humanitarian crisis this time around, according to local disaster agencies.
As the high winds hit the country, one person died when his house collapsed, Reuters news agency quotes state channel TVM as saying.
Electricity has been turned off as a precaution by the power utility firm and all flights have been suspended, according to TVM.
The cyclone is reported to have stalled offshore and is thought to be making its way on to land soon.
"I can see some houses with roofs torn apart, broken windows and the streets flooded. It's really scary," charity worker Vania Massingue, from the port city of Quelimane in Zambezia province, told Reuters.
Experts says climate change is making tropical storms around the world wetter, windier and more intense.
Freddy had already broken records for the strength it has accumulated over the 8,000-km (5,000-mile) path it travelled across the Indian Ocean from north-western Australia.
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Mozambique's national disaster management agency estimates more than 1.5 million people have been affected since the storm first hit last month, with more than 8,000 forced from their homes.
A humanitarian operation is under way in the region, but there are fears that aid efforts may be hampered by new heavy rains from Freddy's return.
Neighbouring Malawi - where health authorities are battling a cholera outbreak - is also set to be affected.
Weather experts predict the cyclone will bring destructive winds and extreme rainfall over large areas, including north-east Zimbabwe as well as south-east Zambia. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-64928093 |
Asteroid headed toward Earth may arrive on Valentine's Day 2046 - Nasa - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The space rock has about a 1 in 560 chance of hitting this planet, the agency says. | US & Canada | Asteroid 2023 DW has a better chance of hitting a date of 14 February than our planet, NASA says.
A newly detected asteroid has a very small chance of impacting the Earth in 2046, Nasa tweeted on Tuesday.
If it does hit, the asteroid, roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool, may arrive on Valentine's Day 2046 according to Nasa calculations.
The closest the asteroid is expected to get to Earth is about 1.1 million miles (1.8m km), Nasa says.
But researchers are still collecting data, which they say may change predictions.
The asteroid, dubbed 2023 DW, has about a 1 in 560 chance of hitting Earth, according to Nasa. It's the only space rock on Nasa's risk list that ranks a 1 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale.
The scale, which goes from 0-10, measures the risk of space objects colliding with Earth. All other objects on the scale rank 0, indicating no risk for impact.
A ranking of 1 means that an actual collision is extremely unlikely and no cause for public concern, Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) says.
"This object is not particularly concerning," JPL navigation engineer Davide Farnocchia told CNN.
If it does collide with us, 2023 DW would not have the same doomsday effect as the asteroid that decimated the Earth's dinosaurs 66 million years ago. That asteroid was far bigger at 7.5 miles (12km) wide, Scientific American says.
But an impact from 2023 DW could still cause significant damage if it were to land atop a major city or densely populated area. A meteor less than half the size of 2023 DW exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, 10 years ago, causing a shock wave that blew out windows across 200 square miles and injured roughly 1,500 people.
While contact with an asteroid seems unlikely, scientists have been preparing for such an encounter for years. Last October, Nasa confirmed the agency's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) mission had successfully changed the travel path of a small asteroid by slamming a spacecraft into it.
"That's the very reason why we flew that mission," Mr Farnocchia said, "and that mission was a spectacular success." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64919125 |
Premature births: Baby born at 22 weeks survives against odds - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Imogen was born just days after her mother hosted a gender reveal party and was rushed to hospital. | Wales | Imogen's mother Rachel was 22 weeks and five days pregnant when she gave birth
A baby given less than a 10% chance of surviving when she was born at 22 weeks has beaten the odds and is thriving, her parents have said.
Imogen weighed 515g (1lb 1oz) when she was born at Swansea's Singleton Hospital on 6 September.
Now, after 132 days in hospital, the six-month-old is back home in Bridgend.
Her mother Rachel Stonehouse, 28, said: "Imogen has gone through so much and more than we will ever go through in our lifetime and she smashed it."
The world's most premature surviving baby is thought to be Curtis Zy-Keith Means from the USA, born at 21 weeks and one day, 11 days earlier than Imogen.
Rachel initially went to Bridgend's Princess of Wales Hospital, just days after the gender reveal party for Imogen, with a bleed before her waters broke and she and her partner Corey were taken by ambulance to Singleton Hospital.
"It was so scary," she said.
"The pain was horrendous... I just went into survival mode for me and my baby and tried to just keep breathing through the pain."
Rachel said when Imogen was born she was smaller than her hand
Imogen was delivered just minutes after arriving at the hospital and was immediately placed in a bag in an incubator to mimic the womb.
Rachel said seeing her new, tiny baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and taking in her extremely fragile and translucent image was "like an out-of-body experience".
She said she remembered thinking: "This baby should be in my stomach but she's not. This foetus is now my baby in front of me and I now have to trust all these people around me."
Rachel and Corey were told their baby had a grade three bleed on the brain.
After 98 days in NICU in Swansea, Imogen was moved to the Princess of Wales Hospital
Over the 98 days she spent in NICU she overcame countless obstacles, including a heart murmur, a pulmonary haemorrhage, sepsis and numerous blood transfusions.
"She was poked and prodded all day, every day but I had to remember this was to make her better," said Rachel.
Midwives helped Rachel to express colostrum and with their help she was able provide breast milk for Imogen until it dried up at about 16 weeks.
The hospital housed the couple nearby for 13 weeks to make sure they could be with Imogen as much as possible and offered post-traumatic stress disorder counselling.
On 15 January, Imogen was moved to the special care baby unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital where she spent a further 34 days.
After 132 days in hospital, it was finally home time for the family
"It was the scariest time of my life but I would never know it because of how amazing the staff has been with me and my family. They always trusted me as a mum and my instincts."
Imogen is now home, but still requires oxygen and Rachel said doctors were happy with her organs and she has no sight or hearing problems.
Rachel said the reason she went into premature labour was unclear, but she has been told she has a 40% chance of it happening again.
For now she is loving every minute of being a new mum and said she would be forever grateful to the NHS.
"When they say these nurses and doctors are superheroes in scrubs they are not lying," she said.
"We wouldn't have got through everything we have without them all."
• None Twins thought to be UK's most premature to survive | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64875309 |
Can Sunak-Macron bromance help stop the boats? - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The PM is staking his reputation on resolving the issue of migrants crossing the Channel. | UK Politics | Wandering onto the crunch of the courtyard gravel of the Elysee Palace in Paris, the president and the prime minister shared smiles and a brolly.
It was the image that said more than many more words had sought to convey.
These leaders of similar age and similar background clearly get on; that word "bromance" is going to get a good workout in the write ups of the Franco-British summit.
To focus on the chemistry between political leaders may feel superficial.
But relationships in diplomacy really matter, particularly when the contrast is so striking.
Last summer, the then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who would become prime minister weeks later, said the "jury is still out" when asked if President Macron was a friend or foe.
However throwaway or in jest that remark may have been, it is impossible not to notice the contrast now.
Mr Sunak has put great store in what he sees as restoring the UK as an honest broker and reliable ally on the world stage after the chaos of Ms Truss's brief premiership and what might be gently described as the idiosyncrasies of Boris Johnson.
Mr Johnson and President Macron were a million miles apart on Brexit.
But, remember, so are the president and Mr Sunak.
Mr Macron pointedly claimed the implications of the UK's departure from the European Union had been "underestimated" by some of its advocates.
Mr Sunak was an early backer of Brexit.
But diplomats often reflect privately that many European leaders struggled to trust Mr Johnson as prime minister.
Mr Sunak is working hard to attempt to ensure that is no longer the case now he is in the job.
His calculation is that it is a necessary but not necessarily sufficient approach to achieve his political objectives, as well as protective, or perhaps restorative, of the UK's reputation worldwide.
So, beyond the personality stuff, let's take a look at precisely what has come of this summit.
There were important discussions between two allies about Ukraine and China.
But the most politically potent theme for Mr Sunak was small boat crossings.
For a man who has five political priorities, one of which is stopping the boats, doing something to stop at least some of them really matters.
This involves giving France almost £500m over the next few years.
And at least some of it will not deliver anything quickly - the new detention centre will be years in the making.
Downing Street think the funding they had already allocated was good value for money with tangible benefits.
And so their logic is more could deliver more.
The problem for them is whatever benefits they can point to - crossings that would have otherwise happened - the numbers have continued to spiral.
And that promise is clear cut.
Why on earth would a political leader shackle themselves to such a stark promise when this is a complex, international, diplomatically fraught, politically risky issue?
When I put this to one well placed minister, they said the calculation was any caveating or diluting would have sounded pathetic, and they would rather their ambition be clear cut, even if the delivery falls short.
But there is still a difference between a considerable reduction and no reduction at all.
Or the numbers continuing to climb.
Mr Sunak repeatedly pointed out to us at this summit that there is "no one silver bullet" as he puts it to resolve the issue of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.
But resolve it is what he has promised to do.
And so the political jeopardy for the prime minister is simple: anything short of that will be seen by critics as a transparent failure.
His political reputation, at least in part, rests on how well he does.
• None UK to give £500m to help France stop small boats | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64922634 |
Stephen Flynn backs Humza Yousaf in SNP leadership race - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn is the latest senior party figure to endorse the health secretary. | Scotland politics | Stephen Flynn was elected as the SNP's new leader at Westminster in December
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has backed Humza Yousaf in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon.
Mr Flynn is the latest high-profile figure in the party to endorse the Scottish health secretary.
On Saturday Mr Yousaf will join fellow contenders Kate Forbes and Ash Regan for a hustings event at Strathclyde University.
SNP members will start voting for the new leader on Monday, with the winner to be announced on 27 March.
Speaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Flynn said: "I think, for all of us, we need a big bit of hope at the moment.
"We have had a difficult few years with Brexit, with Liz Truss crashing the economy in October, with the cost of living crisis, and I think that Humza can provide that hope."
The Aberdeen South MP praised Mr Yousaf's plans to expand childcare and provide help with the cost of living.
He also said the health secretary understood the necessity for energy security and green jobs.
The three SNP leadership candidates will take part on a BBC Scotland debate next Tuesday
During last week's STV debate, leadership rival Kate Forbes delivered a sharp critique of Mr Yousaf's recording in government, telling him: "You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times."
Asked about that scathing criticism, Mr Flynn said: "It is inevitable that when you are having a contest people will perhaps overegg things.
"When it comes to health Humza has overseen the NHS obviously in a very difficult spot. I don't think anyone is ever going to try and undersell that.
"But our NHS is performing better than any of those on these isles."
Challenged about record waiting times, Mr Flynn blamed a backlog from the Covid pandemic and an ageing population.
He also said Mr Yousaf's record in transport and justice was one to be "proud of", citing examples such as the delivery of the Queensferry Crossing under budget and falling crime figures.
Asked if divisions in the party had been exposed since Ms Sturgeon announced she was standing down, Mr Flynn said there were disagreements within every political party.
But he added: "I think when colleagues are having debate they need to remember that whilst you can disagree you don't necessarily need to be disagreeable."
Ms Forbes has criticised Mr Yousaf's record as transport, justice and health secretary
SNP Westminster deputy leader Mhairi Black had already announced her support for Mr Yousaf, criticising Ms Forbes, who has said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been at Holyrood when the legislation was passed.
Bruce Crawford, a former parliamentary business secretary in the Scottish government, also endorsed Mr Yousaf.
The former MSP tweeted: "I have thought long and hard about who should be the next leader of the SNP. I believe that Humza Yousaf is the candidate who has best demonstrated the qualities and attributes to be that leader."
Veteran SNP MSPs Annabelle Ewing and Christine Grahame are among those to have announced they will be voting for Ms Forbes.
One of the party's best known MPs, Joanna Cherry KC, has given her support to Ms Regan.
Mr Yousaf has revealed he called in police in the erly stages of his leadership campaign
Meanwhile, Mr Yousaf has revealed he was forced to call in Police Scotland over abuse he experienced in the early days of his campaign.
Mr Yousaf spoke of his fears that running to be first minister could impact his family, and his children in particular.
He said: "It's one of the long conversations, the hard conversations, that I had with the family who know about the racial and Islamophobic abuse that I get.
"Ultimately you don't really worry about yourself too much - you worry about your kids."
A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed a 25-year-old man and 35-year-old woman were arrested and charged in connection to reports of abusive and threatening behaviour in the Dundee area last month.
The three leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long Debate Night programme from Edinburgh at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64925333 |
Paris Olympics 2024: Government calls on sponsors to support Russia & Belarus athlete ban - BBC Sport | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | null | Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer writes to Olympic sponsors asking them to support a ban on Russian and Belarussian athletes competing at the 2024 Paris Games. | null | Last updated on .From the section Olympics
The UK government has asked Olympic sponsors to support a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes taking part in the 2024 Paris Games.
It follows a commitment by the International Olympic Committee to "explore a pathway" for the countries' athletes to compete as neutrals.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer made the call in a letter to UK chief executives of the IOC's 13 worldwide partners.
"Join us in pressing the IOC to address the concerns raised," she wrote.
Frazer chaired a summit in February of 36 countries, including France and the United States, that released a joint statement pledging their support for an ongoing ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in international sporting events.
Ukraine, which was not part of the summit, has threatened to boycott the Paris Olympics if the IOC allows Russian athletes to compete.
"Having hosted the Games in London in 2012 we know what an incredible event it is to be involved in, and we appreciate how vitally important the sponsors are to the Games' successful delivery," wrote the Culture Secretary to companies including Coca-Cola, Intel, Samsung and Visa.
"We know sport and politics in Russia and Belarus are heavily intertwined, and we are determined that the regimes in Russia and Belarus must not be allowed to use sport for their propaganda purposes."
The IOC called on federations to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine and banned the nations from the Winter Paralympics in March 2022 - though athletes were allowed to compete under a neutral flag.
IOC president Thomas Bach said that initial decision was made to protect the athletes and in December claimed the organisation faced a "big dilemma" in ensuring athletes do not suffer as a result of sporting sanctions.
The IOC argued in February that the Games could "inspire us to solve problems by building bridges", but said no decision had been made on what practical steps it would take to allow Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete.
Frazer has now urged sponsors to press the IOC on this issue before such plans are put in place.
"As long as our concerns and the substantial lack of clarity and concrete detail on a workable 'neutrality' model are not addressed, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back into competition," she wrote.
"Noting the IOC's stated position that no final decisions have been made, we have strongly urged the IOC to address the questions identified by all countries and reconsider its proposal accordingly.
"As an Olympic partner, I would welcome your views on this matter and ask you to join us in pressing the IOC to address the concerns raised in our statement." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/64920417 |
Cheltenham stabbing: Man held under Terrorism Act - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The man was first held on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack outside a leisure centre. | Gloucestershire | A woman was stabbed outside the leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, on Thursday night
A man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after a woman was stabbed outside a leisure centre.
The woman was attacked outside the centre in Cheltenham on Thursday night and was taken to hospital where she is now said to be in a stable condition.
The 29-year-old man was originally arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack.
However, Gloucestershire Police said he was re-arrested on Friday night under the Terrorism Act.
The force said the man was being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism as well as on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism.
It said that "due to some specific details of this incident" Counter Terrorism Policing South East was leading the investigation, working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing South West and officers from the Gloucestershire force.
Police believe the attack was an "isolated incident"
Officers urged anyone with information about the attack - outside the Leisure at Cheltenham centre in Tommy Taylors Lane at about 21:15 GMT - to contact them.
Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone, of Gloucestershire Police, said: "I would like to reassure those living locally or visiting the county that we believe this was an isolated incident and we are not aware of any wider threat to members of the public.
"We are working closely with our partners in Counter Terrorism Policing."
Officers have until 16 March to question the man after obtaining a warrant of further detention.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-64928963 |
Watch: Shed topples as Hemsby cliff collapses at high tide - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | null | There are fears for homes as a cliff continues to crumble in Hemsby. | null | The coastline at Hembsy has been hit by severe erosion in recent weeks, leaving homes at risk of collapse.
BBC reporter Jon Ironmonger and cameraman Richard Knights captured the moment a shed was lost to the sea on Friday night. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-64924665 |
Teacher strike dates called off after new Welsh government offer - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Teachers cancel two strike dates after a revised pay offer from Welsh government. | Wales | NEU members had been set to walk out on 15 and 16 March
Teachers in Wales have called off two strike dates after the Welsh government proposed a new pay offer.
National Education Union (NEU) members were due to walk out on 15 March and 16 March.
But the union has announced that the strikes will be cancelled following talks with the Welsh government.
Education Minister Jeremy Miles has offered to give teachers an 8% increase in pay for 2022-23.
The Welsh government told unions if members were to benefit from a pay rise this year, they must reach an agreement by 17 March.
Mr Miles said he would pay teachers the rise as talks continue if they suspended action until the end of the academic year.
Mr Miles said it would provide teachers with a "significant" back payment.
His letter to teachers said the offer was in the interests of Welsh school children.
Mr Miles said it was "imperative" that while negotiations continued pupils should not face losing more school days.
Mr Miles has also made an improved offer of 5% for 2023-24, which is up from 3.5%.
Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, the NEU's joint general secretaries, thanked the Welsh government for the "constructive manner in which they have pursued a solution."
NEU members will now be balloted on the 8% pay increase
"It is vital that we do all we can, together, to combat the recruitment and retention crisis and ensure that more people join the profession and stay in the profession," they said.
"The Welsh Government recognises this and has also understood the importance of the pay offer being fully funded. In addition, they have committed to working with us on tackling workload."
The Welsh government welcomed the decision to pause strikes.
"This is good news for pupils, parents and the teaching profession," a spokesperson said. "Taken alongside the progress we have made in bringing together a package of measures to reduce workload, we believe this is a good pay offer that we hope members can support."
All schools in Wales were affected by strike action on 2 March, postponed from 14 Feb.
The strike originally planned in Wales for 14 February was postponed so the NEU could consult members on an improved pay offer from the Welsh government, which was later rejected.
Members of the NAHT, which represents head teachers, are currently taking industrial action short of a strike, while teachers' union the NASUWT had rejected the offer and was due to ballot members.
NAHT Cymru leader, Laura Doel, said: "This is a positive move but we still have concerns about some elements about the funding of the offer."
NASUWT general secretary, Patrick Roach, said: "The minister's offer to deliver an award to teachers on a without prejudice basis before the end of the financial year should mean that teachers will benefit from additional money today rather than empty promises of jam tomorrow." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64918704 |
Gary Lineker told to step back from presenting Match of the Day - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The BBC took the decision after an impartiality row over his criticism of the government's asylum plans. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Gary Lineker has been told to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement is reached on his social media use, the BBC has said.
It follows an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the government's new asylum policy.
The BBC said it considered Lineker's "recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines".
It added he should "keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies".
The BBC asked Lineker to step back after "extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days".
It "decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media", the statement said.
It continued: "When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none.
"We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies."
The move has led to Saturday's Match of the Day going ahead without presenters or pundits - as one by one contributors ruled themselves out.
First, Ian Wright said he would not appear in "solidarity", tweeting: "Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I've told the BBC I won't be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity."
Alan Shearer, who also presents on the show, said he had "informed the BBC that I won't be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night".
They were followed shortly after by contributors Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards who both said that while they were not due to work on Saturday's programme, they would not have appeared. Ex-England player Alex Scott also indicated she would not go on the show.
The BBC said the programme would instead "focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry".
Lineker has not yet publicly commented but while presenting 5News earlier, former BBC presenter Dan Walker read out a text live on air from the 62-year-old.
Walker said he had messaged Lineker asking: "What is happening. Are you stepping back?"
He said he had received a reply saying: "No, they've [the BBC] told me I have to step back."
On Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman outlined the government's plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.
Lineker reacted to it on Twitter calling it an "immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".
Ms Braverman hit out at Lineker's tweet, saying it "diminishes the unspeakable tragedy" of the Holocaust.
Speaking on the BBC's Political Thinking podcast, the home secretary said the Nazi comparison was "lazy and unhelpful" and said her family "feel very keenly the impact of the Holocaust" as her husband is Jewish.
Many opposition MPs and charities also strongly objected to the government's plans.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the proposals saying stopping the arrival of small boats is a "priority" for the British people.
Richard Ayre, former controller of editorial policy at the BBC, who also served as a member of the regulator Ofcom's content board, said the corporation had "no choice" but to take action against Lineker after his tweets criticising the government's asylum policy.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, he said: "I think it was inevitable. He [Lineker] has the letters BBC written across his forehead and yet he's plunged right into the most controversial story of the day."
He said BBC Director General Tim Davie had "clearly tried" to reach an agreement with Lineker but failed, adding: "It's inevitable now that having in effect not sacked him but removed him temporarily at least, the BBC will now come under a torrent of criticism saying it's acting under the government's behest."
A Labour source told the BBC that the corporation should "rethink their decision".
It said: "The BBC's cowardly decision to take Gary Lineker off air is an assault on free speech in the face of political pressure.
"Tory politicians lobbying to get people sacked for disagreeing with government policies should be laughed at, not pandered to. The BBC should rethink their decision."
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the BBC's decision "indefensible". Writing on Twitter, she said the corporation was "undermining free speech in the face of political pressure - and it does always seem to be right-wing pressure it caves to".
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said in a statement: "Individual cases are a matter for the BBC."
Lineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about £1.35m in 2020-21.
He is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.
The ex-footballer has previously housed asylum seekers and publicly called for better rights and protections for refugees. He has also been critical of successive Conservative governments over issues including Brexit.
His comments have attracted widespread support on social media, with one tweet getting 235,000 likes. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64920557 |
Lineker row hits BBC Scotland sports output - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | BBC Scotland says it is only able to bring "limited sport programming this weekend". | Scotland | Gary Lineker left his home on Saturday to watch Leicester City's match against Chelsea
BBC Scotland has curtailed its sports coverage amid the ongoing row over Gary Lineker.
The Match of the Day presenter was taken off air after tweeting about the UK government's new migration law, prompting a row over BBC impartiality.
Many UK-wide sports programme have already been hit by an impromptu staff boycott in support of Lineker.
BBC Scotland said it would only be able to bring "limited sport programming this weekend".
In a statement the corporation said: "Sportscene will run this evening on BBC One Scotland and BBC Scotland, with an amended format similar to current plans for Match of the Day.
"Some of the Sportsound slot on Radio Scotland was replaced by pre-recorded material.
"We are sorry for these changes which we recognise will be disappointing for BBC sport fans.
"We are working hard to resolve the situation and hope to do so soon."
The statement added schedules would be amended to reflect the changes.
It is unclear how planned BBC Scotland coverage of major sporting events on Sunday, including the Six Nations and Scottish Cup, will be affected.
The row began on Tuesday, when controversial plans were unveiled to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum.
The UK government says the tough measures are necessary to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.
But Lineker reacted to it on Twitter calling it an "immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".
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The ex-England striker, who is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis, has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the corporation's highest paid star, having earned about £1.35m in 2020-21.
BBC employees are expected to be remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.
After Lineker was suspended on Friday several high profile stars, including Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, confirmed they would not be appearing on Match of the Day.
BBC director general Tim Davie, who has said impartiality should be at the heart of the corporation, told a BBC journalist: "I think we always look to take proportionate action and that's what we've done."
By Saturday several BBC TV and radio sports shows had been pulled at the last minute, including Football Focus, Final Score and Fighting Talk.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is among those who have criticised the decision to suspend the former footballer.
On Friday she tweeted: "As a strong supporter of public service broadcasting, I want to be able to defend the BBC. But the decision to take @GaryLineker off air is indefensible. It is undermining free speech in the face of political pressure - & it does always seem to be rightwing pressure it caves to." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64926313 |
John Swinney backs Humza Yousaf in SNP leadership race - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Deputy First Minister John Swinney is the most senior party figure to endorse the health secretary. | Scotland politics | Humza Yousaf said he was honoured to have the backing of Mr Swinney, whom he described as "a true giant of the SNP and independence movement"
Deputy First Minister John Swinney has backed Humza Yousaf in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister.
Mr Swinney is the most high-profile figure in the party to endorse the Scottish health secretary.
But Kate Forbes' campaign manager said the announcement suggested the SNP hierarchy were "absolutely panicking".
Mr Yousaf is standing against the finance secretary and ex-community safety minister Ash Regan.
SNP members will start voting for the new leader on Monday, with the winner to be announced on 27 March.
Mr Swinney's endorsement comes after the party's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn confirmed he would be supporting Mr Yousaf.
Nicola Sturgeon has previously said she would not be publicly backing any of the three candidates.
Last month John Swinney questioned whether it would be appropriate for someone with Ms Forbes' views to be SNP leader.
He spoke out after the finance secretary, who is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, made clear she would not have voted for gay marriage if she had been an MSP in 2014.
Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan will take part in a BBC Scotland debate on Tuesday
In a statement released on Saturday night he said: "Humza is best placed to lead our party because he will strengthen the SNP as a force for progressive change in Scottish politics.
"Humza will govern effectively by using the partnership that we enjoy with the Scottish Green Party - guaranteeing us a pro-independence majority in the Scottish parliament.
"And crucially, Humza will widen our support in attracting new supporters to Scottish Independence."
Mr Swinney, who will stand down as deputy first minister later this month, said Mr Yousaf was the candidate who would "complete our journey to independence" and praised his track record in power.
The Perthshire North MSP added: "Humza is an experienced minister who's done all the tough stuff that you have to do day in day out within government.
"He's put his heart and soul into all the work he's done within the party to make the SNP an inclusive political party."
Mr Yousaf said he was honoured to have the backing of a "true giant of the SNP and independence movement".
He added: "Like Nicola, our party owes so much of our success to John's stewardship.
"John's backing is a massive boost to my progressive grassroots campaign to stand up for Scottish democracy, protect and advance rights, unite our Yes movement and secure independence for Scotland."
It's the endorsement every candidate wanted, short of that of Nicola Sturgeon herself.
Many waited to see what John Swinney was going to do before deciding on their own leadership campaigns, such is his popularity within the SNP.
So this is a coup for Humza Yousaf - and an addition to the host of high-profile backers he has already got in the bag.
It does underline his position as the "continuity candidate", given much of the present regime is now backing him.
And while Mr Yousaf insists he is very much his own man, he has embraced the idea that continuing the electoral success the party has enjoyed would be no bad thing.
There is a slight danger for him in appearing too much of an establishment figure, in a movement with a distinctly anti-establishment ethos.
But he will be hoping that the backing of influential members like Mr Swinney will trickle down to the grassroots and help to deliver victory.
Following Mr Swinney's announcement Ms Forbes' campaign manager questioned the timing of the move.
Falkirk East MSP Michelle Thomson said: "When the current deputy first minister decides to personally intervene in the leadership contest at such a late stage, you get the sense that senior figures in the party have seen the polls and are absolutely panicking.
"Given how close we are to the vote opening, many party members will look upon this 11th hour intervention rather cynically. They don't need to be told by party HQ what to think or how to vote."
Ms Thomson said it appeared the SNP hierarchy would prefer "an establishment transfer of power" rather than allowing its members the freedom to make "a healthy democratic choice".
BBC Scotland has asked Ms Regan's campaign for a response to Mr Swinney's statement.
Kate Forbes speaking at an SNP hustings event at Strathclyde University on Saturday
Veteran SNP MSPs Annabelle Ewing and Christine Grahame are among those to have announced they will be voting for Ms Forbes.
One of the party's best known MPs, Joanna Cherry KC, has given her support to Ms Regan.
The three leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long Debate Night programme from Edinburgh at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64926319 |
Northern Ireland snow: Rare 'snow rollers' spotted in County Down - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | It may look like the result of someone having fun in the snow but these rollers occur naturally. | Northern Ireland | The snow rollers were photographed by entomologist Adam Mantell in Annahilt
It might look like someone has been out having fun in the snow, but the rare snow rollers spotted in a field in County Down are a naturally occurring phenomenon.
They occur when strong winds blow across a flat, snow-covered field or hillside, according to the Royal Meteorological society (RMETS).
The photos were taken in Annahilt by entomologist Adam Mantell.
It came after Northern Ireland was hit with heavy snow on Thursday.
According to Royal Meteorological Society (RMETS) three conditions need to be met for the snow rollers to form:
The snow rollers usually resemble hay bales, doughnuts or a swiss roll.
RMETS say snow rollers cannot form if the wind is too strong, too weak or the snow is too tightly packed.
The snow rollers often look like a hay bale, a doughnut or a Swiss roll, and can be hollow inside.
The heavy snowfall caused major disruption across Northern Ireland, with many schools closed and power outages in homes. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64926295 |
Watch: Murder suspect flees US courtroom - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | null | Edi Villalobos escaped from an Oregon courtroom during jury selection for his upcoming trial. | null | Edi Villalobos escaped from an Oregon courtroom during jury selection for his upcoming trial.
In accordance with Oregon law, all of the suspect’s restraints, such as handcuffs and leg shackles, were removed while in the courtroom for the trial. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64929190 |
Kuenssberg: The Budget cannot mask big changes to our economy - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Both main parties are under pressure to make the country and its people richer, writes Laura Kuenssberg. | UK Politics | In normal times (remember them?) there would be a frenzy this weekend about what's coming up in next week's Budget.
If it feels a bit muted so far, that isn't just because of a bit of a media frenzy over something else (what could that be?) but because Jeremy Hunt was employed as a "calm down" chancellor - called in like a soothing manager of many years' experience in a sensible bank to sort things out after some crazy young guns spent all the loot.
Given how he got his job and his political character he's not going to wake up on Wednesday morning and spring a red box full of massive shocks on an unsuspecting public.
One senior Conservative MP is hopeful of a few "pleasant surprises" but notes the Downing Street neighbours' priority is to "hold on to their reputation for caution and prudence".
Expect headlines about the country being less in the red than expected, a possible giveaway on pension savings and some goodies to help working families with the soaraway costs of childcare - you can read Faisal's primer here.
But when we sit down on our programme this Sunday with Jeremy Hunt and Labour's Rachel Reeves - who hopes to fill his job - there's so much more than the specifics of what's coming on Wednesday to talk about.
No one Budget can mask some big shifts in how the economy works - or perhaps doesn't work for many voters. Long-term changes to wealth and wages feed into how we all vote.
Statistics in the last few days suggest the economy is not in such dire straits as predicted a few months ago, but what's happened over the past few years and is possibly coming next isn't pretty.
Bluntly, the economy has failed to grow persuasively for a long time, and no strong surge is coming soon. In fact, the Bank of England reckons growth will be measly in the coming years too, only getting back to the levels it was at before Covid in 2026.
Politicians aren't short of explanations for what's gone wrong - some self-inflicted, some out of their control.
There has been the Ukraine war, the pandemic and the disruption of Brexit. We've also seen years of political strife, the markets' disastrous reaction to Liz Truss' decisions, the effects of a spending squeeze during the 2010s and even the long-lasting hangover from the 2008 financial crisis. Remember experts brandishing "L-shaped" graphs during that time - warning that it would take years for the economy to climb back to anything with vigour?
Those political and economic dramas have had real-life consequences, presenting huge challenges to what, years ago, politicians presented to voters as normal, achievable aspirations - the hope and expectation that each generation would do better than the last. Perhaps that's shaky now.
Take for example this statistic from the Institute for Fiscal Studies: in 1997 more than 60% of people on middle incomes between the ages of 25 and 35 owned their own homes. Twenty years later, that figure had slumped to just over 20%.
Think about that for a moment - it is a profound change. There is a blizzard of statistics of course, and each year, every Budget, there are moves up and down. Think how much impact Kwasi Kwarteng's short time with the No 11 Downing Street red box had.
But let's look at the big changes that have been in the works over a longer period.
For years, wages have been sluggish and growing more slowly than wealth. Paul Johnson, economist and director of the IFS, says a "significant fraction" of people in their 20s and 30s are earning less than their parents at the same stage of life.
It's harder to buy a house. It's more expensive to rent one if you can't afford to buy. For decades, what your parents passed on was becoming less important to your chances of prosperity. That seems to have gone into reverse and could have huge consequences for our political choices.
It's given Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer ammunition to suggest that under the Conservatives that pact - that "social contract" with the public that you get back what you put in - has frayed.
"Hard-working families" - the nebulous group so beloved by successive generations of politicians whose votes might swing if only the right solutions could be dangled in front of them - are likely to be working harder and feel life's harder too.
You can add to this the pressures of an ageing population: fewer people in the workforce paying tax, happily living longer but requiring more cash for health and care.
The two main political parties share a desire to get the economy growing strongly. It's not abstract - if the economy doesn't grow and the government needs more money for health or defence for example, ministers have either to borrow, increase taxes or cut spending. Those aren't ideas parties like to put on the front of leaflets, lecterns or Facebook ads.
Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer have been at pains not to push businesses away
The trouble for the Conservatives is that even inside the party they disagree over how to do it. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss's verdict was to slash taxes, borrowing to do so, which ended in disaster.
Even though Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak promised radical tax cuts when they were vying to be Tory leader, neither of them says now is the right time. There will probably be hints on Wednesday and promises of tax cuts to come, but they're unlikely to cave to backbench pressure to cut now.
We'll hear more from Rachel Reeves on Sunday's programme about how Labour would spend billions to try to create thousands of jobs and get growth going through supporting green industries. But there's perhaps a tension too for Labour, promising massive state intervention in industry while vowing to watch every single penny.
Rishi Sunak has soothed nervous Tory brows in the last few weeks with a frenzy of activity, fewer leaks from cabinet, and pointers the economy might not be in such dire straits as previously thought. His calm down chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, did reassure the manic financial markets when he took over. But Labour's been solidly ahead in the polls for months and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has carefully been building its reputation for credibility and making nice with business.
What happens to our wallets makes a huge difference to what happens at the ballot box. There is huge pressure on both main parties to address the big shifts in how we make our livings as individuals and as a country.
That's not just about what happens this Wednesday but about who wins much bigger arguments that affect us all in the months and years ahead.
We'll be asking Mr Hunt and Ms Reeves about those big questions in the morning, and perhaps, talking a little about what's going on at the BBC too.
Remember, we love to get your questions - you can email me kuenssberg@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64926786 |
Israel sees one of its biggest-ever protests - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | At one of Saturday's rallies, opposition leader Yair Lapid said this was Israel's "greatest crisis". | Middle East | About 200,000 are believed to have taken to the streets in Tel Aviv
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis rallied against the government's judicial plans on Saturday night, in what organisers said were the biggest street protests in Israel's history.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the changes - which would curb the power of courts - will restore balance between the branches of government.
At one of Saturday's rallies, opposition leader Yair Lapid said this was Israel's "greatest crisis".
In a separate development, Israeli troops shot dead three armed Palestinians near the West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday, the Israeli army said. It said the gunmen had fired at an Israeli army post.
Palestinian officials have not commented on the incident. There has been a marked surge in violence between Palestinians and Israel in recent months.
On Saturday, protest organisers said as many as 500,000 demonstrators took to the streets across Israel for the 10th consecutive week, in what the Haaretz newspaper called "the largest demonstration in the country's history".
About 200,000 people turned up in Tel Aviv - many carrying Israel's national flag - to rally against planned reforms by Mr Netanyahu's hardline government.
A BBC producer in the city described the protests as the busiest yet, with a non-stop flow of demonstrators packing the streets until late into the night.
In remarkable scenes, crowds applauded Tel Aviv police chief Amichai Eshed as he walked in uniform through the rally.
On Thursday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had said he was transferring Mr Eshed to head a training division, amid reports the ultra-nationalist politician accused the commander of being too soft on protesters, whom he calls "anarchists".
But Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara later overruled Mr Ben-Gvir, saying the decision was being frozen, while national police chief Kobi Shabtai on Saturday said he had "made a mistake" in dismissing Eshed.
The clash over the commander's position is significant. It comes amid predictions of a possible constitutional crisis, involving Israel's civil service and security forces being unable to take orders from the government, if no compromise is reached on the planned reforms, says the BBC's Tom Bateman in Jerusalem.
Speaking at the demonstrations in Tel Aviv, former Israel police chief Moshe Karadi described Mr Ben-Gvir's control of the force as an unprecedented danger.
He said the minister was "a convicted felon, enacting a hostile takeover of the police and trying to turn it into a private militia to serve his political purposes".
Mr Ben-Gvir has previous convictions for racist incitement and supporting terrorism over his backing of a Jewish extremist group. He has said police would have "zero tolerance" of demonstrators who block roads, with forces using water cannon and stun grenades against protesters last week.
Speaking in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, Mr Lapid warned that the country was facing an unprecedented crisis.
"A wave of terrorism is hitting us, our economy is crashing, money is escaping the country. Iran just signed yesterday a new agreement with Saudi Arabia. But the only thing this government cares about is crushing Israeli democracy," he said.
In the northern city of Haifa, a record crowd of 50,000 marched on Saturday.
The planned reforms have caused deep divides in Israeli society
The reforms aim to give the elected government decisive influence over the choice of judges, and limit the ability of the Supreme Court to rule against the executive or strike down legislation.
The issue has caused deep divides in Israeli society and, significantly, has seen reservists - the backbone of Israel's military - threatening to refuse to serve as a way of showing their opposition.
Last Monday, in an unprecedented move, dozens of reserve fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron said they would not report for training. They later reversed course and agreed to attend and hold talks with their commanders.
On Thursday, protesters blocked roads and attempted to stop Mr Netanyahu flying out of the country. He later took off for Rome.
The government has stood firm in the face of the uproar, claiming the protests are being fuelled by political opponents.
Critics say the planned reforms, which are already making their way through parliament, will politicise the judiciary and could lead to an authoritarian government.
Mr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the Israeli public at the last election.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Protesters flood the streets of Tel Aviv this week | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-64929563 |
Tiger Woods denies he had a tenancy deal with ex-girlfriend - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lawyers for the golfer argue Erica Herman was a "guest" who had been "invited" to stay with him. | US & Canada | Lawyers for Tiger Woods have denied that he and his ex-girlfriend, who is suing him, had a deal that allowed her to share his Florida home with him.
Erica Herman is seeking $30m (£25m) from a trust held by Mr Woods, claiming she was tricked into packing her bags for a holiday, then locked out.
A non-disclosure agreement she signed with Mr Woods in 2017 requires that any legal disputes be settled out of court.
She is trying to have that agreement cancelled by a court.
Ms Herman, who managed a restaurant owned by Mr Woods before their relationship began, has filed two lawsuits in Martin County, Florida.
She is arguing that the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) she signed is invalid because of a new federal law that limits the enforceability of NDAs in cases of sexual harassment or abuse. She did not make any such allegations in her lawsuit.
She is also suing the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, which Mr Woods controls, claiming that the 15-time champion golfer violated an oral agreement that allowed her to live in the home with his two children.
Ms Herman says she was allowed to live there rent-and-expense free for the six years of their relationship in exchange for personal services that she provided to Mr Woods. She says there were five years left of the deal when he broke off the relationship.
But lawyers for Mr Woods argue that she was a "guest" who had been "invited" to stay with him.
"Mr Woods never negotiated an oral tenancy agreement with Ms Herman. Nor was there ever a written tenancy agreement between Mr Woods or the Trust," his lawyers said in a court filing.
The documents say that Mr Woods notified Ms Herman on 13 October last year that he was ending their relationship.
The court filing says he "informed Ms Herman that she was no longer welcome in the Residence".
"Mr Woods arranged for Ms Herman to stay at a local luxury resort and provided funds she could apply toward a new residence," the document adds.
His lawyers argue that she sued the trust to try to bypass the NDA, and maintain that the NDA remains legally binding.
The court documents have come to light a month before Mr Woods heads to Augusta National in the US state of Georgia to play in the Masters.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From 2021: Tiger Woods fans react to his car accident | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64922792 |
Wildfire warnings issued despite snow and ice in Scotland - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Scotland's fire service says the drying effect of frost increases the risk of dead grass catching fire. | Scotland | Warnings of possible wildfires have been issued for parts of Scotland, despite the snow and freezing weather.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) warned of an "extreme" risk of grassland catching fire in parts of southwest and central Scotland.
The SFRS said cold, dry conditions can create the "ideal set of circumstances" for wildfires to spread.
A Met Office alert for snow and ice is in place for much of Scotland from 18:00 until 06:00 on Sunday.
The wildfire warning comes at the end of a week which has seen temperatures plummet, with -16C recorded at Altnaharra - the lowest UK March temperature since 2010.
Further snow is forecast this weekend, with up to 10cm (4in) expected at the highest levels.
Many parts of the Borders, like Midlem, saw snowfalls overnight from Thursday into Friday
The SFRS said the increased risk of wildfires was due to the weather pattern over the next few days, dominated by low pressure, warm air to the south, cold air to the north and low humidity in the south-west.
Large amounts of dead grass and heather from last year have dried out quickly due to the combination of frost, low relative humidity, sunshine and wind.
SFRS Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, Bruce Farquharson, said Scotland's spring weather presented the ideal conditions for wildfires.
He added: "We have the combination of vegetation that's dried out over the winter and frost has pulled all the moisture out of that vegetation.
"It just takes the slightest ignition source and we have great opportunities for fires to take hold and spread.
"So cold, dry days with a little bit of sun make an ideal set of circumstances for wildfires to start."
The fire service has urged people visiting or working outside in rural areas to exercise caution to avoid starting fires. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64919199 |
How a tummy-tuck kidnap ended in cartel confusion - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | null | Two US citizens have been returned and a Mexican drug cartel handed over its own men. Here is what we know. | null | Two US citizens have been returned to the US after being kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel, but questions still remain about the murky details. The BBC's Will Grant explains. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64753595 |
Hemsby: Work to demolish at-risk cliff-top homes starts - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The owner of the first home to be flattened says her hopes and dreams have been destroyed. | Norfolk | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The property is one of three to be demolished from the top of the dunes
Work to demolish three homes close to the cliff edge in Norfolk has started after high tides cut into sandy cliffs.
Residents have left their wooden properties in The Marrams in Hemsby, some of which are within 1m (3.2ft) of the cliff edge and at risk of collapse.
Several outbuildings were lost to the sea as high tide hit at about 21:00 GMT on Friday.
Sue, whose property was the first to be taken down, said it was "soul-destroying".
Sue, who did not want to give her surname, said watching her home being demolished was "soul-destroying"
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The demolition of her house is now complete, and the two other properties will be flattened on Sunday, contractors on the site say.
Along with her neighbours, Sue spent the morning hurriedly packing up her belongings before the demolition teams moved in.
Sue, who did not want to give her surname, said she wished more could have been done to save her home of three years.
By the end of Saturday one home had been demolished - a further two are expected to be torn down on Sunday
"It's really annoying, it's all your hopes and dreams collapsed into nothingness," she said.
This time last week there was up to 20ft between her property and the cliff edge, and then there was just 3ft.
She was told she would have to get planning permission for her home to be moved back from the cliff edge but there was not enough time.
Watching her house being destroyed with her head in her hands, she said: "We've got some very happy memories there because it's got lovely energy to it, lovely atmosphere."
Assessment work was carried out before the demolition work started
Mary Withey, whose home is due to be demolished, said she had collected what she could of her belongings
Mary Withey, whose home is also set to be demolished, said she and her partner "had got what we can".
"I'm not OK with it, it's been my home, I don't want to move... it's very sad," said Ms Withey, who has lived in her house for four years,
"When I first heard I was in shock and today I've just been tearful, it's horrible."
All the homeowners have been packing up any last bits
Jane Beck, head of property and asset management at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, had initially planned to demolish all three properties within the day, before the next high tide at 21:38.
"It's extremely sad for those people and we're trying to do everything we possibly can to help them through that process," Ms Beck said.
The beach and surrounding area at Hemsby should be avoided, she added, and she urged people to stay away for their own safety.
The properties were on the verge of going into the sea
The only access road to properties on the Marrams has also been cordoned off and is expected to collapse.
Fire crews knocked on doors on Friday and urged anybody still in the affected properties to leave their homes.
During the evening, a shed and a playhouse toppled over the cliff but Hemsby Independent Lifeboat crew managed to rescue two chickens from the shed which they said "put a smile on everyone's face".
Hemsby Independent Lifeboat crew rescued two chickens from a shed just before it toppled into the sea
Daniel Hurd, coxswain with the lifeboat crew, said it had been a "long old night".
The Highways Agency blocked off the road on Friday evening and BT responded to a telegraph pole that was tilting on the edge.
"Luckily we managed to get that on to the beach and not risk public safety by it falling on top of them," he said.
Daniel Hurd, coxswain, with the Hemsby lifeboat crew said Friday had been "a long old night"
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"My concern now is that if [the erosion] gets to the car parks, we possibly may have to shut the doors on the lifeboat station and then you won't have sea cover off Hemsby at all... and that is serious," he added.
The BBC understands that the owner of the property on the edge of the dunes on the south side of gap, has been given the chance to move it across the road
Great Yarmouth Borough Council's chief executive, Sheila Oxtoby, said the authority was looking to bring some rock on to the beach to protect the road access to a number of other properties as a "temporary solution".
It is understood 1,900 tonnes of granite are due to arrive on Wednesday.
Ms Oxtoby said: "At the same time as dealing with the immediate issue, we're also looking at how we can use our emergency powers to provide a temporary rock berm solution to give us more time for the main scheme."
A water main pipe that was buried in the ground has been exposed
Mr Hurd, however, said the current situation was "heart-breaking" and could have been resolved earlier.
He said: "I just think it's absolutely ridiculous, this has been an emergency for years and it's taken this weekend for them to see it's an emergency to then get a rock berm put on the beach."
Borough councillor, James Bensley, said he could understand people were frustrated but there had been "so much bureaucracy".
"It's a real minefield of making sure that what local government and the authorities do is the correct line of procedure and I can totally understand people's frustrations," he said.
Borough councillor for Hemsby, James Bensley, said he could understand people were frustrated about the time taken to put defences in but local government "has to do it correctly"
"We [also] have to make sure it works, we have to make sure it's cost affordable and doesn't affect further south down the coast.
"I know the process and the time that has been taken is exhausting and I can fully appreciate and understand that but we have to do it correctly and with the tools that we have got and through the right channels."
Hemsby, near Great Yarmouth, is home to about 3,000 people and was once home to a Pontins holiday camp.
Seven bungalows along The Marrams had to be demolished when sandy cliffs washed away in March 2018 and, in December 2013, "the worst storm surge in 60 years", destroyed seven homes.
Last year, a 1.3km (0.8 mile) rock berm at the base of the cliff was approved in principle, but the council funding for the £15m scheme was challenging to obtain, with just £2.5m available from the government.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-64924782 |
Campaigners slam government river bathing decision - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Just one river included in government's proposal for new designated swimming sites | Science & Environment | The River Wharfe was the first UK river to have an officially designated bathing site.
The government's rejection of all but one application for bathing water status for English rivers is "very disappointing", environmentalists say.
Part of the River Deben in Suffolk is still in the running but campaigners for clean water say proposals for eight other river sites were declined.
Designation as an official bathing site obliges the Environment Agency to regularly test water quality.
Campaigners say they have not been told why the decisions have been made.
You can still swim in non-designated sites but it's unlikely the water quality will be monitored or tested.
Water companies currently have to provide data on how many hours raw sewage flows into waterways, but there is limited testing of what it means for water quality.
There will now be a period of public consultation on four new sites becoming officially designated as bathing water. Two are at a reservoir in Rutland with the others on the coast in Plymouth, as well as the River Deben in Suffolk.
"The actions we have taken mean that people across the country will be able to swim at more sites and in better quality water, but we know there is more to do," says Water Minister Rebecca Pow.
There are already 421 designated bathing water sites in England. The vast majority of them are coastal with just two, in Yorkshire on the River Wharfe and Oxfordshire, on the Thames on rivers.
Applicants for official bathing status are asked to provide evidence of local support, data on how many people swim at the site and whether there are facilities nearby, such as toilets.
Kirsty Davies, community water quality officer for campaign group Surfers Against Sewage called the rejections "a slap in the face for communities who are trying to tackle the sewage pollution crisis."
"It's a Catch 22," Ms Davies said. "They won't care for waters that aren't designated, but we apply for designation, and they decline."
One of those turned down is at Wallingford on the River Thames. In a statement South Oxfordshire District council said they were "extremely disappointed" by the decision and were seeking clarification on the reasons behind it.
In 2020 part of the Wharfe in Ilkley became the first UK river to be designated as a bathing site, in what was then seen as a major victory for water quality campaigners. But efforts to get three more stretches of the Wharfe officially designated have been rejected.
Councillor Linda Richards, who had been working on the designation told the BBC that they had been sent emails which said they'd failed to meet the criteria but didn't explain why.
"This is a disappointing setback but not the end of the road," she said, explaining that they would bid for designated status again.
A spokesperson for DEFRA said they would not comment on individual applications but that sites that did not meet criteria would not progress to national consultation. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64919789 |
Italy migrants: Hundreds in trouble off Calabria coast - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Rescue efforts are under way near the scene of a shipwreck in which dozens of migrants died last month. | Europe | Italy's coast guards are being supported by the country's navy
A large operation is under way off Italy's coast to rescue 1,300 migrants in overcrowded boats.
The country's navy and coastguard say they are racing to help three vessels near the southern region of Calabria.
Italy's coastguard described the operation as "particularly complex", because of the number of boats and people at risk.
The rescue effort comes almost two weeks after at least 73 migrants died in a shipwreck in the same region.
The victims included a six-year-old boy whose body was discovered on Friday.
After last month's disaster, Italy's far-right government was accused of not doing enough to prevent the loss of lives.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni responded by taking her cabinet to the site of the wreck in the town of Cutro.
She has proposed prison terms of up to 30 years for people smugglers responsible for deaths and serious injuries.
Italy has seen an increase of migrants arriving by sea this year. It has recorded three times as many arrivals as during the same period last year, according to its interior ministry. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64920955 |
Gary Lineker revolt becomes a test of BBC's values - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The broadcaster is facing a test of its fundamental values and mission following a day of tumult. | UK | When the BBC's director general, Tim Davie, took over in 2020, he declared his founding principle to be "impartiality".
Three years later, a row over that principle and how it applies across the corporation has created a crisis that has quite clearly caught managers by surprise.
Familiar, fixed points in the weekly TV schedule unexpectedly falling off air in quick succession is proof of a crisis that has become something much bigger than a row about some tweets.
The Gary Lineker issue is more than an argument about the opinions of a highly paid sports presenter - it is a test of the BBC's fundamental values and the current director general's core mission.
The passions provoked by Lineker's political tweets and the decision to keep him off air until he and the BBC resolve this issue has poured petrol on a fire that was already well alight - the debate about the BBC's role in British politics and perceptions of bias both to the left and the right.
But first, let's look at the immediate issue.
It's worth noting that complaints about Lineker's politically charged tweets are not new.
In 2016 and 2018 the BBC defended comments made by the Match of the Day presenter about child migrants and Brexit by saying he was a freelance presenter, it was a private Twitter account and the stringent rules for journalists did not apply equally to sports presenters.
The guidelines at the time said the risk to compromising the BBC's impartiality "is lower where an individual is expressing views publicly on an unrelated area, for example, a sports or science presenter expressing views on politics or the arts".
Since then rules have been tightened. New guidelines on social media demanded an "extra responsibility" for presenters with a "high profile". Some described the new rule as the "Lineker clause".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: BBC boss Tim Davie asked if he bowed to government pressure
The question is whether that rule is being fairly applied. Twitter is awash with examples of what some people think are presenters who have gone too far over recent years. Names frequently raised include Alan Sugar, Chris Packham and Andrew Neil.
In response, Mr Davie said on Saturday evening that he was in "listening mode" and suggested there might be an escape route by re-examining those guidelines.
There is good reason for him to want to bring this to a conclusion. Impartiality is hugely important but so too is providing a service that people pay for through their licence fee.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds
Match of the Day went ahead on BBC One on Saturday night - but was reduced to a 20-minute edition that did not have a presenter, pundits or any commentary - while other football coverage was dropped.
Every cancelled programme is a source of further complaint from licence payers who may not care what Lineker says on Twitter but care deeply about their favourite programmes staying on air on a Saturday night.
There is also the wider context of a government that has in recent years been critical of the BBC and its perceived liberal bias.
Greg Dyke, a former director general, who left the BBC over a clash with the Labour Government in 2004, says the decision to pull Gary Lineker from Match of the Day looks like a corporation bowing to political pressure from a Tory government.
All of which leads to another issue that asks questions of the BBC's impartiality, the BBC's chairman, Richard Sharp, a former donor to the Conservative party who is the subject of an ongoing inquiry looking in to his appointment and what he did or did not disclose about his part in the arrangement of an £800,000 loan guarantee to the former prime minister, Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in arranging the loan.
Lineker has become a lightning rod for a much bigger debate and the BBC would like to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to stop a very public row turning into a monumental crisis. However, with the corporation saying it wants Lineker, with his 8.7 million Twitter followers, to stop the political tweets while he shows no sign of agreeing to be silenced, it's hard to see quite how this will resolve itself.
For the BBC this is about impartiality but to many others it is about free speech. Indeed, there is a statue outside the BBC's headquarters in London of the author of 1984, George Orwell, a former BBC talks producer. Inscribed on the wall behind the Orwell statue are these words: "If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."
Eighty years after Orwell left the BBC, the corporation finds itself in a deepening crisis. That thought from Orwell and the questions it raises for the BBC are at the very heart of the Lineker debate. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64929269 |
EIS teaching union backs pay deal to end school strikes - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Scotland's largest teaching union the EIS confirms 90% of members voted to accept the new pay deal. | Scotland | Members of the EIS union have been voting on the latest pay offer
Members of Scotland's largest teaching union the EIS have accepted a pay deal to end long-running school strikes.
Teachers will receive a 7% pay rise backdated to last April, a further 5% next month and 2% in January.
The union suspended strikes last week when the pay offer was made. The EIS said 90% voted for the deal, from a ballot turnout of 82%.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said it was a "fair, affordable and sustainable" offer.
The EIS said that pay for most teachers would increase by 12.3% by next month, then 14.6% by January 2024.
General Secretary Andrea Bradley said: "While it does not meet our aspirations in respect of a restorative pay settlement, it is the best deal that can realistically be achieved in the current political and financial climate without further prolonged industrial action.
"It compares favourably with recent pay settlements across the public sector, and does provide pay certainty for Scotland's teachers until the next pay settlement is scheduled in August 2024."
Members of the SSTA have also voted to end industrial action
The EIS, SSTA and NASUWT teaching unions have been in a year-long industrial dispute with councils.
The deadlock was broken last week when councils, using extra money from the Scottish government, made a fresh offer that would see most teachers' salaries rise by £5,200 in April.
The EIS paused targeted strikes that were being held in constituencies of senior politicians including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
On Thursday, members of the SSTA also voted overwhelmingly to accept the deal.
The NASUWT union said it would ballot its members on the offer, but described it as "paltry" and said it fell short of what teachers wanted.
The teachers' strike is now effectively over. Two of the three unions which represent classroom teachers - the EIS and the SSTA - have now said they will accept the pay offer.
The third - the NASUWT - is urging rejection and is still consulting its members. The AHDS, representing heads and deputes, also intends to accept it. This means that the pay offer will almost certainly be put into effect.
As is often the case in industrial disputes, the resolution is a compromise. Both sides gave ground.
The 7% rise for 2022-23 is below the 10% pay claim. The 5% this April followed by a further 2% in January is still below inflation. But it is still better than the offer made just before the strikes started - worth around 5% for the majority of teachers.
However few teachers will feel like celebrating a victory. Many were saddened that industrial action on this scale was necessary and were all too aware of the potential impact of strikes on children, teenagers and families.
The unions had hoped the mere threat of a strike would have proved sufficient.
With the pay dispute over, the question is whether the relationship between teachers' unions, employers and the Scottish government has been damaged.
Teachers had initially demanded a 10% increase this year, with the dispute seeing almost all schools in Scotland closed by a series of strikes.
The pay deal follows talks between the EIS, Shirley-Anne Somerville and John Swinney last week.
Ms Somerville welcomed the EIS ballot result and said it was an "historic" deal.
She added: "Teachers in Scotland are already the best paid in the UK and this deal will mean a salary rise of £5,200 in April for most teachers, and a cumulative rise of 33% since January 2018.
"A resolution to this dispute and an end to the threat of further strike disruption in our schools will be a huge relief for children, young people, parents, carers, and teachers, too."
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the offer was the most generous in more than 20 years
The Scottish Conservatives accused Ms Somerville of being "asleep at the wheel" over the strike action.
Party education spokesman Stephen Kerr MSP said: "It would never have lasted this long - and caused so much disruption to our children's education - had Shirley-Anne Somerville been on top of her brief and shown the required urgency to resolve it."
Scottish Labour also criticised Ms Somerville for taking too long to reach the settlement.
Education spokesperson Michael Marra MSP said: "The SNP government needs to take a long, hard look at its approach to industrial relations.
"The delay tactics have hurt Scotland's pupils, who have now missed a full week of learning in this academic year."
Scottish Lib Dem education spokesperson, Willie Rennie MSP, said it was a "travesty" that it took so long for an agreement to be reached.
He added: "The prolonged and bitter dispute has caused unquantifiable harm to the relationship between the teaching profession and an SNP government that told them they were paid more than enough." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64906111 |
BBC and Gary Lineker: Tweets decision comes at high price for BBC - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | One of the BBC's best loved presenters has been taken off air due to an impartiality row. | Entertainment & Arts | It can't have been what the BBC intended.
One of its most famous and best loved presenters has been taken off air - and it appears to be in the midst of a stand-off with no clear exit strategy for either side.
Sticking to its guns on impartiality has come at a high price for the corporation and opened up new faultlines in the process.
First up, Match of the Day, which saw its star-studded presenting and commentating cast of sport royalty drop out in quick succession or assert that they would not appear on set - in solidarity with Gary Lineker.
In scenes more reminiscent of the 1960s epic film Spartacus than a football highlights show, presenters and pundits are standing with Gary Lineker, effectively declaring "I'm Spartacus".
Ian Wright and Alan Shearer began the exodus from the show this weekend, with Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards also posting that, if they'd been due to be on the show, they too would have said no.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds
Alex Scott has also tweeted, heavily implying she would not present the programme in Gary Lineker's place.
Now, MOTD have said it will broadcast a show focused on highlights - and without the characteristic punditry. It's an unenviable position to be in.
Who could have predicted that the government's asylum policies and the language around them, so robustly criticised by Gary Lineker in his tweets, would end up reducing the BBC's most popular football show to this?
Impartiality is at the heart of Director General Tim Davie's strategy for the corporation, as he has declared many times.
Alan Shearer and Ian Wright began the exodus from the show this weekend
Some argue that was a reaction to pressure from the Conservative government.
But there is no doubt Mr Davie has always insisted he genuinely believes in impartiality as a way to ensure the BBC, funded by licence fee payers, is for everyone.
Staff and on-air talent are asked to leave their opinions at the front door. But there is some nuance in that.
In its statement on Friday, the BBC said: "We've never said Gary should be an opinion free zone."
Tim Davie has said impartiality should be at the heart of the BBC
Gary Lineker is a sports presenter not a political presenter or news journalist. But the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit has previously ruled that, although the star is not required to uphold the same impartiality standards as BBC journalists, he has an "additional responsibility" because of his profile.
"We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters," the ruling said.
By deciding Gary Lineker's "recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines" and deciding to take him off air, the BBC has, though, opened itself up to criticisms that it's on the wrong side of free speech arguments.
So on top of the fate of Match of the Day, that's another headache.
Are we really saying, argue the critics, that somebody who isn't a news journalist but appears on the BBC in another capacity, can't tweet their views about politics in a personal capacity? Where will it end, they ask?
Can a gameshow host not have an opinion on a government policy? Or an actor who's closely linked to a high profile BBC drama? A comedian?
Even more ominously, they ask is this actually only about people whose views diverge from those of the government of the day?
And while the BBC's free speech credentials are under scrutiny, the BBC is also being accused of double standards, of caving in to political pressure at a time when its own Conservative-linked chairman remains in post.
Richard Sharp has been under pressure for his role in facilitating a loan agreement for Boris Johnson when he was prime minister and not declaring it as a potential conflict of interest in the appointment process when he was under consideration to be chairman of the BBC.
Mr Sharp has previously admitted the affair had embarrassed the BBC but insisted he had "acted in good faith to ensure that the rules were followed".
The Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell has specifically linked the two cases saying "the same cries of impartiality were totally absent when the BBC Chair failed to disclose aspects of his close friendship with the then PM".
The BBC is justified in arguing that it has no say in the case of the BBC chair. Mr Sharp is a political appointment, and his appointment is now being investigated by the commissioner for public appointments.
But perceptions matter. And the BBC is accused by one side of coming down heavily on Gary Lineker for his anti-government rhetoric, while apparently having a chair in post who is mired in a row and has given money to the Conservatives in the past.
One counter argument is that Richard Sharp, as a Board member, isn't involved in editorial matters.
Plenty would say, though, neither is Gary Lineker. He has no editorial say on air about politics. Sport is his thing - and as a sports presenter, the BBC today called him "second to none".
But no longer - this weekend anyway - for the BBC. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64922674 |
More snow and ice forecast for parts of the UK after travel chaos - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Temperatures are set to drop "like a stone" overnight, bringing the risk of freezing ice. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Travel chaos on the M62, but others enjoy a March snow day
More snow and ice is predicted in parts of the UK, after blizzard conditions caused chaos on Friday, with some drivers stranded for hours.
Yellow warnings for snow and ice remain in place until Saturday for much of the UK, apart from southern England.
"With clearing skies and snow on the ground, temperatures tonight will drop like a stone," said BBC weather forecaster Matt Taylor.
He said icy conditions would be an issue in many areas.
Some rural areas in Scotland, England and Wales could see temperatures of -10C to -13C overnight into Saturday.
National Highways operational control director Andrew Page-Dove said there was a risk of potentially freezing rain and more snow.
"The conditions are actually going to get worse rather than better," he said.
Heavy snow overnight into Friday in parts of Wales and north-west England caused disruption including long delays on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway.
Drivers reported stationary traffic on the eastbound carriageway between Rochdale in Greater Manchester and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.
By midday, congestion stretched for around 17 miles after two lanes were closed between junctions 20 and 22.
Blizzard conditions saw drivers stranded for hours on the M62
Mr Page-Dove said the traffic chaos was down to a "combination of volume of traffic and [drivers] maybe not being as well prepared for the conditions".
National Highways gritters were delayed on the M62 by stranded lorries unable to cope with the conditions, he added.
Confirming that the M62 would remain open, he said: "We have well-rehearsed plans which we execute every time we have these types of events."
Dozens of people took to social media early on Friday, describing spending hours stuck in standstill traffic on the motorway.
One woman who got stranded on a nearby road told the BBC she had "never seen anything like it" and had to be helped by mountain rescue.
Kim Ward was on her way home from to Halifax from a concert in Manchester overnight with her sister-in-law, niece and a friend.
She told the BBC: "The M62 was shut, so we thought we would take the A-road.
"We thought we would be alright, but as we got higher and higher, it just got worse and worse.
"We spent a couple of hours completely stuck, freezing - we actually started nodding off in the car.
"Next thing we knew mountain rescue were knocking on the window with their torches."
Ms Ward continued: "I have been on numerous ski holidays, but I have never seen anything like it, up on the top there.
"It's scary, thinking you are going to actually spend the night here in the car."
A postal delivery worker wearing shorts in heavy snow fall during his delivery rounds in Oldham, Greater Manchester
The winter weather has been named Storm Larisa by the French weather service.
On Friday, more than 200 schools shut their doors in Wales, while in Northern Ireland, more than 100 were closed as a result of the snow.
In England, hundreds of schools across North, South and West Yorkshire, as well as the West and East Midlands, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, were also forced to close.
Some schools were closed on Thursday in Aberdeenshire, in Scotland, but Aberdeenshire Council said there were no planned closures for Friday.
Milder air is forecast for Sunday into Monday when a thaw will begin and conditions will start to improve.
Yellow weather warnings are issued when severe weather that could cause disruption to everyday life is possible, according to the Met Office's website. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64916816 |
Gary Lineker row: BBC director general apologises over sports disruption but will not resign - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Tim Davie says disruption to programmes hit by presenter boycott is "a real blow" and apologises to audiences. | Entertainment & Arts | Amid all the noise in this affair Rishi Sunak hadn’t before now uttered the words "Gary Lineker" as far as I can tell. So why now?
Through the week a host of his top team had been all too happy to weigh in.
Sunak’s Press Secretary (speaking on his behalf), Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, immigration minister Robert Jenrick and Home Office minister Chris Philp all criticised Lineker’s comments.
And Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: "I don’t think anything that is happening in the UK today can come close to what happened in the Holocaust."
That’s a lot of ministers caring about an issue enough to address it. They didn’t explicitly call for action against Lineker, but criticised him roundly.
The minute Lineker was suspended that dynamic changed. No ministers commenting, just an official line: "individual cases are a matter for the BBC."
The government, it seems, was happy enough to weigh in while the issue gained momentum. It kept the story in the headlines.
Number 10 wants people to see it’s pushing ahead with its new legislation on small boats. If the plan causes some outrage, from Downing Street’s viewpoint, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
It helps create the impression this is a tough approach, pushing boundaries. Which might translate into support among its target voters.
But the minute Gary Lineker was suspended it became a bit more tricky. Now, if you are in Number 10, you don’t want to be dragged into the row any further.
He’s popular, there’s a backlash growing as his colleagues rally behind him. And there’s already lots of criticism about the Conservatives putting pressure on the BBC.
If this ends with Lineker leaving the BBC you want as much distance from that decision as possible.
Time to soften the tone, praise Lineker - he’s "a great footballer and is a talented presenter". Time to say the PM "hopes" this can be "resolved" but it’s for the BBC "not the government".
An effort to extricate the PM in case there’s fall out. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/entertainment-arts-64895316 |
High-value Amazon orders 'switched for cat food', say customers - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Dozens of Amazon customers get in touch to share their stories of ordering cameras and computer kit. | Wiltshire | Jonathan said he was surprised to find cat food in the box, instead of the camera and lens he had paid for
After the BBC published a story in January about how a man was sent dog food by Amazon instead of the iPhone he ordered, dozens of readers have been in touch with similar complaints.
Many of those we spoke to told of high-value products such as cameras and computer kit being swapped for low-value items like cat food or face masks. Here, we share a selection of readers' experiences.
"When I opened the box, I was hit by a wave of panic, I was shocked to see Felix cat food," Jonathan said.
"I was very anxious, as I knew it was not going to be easy to get my money back."
He had purchased a Sony Alpha 6-400 camera, priced at £900, and a Tamron telephoto lens priced at £520, on 8 September. The order had a combined value of £1,420.
Jonathan said when the delivery driver arrived with the package, it "looked normal" at first sight, so he gave the driver a one-time-code, and accepted the parcel.
I suddenly heard screaming and crying - he had unwrapped his present to find a box of pink surgical face masks.
Because Jonathan had signed for the delivery, Amazon initially refused to refund the sum.
However, after multiple conversations with different staff in the complaints department they decided to allow it to go through, he said.
Although he received a replacement lens within a couple of weeks, they no longer had the camera in stock, so he had to wait more than three weeks for a £900 refund.
An Amazon spokesman said: "We're sorry that some customer experiences have fallen short of the high standards that we expect."
Heather from Glasgow, described the "absolute devastation" felt by her 15-year-old son Nicholas when he ordered a computer part from Amazon using his life's savings.
"He had bought a graphics card for the discounted price of £400 on Black Friday [22 November], ahead of Christmas, it was going to be his present," she said.
Amazon customers have been contacting the BBC with their experiences
"Building a computer was his dream, he had been saving birthday and Christmas money for years, and the graphics card was the final part he needed."
Heather said Amazon kept delaying the delivery and he did not get his present in time for Christmas Day.
"In mid-January it was finally delivered.
"It seemed normal, I passed the packaged on to my son, and said 'Merry Christmas, sorry it's late'.
"Nicholas opened the package, which revealed a box wrapped in Christmas paper.
"I suddenly heard screaming and crying - he had unwrapped his present to find a box of pink surgical face masks.
"He was absolutely devastated- it felt like a sick joke."
The graphics card was the final part he needed to build his computer
After complaining to Amazon, and spending hours on the phone, Heather said she was told she could have a refund, but she had to return the box of face masks first.
"We had to pay £11 postage to send the face masks back to the USA - out of our own pockets," she said.
Amazon refunded Nicholas on 20 February, nearly three months after he ordered the graphics card.
"It was a massive blow to myself and my son who felt robbed of his life savings and his dream- I had also wasted hours on the phone with Amazon during the process," Heather added.
Another customer, Steve De Vos, 61, from Hertfordshire, ordered a OnePlus 9 mobile phone at a cost of £513.99.
The next day, when Mr Vos was at home with his wife, he said he received an email from Amazon saying there had just been "a failed delivery attempt".
Steve de Vos said the delivery driver did not ring the doorbell the first time and did not have a package the second time
The delivery driver had not rung the doorbell, or tried to alert anyone inside the house, despite walking up to the door with the package, Mr de Vos said.
He contacted Amazon customer service, and forwarded some outdoor CCTV footage as evidence, but an hour later, while Mr de Vos was still in the house, he was notified again of "a second failed delivery attempt".
Again, CCTV showed the same driver walking up to the front door, but this time he carried no package in his hand, Mr de Vos said.
He stood at the door, but did not ring the doorbell, he went on his phone to mark the delivery as failed, and walked away, Mr de Vos added.
The next day, the package was delivered by another driver.
The parcel looked normal but after opening it, I was shocked to find a tin of dog food and some Eau de toilette instead of the phone I had ordered.
"The parcel looked normal but after opening it, I was shocked to find a tin of dog food and some Eau de toilette instead of the phone I had ordered."
He immediately contacted Amazon and lodged a formal complaint against the driver, but was told he would not be recredited the purchase price and the matter would be referred to a specialist team.
"As I had not received the phone I had ordered, I placed an order for a replacement item shortly afterwards.
"A week later, I chased Amazon and the customer services representative agreed to refund me."
Ethan Martin, 22, from Wednesbury, ordered a Panasonic Lumix camera and lens for £1,999, and it was sent to an Amazon hub counter, inside a shop, on 10 January.
He collected it and opened the package in front of the shopkeeper, he said.
CCTV footage showed Ethan Martin opening the Amazon package in front of the shopkeeper
"Inside there was two pairs of cheap shoes - no camera to be seen - it was horrible and disappointing," Mr Martin said.
"I was worried about getting a refund, as I had spent so much money."
The shopkeeper gave Mr Martin a copy of the CCTV, which clearly showed him opening the box and showing the contents to the person behind the checkout.
Mr Martin said he was still owed a refund for the camera he did not recieve
Mr Martin said despite complaining multiple times to Amazon, and telling them he had CCTV evidence, Amazon had not refunded him.
He said he had since disputed the payment with his bank.
"I feel robbed, I am £2,000 down, I really hope the bank can help me, it is my last resort," he added.
An Amazon spokesman added: "We work hard to create a trustworthy shopping experience by protecting customers, selling partners and Amazon from abuse and we have systems in place to detect suspicious behaviour.
"We are investigating these specific cases and are in contact with the customers affected."
Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-64874963 |
Northern Ireland snow: Cancellations, disruptions and closures - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Drivers urged to take care on roads that may not have been gritted, as temperatures fall below zero. | Northern Ireland | A snowy road in Drumbo in Lisburn at 07:00 on Friday morning
A yellow warning for ice has been issued across Northern Ireland lasting until 10:00 GMT on Saturday.
Earlier on Friday police asked NI road users to take extra care following heavy snowfall overnight.
Amid treacherous conditions in some areas, a number of roads were closed due to fallen trees and power lines and some homes remain without power.
It came as heavy snow brought disruption to other parts of the UK.
More than 200 schools across Northern Ireland closed on Friday due to the weather.
The Met Office has said 13cm of snow fell at Glenanne in County Armagh, while Lough Fea in County Londonderry saw 11cm of snow.
Translink has made changes to a number of its bus services.
Newcastle, County Down framed by some snow-capped Mourne Mountains
Some flights at Belfast International and City Airports were delayed and cancelled on Thursday night.
Lying snow and ice will continue to be a hazard through the Friday, although mainly in higher areas.
However, snow melt will become icy this evening and overnight as temperatures widely fall below zero.
Some parts, particularly the countryside of County Down, could see thermometers drop close to -10C during the early hours of Saturday.
The Met Office is warning of injuries from slips and falls as well as travel disruption on roads, pavements, and cycle paths.
It said: "With snow and slush affecting many areas and likely to refreeze quickly after dusk, footpaths and walk ways are likely to remain treacherous for much of the next 24 hours, increasing the risk of slips and falls."
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An amber weather warning issued on Thursday ended at 04:00 GMT on Friday. It is the second-highest level of warning that can be issued by the Met Office and means there is a risk of travel delays and road closures.
Upper Cavehill Road on Friday morning in a blanket of snow
Late on Thursday night, the police urged people to avoid unnecessary journeys.
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The Strangford ferry was suspended due to the weather conditions but normal service resumed on Friday morning.
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council said all council facilities would remain closed due to the snowfall. They include Gosford Forest Park, Loughgall Country Park and Lough Neagh Discovery Centre.
In Newry, Mourne and Down District Council all forest parks are closed with further closures possible. The council also said no refuse collections would take place on Friday.
Some community health services in the north west have also been disrupted due to the recent period of cold weather.
The Western Health Trust said some staff have had difficulty getting to clients but added that carers were making every effort to reach people in their homes.
The Education Authority warned that its school transport service could be disrupted, particularly in rural areas.
At Belfast City Airport a number of inbound flights have been cancelled, with passengers warned to check the status of their flight on the airport's website.
Two outbound flights have also been cancelled at Belfast International Airport.
Firefighters were out this morning clearing snow from Crumlin Fire Station
In the Republic of Ireland, a status yellow warning is in place until 12:00 on Friday, with a further yellow warning issued for 15 counties from 19:00 on Friday until 10:00 on Saturday.
The Irish weather service Met Éireann has said widespread frost and ice could lead to hazardous driving conditions. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64907787 |
Cardiff crash: Police say victims were not found for 46 hours - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died after the car crash in Cardiff. | Wales | Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision
Detectives have confirmed the victims of a crash that killed three were trapped for almost two days.
Police said CCTV was studied and number plate recognition cameras used to establish the crash happened at 02:03 GMT on Saturday, 4 March.
It was not until 46 hours later the victims were found, just after midnight on Monday morning.
Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died after the crash near the A48 in St Mellons, Cardiff.
Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, are seriously injured in hospital
A sixth person, who had been with the five who were in the crash, had been dropped at home earlier.
The three women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the city's Maesglas area late on Friday.
They then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay Caravan Park, in Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.
A first missing person report was made to Gwent Police at 19:34 on Saturday, with further missing person reports made to the same force at 19:43 and 21:32 on Saturday.
A further missing person report was made to South Wales Police at 17:37 on Sunday.
The IOPC said on Tuesday it was investigating the actions of South Wales Police and Gwent Police.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Everton Smith says daughter Eve was “everything a father could wish for”
Ms Russon's mother Anna Certowicz has said police "didn't seem to think it was worth investigating" when the five people were reported missing.
Eve Smith's dad, Everton Smith, said his life had been changed forever by his daughter's death.
The accident happened after the white Volkswagen Tiguan the five were in left the carriageway and entered a wooded area.
Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies said: "The investigation is making good progress in piecing together the events leading up to the collision.
"Specialist officers will continue to carry out a detailed investigation which will enable us to provide the facts of what happened during the early hours of Saturday morning."
Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64918697 |
NHS Wales: Falls project avoids 50 needless ambulance callouts - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | This pilot project uses St John Ambulance Cymru in a bid to prevent people having to go to hospital. | Wales | Sandra Davies' husband Teifion was helped by the falls team, meaning he did not have to go to hospital
A new scheme to help people who have suffered falls has prevented 50 ambulances being unnecessarily sent this year.
St John Ambulance Cymru works with Hywel Dda health board, Pembrokeshire to send its people for 999 calls.
Sandra Davies, whose husband Teifion fell at home, said it was "marvellous" as he did not want to go to hospital.
The pilot has been used 96 times since January but it needs more health board funding to continue after March.
Ageing Well in Wales estimates that between 230,000 and 460,000 over 60s fall each year.
When people dial 999, it can be directed to the St John Ambulance Cymru falls response team, who are sent to perform an assessment and identify whether the person can stay home or needs an ambulance to take them to hospital.
St John Ambulance Cymru operational team leader Robert James said in 60% of cases, the person was well enough to stay at home.
"You can imagine if you were sending an ambulance crew out and it has wasted 60% of the crew's time, well it's a big saving towards the NHS and the ambulance service in itself," he added.
"Provided there are no injuries, or reason for them to go to hospital, they can be discharged on the scene."
Janice John is part of the team that is sent to assess people who have suffered a fall
The "falls" car has covered 2,200 miles (about 3,540km) since January and includes equipment to lift people safely.Janice John, a St John Ambulance Cymru falls assistant, used the specialist gear to help lift Mr Davies, who has dementia, after he fell while walking to the bathroom at his home in Haverfordwest. "We checked him over and there were no obvious injuries," she said.
"We used a slide sheet to get him into position from where he was, as he was in an awkward position and we then used a lifting device called a Mangar Camel was used to get him of the floor."Following these checks, he did not need to go to hospital.
Mrs Davies said: "I think it's marvellous because I couldn't lift him myself. I used to but I can't do it anymore.
"He's got Alzheimer's and dementia so he doesn't understand half the time, what you are telling him, so I've found it very handy having people like the St John Ambulance coming out. He doesn't want to go into hospital."
St John Ambulance Cymru workers use a device called a Mangar Camel to help people off the floor
In 2022, the Welsh Ambulance Service received approximately 55,000 calls nationally relating to falls, 38,000 of which required a physical attendance on scene.
Jessica Svetz, who works for the health board, said anyone waiting more than an hour - an increasing issue as ambulance waiting times get worse - "have to be conveyed to hospital which might mean they have to be admitted".
"Having St John Ambulance [Cymru] arrive early improves their outcome tremendously," she said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64902736 |