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Has Putin’s assault on Ukraine’s power grid failed? - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | For 22 days Ukraine went without power cuts, and there are hopes Russia's strikes are losing momentum. | Europe | This week's barrage of strikes on Ukrainian cities was the worst in weeks
Ukrainians are enjoying the onset of spring. The nights are still cold, but they are emerging from a winter of Russian missile strikes that have cut their power, heating and their water too.
The winter was very hard but it was now over, declared President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine still had heat and the country was unbreakable, was the message.
Until Thursday, Ukraine had just gone for more than three weeks in a row with no blackouts and even had surplus in the system.
There had been no Russian attacks for three weeks either, and it looked as if Vladimir Putin's battle to bring down Ukraine's supply was over.
"Yes, we're doing it, but who started it?" he said in December, pinning the blame on Kyiv.
It was a far more desperate story at that point. As much as half the energy infrastructure was damaged and a Ukrainian nuclear security expert warned the situation was close to critical.
But during those weeks of quiet, Russia was stocking up weaponry. In the early hours of Thursday it fired 81 missiles and left four regions grappling with emergency power cuts. By Friday, half a million people still had no power in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city.
"It's totally cold now. We have food, but only part of it has been cooked," said Oleksii as he watched the battery life on his mobile phone slip to 14%.
"Invincibility centres" like this in Kharkiv have become a lifeline during winter power cuts
Five hundred people live in his block of flats, and when he went to his local "invincibility centre" to power up his phone, there were too many people with the same idea.
Kyiv was also hit and one hospital treating 700 people went without heating and hot water for several hours.
Another 150,000 people were left with no power in Zhytomyr, two hours' drive south of the Belarus border. The mayor said the next few weeks would be critical and rolling blackouts are looming for this city west of Kyiv.
But, as resident Eugene Herasymchuk wrapped up his day at work on a sunny spring day, he was confident for the future.
"We had three weeks without attacks and we had power. And the power in the system allowed local authorities to start up the trolleybuses and trams. That was a big step because before that public transport was on a pause."
And for many Ukrainians, it was not long before they were back on the grid.
"It's safe to say that Ukraine won on the energy front," said Tetyana Boyko from civic network Opora, praising the fleet of energy workers and international help. "Let's pray, but I think the worst-case scenario is over."
Ukrainians have found various ways of getting through power cuts and generators are highly prized
The winter may be over, but Oleksii in Kharkiv believes the battle to save Ukraine's power supply from Vladimir Putin's missiles will continue as long as Russia has the ability to strike it.
Every one of Ukraine's thermal and hydroelectric power plants has been damaged since Russia launched its assault on the energy infrastructure last October. Kyiv had already lost the use of Europe's biggest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, which is in Russia hands.
Sub-stations have been reduced to hunks of twisted metal, no longer capable of transforming the electricity to power for homes and businesses.
For two weeks in the depth of winter, the BBC followed teams of engineers and technicians rushing to repair the damage that the missiles had done.
One substation was hit six times with missiles or drones and replacing these damaged transformers will take time.
More from Paul Adams: On the front line with engineers in Ukraine
Transformers have quickly become Ukraine's number one requirement. It needs more than the world can produce in a year and so far only one high-voltage transformer has been sent, although dozens of lower-power machines have arrived.
Russian missiles have also targeted turbine halls in a bid to cripple the power supply
As the winter wore on, Ukraine's armed forces grew more adept at shooting down Russia's missiles and drones.
But this week, only 34 of the missiles were destroyed, because Russia used different, high-speed weapons. They included hypersonic Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles as well as anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.
"They can cause huge, huge destruction," said one industry official.
Until Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine began in February 2022, there were 15 nuclear reactors on stream at four power stations. Six of those reactors were at Zaporizhzhia, seized by the occupying military in the early days of the invasion.
For months, the plant has been at the centre of a high-stakes nuclear row, amid accusations that Moscow wants to connect it to Russia's electricity grid.
The other three power stations are South Ukraine and Rivne and Khmelnytskyi in the west. Between them, they now produce half of Ukraine's power.
That may sound bleak, but a combination of an unusually mild winter and sheer hard work means Ukraine has moved back from the brink and the sense of optimism is palpable.
Power plants have been restored and repaired. One source in the industry told the BBC that as the days became sunnier and warmer, it would become harder and harder for Russia's military might to terrorise his country.
The east-central city of Dnipro has endured several deadly missile strikes over the winter, and this week was no different.
But there have been no problems for weeks with energy supplies.
"The city has transformed. Finally, street lights are back, and it's no longer scary to walk the city streets," said Inna Shtanko, a young mother with a son under the age of two.
Trams are running in Dnipro and the street lights are back as life appears more normal
Cooking and having a hot shower have become part of the daily routine once more for her family. "Our psychological state has improved considerably, because our family and other mothers too can easily plan our day."
There's a similar story in Kherson, occupied by Russian forces until they retreated across the Dnipro river last November.
Life was hard for several weeks after the Russians left the southern city with no basic utilities.
"We didn't have any electricity for about month and a week, then we had it for two hours a day, then gradually it stopped breaking," said local entrepreneur Alexei Sandakov.
Now he boasts a regular power supply, although the pressure on the system is far lower than before the war because the population of 55,000 is a fraction of what it was before the Russians invaded.
Population numbers have fallen across Ukraine, with more than eight million refugees beyond its borders, and that too has put less strain on the energy infrastructure. Consumption is down and the refugees have not yet come back, as one official remarked.
The overall sense is that the damage caused by this latest wave of missiles will be repaired quickly.
The damage was considerable, but engineers have become highly skilled at restoring power within days, even after a major attack.
"It's like a competition: how quickly can they cause us damage and how quickly can we repair. And we are winning that competition," said Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of Kyiv's Energy Industry Research Centre.
In Zhytomyr, Eugene Herasymchuk believes things are looking up. "A lot of Ukrainians say it's better to have one cold and one dark winter than 100 years with Russia - so I think we can handle this."
Ukrainians now have everything on their side, according to Mr Kharchenko, from the improving weather to the support of international donors and the professional staff in the energy industry. But he is more guarded about the future.
"I don't say we've won the energy war, but I can say we won the energy battle this winter." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64899045 |
Northern Ireland weather: Heavy snowfall in some counties - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Met Office warns of "atrocious" conditions as a weather warning is in place until 04:00 on Friday. | Northern Ireland | Roads and fields near Enniskillen turned white as snow fell on Thursday afternoon
Flights have been disrupted and some roads closed as heavy snow falls in parts of Northern Ireland.
A number of homes are without power due to severe weather conditions causing damage to the network, Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said.
A severe weather warning has been issued for three counties.
The Met Office has said parts of counties Antrim, Down and Armagh could expect snow and ice between 15:00 GMT on Thursday and 04:00 on Friday.
The amber warning is the second highest level that can be issued by the Met Office and means there is a risk of travel delays and road closures.
Other counties are under a lesser, yellow-level warning.
Snow has been falling across many areas overnight and it is expected to become more heavy and persistent towards the east coast.
The Met Office is warning of "atrocious" travel conditions, especially over higher ground.
Between 4cm and 8cm of snow is expected away from coastal areas, with between 10cm and 20cm over higher ground.
This lamb in a field near Carryduff felt the chill of a snowy day for the first time
The yellow warning for the rest of Northern Ireland lasts from 07:00 GMT on Thursday until 14:00 on Friday.
A number of roads have been closed due to treacherous conditions, including Church Road in Holywood, County Down.
The Strangford ferry has been suspended and some bus services disrupted.
Belfast International and Belfast City Airports have tweeted that there may be flight disruption due to the weather conditions.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is advising drivers to take extra care, especially on roads that may not have been gritted.
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Road gritting services have been disrupted by industrial action in a dispute about pay.
Stormont's Department for Infrastructure said some gritting would be done but the service would be reduced.
It has said it will "prioritise the areas at greatest risk, such as high ground".
It added that it had "external snow clearance contractors available to treat areas such as the Glenshane Pass if we need to do so".
Rostrevor in County Down saw steady snowfall on Thursday afternoon
Road maintenance workers in the Unite and GMB unions have protested over a pay bonus, which they argue should be given to all staff.
The department said it was "committed to resolving this dispute" but called for a "derogation for winter service for the next few days".
The government information service NI Direct has posted a listed useful emergency contact numbers for those affected by the snow and ice.
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Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has announced that all council facilities will close until midday on Friday due to the snowfall.
In the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area all forest parks have been closed with further closures possible on Friday.
The Education Authority warned that its school transport service may be disrupted on Friday morning, particularly in rural areas.
In the Republic of Ireland, snow and ice warnings have been issued through Thursday and Friday.
The second highest level of warning has been issued for for snow across 13 counties in Ulster, Connacht and parts of Munster and Leinster.
The Irish weather service Met Éireann has warned of significant snow and ice in some areas.
In the Republic, National Emergency Coordination Group chair Keith Leonard said there will be major disruption across the road network on Friday.
Mr Leonard added that schools may close on Friday, but it will be decided by principals based on the local weather conditions. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-64889662 |
Silicon Valley Bank: Regulators take over as failure raises fears - BBC News | 2023-03-11T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Regulators take over Silicon Valley Bank as the collapse raises wider fears about the banking sector. | Business | Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) offices were shut as customers sought their funds
US regulators have shut down Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and taken control of its customer deposits in the largest failure of a US bank since 2008.
The moves came as the firm, a key tech lender, was scrambling to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates.
Its troubles prompted a rush of customer withdrawals and sparked fears about the state of the banking sector.
Officials said they acted to "protect insured depositors".
Silicon Valley Bank faced "inadequate liquidity and insolvency", banking regulators in California, where the firm has its headquarters, said as they announced the takeover.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which typically protects deposits up to $250,000, said it had taken charge of the roughly $175bn (£145bn) in deposits held at the bank, the 16th largest in the US.
Bank offices would reopen and clients with insured deposits would have access to funds "no later than Monday morning", it said, adding that money raised from selling the bank's assets would go to uninsured depositors.
With many of the firm's customers in that position, the situation has left many companies with money tied up at the bank worried about their future.
"I'm on my way to the branch to find my money right now. Tried to transfer it out yesterday didn't work. You know those moments where you might be really screwed but you're not sure? This is one of those moments," one start-up founder told the BBC.
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) offices were shut as customers sought their funds
Another founder of a healthcare start-up said: "Literally three days ago, we just hit a million dollars in our bank account... And then this happens."
He managed to get the money wired to a different account 40 minutes before the deadline. "It was pending. And then this morning, it was there. But I know other people who did the same thing minutes after me, and it's not transferred."
"It was a crazy situation," he said.
The collapse came after SVB said it was trying to raise $2.25bn (£1.9bn) to plug a loss caused by the sale of assets, mainly US government bonds, which had been affected by higher interest rates.
The news caused investors and customers to flee the bank. Shares saw their biggest one-day drop on record on Thursday, plunging more than 60% and fell further in after-hours sales before trading was halted.
Concerns that other banks could face similar problems led to widespread selling of bank shares globally on Thursday and early Friday.
Speaking in Washington on Friday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she was monitoring "recent developments" at Silicon Valley Bank and others "very carefully".
She later met with top banking regulators, where the Treasury Department said she expressed "full confidence in banking regulators to take appropriate actions in response and noted that the banking system remains resilient".
Janet Yellen expressed confidence in the resilience of the banking sector
SVB did not respond to a request for comment.
A crucial lender for early-stage businesses, the company is the banking partner for nearly half of US venture-backed technology and healthcare companies that listed on stock markets last year.
The firm, which started as a California bank in 1983, expanded rapidly over the last decade. It now employs more than 8,500 people globally, though most of its operations are in the US.
But the bank has been under pressure, as higher rates make it harder for start-ups to raise money through private fundraising or share sales, and more clients withdrew deposits, moves that snowballed this week.
In Silicon Valley the reverberations from the collapse were widespread as companies faced questions about what the collapse meant for their finances.
Even businesses without direct business were affected, like customers of Rippling, a firm that handles payrolls software and had used SVB. It warned that current payments may face delays and said it was switching its business to another bank.
SVB's UK subsidiary said it will be put into insolvency from Sunday evening.
The Bank of England said Silicon Valley Bank UK would stop making payments or accepting deposits in the interim and the move would allow individual depositors to be paid up to £85,000 from the UK's deposit insurance scheme.
"SVBUK has a limited presence in the UK and no critical functions supporting the financial system," the BoE added.
Silicon Valley Bank, led by chief Gregory Becker, catered to the tech industry and expanded rapidly over the last decade
As well as being a major blow to the tech industry, the collapse of SVB has raised concerns about the wider risks facing banks, as rapid increases in interest rates hit bond markets.
Central banks around the world - including the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England - have sharply raised borrowing costs over the last year as they try to curb inflation.
But as rates rise, the value of existing bond portfolios typically declines.
Those falls mean many banks are sitting on significant potential losses - though the change in value would not typically be a problem unless other pressures force the firms to sell the holdings.
Shares in some major US banks recovered on Friday, but the sell-off continued to hit smaller firms, forcing trading halts of names such as Signature Bank and others.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 1.7%, while the S&P 500 dropped 1.4% and the Dow closed 1% lower.
Major European and Asian indexes also closed lower, with the FTSE 100 down 1.6%.
Alexander Yokum, equity research analyst at CFRA, said banks that specialise in single industries are seen as vulnerable to rapid withdrawals, like the one that hit SVB.
"Silicon Valley Bank would not have lost money if they hadn't run out of cash to give back to their customers," he said. "The issue was that people wanted money and they didn't have it - they had it invested and those investments were down."
"I know there's a lot of fear, but it's definitely company-specific," he said.
"The average Joe should be fine," he added, but he said tech firms would likely find it even harder to raise money. "It's not good," he said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64915616 |
Canadian siblings certified as world's most premature twins - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | If the children had been born one hour earlier, life-saving measured would not have been attempted. | US & Canada | A Canadian brother and sister born at 22 weeks have been named by Guinness as the world's most premature twins.
Adiah and Adrial Nadarajah were born at 126 days early, overtaking the previous record of 125 days early set in 2018 by twins in the US state of Iowa.
If the children had been born even one hour earlier than 22 weeks, life-saving measures would not have been attempted by the hospital, Guinness says.
A full-term pregnancy is usually 40 weeks, making them 18 weeks premature.
Mum Shakina Rajendram said that when she began labour at just 21 weeks and five days, doctors told her that the babies "were not viable" and had "0% chance of survival".
It was her second pregnancy, after she lost her first just a few months earlier in the same hospital near their home in Ontario.
Father Kevin Nadarajah said that the hospital told them they would be unable to help with such an early pregnancy, leaving him awake at night praying with a "face streaming with tears".
Most hospitals do not attempt to save children born before 24 to 26 weeks. But luckily, the couple were able to move to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, which has a specialist neonatal intensive care unit.
On Mrs Rajendram's second day of labour - 21 weeks and six days into the pregnancy - she was told that if the children were born even a few minutes before 22 weeks, they would be left to die.
Despite heavy bleeding, she said she tried her best to "hold the babies in" for a few more hours.
Her water eventually broke 15 minutes after midnight. Less than two hours after entering 22 weeks in the womb, the children were born.
Adiah and Adrial have now lived to be one year old, despite serious medical issues early on.
"We watched the babies almost die before our eyes many times," Mrs Rajendram said. While they are still being closely followed by doctors, the siblings are "doing great".
The most premature baby ever born was Curtis Means of Alabama, who was born at 21 weeks and one day.
• None US boy certified as world's most premature baby | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64870470 |
Rob Burrow receives ‘Points of Light’ award from Rishi Sunak - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | null | The ex-Leeds Rhinos star was the 2,000th recipient of the award for outstanding individual volunteers. | null | Rob Burrow has received an award from Prime Minister Sunak for his campaigning on motor neurone disease (MND).
In a special ceremony at Downing Street, the former Leeds Rhinos star accepted the 2,000th ‘Points of Light’ award, which recognises outstanding individual volunteers.
Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019 and has campaigned for three years for better research into the disease.
In 2022 the government pledged to fast-track £50-million of funding into research for a cure. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64876195 |
Kidnapped Americans were in Mexico for tummy tuck - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Relatives of four people bundled into a truck by armed men in a border town say they urged them not to go. | US & Canada | Four Americans kidnapped by heavily armed men in Matamoros, Mexico, had travelled there for cosmetic surgery, relatives told US media.
One of them was to have a tummy tuck - removing abdominal fat - in a border town, said the sister of one of them.
"To see a member of your family thrown in the back of a truck and dragged, it is just unbelievable," Zalandria Brown, told AP about her brother Zindell.
A Mexican woman was killed in the incident.
The FBI has offered a $50,000 (£42,000) reward for the return of the Americans.
The other people in the group have been identified in US media as Latavia McGee - a mother of six, according to CNN - Shaeed Woodard and Eric James Williams.
They were driving through Matamoros - a city of 500,000 located directly across the border from the Texas town of Brownsville - in a white minivan with North Carolina licence plates when unidentified gunmen opened fire, the FBI said.
Video shows them being put in a pickup truck by heavily armed men. One is manhandled onto the vehicle while others appear to be unconscious and are dragged to the truck.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador described the incident as a "confrontation between armed groups". He said his "entire government" was working to secure the Americans' release.
According to an unnamed US official quoted by CNN, investigators believe a Mexican cartel probably mistook the Americans for Haitian drug smugglers.
Barbara Burgess, Ms McGee's mother, told ABC news that she had warned her daughter not to go but her daughter told her: "Ma, I'll be OK."
On Friday her daughter called her to say she was about to go to the appointment for the tummy tuck operation, also known as an abdominoplasty.
When Barbara Burgess called her back later that day, the phone went to voicemail.
Ms Brown said her brother, who lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had been aware that parts of Mexico could be dangerous.
"Zindell kept saying, 'We shouldn't go down'," she told AP, adding that it was "like a bad dream you wish you could wake up from".
Matamoros is in Tamaulipas state, one of six Mexican states that the US State Department advises travellers not to visit because of "crime and kidnapping".
Drug cartels control much of the territory and often hold more power than local law enforcement.
The US government says hundreds of thousands of Americans cross the border into Mexico each year to receive healthcare services in search of cheaper treatments.
Mexico is one of the top medical tourism destinations around the world, while cosmetic surgery is one of the top procedures patients seek abroad, according to Patients Beyond Borders, a medical tourism guidebook. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64875131 |
Japan forced to destroy flagship H3 rocket in failed launch - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The rocket's failure to launch is a significant blow to the country's space plans. | Asia | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Japan was forced to blow up its new rocket during a failed launch on Tuesday, setting back efforts to crack a market led by Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Its space agency had to send a self-destruct command to the H3 rocket when its second-stage engine failed minutes after lift-off.
Observers say it is a significant setback for Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa).
The H3 rocket is the first medium-lift rocket designed by Japan in three decades.
It has been presented as a cheaper alternative to SpaceX's Falcon 9 for launching commercial and government satellites into Earth's orbit.
On Tuesday, engineers had aimed to send the 57m (187ft) rocket into space with a monitoring satellite on board. The ALOS-3 system is capable of detecting North Korean missile launches.
But Jaxa said soon after launch, engineers were forced to send a self-destruct prompt to the H3 after it experienced "reduced velocity" in the second stage of its launch.
Tuesday's launch came after an aborted launch in February, when the rocket failed to get off the launch pad due to faulty rocket boosters.
"Unlike the previous cancellation and postponement, this time it was a complete failure," Hirotaka Watanabe, a space policy professor at Osaka University told Reuters.
"This will have a serious impact on Japan's future space policy, space business and technological competitiveness," he added.
Japan's Science Minister Keiko Nagaoka said authorities would investigate the cause of the engine failure.
She apologised for "failing to meet the expectations of the public and related parties" and described the development as "extremely regrettable".
Japan had presented the H3 as a viable commercial alternative to the Falcon 9 rocket because the H3 ran on a lower-cost engine with 3D-printed parts.
Had the mission succeeded, Jaxa said it had planned to launch the H3 around six times a year for the next two decades.
Japan is deepening co-operation with the US in space and has committed to carrying cargo to the planned Gateway lunar space station - which Nasa plans to deploy to the moon's orbit.
Tokyo's broader space programme also involves sending people to the moon, including Japanese astronauts. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64871603 |
Eleven-year-old boy dies in east London flat fire - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A number of families and nine properties have been affected by the fire in Barking in the early hours. | London | The scene in Stern Close, Barking, following the flat fire
An 11-year-old boy has died following a fire in a flat in east London.
Emergency services were called to the fire in a three-roomed flat in Stern Close, Barking, at 03:25 GMT.
Two adults and two children, who left the second floor flat before firefighters arrived, were taken to hospital where they received treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the flat was "destroyed" by flames. Nine properties have been affected.
Nine properties were affected by the fire on Tuesday morning
An investigation has been launched; the Met Police said at this time it did not appear to be suspicious.
The boy's next of kin have been told.
LFB said six fire engines and about 40 firefighters from Barking, East Ham and surrounding fire stations, were called to the scene and had extinguished the fire by 05:18.
Another man was treated at the incident by London Ambulance Service crews.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the flat fire
Darren Rodwell, leader of Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council, said a number of families have been impacted.
He said his "thoughts and prayers" were with the family of the boy who died.
"Our hearts go out to everyone affected. We're aware that some residents have lost everything including their homes and possessions.
"We will be continuing to support our residents with their needs including accommodation and emotional support."
Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64878858 |
Syria Earthquake: Why did the UN aid take so long to arrive? - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The delay in sending aid to Syrian victims of last month's quake was unjustified, experts say. | Middle East | A child sits in the rubble of a collapsed building in Jindires, Syria
The UN's delay in delivering life-saving aid to Syrian victims of last month's devastating earthquake was unnecessary, legal experts have told the BBC.
They said the UN did not need to wait for permission to enter from the Syrian government or the Security Council and could have applied a broader interpretation of international law.
It took a week before the UN got approval from Syria's president to open extra border crossings to allow access to the opposition-held north-west.
The UN itself has said it is crucial to try and rescue quake victims within 72 hours. It disputes the BBC's findings that it could have acted differently.
"What matters in terms of responding to an earthquake is time and the immediacy of the response. And the UN just stood there completely paralysed," international human rights lawyer, Sarah Kayyali, told the BBC.
More than 4,500 people were killed and more than 8,700 injured in north-west Syria by the earthquake, the UN says.
Centred near Gaziantep in Turkey, the 6 February 7.8 magnitude tremor and subsequent earthquakes and aftershocks killed at least 45,968 people in Turkey, according to officials there, and about 6,000 in Syria as a whole.
Andrew Gilmour was a senior UN official when the first resolution on delivering aid to rebel-held territories to Syria was negotiated in 2014.
His opinion is that cross-border aid is legally permitted.
"If a UN lawyer tries to interpret it as meaning you somehow can't provide milk powder to a starving baby, then he is making an obscene and illegitimate farce of international law," he says.
The BBC has spoken to more than a dozen experts in total, including eminent lawyers, professors, retired judges of the International Court of Justice and former UN legal officials. All said that deaths could have been prevented, if the UN had used a different interpretation of international law to allow it to respond in north-west Syria.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told the BBC that: "To deliver humanitarian aid across an international border, we need either the consent of the government, or in the case that we have in Syria, a binding Security Council resolution... we can have academic discussions for weeks, months, and years about international law. Our position is that international law has not delayed our work."
In addition to delivering aid itself, the UN also plays a vital role in co-ordinating international relief efforts offered by other countries after a natural disaster. It arranges search and rescue through United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (Undac). Undac teams can deploy anywhere in the world within 12 to 48 hours of a request, which is what happened in Turkey.
But the UN made no formal request for emergency medical teams to enter north-west Syria, and was not able to tell us about any formal request for search and rescue teams to deploy there. International humanitarian specialists working on the response have told the BBC that without that call from the UN there was no clear way for emergency teams to deploy.
The UN's Stéphane Dujarric says the lack of emergency teams is down to national government decision-making. "There are security concerns. There are all sorts of political concerns" which may have influenced this, he says.
Marco Sassoli, special advisor to the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, said that the Geneva Conventions - the basis of international humanitarian law - provides a framework for the UN to deliver aid without the need for Syria's permission.
"The Geneva Conventions, to which Syria is a party, has a provision stating that an impartial humanitarian body… may offer its services" to all sides of a conflict, he told the BBC.
Victims of the earthquake have complained about the UN's response.
Omar Hajji lost his wife and five children to the disaster.
Omar Hajji had to scrabble in the rubble to look for his loved ones
He spoke to the BBC in the days following the quake as he looked for his remaining missing son, 14-year-old Abduhrahman. He was finally reunited with him after three days of searching.
"UN aid wasn't sufficient," Omar says, who spent days digging through rubble looking for friends and family with his bare hands. "The most significant aid we received was from locals… If the UN aid had arrived earlier things would've been very different."
One week after the quake, Martin Griffiths, the UN's head of emergency relief, visited the Bab al-Hawa border crossing. The UN has "so far failed the people of north-west Syria", he wrote on Twitter. "They rightly feel abandoned. Looking for international help that hasn't arrived."
This story has been amended to clarify a quote. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-64866689 |
Suppressing China won't make America great - Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The US seeing China as a primary rival is "like putting the first button in the shirt wrong". | China | Qin Gang has held his first press conference as China's foreign minister
China's foreign minister says China-US relations have "seriously deviated" while warning of potential conflict.
"Containment and suppression will not make America great. It will not stop the rejuvenation of China," said Qin Gang.
Mr Qin, China's former ambassador to the US, held his first press conference as foreign minister on Tuesday.
The spy balloon saga has heightened tensions between the superpowers despite recent efforts to improve ties.
"It [the US] regards China as its primary rival and the most consequential geopolitical challenge. This is like the first button in the shirt being put wrong," said Mr Qin, speaking on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China's parliament in Beijing.
The foreign minister was responding to a question on whether a healthy China-US relationship was still possible as differences between the countries grew.
The US called for establishing "guardrails", but what it really wants is for China to not hit back with words or actions when provoked, Mr Qin added.
He was referring to US President Joe Biden's comments last month that the US would "compete fully with China but [is] not looking for conflict".
Mr Qin said: "If the US does not put on the brakes and continues to roar down the wrong road, no amount of guardrails can stop the derailment and overturning, and it is bound to fall into conflict and confrontation. Who will bear its disastrous consequences?"
He also said the diplomatic crisis caused by the balloon incident could have been averted but the US acted with "the presumption of guilt".
Washington has previously described the suspected spy balloon as a "clear violation of US sovereignty". Beijing admitted the object belonged to them, but said it was a civilian airship blown off-course.
The BBC's Gordon Corera breaks down what we know about spy balloons
Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK only)
Relations between the two countries deteriorated during former US President Donald Trump's administration, which launched a trade war against China in 2018. The two superpowers continue to clash on various issues, including Taiwan, China's militarisation of the South China Sea and the origins of Covid.
Mr Qin's comments follow Chinese President Xi Jinping's unusually direct rebuke of the US on Monday.
Mr Xi said "Western countries led by the US had implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression" against China and that this brought "severe challenges" to the country.
On Tuesday, Mr Qin said an "invisible hand" was driving the Ukraine crisis but did not name any country or individual. He reiterated that China had not provided weapons to either side of the Russia-Ukraine war and called for peace talks to resume.
However, he asked: "Why should the US demand that China refrain from supplying arms to Russia when it sells arms to Taiwan?"
The Ukraine crisis has reached a "critical juncture", he said.
"Either a ceasefire will stop the war, restore peace and embark on a political settlement, or fuel the fire, expand the crisis and drag it into the abyss of losing control."
Mr Qin, 56, was named China's foreign minister in December 2022 and is one of the youngest appointees to this post in the country's history. He replaced Wang Yi, who was promoted to the politburo of the ruling Communist Party in October that year.
A trusted aide of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mr Qin is well known as a tough-talking diplomat. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-64871808 |
Worker asks Elon Musk on Twitter: Have I been fired? - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | In a viral Twitter thread, Halli Thorleifsson is asked by Elon Musk what work he has done for the firm. | Technology | A Twitter employee has appealed to Elon Musk on the platform to ask whether he had been sacked.
In a tweet to the firm's chief executive, Halli Thorleifsson said: "Your head of HR is not able to confirm if I am employed or not".
Mr Musk responded by asking: "What work have you been doing?"
Mr Thorleifsson told the BBC that nine days after being frozen out of Twitter's accounts he did not know whether he had been fired or not.
After a series of follow up questions and answers with Mr Musk, that read like a live interview for his job, Mr Thorleifsson said he received an email confirming that he had been sacked.
Twitter did not immediately respond to the BBC's request for comment.
Mr Thorleifsson, 45, was a senior director in product design for Twitter. He told the BBC the ambiguity around his job was "strange" and "extremely stressful".
"I opened my computer on Sunday morning nine days ago and saw that the screen was grey and locked, indicating that I had been locked out of my Twitter accounts", he said.
"After a few days had passed I started reaching out to people, including Elon and the head of HR to ask about my situation.
"The head of HR has since twice emailed me and has not been able to answer whether or not I am an employee at Twitter."
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"Maybe if enough people retweet you'll answer me here", Mr Thorleifsson said.
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After several follow up questions Mr Thorleifsson supplied a list of things he had done at the company. The exchange ended with Mr Musk posting two laughing emojis.
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Shortly after that exchange Mr Thorleifsson said that Twitter's Human Resources department had contacted him and said that he had been fired.
The exchange was widely shared on Twitter, with Mr Musk wading in with some replies.
He went on to further criticise Mr Thorleifsson saying: "The reality is that this guy (who is independently wealthy) did no actual work, claimed as his excuse that he had a disability that prevented him from typing, yet was simultaneously tweeting up a storm.
"Can't say I have a lot of respect for that."
The Iceland-based entrepreneur had sold his company, Ueno, a creative design agency, to Twitter in early 2021 - after founding the firm in Reykjavik in 2014.
As part of the acquisition he became a full-time employee at Twitter.
"I decided to sell for a few reasons but one of them is that I have muscular dystrophy and my body is slowly but surely failing me," he told the BBC.
"I have a few good work years left in me so this was a way to wrap up my company, and set up myself and my family for years when I won't be able to do as much."
Mr Thorleifsson is worried that Mr Musk will not honour the contract he signed with Twitter when he sold them his company.
"This is extremely stressful. This is my retirement fund, a way to take care of myself and my family as my disease progresses. Having the richest man in the world on the other end of this, potentially refusing to stand by contracts is not easy for me to accept," he said.
Last month, Elon Musk appeared to fire another 200 Twitter employees. It means that Twitter now has just over 2,000 workers - down from approximately 7,500 in October.
"Companies let people go, that's within their rights," Mr Thorleifsson said. "They usually tell people about it but that's seemingly the optional part at Twitter now".
James Clayton is the BBC's North America technology reporter based in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter @jamesclayton5. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-64871183 |
BBC cuts to classical singers and orchestras labelled 'utterly devastating' - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The BBC Singers will be closed, while there will also be cuts to three BBC English orchestras. | Entertainment & Arts | The BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gemma New performing in February
The Musicians' Union (MU) has described proposed cuts to the BBC's classical music performing groups, announced on Tuesday, as "utterly devastating".
The cuts will see the end of the BBC Singers, its in-house chamber choir, resulting in the loss of 20 posts.
There will also be a 20% reduction of roles in the BBC's English orchestras - Symphony, Concert and Philharmonic.
The BBC said it was part of a plan that "prioritises quality, agility and impact".
Simon Webb, head of orchestras and choirs, told BBC Radio 4's Front Row the move would cut the budget for its ensembles by 20%.
The latest BBC annual report said £25m was spent on orchestras and performing groups in the last financial year.
The corporation said the new strategy would create "agile ensembles" that can work with "more musicians and broadcasting from more venues" around the UK.
The BBC Singers would be replaced by investment "more widely in the future of choral singing across the UK" and a choral development programme for new talent, it said.
The MU said it was now in "urgent talks" with the broadcaster about the plans.
General secretary Naomi Pohl said the union would "fight for every job", while urging the BBC to "look at alternative measures".
"The BBC is the biggest employer and engager of musicians in the UK and it plays a unique role in the ecosystem of our music industry," she said
"From Glastonbury to the Proms, from Jools Holland to BBC Radio, its coverage, support and promotion of British musical talent nationally and internationally is unrivalled.
"It is because we appreciate the BBC's role so much that these proposed cuts are so utterly devastating."
The announcement follows a 2022 review, which looked into the classical sector and the BBC's role in it.
Jo Laverty, MU organiser for orchestras, said the review "indicated a full commitment from the broadcaster" to the "ongoing employment" of the "key asset" performing groups.
"To now hear of potential redundancies across the BBC orchestras in England and the closure of the Singers as a performing group is unthinkable."
Charlotte Moore, chief content officer at the BBC, said its new strategy - which includes doubling funding for music education, launching new training initiatives and creating a single digital home for its orchestras - constituted "the first major review of classical music at the BBC in a generation".
"This new strategy is bold, ambitious and good for the sector and for audiences who love classical music," she said.
"That doesn't mean that we haven't had to make some difficult decisions, but equally they are the right ones for the future.
"Great classical music should be available and accessible to everyone, and we're confident these measures will ensure more people will engage with music, have better access to it, and that we'll be able to play a greater role in developing and nurturing the musicians and music lovers of tomorrow."
The corporation said the new strategy "ensures every pound of licence fee funding works harder for the sector and for our audiences now, and in the future".
In 2022, the BBC licence fee was frozen for two years, which the corporation has said is expected to create a funding gap of around £400m by 2027. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64875989 |
Japan forces H3 rocket to self-destruct after failed launch - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | null | The failure of the second-stage engine sets back efforts to crack a market led by Elon Musk's Space X. | null | Japan was forced to blow up its new rocket during a failed launch on Tuesday, setting back efforts to crack a market led by Elon Musk's Space X.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency says the H3 rocket launched but the second engine failed to ignite so a decision was made to abort the mission. Officials are trying to determine the cause of the failure.
Read more: Japan destroys new rocket minutes after lift-off | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64873439 |
Snow closes schools and causes travel problems in Scotland - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Schools in Shetland, Aberdeenshire and Skye are badly hit, and drivers face testing conditions. | Scotland | An accident on the A90, south of Stonehaven, caused delays
Dozens of schools have been closed as heavy snow causes problems in parts of Scotland.
All schools in Shetland have been shut due to the weather, as have more than 80 in Aberdeenshire. Almost all schools on Skye have either had to close or open later.
Some schools in Wester Ross and Sutherland were also affected.
The Met Office warned snow and ice could cause travel disruption in Scotland through to Friday night.
Many bus services have been delayed or cancelled, as commuters face difficult driving conditions.
In the north-east of Scotland, the snow gates were closed on the A93, the B974 and the B939.
Schools in areas including Aboyne, Alford, Banchory, Mintlaw, Turriff and Westhill were among those closed.
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Aberdeen International Airport said there were only some minor delays after teams worked "flat-out" to get the runway operational.
Shetland's Sumburgh Airport saw some disruption after being closed in the morning due to snow but later reopened.
Snow-covered Aberdeen as seen from the air
Aberdeen City Council said there would be "continuous gritting".
The council said: "Please stay at home if possible as many roads are affected. There are cars stuck on roads which is impacting our gritter routes. Please take care."
Highland Council said heavy overnight snow had fallen to depths of 15cm (6in) across Skye and Lochalsh.
On Skye, the local authority said the drivers of service buses were forced to abandon their vehicles because of the conditions on the A855 at Uig and Staffin on Monday night.
The Cairngorm Mountain snowsports centre, near Aviemore, reported having had 35cm (14in) of fresh snow in the space of 24 hours.
Forecasters said Arctic air would bring the coldest temperatures of the year, and up to 40cm (15in) of snow could accumulate in the southern Highlands.
It was a case of spot the dog in this Aberdeen park
Aberdeen was covered in snow on Tuesday morning
A series of yellow "be aware" warnings have been issued.
The heaviest snowfalls are expected on Friday with the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and central and southern Scotland covered by warnings.
The cold conditions follow Scotland's third-mildest February on record, according to provisional statistics.
In January, an amber warning for snow was issued for the Highlands, Western Isles and Orkney and Shetland and the weather closed schools across the north of Scotland. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64867408 |
Greggs to open 150 shops and extend opening hours - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The move comes after the bakery chain posted bumper sales for last year, but also put up prices. | Business | Greggs plans to open around 150 new bakeries in 2023 as part of major plans to expand.
The firm, which opened its first shop in Newcastle in 1951, also plans to extend the opening hours of some outlets and test 24-hour drive-thrus.
It comes after the chain posted bumper profits for 2022, despite cost of living pressures hitting consumers.
The bakery chain has put up its prices several times in the last few years blaming rising costs.
Under the new plans Greggs, which currently has around 2,300 shops, aims to open more branches in airports, train stations, supermarkets and shopping centres.
It also said it hoped to grow its total number of bakeries to over 3,000 in the coming years.
The chain - which made profits of £148.3m last year - put its growth down to the "value" it was offering customers impacted by the rising cost of living.
Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - is near a 40-year-high, forcing many consumers to cut back their spending or find way ways to cut costs.
However, the cost of ingredients for Gregg's pasties and pies has been going up, along with its energy bills and staff wages.
As a result, the chain's prices rose in 2022 and 2023. In January it increased the price of a sausage roll from £1.15 to £1.20 - the fourth price rise since 2021 when the snack cost £1.
As well as opening 150 new shops, Greggs said it would refurbish another 150 and relocate 40 of its shops to larger sites.
Last year, the opening hours of 500 shops were extended until 20:00 or later and in 2023, Greggs said it planned to extend hours in 300 shops to 21:00.
Greggs was first founded by John Gregg in the late 1930s when he began delivering yeast, eggs and confectionery on his bicycle to homes around mining terraces in Newcastle.
The company then opened its first shop on Gosforth High Street in 1951 and the firm has gone onto to become a well-known brand.
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the firm's value proposition put it in a good place in the current climate.
"With the best will in the world and even when household budgets are under real pressure sometimes people are just too busy to make sandwiches. There is always going to be a place for food-on-the-go venues and Greggs' offering is perfectly pitched in the current environment," he added.
However, Mr Mould warned Greggs needed to be "careful ambition does not tip over into hubris" and questioned how popular the brand might be when "people have a bit more money in their pocket".
Greggs is not alone in its expansion plans, with Starbucks announcing on Monday plans to open 100 new stores across the UK this year.
Only last year Starbucks was reportedly looking to sell its UK operations after sales were hit hard during the pandemic. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64874761 |
Iran: Suspected school poisonings unforgivable crime, Khamenei says - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Iran's supreme leaders says anyone found to have targeted schoolgirls must be punished severely. | Middle East | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there would be "no pardons" if anyone was identified as a perpetrator and convicted
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called the wave of suspected poisonings of schoolgirls in recent months an "unforgivable crime".
"If there are any people involved in the matter, and there certainly are... the perpetrators must be given the most severe of punishments," he warned.
More than 1,000 girls at dozens of schools have been affected by unexplained illnesses since November.
Incidents were reported in at least 15 cities and towns on Sunday alone.
Authorities have released very little information about their investigations and announced no arrests, but they have accused Iran's "enemies" of using the suspected poisonings to undermine the clerical establishment.
Some Iranians believe the girls' schools are being targeted by hard-line elements to stop them receiving an education.
Others suggest the authorities may be punishing girls for their leading role in the nationwide anti-government protests that erupted in September.
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The first known case was reported at a school in the Shia holy city of Qom on 30 November, when 18 schoolgirls fell ill and were taken to hospital.
Since then, a total of 127 schools in 25 of Iran's 31 provinces have been affected, according to a tally by the reformist news outlet Etemad Online.
Students have said they smelled tangerine or rotten fish before falling ill. Many have suffered respiratory problems, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.
In his first public comments on the matter Ayatollah Khamenei called on law enforcement and intelligence agencies to "seriously pursue the issue".
"The poisonings are a grave and unforgivable crime," he declared during a speech at a tree planting event in Tehran, adding that there would be "no pardons" if anyone was identified as a perpetrator and convicted.
Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei meanwhile warned that they could face the charge of "corruption on earth", which is punishable by death.
He also said special courts would be set up in each province to summon "lie-spreaders and disrupters of public opinion in the case of the poisonings".
Their remarks came a day after a series of suspected poisonings was reported in at least 15 cities and towns, with the south-western city of Ahvaz and the central city of Yazd said to have been worst affected.
Opposition activist collective 1500 Tasvir posted footage that it said showed girls at Fatemieh Art School in the western city of Hamadan shouting: "We don't want to die."
In another video, a woman in the northern city of Rasht said security forces had fired tear-gas at concerned mothers protesting outside the local education department.
On Saturday, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that investigators had gathered "suspicious samples" at affected schools, but provided no details.
Health Minister Bahram Eynollahi meanwhile told a conference last Tuesday that research indicated that "a kind of mild poison caused the intoxication".
1500 Tasvir tweeted on Sunday that it had "received the results of 25 blood tests from poisoned students in different cities" and that the "MCV number in all of them is lower than normal".
The MCV, or "Mean Corpuscular Volume" count, measures the average size of red blood cells, which are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-64862714 |
Rishi Sunak backs Simon Case over Hancock WhatsApp row - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The PM says civil service chief is doing a "great job" amid claims he has become too political. | UK Politics | Simon Case was appointed cabinet secretary by Boris Johnson in 2020
Rishi Sunak has backed the UK's top civil servant Simon Case over comments he made about the government's Covid policies in WhatsApp messages.
In exchanges with Matt Hancock, published by The Telegraph, Mr Case calls then PM Boris Johnson a "distrusted" figure.
He also mocks people forced to stay in quarantine hotels and appears to criticise other ministers.
Mr Sunak rejected calls to sack Mr Case over the comments.
He said the cabinet secretary had "done a great job" and "works hard to support the government's agenda".
Asked if Mr Case would still be in his job at the time of the next general election, Mr Sunak said he looked forward to working with him for a "long time to come".
Separately, a cabinet office insider told the BBC Mr Case was uncomfortable with being in the spotlight, especially as he is unable to respond to the criticism in public because of civil service rules.
Another source said Mr Case's departure from his job was "extremely unlikely".
As a senior civil servant, Mr Case is required to give impartial policy advice to government ministers.
But he has faced criticism over the tone of the exchanges with Mr Hancock.
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Conservative MP Marcus Fysh told BBC News the messages "just make it untenable for him [Mr Case] to be credible as a leader of the civil service".
The Yeovil MP, a former member of the Commons Public Administration Committee, said Mr Case should be replaced by someone who can offer a "balanced" view.
"He needs to fall on his sword and the government needs to encourage that," said the MP, who was highly critical of Covid lockdown extensions during the pandemic.
One WhatsApp exchange with Mr Hancock, from June 2020, appears to suggest opposition to tougher Covid rules was "pure Conservative ideology".
In a separate exchange, Mr Case reportedly said then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak had been "going bonkers" over a row about contact tracing.
In another exchange with Mr Hancock, from October 2020, Mr Case said the government was "losing the war" on getting people to isolate after testing because messages were coming from Mr Johnson who was "nationally distrusted".
He added that keeping Mr Johnson focussed on "numbers" of new Covid cases would "keep him honest".
The messages also included exchanges between Mr Hancock and Mr Case, from February 2021, in which the cabinet secretary said it was "hilarious" that international travellers had to isolate on their return to the UK.
"I just want to see some of the faces of people coming out of first class and into a Premier Inn shoe box," he told Mr Hancock.
A collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are some of our stories on the leaks:
A former senior civil servant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the exchanges published by the Telegraph did not necessarily tell the whole story.
But discussing government business on WhatsApp in this way suggested "a lack of professionalism", not least because the messages can be made public.
"It does seem to display a laxity in the decision-making process. with decisions being made for, frankly, emotional, personal, or 'small p' political reasons", he said of Mr Case's exchanges with Mr Hancock.
Some of this may be down to Mr Case's "inexperience" as a senior civil servant, he suggested, and his apparent desire to act as "courtier" to ministers, rather than an impartial adviser.
"As a cabinet secretary, you don't need to curry favour, to be seen to be 'on side' with ministers, in this case Matt Hancock," said the former civil servant.
It was, he suggested, "illustrative, perhaps, of a lack of grip on the job" and he would not be surprised if Mr Case was considering quitting.
"There is wisdom in choosing the time of your own departure and maybe that is something he will be thinking about."
The messages are part of trove of more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages leaked to the Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott.
The BBC has not been able to independently verify the messages, which were supplied to Ms Oakeshott in confidence by then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Mr Hancock has said they offer an "entirely partial account" of the government's handling of the pandemic. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64875607 |
Twitter insiders: We can't protect users from trolling under Musk - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Current and former employees of the company say there are serious ramifications from mass lay-offs. | Technology | Elon Musk took control of Twitter in October 2022
Twitter insiders have told the BBC that the company is no longer able to protect users from trolling, state-co-ordinated disinformation and child sexual exploitation, following lay-offs and changes under owner Elon Musk.
Exclusive academic data plus testimony from Twitter users backs up their allegations, suggesting hate is thriving under Mr Musk's leadership, with trolls emboldened, harassment intensifying and a spike in accounts following misogynistic and abusive profiles.
Current and former employees of the company tell BBC Panorama that features intended to protect Twitter users from trolling and harassment are proving difficult to maintain, amid what they describe as a chaotic working environment in which Mr Musk is shadowed by bodyguards at all times. I've spoken to dozens, with several going on the record for the first time.
The former head of content design says everyone on her team - which created safety measures such as nudge buttons - has been sacked. She later resigned. Internal research by Twitter suggests those safety measures reduced trolling by 60%. An engineer working for Twitter told me "nobody's taking care" of this type of work now, likening the platform to a building that seems fine from the outside, but inside is "on fire".
Twitter has not replied to the BBC's request for comment.
Abuse on Twitter is nothing new for me - I'm a reporter who shares my coverage of disinformation, conspiracies and hate there. But throughout most of last year I noticed it steadily lessening across all of the social media sites. And then in November I realised it had got worse on Twitter again.
It turns out, I was right. A team from the International Center for Journalists and the University of Sheffield have been tracking the hate I receive, and their data revealed the abuse targeted at me on Twitter had more than tripled since Mr Musk took over, compared with the same period in the year before.
All of the social media sites have been under pressure to tackle online hate and harmful content - but they say they're taking measures to deal with it. Measures that no longer seem to be top of the agenda at Twitter.
In San Francisco, the home of Twitter's headquarters, I set out to look for answers. What better place to get them than from an engineer - responsible for the computer code that makes Twitter work. Because he's still working there, he's asked us to conceal his identity, so we're calling him Sam.
"For someone on the inside, it's like a building where all the pieces are on fire," he revealed.
"When you look at it from the outside the façade looks fine, but I can see that nothing is working. All the plumbing is broken, all the faucets, everything."
He says the chaos has been created by the huge disruption in staffing. At least half of Twitter's workforce have been sacked or chosen to leave since Musk bought it. Now people from other teams are having to shift their focus, he says.
"A totally new person, without the expertise, is doing what used to be done by more than 20 people," says Sam. "That leaves room for much more risk, many more possibilities of things that can go wrong."
He says previous features still exist but those who designed and maintained them have left - he thinks they are now left unmanned.
"There are so many things broken and there's nobody taking care of it, that you see this inconsistent behaviour," he tells me.
The level of disarray, in his view, is because Mr Musk doesn't trust Twitter employees. He describes him bringing in engineers from his other company - electric car manufacturer Tesla - and asking them to evaluate engineers' code over just a few days before deciding who to sack. Code like that would take "months" to understand, he tells me.
He believes this lack of trust is betrayed by the level of security Mr Musk surrounds himself with.
"Wherever he goes in the office, there are at least two bodyguards - very bulky, tall, Hollywood movie-[style] bodyguards. Even when [he goes] to the restroom," he tells me.
He thinks for Mr Musk it's about money. He says cleaning and catering staff were all sacked - and that Mr Musk even tried to sell the office plants to employees.
Lisa Jennings Young, former head of content design, says her entire team was cut
Lisa Jennings Young, Twitter's former head of content design, was one of the people who specialised in introducing features designed to protect users from hate. Twitter was a hotbed for trolling long before Mr Musk took over, but she says her team had made good headway at limiting this. Internal Twitter research, seen by the BBC, appears to back this up.
"It was not at all perfect. But we were trying, and we were making things better all the time," she says. It is the first time she's publicly spoken of her experience since she left after Mr Musk's takeover.
Ms Jennings Young's team worked on several new features including safety mode, which can automatically block abusive accounts. They also designed labels applied to misleading tweets, and something called the "harmful reply nudge". The "nudge" alerts users before they send a tweet in which AI technology has detected trigger words or harmful language.
Twitter's own research, seen by the BBC, appears to show the "nudge" and other safety tools being effective.
Research shows abuse targeting me on Twitter has more than tripled since Musk took over
"Overall 60% of users deleted or edited their reply when given a chance through the nudge," she says. "But what was more interesting, is that after we nudged people once, they composed 11% fewer harmful replies in the future."
These safety features were being implemented around the time my abuse on Twitter seemed to reduce, according to data collated by the University of Sheffield and International Center for Journalists. It's impossible to directly correlate the two, but given what the evidence tells us about the efficacy of these measures, it's possible to draw a link.
But after Mr Musk took over the social media company in late October 2022, Lisa's entire team was laid off, and she herself chose to leave in late November. I asked Ms Jennings Young what happened to features like the harmful reply nudge.
"There's no-one there to work on that at this time," she told me. She has no idea what has happened to the projects she was doing.
So we tried an experiment.
She suggested a tweet that she would have expected to trigger a nudge. "Twitter employees are lazy losers, jump off the Golden Gate bridge and die." I shared it on a private profile in response to one of her tweets, but to Ms Jennings Young's surprise, no nudge was sent. Another tweet with offensive language we shared was picked up - but Lisa says the nudge should have picked up a message wishing death on a user, not just swear words. As Sam had predicted, it didn't seem to be working as it was designed to.
During this investigation, I've had messages from many people who've told me how the hate they receive on Twitter has been increasing since Mr Musk took over - sharing examples of racism, antisemitism and misogyny.
Ellie Wilson, who lives in Glasgow, was raped while at university and began posting about that experience on social media last summer. At the time, she received a supportive response on Twitter.
Rape survivor Ellie Wilson says she has noticed a recent surge in hateful messages
But when she tweeted about her attacker in January after he was sentenced, she was subject to a wave of hateful messages. She received abusive and misogynistic replies - with some even telling her she deserved to be raped.
"[What] I find most difficult [is] the people that say that I wasn't raped or that this didn't happen and that I'm lying. It's sort of like a secondary trauma," Ms Wilson told me.
Her Twitter following was smaller before the takeover, but when I looked into accounts targeting her with hate this time around, I noticed the trolls' profiles had become more active since the takeover, suggesting they'd been suspended previously and recently reinstated.
Some of the accounts had even been set up around the time of Mr Musk's takeover. They appeared to be dedicated to sending out hate, without profile pictures or identifying features. Several follow and interact with content from popular accounts that have been accused of promoting misogyny and hate - reinstated on Twitter after Musk decided to restore thousands of suspended accounts, including that of controversial influencer Andrew Tate.
"By allowing those people a platform, you're empowering them. And you're saying, 'This is OK, you can do that.'"
Several of the accounts also targeted other rape survivors she's in contact with.
Andrew Tate did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.
New research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue - a UK think tank that investigates disinformation and hate - echoes what I've uncovered about the troll accounts targeting Ellie.
It shows that tens of thousands of new accounts have been created since Mr Musk took over, which then immediately followed known abusive and misogynistic profiles - 69% higher than before he was in charge.
The research suggests these abusive networks are now growing - and that Mr Musk's takeover has created a "permissive environment" for the creation and use of these kinds of accounts.
Panorama investigates how Elon Musk's ownership is transforming one of the world's most influential social media platforms.
Watch on BBC One at 20:00 GMT, Monday 6 March
Mr Musk's key priorities since the takeover - according to his tweets - are to make the social media company profitable and to champion freedom of expression.
In December 2022, he released internal documents called the "Twitter Files" to explain why he believed the company hadn't been fairly applying its moderation and suspension policies under the old leadership.
But those who have been on the inside, feel like Mr Musk has used this to de-prioritise protecting users from harm altogether. Even the dangerous content he's lobbied against, including Child Sexual Abuse and networks of so-called bot accounts deliberately designed to mislead, isn't being tackled as it was before, they say.
It is not just individual trolls that Twitter has previously tried to guard against, but also so-called "influence operations" - state-sanctioned campaigns seeking to undermine democracy and target dissidents and journalists.
Ray Serrato worked in a team that specialised in tackling these operations. He left in November because he felt there wasn't a clear vision to protect users under the new leadership. He says his team would identify suspicious activity like this "daily". Now his team has been "decimated" and exists in a "minimised capacity".
Ray Serrato, who specialised in tackling state-sponsored disinformation, says his team was "decimated"
"Twitter might have been the refuge where journalists would go out and have their voice be heard and be critical of the government. But I'm not sure that's going to be the case anymore."
"There are a number of key experts that are no longer in that team that would have covered special regions, or threat actors, from Russia to China," he tells me.
Another insider, who we're calling Rory, is also very concerned about that drain of expertise - and how it appears to be undermining a Musk priority, preventing paedophiles using Twitter to groom victims and share links to abuse. Rory was employed until very recently as part of a team tackling child sexual exploitation [CSE].
His team would identify accounts sharing abusive content about children, escalating the worst to law enforcement. Before the takeover such content was a huge problem, he says - and he already feared they were understaffed.
"Every day you would be able to identify that sort of material," he says.
But his team was cut soon after the acquisition, he says, from 20 people to around six or seven. In his view that's too few to keep on top of the workload.
Rory says - before he left - neither Mr Musk nor any other member of the new management made contact with him and his old team, who between them had years of experience in this area.
"You can't take over a company and suddenly believe you have knowledge… to deal with [Child Sexual Exploitation] without having the experts in place," he says.
Twitter says it removed 400,000 accounts in one month alone to help "make Twitter safer". But Rory is worried there are now fewer people with the knowledge to effectively escalate concerns about this content with law enforcement.
"You can by all means suspend hundreds of thousands of accounts in a month. But if the reporting of that content [to law enforcement] has dropped, then it doesn't really mean anything, and most of the users who had their accounts suspended would just set up a new account anyway."
He adds that offending users can then just set up new accounts, at a time when suspended profiles are being welcomed back to Twitter.
I wanted to ask Elon Musk about the takeover, his vision for Twitter and how he thinks it is playing out in reality. I tried to contact him via email, tweets and even a Twitter "poll". This wasn't a real poll but Mr Musk has used these votes to make decisions about Twitter's future, and I was hoping it might catch his attention. More than 40,000 users voted and 89% said Mr Musk should do an interview with me. I had no response.
Elon Musk did not formally respond to Panorama - but he did tweet after we published this article
Twitter and Musk are yet to formally respond to BBC Panorama's investigation.
I'm told all of Twitter's communications team have either resigned or been sacked. Twitter's policies, publicly available online, say that "defending and respecting the user's voice" remains one of its "core values".
Musk did however tweet about our piece after its publication, saying: "Sorry for turning Twitter from nurturing paradise into place that has… trolls."
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
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 [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-64804007 |
Turkey opposition names Kilicdaroglu as joint challenger to Erdogan - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Quiet-spoken centre-leftist Kemal Kilicdaroglu is chosen by the opposition to run for president. | Europe | Mr Kilicdaroglu is known in Turkish media as "Gandhi Kemal" for his resemblance to the Indian civil rights leader
Turkey's often divided opposition parties have come together to choose a single candidate to face President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May's election.
Polls suggest a tight race in a country highly polarised after two decades of Mr Erdogan's authoritarian rule.
Economic crisis and errors during last month's earthquake may make him more vulnerable than in previous elections.
A huge crowd of supporters cheered Mr Kilicdaroglu, a former civil servant, as he was chosen by an opposition alliance known as the Table of Six.
Their agreement had been thrown into doubt when one of the six parties involved, the nationalist Good Party of Meral Aksener, complained he lacked popular appeal.
Ms Aksener favoured the mayors of either Istanbul or Ankara but a compromise was eventually agreed that would see both men appointed vice presidents.
"Our table is the table of peace," said Mr Kilicdaroglu, a soft-spoken 74 year old. "Our only goal is to take the country to days of prosperity, peace and joy."
He offers a radically different vision in both substance and style to President Erdogan's fiery, charismatic approach and promised his supporters that he would govern Turkey through consensus and consultation.
He also said he would return the country to a parliamentary system. Mr Erdogan oversaw a transition to a presidential system in 2018, gaining sweeping powers.
The CHP was created by modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and is the country's oldest political party, though it has been out of power centrally since the 1990s.
However, Mr Kilicdaroglu has broadened its appeal by embracing minority groups and has formed alliances with right-wing parties.
He has also shown himself willing to challenge Mr Erdogan, a leader who has become increasingly intolerant of criticism.
In February's earthquake, in which more than 45,000 people were killed in south-eastern Turkey, Mr Kilicdaroglu led attacks on the government, which he said had allowed corruption and poor building standards. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64867467 |
Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas should not be banned, review says - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, is the second most-used drug in the UK among 16 to 24-year-olds. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A review for the government has stopped short of recommending a laughing gas ban.
Nitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, is the second most-used drug by 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK.
Heavy use can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal cord.
But the independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) said nitrous oxide should not be banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
It comes after the Home Office asked the ACMD to provide advice on whether to make possession of nitrous oxide a crime.
Earlier this year, ministers had been considering a ban on possession of the drug - and on all direct sale of it to consumers - as part of a move to tackle antisocial behaviour.
The ACMD recommended the substance should not be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
It said sanctions for the offences would be disproportionate with the level of harm associated with nitrous oxide, as well as creating "significant burdens" for legitimate uses of the substance.
Nitrous oxide is regularly used as an anaesthetic in medicine and dentistry, and as a gas for making whipped cream in cooking.
Currently, non-legitimate use of the substance is controlled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, which the council said "remains appropriate legislation".
The Act makes production, supply and importation of nitrous oxide for inhalation illegal, but not possession.
Interventions should also included tackling non-legitimate supply of the drug, like closing down websites.
A Home Office spokesman said: "This government is working to crack down on drug misuse in our communities, that is why we asked the ACMD to provide updated advice on nitrous oxide.
"We thank them for their report, which we will now consider."
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed laughing gas use in a speech about anti-social behaviour, in which he spoke about instances of "nitrous oxide canisters in children's playgrounds".
The government said it commissioned the report following what it described as a "concerning" rise in young people using the drug, often at festivals, house parties and outside nightclubs. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64869760 |
BA-owner and EasyJet hold millions of unclaimed travel vouchers - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | BA owner IAG and EasyJet issued the vouchers instead of cash when flights were cancelled in the pandemic. | Business | Passengers of BA-owner IAG and rival EasyJet have yet to reclaim some €724m (£643m) in travel vouchers going back to the beginning of the pandemic.
IAG, which owns five airlines including Aer Lingus, said it had about €600m (£533m) in unclaimed vouchers.
EasyJet's most recent results suggested it had £110m in unclaimed vouchers.
The practice of issuing vouchers attracted criticism because many people wanted a cash refund instead, with some claiming it was difficult to get one.
Aviation consultant and former IAG employee Robert Boyle, who flagged the IAG figures, said that when airlines were forced to cancel a huge number of flights during the pandemic they encouraged customers to accept vouchers for future travel rather than issue refunds.
Given so many vouchers have yet to be redeemed Mr Boyle questioned how many of the vouchers will ever be used.
The rate of voucher use might increase as the expiry date approaches he said: "But if even 20% of the original €1.4bn [£1.24bn] of vouchers expire unused, that would be a €280m [£248m] release to profit".
"However, if the vouchers are never used, IAG will have extra seats available to sell. Given what has happened to ticket prices since the pandemic, the cash value of those seats will be even bigger than the reported voucher values."
Both BA and EasyJet have extended the expiry date of their vouchers several times.
In its most recent set of results EasyJet said no vouchers had expired yet as expiry dates had been extended "to ensure customers have the maximum opportunity to utilise their vouchers".
The airline said the number of unused vouchers at the end of its last financial year on 30 September equated to £110m, or 2% of its ticket revenue in 2019, so there was a "very small proportion of customers who have not yet used their vouchers".
"And it is also worth noting that the number will have reduced since then as five months have passed - including a busy booking period at the turn of year.
BA's will now run out in September 2023, though the airline said it was "always reviewing that".
It said last year 700,000 vouchers were used and it was sending reminders to customers holding outstanding ones.
Airlines, including BA, faced accusations during the pandemic of making it difficult for people to claim a refund.
BA said when a flight was cancelled it always offered the option to get a full refund, rebook or reroute. It never automatically issued vouchers, which had to be requested by a passenger.
But it said it recognised that during the height of the pandemic it could not offer "all the usual channels for customers to request a refund".
As a result, it added, if a customer had been due to travel on a flight cancelled by the airline between 9 March 2020 and 19 November 2020 and they opted for a voucher, BA had already contacted them to offer a full refund.
"We have issued 4.8 million refunds since the start of the pandemic and offered highly flexible booking policies enabling millions of our customers to change their travel dates or destinations," BA said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64810681 |
Small boats bill aimed at galvanising political support at home - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman hope the Illegal Migration Bill will reverse Tories' flagging poll ratings. | UK Politics | It was delivered by Suella Braverman, but this was unmistakeably Rishi Sunak's own policy.
The prime minister has made "passing new laws to stop the small boats" one of his five priorities.
He was conspicuously seated behind his home secretary, visible in the TV coverage, nodding, smiling and voicing his assent at key points as she outlined the new legislation.
Delivering the new law is part of his plan to try to turn around the Conservatives' flagging poll ratings before the next election.
Ms Braverman spoke of her approach being "supported by the British people" and she made a point of warning of 100 million people "who could qualify for protection under our current laws... they are coming here" aiming to tap into fears about growing numbers of arrivals.
So the legislation may be, on the face of it, about stopping boats, it's also squarely aimed at galvanising political support at home.
The debate was a divisive one, short on any details about the how this new policy is actually going to work.
One after another, opposition MPs stood up to criticise the plan as a policy "that depends on dehumanising some of the most vulnerable people on earth", one based on "xenophobia and racism" and one that may breach the UK's international legal obligations.
Suella Braverman appeared content to portray herself as someone prepared to take robust action. It was, she said, "irresponsible to suggest someone who wants to take a firm line on our borders is racist".
One after another Conservative MPs rose to praise her approach as "excellent".
But she couldn't say whether the legislation in fact complies with human rights law, where holding centres will be built, what 'safe' countries refugees could be deported to, or what routes will be opened for people to come legally to the UK.
In a letter to MPs about the bill, Ms Braverman said there was a "more than 50% chance" that the legislation was not compatible with international law, and specifically the UK's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
It's pretty rare for the government to publish legislation that it knows may breach international law. So why is it pressing ahead? Well, the answer is down to how this will all play with audiences in the UK.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Government must act with determination and compassion - Suella Braverman
The debate clearly illustrates how Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman hope to try to corner Labour.
Their aim is to paint Labour as weak when it comes to stopping boats. Labour's Yvette Cooper launched into her attack on the new legislation saying it does little different to that passed by Priti Patel a year ago and that hasn't solved the problem, rather made it worse.
Labour wants to portray the government as ineffective. Its plan is to call for more serious cross-border police action and says the government is stirring up this issue to "have someone else to blame."
The prepared retort from Ms Braverman was that Labour's leader Sir Keir Starmer "doesn't want to stop the boats".
The issue didn't figure in his "missions" for his leadership, she said, seeking to draw a contrast with Mr Sunak.
The new policy is already being put to work to try to frame people's views of the government and its opponents.
So already in this first debate you could see how the government hopes to exploit the issue politically, using it to try to frame people's views of Mr Sunak and his opponents. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64879314 |
Uefa to refund Liverpool fans who had tickets for 2022 Champions League final - BBC Sport | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | null | Uefa is to refund Liverpool fans who had tickets for the 2022 Champions League final in Paris. | null | Last updated on .From the section Liverpool
Uefa is to refund Liverpool fans who had tickets for the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.
It follows a recent independent report that found Uefa bears "primary responsibility" for the chaotic scenes before the game against Real Madrid.
Fans were penned in and sprayed with tear gas outside Paris' Stade de France as kick-off was delayed by 36 minutes.
Uefa said the refund scheme "covers all of the Liverpool FC ticket allocation for the final, i.e. 19,618 tickets".
"We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately and we believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair," said Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis.
"We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organisations Spirit of Shankly and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association as well as the open and transparent dialogue throughout this period.
"We recognise the negative experiences of those supporters on the day and with this scheme we will refund fans who had bought tickets and who were the most affected by the difficulties in accessing the stadium."
Liverpool were also part of the process of securing refunds for their fans and, as supporters bought tickets from them directly rather than Uefa, the club will administer the process.
Uefa and French authorities initially blamed ticketless fans for the events outside the stadium.
The report, which Uefa commissioned after the 28 May final, said there was "no evidence" to support the "reprehensible" claims.
It added that "it is remarkable no one lost their life" and the collective action of Liverpool supporters was "probably instrumental" in preventing "more serious injuries and deaths" outside the stadium.
The report made 21 recommendations in an attempt to ensure "everything possible is done" to prevent any similar incident happening again at a major sporting event.
Spirit of Shankly and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters' Association said they "welcomed" the "unprecedented" refund from Uefa.
"With a promise to reimburse supporters, Uefa have gone some way to acknowledging their part in the fiasco," said a statement.
"But it does not excuse Uefa, exempt them from criticism or lessen the need for them to implement all of the recommendations made by the independent inquiry.
"We will work alongside Liverpool and publish details once we know how and when refunds will be processed."
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, whose side lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in the final, said it was "super important" that the club's fans had been exonerated for the situation which occurred before the game.
A law firm representing Liverpool fans in a claim against Uefa relating to events in Paris has said it "will be pushing ahead with our legal claim to seek appropriate compensation for our clients", while another said "our legal case is still progressing".
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Climate change: Warming could raise UK flood damage bill by 20% - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Cutting greenhouse gas emissions could save millions of pounds in flood damage costs. | Science & Environment | Researchers have produced a detailed "future flood map" of Britain - simulating the impact of flooding as climate change takes its toll.
It has revealed that annual damage caused by flooding could increase by more than a fifth in today's terms over the next century.
That could be reduced if pledges to reduce global carbon emissions are met.
Climate change is set to have a particular impact on "hotspots" where homes and businesses are in harm's way.
Even if climate change pledges are met - keeping temperature increase to around 1.8C - places including south-east England, north-west England and south Wales are set to experience significantly increased flooding.
The detail in the new "flood risk map" also reveals locations that will be largely unaffected. This level of detail, the researchers say, is critical for planning decisions.
To create these flood risk maps, the research team from Bristol University and Fathom - a company that assesses flood and climate risk - simulated all types of flooding in the coming decades.
They used information about terrain, river flow, rainfall patterns and sea level to build a detailed picture of how much flood damage there would be to people's homes and businesses across England, Scotland and Wales.
They combined this with Met Office climate predictions over the next century.
The team is also currently modelling flooding in Northern Ireland to expand the forecasts to include the whole of the UK as the climate warms.
The annual cost of flood damage across the UK currently, according to the Association of British Insurers, is £700m.
Chief research officer at Fathom, Dr Oliver Wing, explained that it was crucial to understand how that "flood risk landscape" would change in a warming world, because it will be different for every community.
"Our model shows that there are many places where flood risk is growing," said Dr Wing. "Being able to understand the communities where this is likely to happen allows us to make sensible investment decisions - about flood defence structures, natural flood management or even moving people out of harm's way."
Volunteers in Calderdale create diversions for the water to slow its flow down the hillside
Calder Valley in West Yorkshire is one of the areas at particularly high risk from flooding caused by heavy rain.
Katie Kimber, from community volunteer group Slow the Flow, explained that the steep-sided valley meant that run-off swelled the river quickly.
"When it happens it's really fast - it's a wave of destruction," she told BBC News. "Then it's a case of clearing up the damage - it's mentally and physically very hard for people here."
During the 2015 Boxing Day floods, more than 3,000 properties were flooded in the Calder Valley, causing an estimated £150m of damage.
After the clean-up, Katie and other volunteers started their own flood-prevention efforts, with the help of the National Trust.
"We're essentially creating speed bumps for the water running down the hillside [before it gets to the homes and businesses below]," she explained. "We're stuffing the channels with branches."
The community members also dig diversion channels to divert and slow water down.
Calderdale is a flood hotspot on the new map. But many places are set to see very little change or - when it comes to flood risk - actually improve, Dr Wing explained. Those areas include swathes of north-east and central England as well as eastern and northern Scotland.
This level of detail, according to the scientists, is missing from the government's own current efforts to measure flood risk.
"Current government flood maps are not scrutinised by scientists, generally speaking," said Dr Wing. "The methods they use are not transparent.
"And every pound we spend on flood risk mitigation is a pound that could be spent on teachers, nurses, hospitals, schools, so it's really important that it's grounded in accurate science."
The scientists add that the UK as a whole is "not well adapted to the flood risks it currently faces, let alone any further increases in risk due to climate change". They hope this detailed forecast could help change that.
Back on the Calderdale hillside, Katie says that better forecasting would be invaluable.
"Anything that helps us to prepare and plan," she said. "Because we want to keep living here - we love this area. So we need to face these challenges, particularly with climate change."
Dr Wing added that the new, detailed maps could help land use planning decisions.
"Those are something that ultimately put people in the way of floods in the first place," he said. "That's something we see the world over - that the most important part of flood risk is where people are, not necessarily how the floods are changing." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64866058 |
Spain $1.7m wine theft: Couple jailed for four years - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A former Mexican beauty queen and her partner stole 45 bottles of wine from a luxury Spanish hotel. | Europe | The pair were arrested in July following a nine-month international police hunt
A former Mexican beauty queen and her partner have been jailed in Spain for four years for stealing 45 bottles of wine worth an estimated $1.7m (€1.6m; £1.4m).
The incident happened in 2021 at a luxury hotel in the Spanish city of Cáceres, where the couple were staying as guests.
The couple later fled, but they were arrested nine months later at the Croatia-Montenegro border and returned to Spain.
None of the wine has been recovered.
The court named the couple only as Tatania and Estanislao, but they have been identified by Spanish media as Priscila Guevara and Constantín Dumitru.
According to the court, Tatania checked into the exclusive Atrio hotel in October 2021 using a fake Swiss passport.
She was later joined by Estanislao and they both enjoyed a 14-course meal at the property's Michelin star restaurant, followed by a guided tour of the wine cellar.
Estanislao then returned in the early hours of the following morning to raid the cellar using a stolen key, which the court suggested he took from reception while Tatania provided a distraction.
One of the bottles of wine, which were stuffed into their backpacks, had a unique 19th Century vintage and is reported to have been worth €350,000 (£310,000).
The theft sparked an international police hunt that ended in July when the pair were caught while trying to cross into Croatia.
According to the El País newspaper, the pair had reportedly visited the restaurant at least three times beforehand in order to prepare for the robbery.
The couple have also been ordered to pay more than €750,000 to insurers in damages.
Their sentences are not yet final and the couple will have the opportunity to appeal them. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64865977 |
Student finance: Remote learners left out of maintenance loan plans - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | New loans and living cost support for technical courses are part of an overhaul in England. | Family & Education | More students will be able to access loans in an overhaul to England's student finance system - but remote learners will not get maintenance help.
The government has confirmed plans to allow people to access loans worth the equivalent of four years of post-18 education (£37,000 in today's tuition fees) throughout their lives.
It says the lifelong loan entitlement (LLE) will make courses more flexible.
But maintenance loans will be available only for in-person courses.
Currently, student finance for higher education in England is designed mainly to provide tuition-fee and maintenance loans for three-year undergraduate degrees. Education is devolved, so student finance is different in different parts of the UK.
The new plans involve splitting courses up from 2025, so that people can get loans to study university and college courses a module at a time, or part-time.
It is hoped the lifelong loan entitlement will help people balance training or studies alongside other commitments, such as childcare.
Students can get a loan whether or not they have already been to university. For example, graduates of three-year degrees will still be entitled to one year's worth of tuition-fee loan, which could be used to fund a short course or a set of modules. Details on how individual loan entitlements are calculated will be released in the autumn, the government says.
Graduates will also be able to secure a loan to study an equivalent or lower-level of qualification than they already have, which is currently not allowed.
How much the LLE plans will cost and how they will be funded will be set out in the next government Spending Review, which is not expected to be until 2024.
Some groups are concerned about how the system will work.
Prof Tim Blackman, vice-chancellor of the Open University, said the absence of maintenance loans for distance learners - those who choose to do a course remotely - was a "major inequity" in plans.
"We know at the OU that maintenance loans make a difference to whether a student is able to study, and currently, we are seeing many of our students abandon their study because they need to prioritise working more hours or paying other bills," he said.
"These are the very people who often stand to benefit most from higher education because they have faced disadvantages earlier in life, or want to move into more highly-skilled jobs, including in our public services."
The Open University says it taught 47% of the UK's part-time undergraduates in the academic year 2020-21.
Ann-Marie Spry, vice-principal at Luminate Education Group, said the LLE would be "vital" for "evolving skills needs" but that plans must be joined up with the rest of the education system.
She said better investment was needed for level-3 courses "to create the pipeline of students for this initiative".
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, said the loans would "help open up education", but that factors such as insufficient childcare might continue to prevent some people from taking up studying.
Tuesday's announcement comes after a landmark review in 2019 suggested ideas to provide better value for money in higher and further education.
Legislation to change the student-finance system is currently going through Parliament.
Are you a remote learner? How do you feel about these plans? Email [email protected].
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 [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-64841402 |
Scottish Prison Service faces prosecution for corporate homicide - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police are asked to examine whether Scotland's prison service has corporate responsibility over the death of Allan Marshall. | Scotland | Allan Marshall had been on remand at HMP Edinburgh
Police have been told to investigate whether the Scottish Prison Service should be prosecuted over the death of a remand prisoner, the BBC can reveal.
Allan Marshall died after being restrained face down by 13 prison officers at HMP Edinburgh in 2015.
The officers were given immunity from prosecution when they gave evidence at a fatal accident inquiry.
Now the lord advocate has instructed police to examine whether the prison service has corporate responsibility.
Dorothy Bain KC has also told the family she cannot prosecute the officers for perjury because their immunity is so far-reaching.
If the prison service is prosecuted for corporate homicide, which is the equivalent of manslaughter in England and Wales, it will be the first time this action has been taken over a death in custody.
Allan's older brother, Alistair Marshall, has spoken about the case for the first time in an interview with BBC Scotland.
He welcomed the lord advocate's actions, but said he was angry about how long it had taken.
Allan Marshall, from South Lanarkshire, was 30 when he died in March 2015.
He had been placed on remand for 30 days before his next court date, for unpaid fines and breach of the peace charges.
He had only five days left in prison when the incident took place.
Allan was transferred to the jail's segregation unit on 24 March after officers said he had become agitated.
He was then put in the shower and it is unclear exactly what happened next, but CCTV footage shows him being dragged into a corridor and restrained face down by 13 prison officers. He died four days later.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The prison service had tried to stop the broadcast of CCTV footage showing Allan Marshall being dragged along the ground
The sheriff who held a fatal accident inquiry into what happened said the death had been "entirely preventable" and that the prison officers were "mutually dishonest".
At the time of that inquiry, the officers involved in restraining Mr Marshall were given immunity from prosecution.
After its findings were published in 2019, Mr Marshall's family called for action to be taken against the officers.
A year ago, the lord advocate met Allan's brother and aunt and promised to review the case and re-interview all the witnesses.
Ms Bain met them again on Friday to update them on progress.
The family said the lord advocate, who is head of Scotland's prosecution service, had apologised for the way they had been treated and for the officers being granted immunity.
Ms Bain told the family she could not prosecute the individual officers - but has instructed an investigation into the Scottish Prison Service on the grounds of corporate responsibility, including corporate homicide.
Allan's older brother, Alistair Marshall, has spoken out about the case for the first time
Alistair Marshall said he was relieved the prosecution service was looking to hold the prison service to account - but was angry it had taken so long to get to this point.
"People should have done their jobs right from the start," he said.
Alistair remembers his younger brother as "mischievous, adventurous and energetic".
He said Allan did an apprenticeship in construction, then worked in his dad's garage before setting up his own business recycling electronics.
Every year the two brothers took part in the Pedal For Scotland sponsored bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh to raise money for MS. Their mother had the condition.
"He loved going camping," he said.
"He always wanted to have a life of fun and always brought people together - all the cousins, the brothers and other friends. It is not the same now Allan's not here."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Allan's aunt, Sharon MacFadyen, told the BBC she was "grateful" to the lord advocate for reviewing the case
Alistair said he wanted the prison service to be held accountable for killing his brother.
He said Allan's body had been so badly decomposed when the police returned it to the family that the undertaker phoned up in tears.
"They never even took care of his body even when he was dead," said Alistair.
Allan's aunt, Sharon MacFadyen, said she was "grateful" to the lord advocate for reviewing the case and "hopeful" that the new police investigation would lead to a prosecution.
She told the BBC: "He only had five days to go [on remand] when this happened. It is unbelievable.
"To me they've been given a licence to kill. They think they are above the law - and the powers that be just cover up for them.
"I don't want this to happen to anyone else.
"He has got a son and daughter and they don't even know their dad."
Dorothy Bain is the head of Scotland's prosecution service
Ms Bain KC said she had been grateful for the opportunity to meet Mr Marshall's family and update them on the inquiries which she had ordered.
"I have the utmost respect for their desire to have answers for their questions about Allan's death," said the lord advocate.
"I accept that some aspects of the initial case work fell short of what they were entitled to expect.
"Since Allan's death, the way in which custody death cases are handled by the procurator fiscal has been reviewed and transformed.
"I am confident that new structures and processes in place will ensure that all death in custody cases are undertaken rigorously, respectfully and compassionately."
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said the decision not to prosecute individual prison officers could not be reversed.
"The lord advocate has instructed that Police Scotland should investigate possible corporate responsibility by the Scottish Prison Service."
Allan Marshall was described as adventurous and energetic
Lindsay Farmer, a professor of law at Glasgow University, said the Crown was in effect using corporate homicide legislation as a "backstop" to prosecute the organisation, partly because there was no route to prosecute the individuals.
He described the move as "a novel development".
The Scottish Prison Service said: "Our thoughts remain with Mr Marshall's family. We will fully co-operate with any investigation undertaken by Police Scotland."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We have received instruction from the lord advocate to investigate possible corporate responsibility by the Scottish Prison Service.
"We are not able to comment further at this time due to the live nature of this investigation." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64841142 |
Ukraine denies involvement in Nord Stream pipeline blasts - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A New York Times report says US officials believe a pro-Ukrainian group was behind last year's blasts. | Europe | Ukraine has denied any involvement in September's attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.
The denial follows a report from the New York Times, which cites anonymous US intelligence officials who suggest a pro-Ukrainian group was to blame.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said Ukraine "was absolutely not involved".
Moscow questioned how the US could make assumptions without an investigation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the report a "co-ordinated fake news media campaign" and told the state news agency Ria-Novosti those who attacked the pipeline "clearly... want to divert attention."
Russia has blamed the West for the explosions and called on the UN Security Council to independently investigate them.
German investigators said on Wednesday they had searched a ship in January which was suspected of transporting the explosives used to sabotage the two gas pipelines. There was at this stage no evidence to suggest a foreign state was involved, they said.
Russian gas deliveries had been suspended before the blasts. Russia shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in August last year, saying it needed maintenance. Nord Stream 2 had never been put into service.
The exact cause of the 26 September blasts that hit the natural gas pipelines is unknown, but it is widely believed they were attacked.
Nato and Western leaders have stopped short of directly accusing Russia of attacking its own pipelines, although the EU has previously said Russia uses its gas pipelines as a weapon against the West.
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that new intelligence reviewed by US officials suggested that a pro-Ukrainian group had carried out the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.
Citing anonymous US officials, the report said there was no evidence that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky or his top lieutenants were involved in the operation.
The US newspaper reported that the officials declined to disclose the nature of the intelligence, how it was obtained or "any details of the strength of the evidence it contains".
It added: "Officials who have reviewed the intelligence said they believed the saboteurs were most likely Ukrainian or Russian nationals, or some combination of the two."
Responding to the New York Times report, Mr Podolyak added that Kyiv had no information about what had happened.
Meanwhile, German website Die Zeit reported that German authorities had made a breakthrough in their investigation into the cause of the attacks.
According to joint research by several German media organisations, the boat used to plant the explosives was a yacht hired from a firm based in Poland, which reportedly belonged to two Ukrainians. The nationalities of those who carried out the attack were unclear.
German investigators later refused to confirm details of the report but said that a ship had been searched seven weeks ago.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius warned against jumping to conclusions. It could be a false-flag operation aimed at pinning the blame on pro-Ukrainian groups, he told German radio: "The likelihood of one [theory] or the other is just as high."
At least 50m (164ft) of the underwater Nord Stream 1 pipeline bringing Russian gas to Germany is thought to have been destroyed by September's blast.
Danish police believe "powerful explosions" blew four holes in the pipe and its newer twin, Nord Stream 2.
German, Danish and Swedish authorities have all been investigating the incident.
Mr Peskov said Nord Stream shareholder countries should insist on an urgent, transparent investigation.
"We are still not allowed in the investigation," he said. "Only a few days ago we received notes to that effect from the Danes and Swedes. This whole thing is not just weird. It reeks of a heinous crime."
For decades, Russia supplied huge amounts of natural gas to Western Europe. But after the war in Ukraine began in February of last year, most EU countries drastically reduced their reliance on Russian energy.
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-64877979 |
Pupils missing school on Fridays as parents are at home, MPs told - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | "Huge" school absences when "mum and dad are at home", England's children's commissioner says. | Family & Education | More children are thought to be absent from school on Fridays
Some pupils have missed school on Fridays since the pandemic because their parents are at home, England's children's commissioner has said.
The number of pupils regularly missing school in England remains higher than pre-Covid levels.
Dame Rachel de Souza told MPs there was "a huge amount" of absence on Fridays - when "mum and dad are at home" - that "wasn't there before".
The government said it is providing help for regularly absent children.
Pupils count as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions, which would amount to seven days in the autumn term.
Dame Rachel told the Commons Education Select Committee on Tuesday that 818,000 of the 1.6 million children who were persistently absent across the autumn and spring terms in 2021/22 were off school for reasons other than illness.
And some pupils are missing school on Fridays more than on other days of the week, she said - a trend that did not exist before the pandemic - citing analysis of attendance data from autumn 2021, covering 32,000 children from three multi-academy trusts.
Dame Rachel said conversations with families suggested one reason for lower school attendance was that remote learning during lockdown had led to an attitude of "Well, why can't we just have online learning?"
She added: "Parents are at home on Fridays. We've had evidence from kids: 'Well, you know, mum and dad are at home - stay at home'."
One survey published last year suggested only 13% of UK workers go into the office on a Friday. However, the Office for National Statistics says most people do not work from home.
The Education Select Committee has launched an inquiry into why persistent absence has grown since the pandemic.
A quarter (25.1%) of pupils were persistently absent last term, compared with 13.1% in the autumn term of 2019. The increase was partly driven by high levels of flu and other viruses, the government said at the time.
Responding to Dame Rachel's comments on Tuesday, a Department for Education spokesperson said: "The vast majority of children are in school and learning but we are offering targeted help for children who are regularly absent.
"This includes working with schools, trusts, governing bodies, and local authorities to identify pupils who are at risk of becoming, or who are persistently absent and working together to support that child to return to regular and consistent education." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-64875643 |
Olivia Pratt-Korbel cried 'Mum I'm scared' before shooting - court - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Thomas Cashman is accused of shooting dead nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in her Liverpool home. | Liverpool | Olivia was shot when a man burst into her house and opened fire
Nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel screamed "Mum, I'm scared" seconds before she was shot dead in her own home, a jury has heard.
She was on the stairs behind her mother when she was hit in the chest by a bullet fired by alleged gunman Thomas Cashman, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Olivia had been frightened out of bed after hearing a commotion outside their home in Dovecot, Liverpool.
Mr Cashman, 34, was allegedly in pursuit of intended target Joseph Nee.
He claims he was not the gunman.
Opening the trial, David McLachlan KC said the man chasing Mr Nee "meant business, and it wasn't good business".
"This is what this case is all about," he said. "The ruthless pursuit of Thomas Cashman to shoot Joseph Nee without any consideration for the community."
On the night of the 22 August shooting, Mr Cashman, of West Derby, had a loaded pistol and revolver in his possession and was "lying in wait" for Mr Nee, who was "without doubt the intended target", Mr McLachlan said.
Warning: This article contains details which some readers may find distressing.
Thomas Cashman is accused of murdering the schoolgirl
The court heard Olivia's mother, Cheryl Korbel, who was at home with her three children, opened her door after hearing noise outside and, as she did, Mr Nee "made a dash" towards her house, with Mr Cashman in pursuit.
Mr McLachlan said: "[She] then realised, pretty quickly, the gravity of the situation that she now faced and she turned in a panic, and ran back towards her house."
Mr Cashman began firing at Mr Nee from the revolver, but the bullet missed him and hit the front door of the family home, the court heard.
Mr McLachlan said one shot likely "passed through the door, then passed through Cheryl Korbel's right hand as she was no doubt trying to shut the door".
"The bullet then went into the chest of Cheryl Korbel's daughter Olivia Pratt-Korbel."
The court heard Mr Nee had been banging on the door and shouting "help me" and Ms Korbel said she was screaming at him to "go away".
Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel was also injured in the shooting
She said: "I heard the gunshot and realised. I felt it, it hit my hand."
Mr McLachlan said she then turned round and saw Olivia, who had come down the stairs screaming "Mum, I'm scared".
"She went all floppy and her eyes went to the back of her head," she said.
"I realised that she must've been hit - because I didn't know until then - and I lifted her top up and the bullet had got her right in the middle of the chest."
Olivia's sister Chloe Korbel heard their mother screaming that "Livia had been hit", the court heard.
Ms Korbel was saying to her wounded daughter "stay with me, baby" as Mr Nee slumped on the hallway floor, the jury was told.
A neighbour told police she was in bed when she heard two bangs outside, then two "muffled bangs" followed by "the worst screaming I've ever heard in my life".
Olivia suffered a gunshot wound to her chest and later died in hospital
She then heard Chloe on the phone saying: "Where are they, where are they? She is dying."
Armed police arrived at about 22:10 BST, with one officer, PC Cooper, going inside the house while a second, PC Metcalf, got a first aid kit out of the boot of the patrol car, the court heard.
But they decided to take her straight to hospital.
PC Metcalf could feel a faint heartbeat and Olivia's eyes were open but her lips were blue and she was unresponsive, the jury was told.
Olivia was pronounced dead at Alder Hey Children's Hospital later that night.
A post-mortem examination showed Olivia suffered three gunshot wounds caused by a single bullet, which went into her chest, exited the chest and became embedded in her upper arm.
Mr McLachlan said Mr Cashman ran away from the scene of the shooting through back gardens.
The court heard he went to the house of a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who said she heard Mr Cashman say the name "Joey Nee".
She also said she heard him say something along the lines of: "I've done Joey."
The jury was told Mr Cashman was later driven back to where he had parked his Citroen Berlingo van earlier in the day.
Neighbours said they saw Mr Nee stumble out of the house and collapse in the road, where he made a phone call before a black car with five males in it arrived and took him away, the court heard.
The jury of 10 men and two women were told the main issue in the case would be whether they were sure Mr Cashman was the gunman.
Police escorted a van into Manchester Crown Court before the opening of the trial
The court earlier heard Mr Nee had been watching a football match at the home of another man, Timothy Naylor, shortly before the chase began.
Mr McLachlan said when Mr Nee left the house, with his friend Paul Abraham, Mr Cashman ran behind him and fired three shots from a self-loading pistol, one of which struck Nee in the midriff.
The jury was told witnesses heard Mr Nee shouting "please don't", "don't lad" and "what are you doing lad?"
Mr McLachlan said Mr Nee stumbled and Mr Cashman stood over him and tried to fire again but, possibly because the pistol malfunctioned, he was unable to complete his "task" and kill Mr Nee.
The jury heard that was when Mr Nee ran away from Mr Cashman and made for Ms Korbel's house.
Mr Cashman had intended to shoot Mr Nee earlier in the day after seeing his van outside Mr Naylor's house, but had been "thwarted" when he returned and Mr Nee had left, the court was told.
The court heard Mr Cashman was arrested almost two weeks later on 4 September in Runcorn.
He swore at officers and told them "youse are stitching me up for whatever it is", the jury was told.
When he was told the circumstances and that he was being arrested on suspicion of murder, he said: "Youse are mad" and "I've done nothing. It's nothing to do with me."
During an interview he gave a prepared statement saying he had no involvement and then answered "no comment" to questions, the court heard.
The jury was told he was re-arrested at an address in Liverpool on 29 September and told police: "You've got an innocent man."
Mr McLachlan said a forensic scientist found gunshot residue on a pair of tracksuit bottoms found in Mr Cashman's sister's house, as well as his DNA.
He told the jury it was a "pre-planned and ruthless attempt to kill Joseph Nee" but, instead of the planned "execution", he had instead shot a nine-year-old girl.
Mr Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, is also charged with the attempted murder of Mr Nee and the wounding with intent of Olivia's mother, as well as two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
The trial is expected to last about four weeks.
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Ukraine launches investigation into unarmed soldier killing - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A graphic video published on social media appears to show an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner being killed. | Europe | A screenshot from the video purportedly showing the Ukrainian prisoner of war before he was shot dead
Ukraine has launched an investigation to find Russian soldiers who apparently killed an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner of war, after graphic footage emerged.
"We will find the murderers," President Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Monday.
In the video, the Ukrainian soldier is seen smoking a cigarette in a trench. He says "Glory to Ukraine!" before being shot with automatic weapons.
One military unit has named the soldier as one of its own, but there are conflicting reports about his identity.
In the footage, one of the shooters - believed to be a Russian soldier - is heard saying "die" and using an expletive after the prisoner of war (POW) is shot dead.
The alleged killer or killers - who are not seen in the clip - have not been identified.
The video first emerged on social media on Monday. The BBC has not verified where and when the footage was made, or how the soldier was captured.
The general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said: "The shooting of an unarmed prisoner is a cynical and brazen disregard for the norms of international humanitarian law and the customs of war. This is what worthless murderers do, not warriors.
"The Russian occupiers have once again shown that their main goal in Ukraine is the brutal extermination of Ukrainians."
Russia has not publicly commented on the incident.
In his video address, President Zelensky said "the occupiers" killed "a warrior who bravely said to their faces: 'Glory to Ukraine!'"
"I want us all to respond to his words together, in unity: 'Glory to the Hero! Glory to the Heroes! Glory to Ukraine!'"
Mr Zelensky was referring to a battle cry in Ukraine's military that has become popular among millions of Ukrainians.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that the footage was "another proof this war is genocidal", and he called for an "immediate investigation" by the International Criminal Court.
And Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said a criminal investigation had already been opened.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's military named the soldier as Tymofiy Shadura, citing preliminary information.
His unit, the 30th Separate Mechanised Brigade, said he was last seen on 3 February near the eastern city of Bakhmut - the scene of fierce fighting in recent months.
But it added that the identification could only be completed after the body was returned.
Before the soldier was named, Mr Shadura's sister, Olia, said she recognised her brother: "[He] would certainly be capable of standing up to the Russians like that," she told the BBC.
However, there is some doubt over the identity of the soldier, with one well-known Ukrainian journalist naming him as somebody else.
Mr Shadura's sister later told the BBC that she was not collecting money on behalf of relatives due to the conflicting reports on the unarmed soldier's identity.
"I recognise my brother in that video. But if that's not him, then I feel for his relatives, and in that case can someone help me to find my brother?"
Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Russian troops of committing mass war crimes since President Vladimir Putin launched a full scale-invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Russia denies the allegations.
Ukraine has previously accused Russian troops of torturing, raping and killing Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Last July, a video emerged that showed a captured Ukrainian soldier being castrated in the Russian-occupied Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian soldier filmed carrying out the attack in the town of Severodonetsk was identified as a member of a unit belonging to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
In November, Moscow accused Ukrainian forces of executing a group of Russian prisoners.
It followed a video from the front line in eastern Ukraine showing the apparent surrender of a number of soldiers, in an incident that ended in their deaths.
A Ukrainian official said the surrender was "staged" by Russian troops in an attempt to attack their captors. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64872623 |
Cardiff car crash: Hundreds attend St Mellons vigil - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Three of the group died following the crash, while two remain in a critical condition. | Wales | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died after the crash
Hundreds of people have attended a vigil for five people involved in a crash at the weekend.
Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the collision in Cardiff and Shane Loughlin, 32, and Sophie Russon, 20, remain in hospital in a critical condition.
All five had been on a night out in Newport when the car is believed to have veered off the A48 into trees.
Friends and family gathered at the scene in St Mellons on Tuesday.
Part of the road was closed to allow the crowds to congregate.
Luke Thole, a close friend of Mr Jeanne, was one of the organisers of the vigil.
He said he was "lost for words" over the loss of a his friend who was "like a brother".
Candles were lit at the scene
He added: "I'm glad of the turnout, a lot of people here which obviously Rafel would love.
"It's very big for Cardiff and Newport to be honest with you, they're well known people. And like I said, Rafel loves all this type of stuff so he'd be happy up there seeing all what's gone on for him."
Organiser Luke Thole says Rafel Jeanne was "like a brother" to him
He said that he wished friends and family had known the location of the car much sooner. The crash is believed to have taken place in the early hours of Saturday, with the car found just after midnight on Monday morning.
"[We] could've potentially saved him maybe, because they were there for 48 hours. To be honest, I am lost for words and it's hit a lot of people," he said.
The five were last seen on Friday night, but Gwent Police did not put out a public appeal until 23:00 GMT on Sunday, about one hour before the car was located.
Pink balloons as well as flowers were taken to the scene
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will investigate police actions following missing person reports after the crash, it has confirmed.
Tamzin Samuels, 20, a friend of the women who helped in the search effort, said: "I do think the police could have done a lot more in putting the helicopters out earlier.
"They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found."
At the vigil, a minute's silence was held, while people stood holding hands in tears and hugging each other.
Cheers and calls of "fly high" could be heard as people released balloons, set off fireworks as well as pink and blue flares.
A relative of Mr Jeanne who did not want to be named told BBC Wales the family were "still in shock" by his death, but were heartened by the turnout of people.
"It goes to show how much he was loved by so many different people," they said.
People at the vigil let off flares
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.
Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the crash
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.
Friends and family tried to comfort each other at the vigil
South Wales Police and Gwent Police believe only one car was involved in the crash and confirmed the collision occurred during the early hours of Saturday.
The exact time will be confirmed by an investigation.
However, Ms Russon's mum Anna Certowicz said police "didn't seem to think it was worth investigating" at the start.
She criticised the police response, saying they could have been found sooner if officers had started investigating straight away.
Winston Roddick, former police and crime commissioner for north Wales, said the police's response to worried parents' calls about their missing children was "not quite right".
He said the victims' silence should have set off alarm bells sooner as young people today use their mobile phones continually.
"Maybe there should be questions asked and some effective inquiry made to see whether any one or more of them could be traced. If not, then the question mark becomes bigger," he said.
Mr Roddick said although this was an "unusual case", it was not unusual for the two forces to be referred to the IOPC and added it was far too early to jump to conclusions.
The forces said they could not comment while an investigation was pending.
They confirmed a first missing person report was made to Gwent Police at 19:34 GMT on Saturday, with further missing person reports made at 19:43 and 21:32.
A further missing person report was made to South Wales Police at 17:37 on Sunday.
People gathered to grieve for the victims of the crash
The police helicopter was requested at 23:50 on Sunday to search an area of Cardiff, after which the Volkswagen was found, they said.
Matthew Pace, 45, and his son Lewis, 26, told Sky News that they found the car in a wooded area along the A48 just after midnight on Monday morning.
Matthew Pace said a police officer arrived soon after and another officer subsequently got the helicopter to search the area. The force then confirmed the vehicle had been found, he said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64880383 |
Covid booster jab to be offered this spring - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Everyone over 75 is being advised to take up the extra vaccine to protect them over the summer. | Health | A spring booster vaccine against Covid-19 is to be offered to people at most risk of serious illness from the disease to protect them this summer.
UK vaccine experts say it should be available to everyone over 75, care-home residents and anyone extremely vulnerable aged five and over.
Vaccinations in England and Wales are to start in early April, with Northern Ireland's rollout from mid-April.
Scotland's booster campaign will start in the final week of March.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said hospital admission rates for Covid-19 in autumn 2022 showed that the risk of becoming seriously ill from coronavirus was noticeably higher in people over 75.
As a result, they would gain the most from protection from an additional vaccine dose this spring, with health chiefs warning against complacency.
Anyone who lives in a care home for older adults and people aged five and over who are defined as immunosuppressed are also to be offered a booster jab.
They include people who have had organ transplants or who have blood cancer, and those undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
It is advised that the booster vaccine be given six months after someone's previous dose.
Prof Wei Shen Lim, JCVI chairman, said: "Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against Covid-19, and the spring booster programme provides an opportunity for those who are at highest risk of severe illness to keep their immunity topped up.
"This year's spring programme will bridge the gap to the planned booster programme in the autumn, enabling those who are most vulnerable to be well protected throughout the summer."
The NHS in England is expecting to offer the first spring booster doses to those eligible in April, and the campaign will last until late June. Wales has confirmed it will start on 1 April.
Four different vaccines, made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Sanofi/GSK and Novavax could be used.
It's likely most doses will protect against the Omicron variant as well as previous ones.
Since last summer, different versions of the Omicron variant of Covid have been spreading the most - the latest being Omicron BQ.1.
Children under 12 years of age will be offered a children's formulation of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said Covid-19 was still circulating widely and there had been recent increases in older people being admitted to hospital.
"It is important those at highest risk of severe illness do not become complacent and I would encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward once the booster programme starts."
People at higher risk of severe Covid-19 are also expected to be offered a booster vaccine dose in autumn 2023 in preparation for the winter.
Last autumn, frontline health and care workers, adults aged 50 and over, and some carers and household contacts were offered a booster dose, too. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64876657 |
Snow and travel delays expected as Arctic blast hits UK - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | 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 |
Channel migrants: Sunak says we tried every other way, it hasn't worked - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The PM has held a news briefing on plans aimed at stopping people crossing the Channel in small boats. | UK Politics | More aid agency reaction now. This has come in from Medecins Sans Frontieres, which says the new legislation will cost lives
In a statement, MSF said it "strongly condemns the dangerous new Illegal Migration Bill".
“The idea that people will be rapidly returned or expelled to Rwanda is not realistic, and so we anticipate that thousands of people will become stuck indefinitely after arrival to the UK, where there is no clear plan to accommodate them,” said Natalie Roberts, Executive Director of MSF UK.
Roberts said the bill is similar to policies on Greek Islands "where our teams report overwhelming numbers of people suffering from serious mental and physical health issues while contained in deplorable living conditions".
MSF says the plans "are particularly concerning given that there are virtually no safe and legal routes for people from the vast majority of countries to reach the UK".
“We know, and this government knows too, that this utterly cruel legislation will not stop people fleeing violence, persecution and other hardships,” Roberts added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-64868158 |
Channel migrants: Chance for progress - but can Sunak deliver? - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Rishi Sunak has asked to be judged on tackling Channel crossings but there are no easy solutions. | UK Politics | As the government prepared to announce plans to tackle small boat crossings more than 100 migrants arrived along the Channel coast in three vessels
It is dark, cold and wet.
I'm on the seafront in Dymchurch in Kent, as we hear more than 100 migrants have arrived in three small boats along the Channel coast in the last 24 hours.
The latest arrivals among thousands - as we await the government's plan to do something about it.
Senior figures in Whitehall look at the current situation and contrast it with just over four years ago when the former Home Secretary Sajid Javid rushed back from a holiday after a group of 12 migrants were spotted in Greatstone on Sea, five miles down the road from here.
The numbers now, bluntly, are huge in comparison with then.
So what are ministers planning?
We will get the details on Tuesday lunchtime.
Here are the challenges they need to address:
Labour are scathing about what they have heard so far, suggesting it is reheating previous plans that have not worked.
But they acknowledge there are no easy solutions.
One senior government figure suggested their plan, as it was being worked up, would "press our nose up against the window of legality".
In short, they need a solution that is sufficiently radical to make a difference, but on the right side of the law, including the UK's commitments to the European Convention on Human Rights, which the government remains committed to, for now at least.
But ministers expect this to cause a row.
It is perhaps the first row they have consciously picked since Rishi Sunak became prime minister, rather than walked into by accident.
It is, remember, one of the PM's five key promises.
Three relate to the economy, one to the NHS and the final one is to "stop the boats".
It is the "last chance for the Conservatives to sort this," one insider acknowledges - and Conservative MPs say it really matters to plenty of the voters they want to keep onside.
"It also helps keep the right of the party happy", a former cabinet minister tells me.
And yes, it does have the capacity to bind the Conservatives together, if - and it is a big if - the plan is seen to work.
Mr Sunak sees the issue as one about fairness.
A sense that it is unfair that people attempt to get here illegitimately, as he will argue. A sense that the UK is a fair and tolerant and welcoming country, but that has to include being firm about those who are seen to abuse the system.
There is a reason this is happening this week. The prime minister thinks he has reset relations with the European Union with his new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.
And he is meeting President Macron of France in Paris on Friday.
A window for progress is open. Or at least there's the absence of shutters.
For "far too long" we have ended up annoying the French on this, a minister says. "We have to do something that makes it work and keeps them onside."
But it is a benchmark against which Rishi Sunak has asked to be judged.
And we are about to find out, and be able to scrutinise, what he is planning. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64870504 |
Hancock backed pressuring MP into voting for lockdown, messages reveal - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The then-health secretary discussed blocking a disability unit in a MP's town ahead of a vote on Covid tiers. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Matt Hancock supported threatening to block a disability centre in a Tory MP's constituency in a bid to get him to vote for the Covid tier system in England, leaked messages suggest.
WhatsApp messages show Mr Hancock agreed to put pressure on James Daly, Conservative MP for Bury North, if he failed to vote with the government.
Mr Hancock's spokesperson said: "What has been accused here never happened."
Mr Daly said he was "very disappointed" to learn about the exchange.
However, speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, he said the threat was not carried out.
Asked how he would have responded if such a conversation had taken place, the MP said: "I would have told him where to go, and reported matters to a higher authority.
"To think somebody would use potential funding that could help someone vulnerable in our community to get votes for the government is just not acceptable."
Asked about the incident, Downing Street said Rishi Sunak would "of course" not want his ministers to behave in that way. "There are rules and guidelines that apply," the spokesperson said.
Ex-Conservative Party chair Sir Jake Berry accused Mr Hancock of "weaponising the provision of care to young disabled people" and said it "crosses a line of what's acceptable in public life".
He said the former health secretary had been "drunk on power".
In messages leaked to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hancock's political aide Allan Nixon suggested putting pressure on MPs elected in 2019 whose "re-election hinges" on central government funding.
Mr Nixon proposed warning Mr Daly that funding for a new centre for disabled children and adults in his constituency would be "off the table" if he voted against new plans for a stricter tiered lockdown on 1 December 2020.
Mr Daly told the Telegraph he was unaware the Department for Health and Social Care had plans to give Bury North a disability hub, which would provide specialists with a dedicated centre for co-ordinating local activity.
Under the December 2020 tier scheme, every area of England was put into one of three tiers - medium (one), high (two) and very high (three) - with the vast majority of the population in the higher two tiers.
According to the paper, leaked messages show Mr Daly was more concerned with support for pubs in areas placed in the higher tiers because they were unable to serve food.
Under the system, bars in tier two were only allowed to stay open if they served "substantial meals", while those in tier three could only provide takeaways or deliveries.
The tier system put restrictions on how pubs and restaurants could operate
MPs eventually backed the government's plans for the tier system by 291 votes to 78 despite a large rebellion by Tory MPs - including Mr Daly.
Fifty-five Conservatives voted against the plan - the largest rebellion of then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson's time in No 10.
A spokesperson for Mr Hancock said the message exchange was an "entirely partial account".
"The missing context here is vitally important because this vote was critical for saving lives," the spokesperson added.
"What's being accused here never happened, demonstrating the story is wrong, and showing why such a biased, partial approach to the evidence is a bad mistake, driven by those with a vested interest and an axe to grind.
"The right place to consider everything about the pandemic objectively is in the public inquiry."
The BBC has not been able to independently verify the messages.
The texts are the latest release from more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages leaked to the Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott.
A collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are some of our stories on the leaks: | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64870505 |
Dame Judi Dench backs call to overturn York blue badge ban - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The James Bond star says she believes York city centre "should be free for all to enjoy". | York & North Yorkshire | Dame Judi Dench told a group campaigning to lift the ban in York the city "should be free for all to enjoy"
Dame Judi Dench has given her "wholehearted support" to campaigners calling for a ban on blue badge parking in York city centre to be lifted.
A permanent ban on disabled parking in pedestrianised areas was introduced in November 2021.
The decision angered many of those affected, who said they had been made to feel like "second-class citizens".
Marilyn Crawshaw, from the group Reverse The Ban, said Dame Judi's support was "a great boost".
She said the group was "absolutely delighted" to have received a message from the James Bond star, who was born in the Heworth area of York.
City of York Council previously said counter-terrorism measures were requested by the police to mitigate against a vehicle attack
The Oscar-winning actor, 88, said: "York city centre is a rare jewel that should be free for all to enjoy, including those with a disability and for whom accessible parking is essential.
"As someone living with sight loss, I know only too well how gaining access to places can be exceptionally difficult.
"York city centre should be fully accessible through these types of schemes.
"I should like to offer my wholehearted support to people in the City of York who are asking the local council to reconsider any ban to the blue badge scheme in the city centre."
Ms Crawshaw said "When we have somebody like Dame Judi Dench coming out and supporting us it's a great boost to us.
"It's lovely to think that somebody with such a high profile is willing to speak out."
Campaigners said Dame Judi had joined "a growing list of well-known figures that want to see the blue badge ban reversed"
Ms Crawshaw said Dame Judi's words were "particularly heart-warming and encouraging and we hope it will help the situation change."
The parking ban came into force after the council installed anti-terror measures to prevent the risk of so-called hostile vehicle attacks.
Councillors previously said they had approved a series of mitigation measures, including dropped kerbs, the employment of an access officer and a feasibility study into an accessible shuttle service.
Ms Crawshaw said postgraduate students from the University of York had conducted research into the way counter-terror measures could be reconciled with meeting the rights of disabled people.
She told BBC Radio York the group planned to issue findings from the research soon.
Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-64872475 |
Amsterdam ‘erotic centre’: EMA unhappy at planned red-light district - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The European Medicines Agency (EMA) moved its headquarters from London to Amsterdam after Brexit. | Europe | The European drugs regulator says it does not want a purpose-built red-light district near its post-Brexit headquarters in Amsterdam.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it fears "nuisance, drug-dealing, drunkenness and disorderly behaviour".
Amsterdam's mayor, Femke Halsema, wants to build a multi-storey "erotic centre" to replace its central red-light area.
But she faces strong local opposition to the new centre, where legalised prostitution would take place.
Now the EMA has joined the criticism, saying the problems currently plaguing the red-light district would simply be transferred to any new location.
"Locating the Erotic Centre in close proximity to EMA's building is likely to bring the same negative impacts to the adjacent area," it said in a statement.
The EMA moved its headquarters to Amsterdam's southern Zuidas district in 2019 after the UK left the EU. Zuidas is one of several locations under consideration for the erotic centre.
In 2021, Amsterdam officials agreed plans to move the city's infamous red-light district amid rising crime and overcrowding in the area's narrow lanes and canalside paths.
They commissioned architects to design a building containing rooms for sex services, as well as bars and entertainment centres.
Ms Halsema said she wanted to improve the situation of sex workers and reduce the influence of organised crime.
"I hope it's possible to create an erotic centre that has some class and distinction and isn't a place where only petty criminals and the most vulnerable women gather," she told the Observer newspaper last November.
She also admitted that she was aware many residents would not want it located near them.
Last month, Amsterdam announced rules making it illegal to smoke cannabis on the street in Amsterdam's red-light district, as well as limiting bar and restaurant opening hours. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64880267 |
Sunak says he is up for the fight on illegal Channel crossings - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The prime minister says he is confident the government would win any legal battles over its new law. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sunak: We've tried every other way and it hasn't worked
Rishi Sunak has said he is "up for the fight" to bring in new legislation to prevent migrants crossing the Channel on small boats to reach the UK.
The prime minister said he was confident the government would win any legal battles over the "tough, but necessary and fair" measures.
Earlier his home secretary, Suella Braverman, announced the bill during a divisive debate in Parliament.
Labour said the Tories' latest plans were like "groundhog day" and a "con".
It is not just opposition MPs who have criticised the plans. The UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, said the proposed legislation amounted to an "asylum ban".
Standing behind a lectern emblazoned with the slogan "stop the boats", Mr Sunak confirmed the planned new law, which will see illegal migrants deported "within weeks", would apply retrospectively to everyone arriving in the UK illegally from Tuesday.
He said he knew there would be a debate about the toughness of the Illegal Migration Bill but the government had tried "every other way" of preventing the crossings and they had not worked.
While he admitted it was a "complicated problem" with no single "silver bullet" to fix it, he said he would not be standing there if he did not think he could deliver.
More than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from about 300 in 2018.
The government believes stopping small boats is a key issue for voters and Mr Sunak has made it one of his top five priorities.
This is politically risky - as the outcome may not be entirely in his hands.
Speaking in the Commons, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said serious action was needed to stop small boat crossings, but said the government's plans risked "making the chaos worse".
Opposition MPs attacked the legislation one after another, with some saying it was unlawful, while others suggested it would not work in practice.
But Tory MPs backed their home secretary as they took turns to welcome the move, and Ms Braverman retorted that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer "doesn't want to stop the boats".
Trying to set out the scale of the problem the home secretary said 100 million people around the world could qualify for protection under current UK laws - and "they are coming here".
This refers to a UNHCR figure that there are more than 100 million people forcibly displaced around the world, although there is nothing to suggest they would all want to come to the UK.
Acknowledging the likelihood of a legal battle, Ms Braverman wrote to Conservative MPs saying there was "more than a 50% chance" the legislation was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
This potentially makes legal challenges - and a rough ride for the bill in the Lords - more likely.
But the political calculation could well be that the new legislation puts clear blue water between government and opposition.
And if the bill is stymied, the prime minister may be hoping he gets some political credit from voters for trying to find a solution.
Mr Sunak told a Downing Street conference he believed it would not be necessary for the UK to leave the ECHR and said the government believed it was acting in compliance with it and "meeting our international obligations".
He said part of the problem was people making one claim "then down the line they can make another claim, and then another claim" and said the UK cannot have a system which could be taken advantage of.
The deterrent effect of the new legislation could be "quite powerful quite quickly", he added.
The UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it was "profoundly concerned" by the bill, calling it a "clear breach" of the refugee convention.
"Most people fleeing war and persecution are simply unable to access the required passports and visas," it said.
"There are no safe and 'legal' routes available to them. Denying them access to asylum on this basis undermines the very purpose for which the Refugee Convention was established."
The Refugee Council said it was "not the British way of doing things", with its chief executive Enver Solomon saying the plans were "more akin to authoritarian nations", while Amnesty International called it a "cynical attempt to dodge basic moral and legal responsibilities". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64881908 |
Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (agg 2-1): Blues fight back to reach last eight - BBC Sport | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | null | Graham Potter enjoys his finest night as Chelsea manager as they overcome a first-leg deficit against Borussia Dortmund to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. | null | Last updated on .From the section European Football
Graham Potter enjoyed his finest night as Chelsea manager as they overcame a first-leg deficit against Borussia Dortmund to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Potter was under huge pressure after a dismal run of results following Chelsea's huge outlay in the transfer market, but he will hope the manner of this performance and the advance into the latter stages of Europe's elite competition will deliver a measure of calm and stability to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea fully deserved their win, although they squandered several big opportunities before Raheem Sterling made the breakthrough after 43 minutes, firing past Dortmund keeper Alexander Meyer after initially fluffing his shot.
The goal which settled the tie and overturned Dortmund's 1-0 advantage from the first leg came in contentious fashion from the penalty spot eight minutes after the break.
Dortmund were furious when a VAR review penalised Marius Wolf for handball from Ben Chilwell's cross and their sense of injustice heightened after Kai Havertz struck the post with his spot-kick only for a re-take to be ordered.
This time Havertz made no mistake and Chelsea were on their way into the last eight.
Speaking after the game, Potter said: "The players were tremendous and the supporters were tremendous.
"We had to be against a team that were doing so well. Over the two games I felt that we deserved to go through. It was a special night."
Is this lift-off for Potter?
Potter was been waiting for a show of strength such as this from the moment he left Brighton to take over at Chelsea, succeeding Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel.
Potter has struggled to convince Chelsea's fans he has the personality required to take on this occasionally dysfunctional football beast and his cause has not been helped by poor Premier League form and a battle to establish any sort of shape and stability from the influx of players assembled at vast expense by new owner Todd Boehly.
The pressure was released somewhat with Saturday's narrow win over Leeds United at Stamford Bridge but a big Champions League win against opponents of such European pedigree as Borussia Dortmund will go some way to convincing the doubters that Potter is cut out for the task.
There is still much work to do as Chelsea lie in a wholly unacceptable 10th place in the Premier League and two victories will not change the landscape instantly but there is no doubt Stamford Bridge felt like a much happier place when Dutch referee Danny Makkelie sounded his final whistle.
Potter will have been satisfied to see big performances from fit-again Reece James with Ben Chilwell also outstanding. And his former Brighton player Marc Cucurella also looked much more at home than he has before.
The scenes at the final whistle were a sharp contrast to many witnessed at Stamford Bridge this season with Potter punching the air in front of joyous Chelsea supporters as their Champions League journey continues.
Potter added: "To win a game and go into the last eight of the Champions League, it's up there with one of the games or evenings of my career.
"I watched the first penalty and it didn't work so well. I can't do anything. It's down to Kai and his talent and testament and that's at the top level."
All eyes were England teenager Jude Bellingham from the moment he arrived at Stamford Bridge, with waiting Chelsea fans making an instant sales pitch for the young star, who is expected to be pursued by every big club in Europe this summer.
This was not Bellingham's best night as Dortmund's Champions League campaign came to an end with the added disappointment of squandering a first-leg lead, but the 19-year-old still showed why he will be in such demand.
Bellingham's night had low points, such as when he poked a great chance wide from eight yards in the second half and a very poor challenge in the closing seconds that left Reece James prostrate and brought a yellow card.
He did, however, show class and arrogance on the ball, vision, and a marauding style as Dortmund chased an equaliser in vain after Chelsea grabbed control.
Bellingham trooped off at the final whistle and is likely to be playing his Champions League football elsewhere next season, but in little flashes he still showed what all the fuss is about.
• None Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt saved. Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Donyell Malen.
• None Attempt missed. Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Giovanni Reyna with a cross following a corner.
• None Attempt blocked. Raphaël Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt missed. Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Giovanni Reyna.
• None Offside, Chelsea. Kalidou Koulibaly tries a through ball, but Christian Pulisic is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Marius Wolf with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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Cardiff car crash: Tributes to three found dead after night out - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | 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 |
Cardiff car crash: Three of missing five found dead - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The car was found in the early hours two days after the group went missing after a night out. | Wales | Shane Loughlin, Eve Smith, Sophie Russon, Rafel Jeanne and Darcy Ross (clockwise from top left) had been reported missing
Police searching for five people have found three dead and two injured two days after they went missing following a night out.
Gwent Police said it believed the group had been involved in a car crash.
Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were last seen at about 02:00 GMT on Saturday in Cardiff.
The family of Ms Smith have named her on social media as being one of those who has died.
Family and friends made repeated appeals to find the missing group over the course of the weekend, with the mother of one of the girls saying she had been told to stop contacting police for updates.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The road is a major route into Cardiff
The car the group were last seen in was found by a member of the public early on Monday on the A48 in St Mellons.
The road is a major route into Cardiff and the car was found near a busy roundabout close to a garden centre.
The family of Eve Smith have confirmed her death on social media
Ms Russon is one of the two in hospital and is in a critical condition, her cousin said, while the other two who have died are yet to be identified by police or family members.
A long police cordon marked out the crash scene at what would normally be a busy stretch of dual carriageway, connecting Cardiff and Newport.
Just below the slipway, down a small bank is a wooded area where the car was discovered. Officers have been working there, hidden from view by the trees, recovering the bodies and investigating the scene.
One resident said the area was hard to reach on foot and was in an area where "no one walks".
The car was removed on a truck just before 13:00, with the vehicle covered over by police and the road reopened an hour later.
Police will be trying to establish exactly when the car crashed there following the last sighting of the group, and why it took until the early hours of Monday for it to be discovered.
Near the scene, people have laid flowers.
People have been laying floral tributes near the scene in St Mellons
A woman who lives nearby said many people felt shocked after waking up to hear about the tragedy.
Jo Warner, who lives near the crash site, said walking past the scene made it feel horribly real.
She added: "What they've been through, you can't bear thinking about it can you? I wouldn't like to surmise what happened but it's just heart-breaking.
"It could have been anyone's kids. It could have been mine."
Elishia Rebecca Ross shared a photo on social media asking if anyone had seen her sister, Darcy Ross, pictured here with Rafel Jeanne
Over the weekend, family and friends of the missing group appealed numerous times on social media to find them.
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.
Ms Russon's mother, Anna Certowicz, 42, was driving around in a desperate search for her daughter after police officers told her to "stop ringing" the station for updates.
She told the Daily Mail: "They didn't seem to care. I had to drive to Cardiff to knock on doors myself because they were doing sod all. They just didn't seem to think it was worth investigating. It was so frustrating."
Writing on Twitter, Hollie Smith said her cousin, Ms Russon, had been taken to hospital in a critical condition.
"Sadly, the three other passengers have died and we're thinking of the families who have lost their loved ones," she wrote.
The Volkswagen Tiguan they were travelling in was found in the early hours of Monday near a busy roundabout on the A48, close to Cardiff Garden Centre.
An investigation is under way at the scene
A temporary fence was put up at the side of the carriageway where officers concentrated their investigation.
Before the car was found, one of the girls' aunts said there had been "no contact and no social media presence since the early hours of Saturday morning".
In an appeal to find them, Tori Preece shared a message on Facebook saying that "all of the families involved are extremely concerned".
"They are not girls who take unnecessary risks and are always in close contact with their families," she wrote.
Ms Preece shared a post from Lauren Doyle who said it was "unusual" the girls had not made contact and friends and families were "worried sick and thinking the worst".
Specialist officers are supporting the families, police said.
The case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in line with normal procedure.
The IOPC said: "We will carry out an assessment in due course to determine what further action may be required from us."
The women had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of Newport late on Friday
Gwent Police has confirmed South Wales Police was investigating the crash.
South Wales Police said it received a call at 00:15 "to a report of a car being located" off the A48 in St Mellons.
"Our thoughts are with the those affected by this incident," it said.
St Mellons resident Howard Dainton, 72, said the scene of the crash was in a wooded area.
"No one walks down there because it's hard to get in that area on foot," he said.
"It's just a copse of trees and a ditch and behind that farmer fields.
A recovery vehicle removed the car from the scene
Meanwhile, a man has been arrested at the scene for prevention of breach of the peace, police said.
PA news agency reported that it was understood that Thomas Taylor, 47, from Rumney, Cardiff, had been arrested after being asked to leave the area.
Speaking before he was arrested, Mr Taylor, a film and TV extra, told PA: "When I heard the reports, I just couldn't believe it could be possible that a car could come off and no-one know they were there.
"It's natural they might have disappeared for a bit, but the families' instincts are right." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64859195 |
Two dead, two alive after Americans kidnapped in Mexico - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two survivors are delivered back to the United States, after Mexico confirms the fatalities. | 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
Two of the four Americans kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico last week are dead and two are alive and now back in the US, Mexican and US officials say.
Four US citizens were kidnapped by armed men on 3 March while driving into the city of Matamoros in the north-eastern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, across the border from Texas.
They had travelled there for cosmetic surgery, relatives told US media.
One man, named only as José "N", 24, from Tamaulipas, has been arrested.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: "We offer our deepest condolences to the friends and families of those who were killed in these attacks."
The two surviving victims were delivered to the US on Tuesday in co-operation with the US consulate in Matamoros, Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica said in a tweet.
They were brought back under armed escort by a heavily armed Mexican military convoy.
The FBI later confirmed that two Americans were found dead and that the other two have been brought to American hospitals for treatment.
"One of the surviving victims sustained serious injuries during the attack," the FBI said.
The statement added that the agency will work with international partners and other law enforcement agencies to "hold those responsible for this horrific and violent attack accountable for their crimes".
The bodies of Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard have been recovered and are being repatriated, US officials said.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said: "We are very sorry that this happened in our country and we send our condolences to the families of the victims, friends, and the United States government, and we will continue doing our work to guarantee peace and tranquillity."
The injured Americans were named by family members as Latavia "Tay" McGee, a mother of six from South Carolina, and Eric James Williams.
The four were driving through Matamoros - a city of 500,000 located directly across the border from the Texas town of Brownsville - in a white minivan with North Carolina licence plates when unidentified gunmen opened fire, the FBI said this week.
Video shows them being loaded into a pickup truck by heavily armed men. One is manhandled on to the vehicle while others appear to be unconscious and are dragged to the truck.
A Mexican woman, believed to be a 33-year-old bystander more than one block away, was killed in last Friday's incident.
At a news conference later on Tuesday, Mexican officials confirmed a 24-year-old man had been arrested and that the four Americans were discovered at a wooden shack outside Matamoros.
The victims had been transferred to various locations between the kidnapping on Friday and their discovery on Tuesday "to create confusion", officials say.
Investigators think the Gulf Cartel, one of the oldest organised crime groups in Mexico, is responsible for the attack, a US law enforcement source told CBS.
It is still unclear whether the Americans were ambushed, mistaken for competing drug traffickers, or were caught in cross-fire between warring factions.
US state department officials said on Tuesday that the investigation was still in the early stages.
Ms McGee was said to be travelling to the Mexican border town to have a tummy tuck, a cosmetic surgery procedure to remove abdominal fat.
Her mother Barbara Burgess told ABC News that she had asked her daughter not to go, but her daughter had reassured her she would be safe.
The FBI offered a $50,000 (£42,000) reward for the return of the Americans.
Matamoros is in Tamaulipas state, one of six Mexican states that the US state department advises travellers not to visit because of "crime and kidnapping".
Medical tourism is common, particularly among people living in US border states.
But Matamoros is one of the most dangerous cities in the country, as drug cartels control large swathes of the state of Tamaulipas and can hold more power than local law enforcement.
State police kept watch at the scene where the bodies of two Americans were found | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-64878721 |
SNP rivals set out indyref2 plans in fiery TV debate - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan clash in the first SNP leadership TV debate. | Scotland politics | SNP leadership candidates Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan took part in a SNP leadership debate at STV's studios in Glasgow on Tuesday
The three candidates vying to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader have set out their plans for independence during the contest's first live TV debate.
Humza Yousaf said he wanted to build a "consistent majority" by continuing the party's radical agenda.
Kate Forbes said a new approach was needed to win over undecided voters, adding "continuity won't cut it".
Rival candidate Ash Regan said the SNP had "lost its way" and pledged to unite the broader Yes movement.
The debate, hosted by STV, was marked at points by the candidates' personal attacks on each other's political records.
Following Nicola Sturgeon's decision to step down, all three contenders are running to become both the next SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.
Mr Yousaf, currently health secretary, pledged to grow support for independence "to new heights" and said he would challenge Westminster's blocking of gender recognition reforms passed at Holyrood.
Finance Secretary Ms Forbes said it was time for a new generation to lead and that she was ready for the job, stating "more of the same is not a manifesto - it's an acceptance of mediocrity".
Ms Regan said the SNP had to use the ballot box via elections as the "gold standard" to gaining independence and said she would "build the foundations for independence" through a dedicated commission and convention, describing the approach of the other candidates as "wishy washy".
During an often feisty cross-examination section, Ms Forbes attacked Mr Yousaf's record as a Scottish government minister.
"You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times," she said.
The three candidates had some feisty exchanges during the first live TV debate of the contest
Asked if he was the "continuity candidate" and if that means he is the "no change candidate", Mr Yousaf hit back at Ms Forbes, saying: "If change means lurching to the right, Kate, if it means rolling back on progressive values, that's not the right change".
Mr Yousaf then raised comments made by Ms Forbes, his cabinet colleague, earlier in the campaign when she said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP when the legislation passed.
The health secretary claimed "many people, particularly from our LGBTQ community, say they wouldn't vote for independence" as a result of this, adding, "forget persuading No voters, you can't even keep Yes voters."
But Ms Forbes stressed she had made a "solemn and honest pledge when it comes to upholding and defending the right of every Scot".
Each candidate was asked if they would invite their rivals into the newly formed cabinet. Ms Forbes said there was "room for Humza Yousaf" if she won the leadership race but quipped, "maybe not in health".
This debate was the first opportunity to see the candidates directly challenge each other.
The SNP hustings so far have been respectful - even convivial - in tone but the contrasting approaches to achieving the goal of independence are very different, and that was laid bare even before they were given the opportunity to question each other.
First, Ash Regan described Humza Yousaf's and Kate Forbes' more gradualist approaches to independence as "wishy washy".
Then during the cross-examinations, the challenges got personal too.
Ms Forbes hit out at Mr Yousaf's ministerial record. What makes him think, she asked, that he could do a better job as first minister?
It's clear the three contenders are in this contest to win it, but they'll have to tread a fine line between battling each other and handing the opposition a full round of ammunition.
Areas where all three candidates found common ground included increasing welfare payments for children and hitting out at UK immigration plans.
But they were divided on the Scottish Greens remaining part of the Scottish government.
Ms Regan said she would "review" the power sharing agreement to ensure it was "working for the people of Scotland".
During the debate, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said on Twitter that Ms Regan's claim she had spoken to the leaders of all major pro-independence parties earlier on Tuesday was not true.
Ms Regan later clarified that she left a message and had not had her call returned by the party.
Mr Yousaf described the government deal with Mr Harvie's' party as "vital", while Ms Forbes refused to say categorically the arrangement would remain, adding it would be for the Greens to decide if they were happy with her approach if she won the leadership contest.
Asked if they would keep the monarchy in an independent Scotland, Ms Forbes said there were "bigger issues facing Scotland".
She added: "I am pretty relaxed, I would see us as part of the Commonwealth."
But both Mr Yousaf and Ms Regan declared themselves to be republicans.
Mr Yousaf said he would "keep the monarchy for a period of time" but added "I would hope an independent Scotland would be a republic in the future".
Ms Regan said her preference would be to have an elected head of state for an independent Scotland.
And she said in the "new circumstances" after the death of the Queen last year it might be time for the SNP conference to debate if retaining the monarchy was still the right policy for the party "or whether we should move to a policy of having an elected head of state".
The SNP leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long debate on BBC Scotland next week.
A special edition of the Debate Night programme from Edinburgh will air at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland.
SNP members can vote for Ms Sturgeon's successor from 13 March.
The winner will be announced on 27 March. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64880055 |
Nobel scientist says 'UK research is in jeopardy' - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A new assessment of Britain's research capability concludes it has "serious and longstanding problems". | Science & Environment | The report warns of ''serious underspending'' on UK research
A new assessment of Britain's research capability has concluded that it has "serious and longstanding problems".
The report's author, Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, said that the government "seriously underspends" on research.
He also added that association with the EU's Horizon programme was "critical".
Sir Paul said the Prime Minister might not have received the best advice, following a BBC News report that he was considering alternative proposals.
Sir Paul's assessment is contained in a report commissioned by the department for business last year.
In summarising its conclusions, Sir Paul said that UK research was "fragile, in jeopardy, and needs fixing".
A spokesperson for the newly created Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) welcomed the report which was described as "thorough and thoughtful".
"It will help us further understand the challenges and opportunities faced by UK researchers, and we will consider it carefully before responding in full," they added.
Sir Paul's conclusions will come as a surprise, following as they do, a commitment by government to substantially increase research funding and the recent establishment of a new department specifically dedicated to research.
But a new funding assessment by Sir Paul and DSIT officials has found that direct government spending on research, as a proportion of the UK's Gross Domestic Product, is just 0.46%. This compares with an average for other OECD, or higher-income, countries of 0.6%. It puts the UK 27th in a list of 38 such nations.
And the 0.46% number is substantially lower than South Korea, Germany and the United States, which spend 0.66-0.96% of GDP on research and development (R&D).
(GDP is a measure of the size and health of a country's economy over a period of time).
Sir Paul also denounces successive ministers for short-term thinking by announcing "shiny new institutes", rather than having a stable, long-term plan for science.
It is a view supported by James Wilsdon, a professor of research policy at University College London.
"The problem is that we have a government which has now shown over 13 years, 5 prime ministers and 10 or 11 science ministers that it has far more interest in tweaking and tinkering with the fine detail of the R&D system than in providing the long-term stability of vision and investment that the system urgently needs."
Prof Sir Paul Nurse warns that PM may not have received the best advice on the Horizon Europe programme
Sir Paul reserved some of his strongest remarks about reports that the Prime Minister was considering not taking up the arrangement offered by the European Union of full association to the bloc's £85bn (€95.5bn) Horizon research programme.
BBC News reported last week that Mr Sunak was considering an attempt to renegotiate a cut-down association, with the money saved spent on a UK-led alternative international scientific collaborations.
"The UK will find it extremely difficult to be an effective research power if it stands alone and is not part of a European network.
''The alternative arrangements being discussed will be utterly inadequate," Sir Paul said at a news conference.
"The Prime Minister may not have received the best advice. He is a sensible person, and I don't think he will want the risk of alienating the entire scientific community."
Sir Paul added that lack of access to Horizon was putting off some of the brightest overseas scientists from applying to work in the UK, with many telling his review that Britain was no longer perceived as a welcoming place to work; some, he said, had left the country to find jobs elsewhere.
Prof Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society which represents the UK's leading scientists, welcomed Sir Paul's calls for increased investment in science.
"The newly established Department for Science, Innovation and Technology needs to rapidly drive the changes needed across the whole of government, if they are to deliver on the Prime Minister's ambition for the UK."
Prof Sarah Main, Executive Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (Case) said: "This review is a blueprint for how the UK can make the most of its science capabilities to improve lives and livelihoods, through integrating national assets, infrastructure, skills, and investment. Long-termism is the magic ingredient, and we call on all political parties to work together to secure a UK strategy for R&D." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64879544 |
Emergency coal power plants used for first time as UK sees cold snap - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two coal-fired power stations have begun making electricity again to keep up with demand during the cold weather. | Business | Two old coal-fired power plants have begun generating again as the UK expects to see its coldest night of the year so far.
The plants had been put on standby in case of shortfalls, but started feeding power into the grid this afternoon.
National Grid blamed high demand and a shortage of electricity from other sources.
The coal plants began operating in 1966 but were due to close last September.
However, operators have kept them open for an extra six months at the request of the government, amid fears of possible power shortages.
Temperatures are expected to drop to -15C (5F) in some parts of the UK on Tuesday evening, with snow sweeping parts of the country.
The cold snap is expected to last for the next few days, with weather warnings in place across the UK.
The two coal-powered stations that are in use again again are in West Burton in Nottinghamshire.
Two further contingency coal fired units, at Drax power station in Yorkshire, were ordered to get ready for use as well earlier in the day but have now been stood down.
National Grid has a total of five coal-fired generating units on standby - the other is at Ratcliffe on Soar.
The extra generating capacity was lined up this week due to concerns that the margin between supply and demand was becoming too narrow.
National Grid blames the cold weather, a shortage of wind and solar power generation, and a lack of electricity available through interconnectors from France due to strike action in the country.
However, plans to use the so-called demand flexibility service - which pays people to use less electricity - have been set aside.
Although the cold weather is expected to continue tomorrow, the grid is expected to be under less strain because more electricity will be available through international undersea cables.
Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels and produces almost twice the emissions of natural gas.
Gas and wind power have been replacing coal in powering the UK's electricity supply over recent years.
But this has been delayed by the government following concerns over the disruption to Russian gas supplies to Europe after Russia invasion of Ukraine. The coal-fired plants were due to close last autumn to move the UK towards more sustainable energy production.
Coal-fired power generation accounted for 2% of the country's electricity produced last year. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64879044 |
Foxtons boss: Struggling renters have to move further out of London - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The boss of London's biggest estate agency says a lack of available properties is driving people further out. | Business | The boss of London's biggest estate agent has said the lack of rental options in the capital is so "dramatic" people will need to move further out.
"We absolutely don't welcome this but people are going to have to move," Foxtons chief executive Guy Gittins told the BBC.
People who are being priced out will "have to compromise on the property type or location," he said.
It came as Foxtons reported its annual profits had doubled in the past year.
Its lettings business saw particularly strong growth, with revenue up more than 17%.
Rising rents have been blamed for driving renters out of London. But Mr Gittins said a mismatch between supply and demand was the real problem.
"The main issue is not affordability for the majority of the market - it's the stock issue," he told Radio 4's Today Programme.
Mr Gittins put the "unhealthy" supply and demand challenges down to recent policy decisions.
In its update to investors, Foxtons said the housing market relied on the availability of mortgage financing. It noted that interest rates had increased globally last year, with the UK impacted "in particular" by the government's "mini-budget" last September.
In the immediate aftermath, there was a drop in buy-to-let mortgage deals with many property investors reliant on interest-only mortgages hit by the volatility. Foxtons said this was likely to "adversely affect affordability" in the housing market.
He predicted the shortage in the market would continue for the next two to three years.
But Foxtons expects sales activity, which has slowed in the last six months, to improve in the latter part of this year.
"Mortgage rates have started to reduce in recent weeks and buyer activity is picking up, which may result in a more favourable sales market in the latter part of the year," the company said in a statement.
Rental site SpareRoom said the number of renters versus rooms available in London and its surroundings was higher this month compared to the same time last year.
According to its data, there were five active renters for each room available, versus two last March. The number was as high as eight per room in September 2022.
"The last 12 months has seen rents across the UK hit record highs and, unless new supply comes into market over the coming months, it's hard to see how those rents will come down," SpareRoom director Matt Hutchinson told the BBC.
"High rents not only make it difficult for tenants who need to move now, it also means that many stay put to avoid paying more rent," he added.
Average UK house prices fell in the second half of 2022 as buyers were squeezed by higher mortgage rates and living costs.
However, fresh figures from the Halifax suggest the situation has improved somewhat. Average UK property values increased by 1.1% on a monthly basis in February, it said, accelerating from 0.2% growth in January.
Kim Kinnaird, director at Halifax Mortgages, said: "Recent reductions in mortgage rates, improving consumer confidence, and a continuing resilience in the labour market are arguably helping to stabilise prices following the falls seen in November and December.
"Still, with the cost of a home down on a quarterly basis (by 2.5%), the underlying activity continues to indicate a general downward trend.
Earlier this month, property portal Rightmove found that house hunters are looking in a wider geographical area compared to before the pandemic, with increased searches for more properties in cheaper areas further afield.
Guy Gittins took up his role last September, faced with the worst housing market since the financial crisis.
In an early move, he bought a fleet of green and yellow Mini Coopers for the estate agent's sales force.
He also spent on sending around 100 of the firm's top-performing employees to the Italian ski resort of Courmayeur.
Mr Gittins started his career at Foxtons in 2002 on a salary of £22,000. He then rose to becoming the boss of rival agent Chestertons.
His current role has a starting salary of £450,000 and a maximum bonus one and a half times this figure.
On Radio 4 and 5 Live we're looking in depth at rented housing in the UK and we want to hear your stories for our Rental Health project at the end of March.
What impact is the cost of rent having on you? If you are looking for somewhere to rent are you having to queue to view? What conditions are you living in? If you are a landlord, what pressures are you under?
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 [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64873369 |
Flooding: Doctor spends thousands of pounds protecting home - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Edwin Gale and his wife built 2.1m high defences around their home on the banks of the River Usk. | Wales | Edwin Gale and his wife built 2.1m banks around their home
A retired doctor spent tens of thousands of pounds surrounding his home with flood defences after it was wrecked by Storm Dennis.
Edwin Gale built banks higher than 2.1m (6.9ft) to ensure there is never a problem again.
Dr Gale said it was worth stumping up himself to ensure his property was protected in future.
The Welsh government said it was committed to its largest ever flood defence programme.
NRW said society must accept some places would flood and communities may have to move.
In 2020, water went over the couple's existing flood defences and rose halfway up the wall on the first floor, as communities across south Wales were devastated by Storm Dennis.
That meant Dr Gale and his wife were unable to live in the former mill, in Bettws Newydd, Monmouthshire, for a year.
Insurance covered the damage, at their home on the banks of the River Usk, but not the cost of future-proofing their home.
"We built what the locals call a 'bund' around the house," Dr Gale, who is in his 70s, said.
"That involved moving 5,000 tonnes of subsoil and raising the level 2.1m.
"It cost us quite a lot of money and we had to pay it ourselves because that wasn't covered by insurance."
Dr Gale said it was worth stumping up himself to ensure his property was protected in future
Dr Gale said they had no choice but to do the work if they wanted to stay in their house.
"We're now insurable, we're flood resilient, and we can at least feel that while other people are at risk of flooding, it is very, very unlikely that it will ever happen to us," he said.
He urged everyone in flood-risk areas to consider the impact of climate change.
Dr Gale said: "Many people will find themselves in the same position we did unless they take steps now."
In Wales, 250,000 homes, or one in eight, are at risk of flooding, according to NRW.
It said climate change meant the number of people at risk of floods was increasing.
Natural Resources Wales' flood chief Jeremy Parr said: "The amount of money that we would need to protect everybody from all flooding - it's just not feasible.
"It will happen more frequently. It is a natural phenomenon. You can't protect people all the time from all flooding."
Mr Parr insisted where possible defences would be built.
"We have a lot of defences all the way across Wales and that will continue to be the case," he said.
"In some places, it makes sense to build defences and protect communities.
"But there's only so much money."
NRW's Jeremy Parr said it was not possible to protect everyone from flooding
The Welsh government has created a National Infrastructure Commission to ensure Wales can cope with climate change.
One commissioner, Dr Eurgain Powell, is worried people do not understand how their lives would be affected.
"We need people to get a much better understanding of the impacts that we're likely to face over the coming decades," she said.
"And what we can do collectively to adapt and prepare."
Dr Powell fears for those who cannot afford to protect their homes.
"There could be an issue around those who can't afford to do that, and an issue around those communities and people who have been left behind," she said.
"So there's definitely an equity issue and a social justice, or a just transition issue, that we need to be very mindful of."
The Welsh government said it had committed to its largest ever flood programme.
Dr Eurgain Powell is worried people did not understand how their lives would be affected by climate change
Climate Change Minister Julie James said more than £214m would be invested over the next three years."We are working with partners to support communities that will be most affected," she said.
"In some circumstances, difficult decisions will need to be made to safeguard people, property and infrastructure and it is important such decisions are made at a local level and led by local authorities and Natural Resources Wales." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64867941 |
Australia helicopter collision: Pilot did not recall hearing radio call - report - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | One pilot involved in a fatal Australian helicopter crash said he did not hear a vital radio call. | Australia | Two Australians and a British couple died in the mid-air crash
A helicopter pilot said he did not hear a vital radio call shortly before a deadly mid-air collision in Australia, according to an interim report.
The report also said the pilots may not have been able to see each other.
The two helicopters collided off the Gold Coast in January, killing four people and injuring several.
One helicopter, which had just taken off, ended up crashing. The other, which was returning, managed to land with heavy damage.
The aircraft were used for short sightseeing trips by Sea World Helicopters.
The report released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) details the calls made by Michael James, who was piloting the returning helicopter.
He said he saw passengers boarding the other helicopter as it was preparing to depart. He did not see it take off, but he thought it would pass behind him.
He told investigators he "did not recall the pilot [of the other helicopter] making a standard taxiing call, thereby announcing their intentions to depart", according to the report.
The ATSB said this did not mean a taxiing call was not made, and that they would carry out a detailed analysis of radio activity at the time of the crash.
The pilot of the departing helicopter, 40-year-old Ashley Jenkinson, was killed in the crash.
Footage later emerged of a passenger trying to warn a pilot that another aircraft was approaching.
But the report said this did not mean that the two pilots had seen each other's helicopters.
The two aircraft collided at a height of 130ft (39 metres), with the rotor blades of Mr Jenkinson's helicopter smashing into the cabin of the other, the report said.
Mr Jenkinson's helicopter broke apart and crashed into shallow water just off the shore, killing him and three passengers.
The ATSB said the "complex and comprehensive" investigation will scrutinise operating procedures to identify any underlying safety issues.
The helicopters were flying in non-controlled airspace, where pilots use a common radio frequency to communicate with other aircraft, the ATSB said.
The victims included a British couple, 65-year-old Ron and 57-year-old Diane Hughes from Cheshire, who were holidaying in Queensland at the time, police said.
Australian woman Vanessa Tadros, 36, also died in the crash, and her 10-year-old son Nicholas was among the seriously injured survivors. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-64870697 |
Charles Bronson would not cope with release, parole panel told - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Charles Bronson says he has had "more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears" while in prison. | Beds, Herts & Bucks | Charles Bronson, who uses the name Charles Salvador, has had parole refused at previous hearings
Charles Bronson, one of the UK's longest-serving prisoners, would not cope with being released, a Parole Board panel has heard.
The 70-year-old, one of the UK's most violent offenders, has been in prison for much of the last 50 years.
He told the panel he had had "more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I'm sick of it".
The first witness, his prison offender manager, said Bronson would not have the skills to cope on the outside.
The panel heard that he spends 23 hours a day in his cell and only associates with three other inmates who he does not get on with.
When asked to give evidence, he spoke for about 10 minutes.
"First of all," he said. "It's no secret. I have had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I'm sick of it.
"I've had enough of it and I want to go home.
"Of the 50 years I have been in prison I have probably deserved a good 35 of it.
"Because I have been very naughty. Not naughty-naughty but just naughty.
"I have had 11 hostages. I am not proud of it but I am not ashamed of it," he said.
Charles Bronson told the parole hearing: "I want to go home"
Bronson told the hearing he was now able to control his emotions.
"I was battling against the system. It was my way of getting back and there's nothing like wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey.
"I have come to the stage of me life now… where I am going out with a bus pass," he said.
"I have slept in body belts, I have slept in strait-jackets. But how much longer have I got to go?
"I'm ready now, I'm a chilled-out man, I feel comfortable in myself.
"I handle situations 100 times better than I used to."
Bronson added he was "no longer angry", was "a born-again artist" and said it was his "mum's last dream" for him to be released.
The prisoner - who now uses the last name Salvador - is being held at a specialist close supervision centre at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes.
This is only the second Parole Board hearing ever to be held in public, but this one has a far higher profile than the first..
Members of the press and public filled Court 76 at the Royal Courts of Justice to watch the hearing on a live video link.
When Bronson was told the Parole Board panel hearing the case had not watched a recently-broadcast television documentary about him, he replied: "I find that hard to believe."
The panel also heard about his brief time as an unlicensed boxer, of which Bronson said: "I had six fights. Five with men and one with a Rottweiler."
"I was strong, thick, fast. The only way you could knock me out was with an axe in the back of me head."
When questioned about several incidents behind bars a few years ago and why they happened, Bronson said: "I love a rumble. What man doesn't?"
The Parole Board heard he "took half a tub of Lurpak" and "greased up" after stripping naked in his cell.
"You have to grow up sooner or later," he added.
Speaking of what he would like to do, if released, he said: "I dream of walking on grass, you know.
"I'd like to go to see art shows; I'd like to go swimming."
He continued: "Give me a chance, a break, to prove to you people that I am just a normal geezer wanting to get on with his life."
Shortly after the proceedings started, he spilled some liquid over himself while drinking from a carton.
He told the panel he had not wet himself, but used stronger language, and later swore and said "we'll be all day" when his prison offender manager paused while giving evidence.
The offender manager said Bronson's ability to control his emotions had improved and he had fewer outbursts.
"There's been no violence. There has been some flexibility with his thinking and willingness to engage," she said.
She was asked what would happen if Bronson was released from prison.
"He would struggle in the community. He wouldn't have the skills to cope with such a vast change so quickly," she said.
Asked if Bronson was ready for "open" prison conditions, she replied: "I think he still has a way to go."
The panel heard Bronson was allowed out of his cell for about an hour a day.
He would come out to collect his food and go to the yard or the gym, or walk along the balcony.
While in his cell for the remaining 23 hours, he would listen to the radio or create artwork.
The panel was told he received mail from more than 500 people. A panel member asked the prisoner offender manager if Bronson replied to them all.
"Bloody hell, I can't reply to all of them," Bronson interrupted.
After about an hour of proceedings, Bronson said: "I'm getting bored mate."
The Parole Board panel is deciding whether he is still a risk to the public, or whether he can be released from prison.
If they decide against releasing him they are also being asked to consider allowing Bronson to be moved to "open" prison conditions, where he would have much more freedom.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64861518 |
Natalie McGarry: Ex-MP cannot repay proceeds of crime, court told - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Prosecutors are seeking to recover £130,000 from Natalie McGarry, who was jailed for embezzlement. | Scotland | Natalie McGarry, who was the MP for Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017, was not in court for the hearing
Former SNP MP Natalie McGarry will be able to pay back "essentially nil" of the £130,000 prosecutors are seeking from her, a court has heard.
McGarry, 41, was sentenced to two years in jail for embezzling £25,000 from the SNP and a pro-independence group.
The ex-politician lost an appeal over her conviction last month, but had her prison term cut to 20 months.
Prosecutors are now aiming to recover embezzled funds at a proceeds of crime hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
McGarry, who was the MP for Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017, was not in attendance on Tuesday.
Advocate Allan MacLeod, defending, told the hearing that the Crown were about to serve a fourth statement of information.
He said: "The proposal is to continue for four to six weeks but I will ask for four weeks as the defence is very anxious to draw a line under this case as soon as possible.
"I do not know what the next version will say but there is a low available amount.
"The available amount is essentially nil."
Prosecutor Mark Allan told the court he was informed the latest version of the statement of information was to be sent from the Crown on Monday night, but that he was not aware of its content.
A new date has now been set for early April.
Sheriff Barry Divers, who told the court he had also not received the report, said: "Hopefully that will be for settlement to be achieved."
McGarry has been ordained to appear in the meantime. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64876280 |
Ukraine war: Bakhmut defenders double down - Zelensky - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The president says the embattled eastern city's defence goes on, and that senior generals back the move. | Europe | Operations to defend the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut will go on, and are backed by senior generals, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Western analysts suggested at the weekend that Ukraine was probably withdrawing some of its troops, as Russian forces close in on the city.
Moscow has been trying to take Bakhmut for months, as both sides suffer heavy losses in a grinding war of attrition.
A local official says there has been street fighting in recent days.
But Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Marchenko said, at the weekend, that Russia had not yet gained control of the city.
Meanwhile Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private army involved in the Russian campaign, has complained of a lack of ammunition amid apparent friction between his fighters and regular Russian forces.
He also says his representative had been barred from a Russian military headquarters.
Analysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value, but has become a focal point for Russian commanders who have struggled to deliver any positive news to the Kremlin.
Capture of the city would bring Russia slightly closer to its goal of controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine annexed by Russia last September following referendums widely condemned outside Russia as a sham.
Mr Zelensky said in his evening address that he had discussed Bakhmut with senior generals.
"[They] responded not to withdraw, but to strengthen [our defences]," he said.
"The command unanimously supported this position. There were no other positions. I told the commander-in-chief to find the appropriate forces to help our guys in Bakhmut."
The comments followed a report by the German newspaper Bild, quoting Ukrainian government sources, that armed forces commander Valery Zaluzhny had disagreed with Mr Zelensky about the operation several weeks ago, recommending a retreat from the city.
At the weekend the US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian troops were probably conducting a "limited fighting withdrawal" while "continuing to inflict high casualties" on the Russians.
Ground forces commander Olexandr Syrsky, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda newspaper during a visit to the front line on Sunday, said the fighting in Bakhmut had reached the "highest level of tension".
"The enemy has been throwing extra Wagner forces into the battle," he said. "Our troops have been courageously defending our positions in the north of Bakhmut, trying to prevent the encirclement of the city." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64864496 |
France pension protests: Fuel deliveries blocked by strikers - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Unions claim a full blockade of refineries as protesters aim to bring France to a standstill. | Europe | Tuesday's strike was the sixth so far and unions are expected to all a seventh at the weekend
Fuel deliveries were blocked from all French refineries, according to union officials, as protesters again took to the streets over government plans to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.
"The strike has begun everywhere," said Eric Sellini of the CGT union.
Tuesday marked the sixth day of strikes and protests since mid-January and trade unions said it would be the biggest yet.
Most train and metro services were cancelled and many schools closed.
Police estimated between 1.1 million and 1.4 million would taking part in the 260 protests highlighted by unions. The hardline CGT said as many as 700,000 demonstrators had turned out in Paris alone, although police figures were likely to be far lower.
With the government showing no sign of backing down on its pension plan, one union leader, Emmanuel Lépine, said last week that the aim of blocking fuel deliveries was to "bring the French economy to its knees".
It was unclear how long the refinery blockades would last. There are eight refineries in mainland France and the CGT said strikers had blocked the exits to all of them, including those run by TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil.
Refineries around Le Havre in the north were among those blocked, French trade unions said
In the days ahead, there will be calls to extend the strikes to include power generation too.
So far, for all the noise and sporadic disruption, the campaign has caused little damage to the economy and the bill is proceeding through parliament.
Unions and the Left know time is running out before the reform becomes a reality - which is all the more reason for them to up the pressure now.
President Emmanuel Macron has called the reform "essential" because of deficits forecast for France's pension system over the next 25 years, according to analysis by the independent Pensions Advisory Council.
As well as raising the pension age by two years, the government says workers would have to contribute for 43 years into France's shared pension fund before earning a full pension.
Very few French workers have personal pensions linked to capital investments.
Neighbouring European economies have already raised the retirement age in recent years to reflect longer life expectancy. Italy, Germany and Spain have moved towards raising the official retirement age to 67, while in the UK it is currently 66.
The majority of French citizens back the continuing strikes, a poll by French survey group Elabe suggests.
According to the opinion poll, 56% of people support rolling strikes and 59% back the call to bring the country to a standstill.
Two-thirds of people support the protest movement against the government's planned pension reforms in general, the poll indicates.
However, the number of protesters taking to the streets began to fall last month and union leaders now believe rolling strikes are their best hope of success.
"If the refineries are blocked, we could run out of petrol by the end of the week," warned Thierry Cotillard, head of French supermarket group Les Mousquetaires.
Government spokesman Olivier Véran told France 2: "We don't want French people to be, quote, unquote, 'victims' of a long-term blockade."
Last week, he warned that the strikes could lead to an "ecological, agricultural and health catastrophe". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64870836 |
Trains and flights to France cancelled due to strikes - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Services affected as a general strike brings much of France to a standstill. | Business | People travelling to France have been warned to expect flight cancellations due to strikes over pension reforms.
Ferry crossings and rail services are set to be affected, with companies such as Eurostar and P&O Ferries warning of delays and disruption to journeys.
Unions are staging a general strike in France over proposed pension changes, which include raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.
It's the sixth big strike since January and protests are planned in Paris.
With the French government showing no sign of backing down on its pension plan, one union leader has warned of escalation and "bringing the country to its knees". Fuel deliveries and refining were disrupted at several French sites operated by TotalEnergies and Esso on Tuesday.
Most industries including travel will be hit by the walkouts. A majority of train and metro services have been cancelled, and schools will be closed.
Both Easyjet and Ryanair said cancellations and delays to flights were possible on Tuesday and Wednesday, due to French Air Traffic Control staff walking out.
The airlines both apologised for the inconvenience but said the disruption was out of their control.
Ryanair said any affected passengers would be "notified as soon as possible", while Easyjet said those impacted were being "notified in advance and offered the option to change their flight for free or receive a refund".
Easyjet said airlines had been requested by French authorities to "make cancellations" because of the flights.
Eurostar said it would be running a reduced timetable on Tuesday and Wednesday and urged passengers to check if their train had been cancelled before travelling.
P&O Ferries said it was sailing between Dover and Calais "with some disruption" to services.
"We anticipate this to be the case for the rest of the day," it said in a Twitter post.
French transport minister Clement Beaune said Tuesday's strike would be "one of the most difficult ones" for travellers.
"For many it will be a real hassle," he said.
According to an opinion poll by French survey group Elabe, the majority of citizens back the ongoing strikes against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms.
Mr Macron has called the reform "essential" because of deficits forecast for France's pension system over the next 25 years.
Neighbouring European economies have already raised the retirement age to 65 or above to reflect longer life expectancy. In the UK, the state pension age is gradually increasing for men and women, and will reach 67 by 2028.
Are you affected by the strikes in France? Are you hoping to travel there this week? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
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• None French plan to raise pension age by two years to 64 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64872707 |
UK Weather: Snow and ice warnings extended to more parts of UK - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Met Office yellow weather warnings are in force, with disruption to travel and other activities possible. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Warnings of snow and ice have been extended to many parts of the UK over the coming days.
Yellow weather warnings remain in place for parts of north-east Scotland and England until Wednesday morning.
The Met Office issued a slew of further yellow warnings on Monday which cover much of the UK during the next five days.
Heavy snow could bring "significant disruption" to northern and central parts on Thursday and Friday, it said.
Forecasters say a "major change" is under way as Arctic air sweeps in from the north, bringing snow, ice and plunging temperatures for many.
A fresh warning of ice and some snow across areas of the Midlands, East, south of England and Wales comes into force between 21:00 GMT tonight and 10:00 on Tuesday.
This could lead to "difficult travel conditions" in some parts, the Met Office said.
Some roads and railways were likely to be affected in these areas, it said, and people should expect longer journey times.
A similar warning covering much of Northern Ireland is also in place overnight.
Snow is likely to cause some travel disruption across parts of southern England and Wales throughout Wednesday, according to another warning.
Further warnings for heavy snow are in place for Thursday and Friday in much of Scotland, northern England, parts of the Midlands, north Wales and Northern Ireland.
Weather conditions may disrupt travel and other day-to-day activities, with more alerts likely to be issued.
The first Met Office warning began on Sunday evening for parts of Scotland, covering places including Aberdeen and Dundee, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland.
The warning in place on Monday encompasses more of Scotland and a corridor of north-east England that extends to Newcastle upon Tyne and Yorkshire.
For Tuesday, the area grows further to cover Strathclyde, more of Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East Midlands.
Frequent snow is expected, with northern Scotland experiencing frequent and often heavy snow showers on Monday afternoon.
The Met Office said snow could cause delays on roads in these places, as well as rail and plane cancellations. It also warned of the risk of slips and falls on icy surfaces.
There was "slight chance" that rural communities could be cut off, it said, adding that cuts to power and phone services were possible.
Tuesday night may prove to be the coldest of the year so far, when the temperatures could fall as low as -15C in some sheltered Scottish glens.
Some uncertainty surrounds Wednesday, when a "battleground" is expected to be set up as milder Atlantic air from the south meets colder Arctic air from the north.
BBC forecaster John Hutchinson said it would be "a very cold start to March", with many areas likely to see snow at some point.
In some areas, this may only but a small amount, with the heaviest snowfall likely to be in northern Scotland over the next few days, he added.
On Thursday and Friday, he said snow may become "a bit more widespread in central and northern Britain" and flurries may be "fairly persistent".
There could be drifting and some disruption to travel and power, he added.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its level three cold weather alert to all of England, with the warning in place from 01:00 on Monday to midnight on Thursday.
This means there is a 90% chance of severe cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow.
The agency said this could have a "serious impact" on the health of those who are vulnerable to cold weather, and urged people to check on relatives.
It advised over-65s, or those with pre-existing medical conditions, to heat their homes to at least 18C.
How is the cold weather affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
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 [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64848688 |
Dozens of bushfires spread as heat grips Australia's east - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Fire services warn the situation may worsen, with high winds and temperatures forecast to continue. | Australia | A major blaze near Mudgee, New South Wales, has burned more than 2,000 hectares since Sunday
Dozens of bushfires burning across Australia's east coast could get worse as a severe heatwave continues, fire services have warned.
After two years of rains and floods, a return to warmer conditions has sparked New South Wales state's worst fires since the 2019/2020 "Black Summer".
A blaze 250km (155 miles) north-west of Sydney triggered the region's first emergency fire warning in two years.
Residents in affected areas across New South Wales - Australia's most populous state - have been urged to evacuate, and there are reports of damage to some properties.
Temperatures in some parts of the state also hit 40C (104F) on Monday, for the first time since January 2021.
On Tuesday, 33 fires were still burning across the state, 10 of which were not under control, fire authorities said.
The NSW Rural Fire Service said strong winds had driven the fires' rapid spread.
"It's going to be another tough day for firefighters and potentially even into tomorrow before we get some reprieve," RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (Bom) also warned that dry thunderstorms were possible across eastern NSW, which could spark new fires.
RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd told the BBC a number of other fires in western NSW were "likely to be problematic".
The hot and dry conditions are expected to last until Wednesday.
Eastern Australia has experienced three consecutive summers of La Niña conditions, with above-average rainfall causing widespread flooding.
In 2022, Sydney recorded its wettest year since records began.
But last week, the Bom said its models suggested La Niña was "likely near its end", with a return to neutral conditions or even the hot and dry El Niño phenomenon, likely in the southern hemisphere's autumn.
At least 33 people and an estimated 3 billion animals and birds died in 2019-20 Black Summer fires, one of Australia's worst-ever natural disasters.
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected].
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 [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-64870696 |
Hopes of end to rail strike row as workers vote on pay offer - BBC News | 2023-03-07T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The new offer equates to a pay rise of up to 14.4% for the lowest paid workers. | Business | The UK's biggest rail union RMT has suspended strikes at Network Rail and will hold a vote on a new pay offer.
The surprise development will raise hopes of a breakthrough in the dispute between workers and the rail industry, which had appeared deadlocked.
Union bosses said it was up to workers how to vote on the new pay deal.
The new offer equates to a pay rise of up to 14.4% for the lowest paid workers and 9.2% for the highest paid, the union said on Wednesday.
While the government has not put more money on the table, under these proposals Network Rail rail employees would get this year's pay increase backdated by three months, ending up with a bigger lump sum.
The referendum will start on Thursday and close on 20 March.
Network Rail's chief executive Andrew Haines said the vote on the revised deal would give train staff the chance to end "many months of disruption to the railway network", and that he hoped RMT members would vote to accept the package.
RMT members who work for train companies - including train guards - are currently set to continue action, with strikes set for 16, 18 and 30 March and 1 April as well as next Thursday.
On Wednesday evening, the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operating companies, urged the RMT to return to talks on Thursday, but asked for strikes to be called off before talks resume.
The RMT said it would join talks seeking a new offer, but before then will not call off the strikes, leaving it unclear whether or not talks with the RDG would resume.
However with workers at Network Rail - which manages the UK's rail infrastructure - no longer joining them, disruption will not be on the same scale and is likely to vary by operator.
Last month the RMT rejected what the industry and government described as "best and final" offers.
One was from Network Rail and the other from the RDG, representing 14 train companies employing guards and station staff.
The RDG, which is also still to agree a deal with the RMT, has now invited the union to hold urgent talks on the back of Network Rail's offer.
"The RMT leadership's decision to put Network Rail's deal to its membership is a welcome development, but train operating staff will rightly be asking why their union continues to deny them the opportunity to have their say on our equivalent offer," the RDG said in a statement.
The RMT has previously said it is "focused on coming to a negotiated settlement" and it had carried out an "in-depth consultation" before the decision to reject the pay offer was made.
The industry and government have said all along that any pay increase must come with changes to working practices.
Now, the RMT has said it is seeking an unconditional pay offer, among other requests.
There have been a number of false dawns in this long-running dispute.
But the RMT views Network Rail's tweaked offer as an improvement, and its communication suggests a shift in approach.
Significantly, this time it will not tell members how they should vote in the referendum.
The government hasn't put any more money on the table.
But this revised deal would see backpay increased.
There is now a wait to see what members make of it.
Without Network Rail's signallers joining in, RMT strikes lose some of their bite, and their national scale.
The question now is whether the Network Rail development will lead to any shift in the dispute with the train companies.
Strikes have been taking place across the country's railways since June last year.
Unions have argued any pay offer should reflect the rising cost of living - currently above 10%.
But the rail industry is under pressure to save money, after the pandemic left a hole in its finances. Bosses say reforms need to be agreed, to afford pay increases and modernise the railway.
During industrial action skeleton services have run on some lines with passengers often warned to avoid travelling where possible in case of disruption. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64883158 |
Nashville school shooter hid guns in parents' house - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police say the parents felt the suspect should not own weapons, but did not realise guns were in the house. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The shooter who killed six people at a school in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday bought seven guns legally and hid them at home, police say.
Investigators say the suspect's parents felt the 28-year-old should not own weapons, and did not realise the guns had been concealed in their house.
Six people, including three children age nine, were killed in the attack at the Covenant School.
The suspect was under "doctor's care for an emotional disorder", police say.
They believe it was the school that was targeted rather than any particular individual but have not indicated any motive.
Tennessee has no laws that allow police to seize guns from violent suspects.
Despite the absence of such so-called red-flag laws, police said they would still have sought to have the weapons confiscated if authorities had had any warning that the suspect could have posed a threat.
The pupils killed in the attack were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.
Three adult employees at the privately run Christian school also died: Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.
Ms Koonce, the head of the school, and Ms Peak, a substitute teacher, were both close friends with the Tennessee governor's wife.
Governor Bill Lee said his wife, Maria, had planned to meet Ms Peak the night after she was killed.
Police have spoken to the parents of the suspect, Audrey Hale, who was killed by police less than 15 minutes after the attack began.
Hale, who identified as transgender and was a former student at the school, was armed with three guns, including a semi-automatic rifle.
The attack took place after the killer conducted surveillance of the premises, drew maps and wrote what police described as a "manifesto".
A police spokesman said the attacker did not target any person in particular, but did target "this school, this church building".
Hale's parents thought the suspect had owned only one gun, but that it had been sold.
They believed the suspect "should not own weapons", and were unaware the suspect "had been hiding several weapons within the house", said Nashville Police Chief John Drake on Tuesday.
The weapons were legally purchased from five shops around the city.
The killer "was under care - doctor's care - for an emotional disorder", Chief Drake said, without providing further details.
If there had been reports of suicidal or violent tendencies, he added, police would have sought to confiscate the guns.
"But as it stands, we had absolutely no idea who this person was or if [the suspect] even existed," he said.
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Police received the first call about the incident at 10:13 local time (15:13 GMT) on Monday.
The suspect drove to the school in a Honda Fit and got into the building by firing through one of the doors, which were all locked.
Video later released by Nashville police shows the shooter opening fire to shatter glass panes on the front doors, then wandering the school's deserted corridors - at one point walking past a room labelled "Children's Ministry".
In the CCTV footage, the suspect is wearing what appears to be a protective vest and carrying an assault-style rifle in one hand, with a second weapon visible hanging from the left hip.
Police Chief John Drake said the suspect may have had firearms training
The suspect fired shots on the ground floor before moving to the building's second floor.
As police cars arrived, the shooter fired on them from the second floor, striking one vehicle in the windscreen.
"We believe there has been some training to have been able to shoot from a higher level," Chief Drake said.
He said the suspect had stood away from the glass to avoid being an easy target for police.
One officer was injured by broken glass. Police rushed inside and shot the suspect dead at 10:24, said Chief Drake.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for Congress to pass new gun control legislation.
"As a nation, we owe these families more than our prayers," he said. "We owe them action."
US Attorney General Merrick Garland was asked during a Senate hearing in Washington DC whether the attack will be investigated as a hate crime targeting Christians.
He said it was too early to say and that agents were still working to identify a motive.
The attack was America's 131st mass shooting so far this year, according to Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks gun violence data.
There have been 15 mass shootings at schools or universities in the US since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65106976 |
Humza Yousaf to announce cabinet after being sworn in - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The new first minister starts to shape his team after Kate Forbes says she is leaving the government. | Scotland politics | Mr Yousaf has been sworn in as first minister at the Court of Session
Humza Yousaf is beginning the job of shaping his new government after being officially sworn in as Scotland's first minister.
Mr Yousaf took the oath of office during a short ceremony at the Court of Session on Tuesday morning.
He will soon begin to announce his ministerial appointments.
Kate Forbes, the finance secretary he narrowly defeated in the SNP leadership contest, is leaving government after turning down a move to rural affairs.
BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell said he understands that Ms Forbes felt the SNP's partnership agreement with the Scottish Greens would have "tied her hands and cost her dearly in her constituency".
Ivan McKee, who had been the business minister under Nicola Sturgeon, will also leave the government.
Mr McKee had initially been campaign manager for Ms Forbes in the leadership contest but stepped back from that role after early controversies in her campaign.
He was offered a job by Mr Yousaf that he viewed as being a demotion and will now not be a part of the new first minister's team.
Potential members of Mr Yousaf's new ministerial team, including his leadership campaign manager Neil Gray, have been arriving at his Bute House residence throughout the morning.
He has already confirmed that Shona Robison - a close friend of Nicola Sturgeon - will serve as his deputy first minister.
Ms Robison, who as social justice secretary played a key role in introducing the controversial gender recognition legislation, was one of the MSPs who nominated Mr Yousaf for SNP leader.
The first minister has also re-appointed Ms Sturgeon's chief of staff, Colin McAllister, to the same role.
During the SNP leadership campaign Mr Yousaf said he favoured a "big tent" rather than "inner circle" approach to making key decisions and has pledged to bring the party back together again after deep divisions were exposed by the contest.
He faced withering criticism of his own ministerial record from Ms Forbes in a live STV debate, while her views on issues such as gender recognition reform and gay marriage led the Scottish Greens to question whether they could work with her.
Given the narrow margin of his victory over Ms Forbes, by 52.1% to 47.9%, some of her supporters had urged Mr Yousaf to keep her in government.
Kate Forbes congratulated Mr Yousaf after he was elected first minister but later turned down a new role in his cabinet
The BBC understands she was offered the job of rural affairs secretary - which would generally be regarded as a demotion from finance secretary - but turned it down and will return to the backbenches.
She later tweeted that Mr Yousaf had her full support and she had "full confidence that he will appoint a talented cabinet and ministerial team".
Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said Mr Yousaf had "poured petrol on the SNP civil war" by effectively trying to demote Ms Forbes despite her being backed by almost half of the party members who voted in the leadership contest.
Ms Robison told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland that the new cabinet's number one priority would be the cost of living crisis.
She also denied Ms Forbes had been snubbed by the new first minister.
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Ms Robison said the first meeting Mr Yousaf had after being confirmed as the SNP's new leader on Monday was with Ms Forbes at Murrayfield.
"He made clear that he wanted Kate to be in government and they spoke on a number of occasions over the last two days about a role in government," Ms Robison said.
"I understand the discussion was very cordial and was very much centred on what Kate's thoughts were.
"I really hope Kate makes a return to government at some point in the future."
Asked if Ms Forbes had been offered a demotion, Ms Robison told the BBC all government roles were important.
She added: "I know that the first minister was prepared to look at other roles, but after consideration it was Kate who made it clear that she wanted out of the spotlight."
Ms Robison also confirmed she would not be taking up the post of health secretary for a second time.
Humza Yousaf and Shona Robison, after his election at first minister
Another key supporter of Mr Yousaf's leadership campaign, Neil Gray, is also tipped for an important role in his government.
Humza Yousaf is the first member of an ethnic minority to lead the Scottish government and, at 37, he will be the country's youngest first minister.
He was nominated as first minister at Holyrood on Tuesday, securing 71 votes from SNP and Green MSPs with whom he plans to continue a power-sharing agreement.
He formally becomes first minster once he has taken the official oath in front of the Lord President of the Court of Session and other senior judges on Wednesday morning.
Mr Yousaf has confirmed that he intends to appoint a "minister for independence", something he had promised during the hustings.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called him on Tuesday afternoon to congratulate him on his new role.
Mr Sunak is said to have "reiterated his desire to continue working constructively with the Scottish government" to deliver on what he argued were the "peoples priorities across Scotland, including the need to half inflation, delivering growth, and cut waiting times."
Mr Yousaf raised the issue of an independence referendum, but Mr Sunak suggested this would "distract" from "delivering on the things that are top of the priority list for people across Scotland".
The first minister designate tweeted that they had a "constructive discussion" on a range of issues, including helping people through the cost of living crisis.
"I also made clear that I expect the democratic wishes of Scotland's people and Parliament to be respected by the UK government," he added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65104987 |
Radio station's shock at presenter O'Grady's sudden death - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Paul O'Grady, who has died at 67, had been due to present again on Warwickshire-based Boom Radio. | Coventry & Warwickshire | Paul O'Grady, pictured with his producer Malcolm Prince, at Boom Radio
A radio station due to host Paul O'Grady over Easter said the news of his death was "absolutely shocking".
The presenter had been due to host a show on Warwickshire-based Boom Radio on Easter Sunday after a successful programme on Christmas Day.
The station's co-founder Phil Riley said O'Grady had "rocketed our audience" and garnered them a record number of listeners.
"The bond between him and radio listeners was fantastic," he said.
"We definitely benefitted even in just a small way from that. It's tragic he won't be able to carry on that bond with listeners because they absolutely loved him."
O'Grady's husband Andre Portasio announced he had died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday
O'Grady rose to fame in the 1990s, hosting entertainment programmes as his drag persona Lily Savage before going on to host a number of chat shows out of drag.
His husband Andre Portasio announced on Tuesday evening he had died "unexpectedly but peacefully" at the age of 67.
Mr Riley, from Leamington Spa, said he had been speaking with management "only yesterday" about finalising details for a long term contract with the TV star.
"It's absolutely shocking," Mr Riley said, extending his sympathise to O'Grady's family and friends. "I don't think anybody's come to terms with it yet."
He believes that while O'Grady, who he described as "larger than life", dazzled on TV, "his personality was probably best suited for radio".
"He was like the cheeky neighbour that had come round for a gossip and to tell you what was going on with the other neighbours, that you're having a laugh over a cup of tea," Mr Riley said.
"That was the relationship he had with the audience and that's why they loved him."
O'Grady's long-time radio producer Malcolm Prince, from Solihull, said he had visited the star at his home on Tuesday afternoon, describing him as "laughing, smiling, and full of life".
Mr Prince posted on Twitter: "He was so proud of Annie, so happy to be back on Boom Radio, and he was looking forward to so many new projects.
"And now he's gone. I can't believe it. We have lost a unique talent - and I've lost a dear friend."
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Paul O'Grady: Camilla says she is 'deeply saddened' by TV star's death - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Queen Consort says the late broadcaster's "infectious humour lit up the lives of so many". | Entertainment & Arts | Paul O'Grady was pictured with Camilla, the Queen Consort, in February 2022
Camilla, the Queen Consort, has said she is "deeply saddened" by the death of TV and radio host Paul O'Grady.
The broadcaster died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening at the age of 67, his husband has announced.
In a statement, Camilla said O'Grady's "warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many".
Celebrities paying tribute included Sir Elton John, Amanda Holden, Zoe Ball and Paddy McGuinness, who described O'Grady as an "icon of British TV".
Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, with whom O'Grady had been sharing the role of Miss Hannigan in a theatre production of Annie, remembered the performer as a "gorgeous colleague and friend".
"He was such a wonderful human being, funny and to the point," Horwood said. "Paul, legend, RIP darling."
Comic Peter Kay said he had "happy memories of the lovely Paul O'Grady", who he said was "kind, genuine and naturally funny".
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Mark Downie, former editor of daytime programmes at Channel 4, recalled the star's generosity. "When we worked together at Channel 4, Paul O'Grady insisted that new roles on his show were advertised in the local Job Centre," he said.
"He wanted anyone and everyone to be able to apply so they could get a break like he had. And it made the show better. A kind and generous man."
Sir Elton remembered the broadcaster as a "brilliant entertainer", a "supporter of LGBTQ+ rights" and someone who was at the forefront of the "fight against Aids and HIV".
In an emotional Instagram post, the singer thanked O'Grady for, among other things, hosting his and husband David Furnish's "stag party before our civil partnership in 2005" - the first year ceremonies could be performed in England.
"Thank you for all the joy you brought into the world, Paul," Sir Elton said. "You went places nobody had gone before and we will miss you very much."
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O'Grady's impact on and contribution to the LGBTQ community was highlighted by several of those paying tribute to the entertainer on social media
"When it felt like no one I ever knew in my life was gay, turning on the telly at tea time seeing someone so charismatic, camp and beloved was beyond comforting for so many of us," said journalist Harrison Brocklehurst.
Comedian and campaigner Joe Lycett added: "I'm sad about Paul O'Grady. I hoped I might meet him one day to tell him what an inspiration he was to me: I loved [how] gloriously loose and effortless his shows were, how he proved you could be political in a light entertainment space and that you could do all this and be really, really funny."
O'Grady's husband Andre Portasio, pictured at the National Television Awards in 2019, said the entertainer had died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening
One of O'Grady's most recent TV appearances came last year with Camilla, the Queen Consort, for a one-off episode of ITV's For The Love of Dogs - a series the star helped launch in 2012 that followed the work of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organisation for which he was an ambassador.
A statement released on behalf of Camilla on Wednesday said she was "deeply saddened to have learned of the death of Paul O'Grady, with whom she worked closely to support the work of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and whose warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many".
Following his death, the animal home remembered O'Grady as a "devoted animal lover" and a "champion for the underdog".
QI host Sandi Toksvig said: "Working with Paul O'Grady was one of the greatest pleasures of my life. Funny, fearless and full of rage. The best. The world seems a little less bright."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Paul O'Grady speaks to Michael Parkinson about his alter ego Lily Savage (2002)
Gaby Roslin, who occasionally sat in for O'Grady on his BBC Radio 2 show, said his death was "unbelievably sad news", describing him as a "one-off".
"Goodness me, we laughed together so much," she said. "Our chats lasted for hours and he'll be up there now nattering away and keeping everyone laughing."
O'Grady broadcast his final BBC radio show in August 2022, having hosted the Sunday afternoon programme for nearly 14 years.
Speaking on her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show on Wednesday, Zoe Ball said: "We're all heavy of heart here this morning at the news of our dear friend Paul O'Grady. I know he was so loved by the Radio 2 listeners and all of us here."
O'Grady received an honorary fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University for services to entertainment in 2005
Top Gear host McGuiness said that O'Grady, for whom he stood in on his chat show more than 15 years ago, "was always supportive, kind and just great to be around".
"Paul started in the pubs and working men's clubs but finished as an icon of British TV. I'll miss him very much."
Former BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce described O'Grady as a "unique and brilliant broadcaster who brightened the nation".
Drag queen Danny Beard told BBC Breakfast that the star was "the most important person in British culture for drag".
"I don't think there's anyone who does the job that I do that doesn't class Paul as an icon," added Beard, who won series four of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK.
Paul O'Grady was also well known as his drag queen alter-ego Lily Savage
Whenever we talk about on-screen representation, there's a saying; "If you can't see it, you can't be it."
And as tributes to Paul O'Grady pour in, it's clear the saying has never been more appropriate.
He played pubs and clubs as rough-around-the-edges drag queen Lily savage in the 80s, and brought the character to the mainstream in the 90s.
But it was what Paul did next - and how he did it - that made him a trailblazer for gay representation on screen and inspired a whole generation of entertainers that might not ever have thought it possible.
As Britain emerged from the AIDs crisis, with homophobia and stigma still rife, Paul managed to become a staple of prime-time light entertainment; not just as Lily, but as himself. A working class gay man from Birkenhead.
He never assimilated. He never attempted to "straighten up" or change his persona.
And for so many in the LGBT community - who are used to making ourselves smaller or hiding parts of our personality in certain company - that was a game changer.
From documentaries, to his own chat shows, the Blind Date reboot and of course his ITV show Love of Dogs, he never dimmed himself down or tried to make himself more palatable for certain audiences.
He was unapologetically camp, and bitchy. He was Paul - perhaps, though, always with a hint of Lily…
O'Grady was also mentioned by several MPs during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions.
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner and MP Chris Bryant both paid tribute to the entertainer, while deputy prime minister Dominic Raab said Lily Savage "broke glass ceilings and broke boundaries".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Labour MP Chris Bryant pays tribute to Paul O'Grady's role in British gay life and makes an unusual offer to Dominic Raab
Comic Omid Djalili said he was "just coming to terms with the unexpected passing of Paul O'Grady".
"I don't think I've ever been so immediately enamoured with a personality on a first meeting. He truly elevated the very atmosphere in which he moved. God rest his mighty soul."
Presenter and actor Les Dennis described O'Grady as "a true comedy great", adding: "His twinkly, mischievous presence will be missed by so many."
Actor and TV host Rob Brydon said: "Paul O'Grady was a lovely warm and caring man with a lightning fast and devastating wit. What terrible news."
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Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, TV presenter Carol Vorderman said: "He just fizzed, he was one of those people that just made you feel every part of you was alive.
"He exploded through the daft, made-up rules of society. He was a massive talent, but you can't forget he was a social worker when he was younger, he saved babies and young children from abuse, he lived in Soho before it was gentrified, he never judged the vulnerable, the weak, the misunderstood."
O'Grady had recently been on tour playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie and had been due to present on Boom Radio in less than two weeks time for Easter Sunday.
O'Grady won trophies at the TV Baftas and National Television Awards during his career
The presenter was born in Birkenhead, on the Wirral, Merseyside, in 1955, to a mother whose maiden name was Savage - which is believed to have inspired his famous drag act.
He began performing as Lily Savage in the 1970s. His drag persona later helmed in a solo show that ran for eight years at London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and made a name by speaking out about LGBT issues.
Later, he hosted chat show The Lily Savage Show for BBC for a short run in 1997, before turning his hand to hosting a revived version of game show Blankety Blank, which remained on air until 2002.
O'Grady later hosted teatime programme The Paul O'Grady Show on ITV from 2004 to 2005, before moving with it to Channel 4 from 2006 until 2009. It was later revived in 2013 on ITV and remained on air for two years.
During 2013, the chat show was fronted by guest hosts after he suffered a health scare. He had previously had heart attacks in 2002 and 2006, the latter requiring a stay in intensive care.
During his career O'Grady won a TV Bafta, British Comedy Award and a National Television Award for The Paul O'Grady Show.
In 2008, he was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to entertainment. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65062542 |
NHS: Public satisfaction with health service drops to record low - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Just 29% of Britons say they are satisfied, citing waiting times and lack of staff as key concerns. | Health | Public satisfaction with the NHS has slumped to its lowest level ever recorded by the long-running British Social Attitudes survey.
Just 29% said they were satisfied with the NHS in 2022, with waiting times and staff shortages the biggest concerns.
That is seven percentage points down on last year and a drop from the 2010-high of 70% satisfaction.
The poll - the gold-standard measure of the public's view of the health service - has been running since 1983.
A&E saw the biggest drop in satisfaction, but ratings for all services, from GPs and dentistry to general hospital care, fell.
The fall in overall satisfaction was seen across all ages, income groups, sexes and supporters of different political parties.
What is more, the survey of more than 3,300 people was carried out in the autumn before the winter months hit, a period which saw the worst waiting times on record in England, Scotland and Wales.
All three nations are missing their core NHS waiting-time targets.
How are your local NHS services coping this winter? Data for England is shown by NHS trust, where the trust includes at least one hospital with a Type 1 A&E department. Type 1 means a consultant-led 24 hour A&E service with full resuscitation facilities. Data for Wales and Scotland is shown by Health Board and in Northern Ireland by Health and Social Care Trust. When you enter a postcode for a location in England you will be shown a list of NHS trusts in your area. They will not necessarily be in order of your closest hospital as some trusts have more than one hospital. Data for Wales and Scotland are shown by NHS board and by Health and Social Care trust in Northern Ireland. Comparative data is shown for a previous year where available. However, where trusts have merged there is no like-for-like comparison to show. Earlier data is not available for all measures, so comparisons between years are not always possible. A&E attendances include all emergency departments in that trust or health board, not just major A&E departments, for example, those who attend minor injury units. Each nation has different target times for some of the measures shown, therefore comparisons between them may not be possible. A modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection are required to view this interactive.
The survey showed the public most valued the NHS being free at the point of use and the quality of care when they were seen.
More than eight in 10 supported the principle that the NHS should be available to everyone and be funded primarily through taxes.
Some 43% said taxes should go up to provide more funding, but 28% said the NHS should live within its budget.
Gareth Griffiths says the fall in satisfaction is not surprising given the state of the NHS.
His father, Anthony, who died from cancer six weeks ago aged 83, was taken to A&E after a fall at his home in Somerset in December.
He waited nine hours for an ambulance and then spent the night in a corridor as there were no beds available on the wards. He was assessed and had a scan before being sent home.
"There were corridors full to the brink with patients needing care. I think someone passed [away] while we were there. It is so sad to think someone would lose their life in a corridor after paying their taxes all their life.
"It felt like some kind of World War I scene in the bunkers with nurses going around treating the dying. It was quite shocking to see.
"The staff were amazing, but they were pushed to their limits."
The findings were published by the Nuffield Trust and King's Fund think tanks which sponsor the health questions.
Dan Wellings, of the King's Fund, said: "It is easy to become desensitised to the relentless flow of bad news about struggling health services, but we cannot underestimate the significance of the unprecedented results.
"These stark findings should act as a wake-up call to those in power."
He said it would take a long time to turn around public attitudes to the NHS, given how far satisfaction had dropped.
The survey showed even lower satisfaction ratings for social care, which is run by councils. Just 14% of people said they were satisfied with those services, which includes care homes, home help and children's care.
Louise Ansari, of the patient watchdog Healthwatch England, said the findings chimed with the feedback it was receiving.
"Access is a real problem at the moment. The long waits are really distressing for people," she said.
"What we find is that when people get to see someone they do rate their treatment really high. It is just that access is a real problem at the moment."
She said the NHS was facing a "perfect storm" of rising demand, a frailer population post-Covid and workforce shortages and strikes. "It is very worrying," she added.
But a Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said extra spending on the NHS was starting to make a difference, following the disruption to services and waiting times during the pandemic.
"Cutting waiting lists is one of the prime minister's five priorities - and so far we have virtually eliminated waits of over two years for treatment and latest figures show the number of patients waiting over 18 months has reduced by 80% from the peak," she said.
She said extra testing and scanning facilities would also help improve cancer-detection rates.
Recovery plans, supported by extra funding, have also been published in Wales and Scotland.
Labour shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: "After 13 years of Conservative mismanagement, the public has lost faith that the NHS will be there for them when they need it.
"People are just praying they don't have to dial 999 or go to A&E."
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Thomas Cashman: Jury considers Olivia murder trial verdict - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Thomas Cashman, 34, accused of shooting Olivia Pratt-Korbel, denies being the gunman. | Liverpool | Olivia was shot when a gunman burst into her house and opened fire
A jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a man accused of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
Thomas Cashman is accused of shooting the nine-year-old girl and injuring her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, after chasing a man into their Liverpool home at about 22:00 BST on 22 August.
The 34-year-old, who is on trial at Manchester Crown Court, has denied being the gunman.
He has pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder, and other offences.
The jury was sent out to consider its verdicts shortly before midday, three-and-a-half weeks after the trial began.
The prosecution allege the defendant shot convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee in the street, before his victim fled into Ms Korbel's home as she tried to block him from entering her house in the Dovecot area of the city.
Jurors were told Mr Cashman fired again, with the bullet travelling through Ms Korbel's hand before hitting and killing Olivia, who was standing behind her.
The court has heard Mr Cashman was a "high-level" cannabis dealer in the area, but he denied "scoping out" Mr Nee on the day of the killing.
He told the jury that at the time of the shooting he was at a friend's house counting £10,000 in cash and smoking a spliff.
Thomas Cashman has been on trial at Manchester Crown Court
A woman who he had a fling with told the court he came to her house after the shooting and changed his clothes, before she heard him say he had "done Joey".
But Mr Cashman said the witness was lying because she was a "woman scorned".
During his closing arguments, his barrister said Mr Cashman was "probably one of the most hated people in the country" but he was not guilty.
Mr Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, West Derby, has denied the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Mr Nee, wounding Ms Korbel with intent, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-65088176 |
Bodycam footage shows police response in school shooting - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | null | The video shows Nashville officers confronting and shooting the attacker in the Covenant School. | null | Police release bodycam footage from a school shooting in Nashville that left six people dead, including three children. It shows officers confronting and shooting the attacker in the Covenant School, a private Christian school for students aged three to 11. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65104632 |
Timeline of dissident republican activity - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Details of significant events involving dissident republican activity in Northern Ireland since March 2009. | Northern Ireland | BBC News NI takes a look at significant events involving dissident republicans since March 2009.
The term "dissident republicans" describes a range of individuals who do not accept the Good Friday Agreement - the 1998 peace deal which ended the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The Provisional IRA - the main armed republican paramilitary group for most of the Troubles - declared a ceasefire in the run up to the agreement and officially ended its violent campaign in 2005.
Dissident republicanism is made up of various groups which broke away from the Provisional IRA in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, including the Continuity IRA and New IRA.
The groups are much smaller than the Provisional IRA, although they have access to high-calibre weapons and have used improvised explosive devices and mortars in attacks and attempted attacks.
They have continued to use violence to attempt to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland in a single state but their activities have been sporadic and often undermined by the security services.
The terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland is increased from substantial to severe, meaning the risk of attack or attacks is now "highly likely" instead of "likely".
The move, based on an MI5 intelligence assessment, reverses a downgrade to the threat level in 2022, the first such downgrade in 12 years.
A severe threat level is one step below critical, the highest level of threat.
It comes after the shooting of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell in February and a bomb attack on police officers in November 2022.
Senior police officer Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot at a sports complex in Omagh, County Tyrone, on 22 February.
He was off duty and was putting footballs into the boot of his car after coaching young people when two gunmen approached him and shot him several times.
Police said the primary focus of their investigation was on violent dissident republicans, including the New IRA.
The New IRA later claimed responsibility in a typed statement which appeared in Londonderry on Sunday 26 February.
An attempted murder investigation was launched after a police patrol vehicle was damaged in a bomb attack in Strabane, County Tyrone, on 17 November.
Police said a strong line of inquiry was that the New IRA was behind the attack.
Four men who were arrested were later released.
A grey Ford Mondeo was hijacked by a number of men before being driven to a police station
On 20 November a delivery driver was held at gunpoint by a number of men and forced to abandon his car outside Waterside police station in Londonderry.
A suspicious device, which was later described by police as an elaborate hoax, was placed in the vehicle.
Ch Supt Nigel Goddard described the attack as "reckless" and said detectives believed the New IRA were involved.
Officers were attacked with petrol bombs following an Easter parade linked to dissident republicans in Derry.
The police described the attack at the City Cemetery on 18 April as "premeditated violence".
The violence broke out following a parade that had been planned by the National Republican Commemoration Committee, which organises events on behalf of the anti-agreement republican party, Saoradh - a party police say is linked to the New IRA.
A police officer was targeted in this attack in Dungiven
A bomb was left near a police officer's car outside her home on 19 April in County Londonderry in what the police said was an attempt to kill her and her young daughter.
The explosive was attached to a container of flammable liquid next to her car in Dungiven.
Police said they linked the attempted murder to the New IRA.
Police provided this image of the bomb
A bomb was found in the Creggan area of Derry after police searches in the area on 9 September.
The device was found in a parked car and was described by detectives as in "an advanced state of readiness" and was made safe by Army technical officers.
It contained commercial explosives which could have been triggered by a command wire.
During the searches, police were attacked with stones and petrol bombs.
Police photos show the bomb just metres from the door of a house
A mortar bomb was left near a police station in Church View, Strabane on 7 September.
Homes were evacuated and Army technical officers made the device safe.
Police said the device had been an attempt to target police officers but that it could have killed or seriously injured anyone in the vicinity.
A 33-year-old man was arrested under terrorism legislation but was released after questioning.
A police officer at the scene of the bomb at Cavan Road, Fermanagh
A bomb exploded near Wattlebridge in County Fermanagh, on 19 August.
Police said it was an attempt to lure officers to their deaths. Initially, a report received by police suggested a device had been left on the Wattlebridge Road.
Police believed a hoax device was used to lure police and soldiers into the area in order to catch them by surprise with a real bomb on the Cavan Road.
Chief Constable Simon Byrne later blamed the Continuity IRA for the attack.
Dissident republicans tried to murder police officers during an attack in Craigavon, County Armagh, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.
A long bang was heard on the Tullygally Road and a "viable device" was later found.
Police said they believed the attack was set up to target officers responding to a call from the public.
The bomb was discovered at Shandon Park Golf Club in east Belfast
The "New IRA" claimed responsibility for a bomb under a police officer's car at Shandon Park Golf Club in east Belfast.
The Irish News said the group issued a statement to the newspaper using a recognised codeword.
Police said they believed "violent dissident republicans" were behind the attack.
A journalist is shot dead while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry.
Police blame the killing of 29-year-old Lyra McKee on dissident republicans.
The previous week a horizontal mortar tube and command wire were found in Castlewellan, County Down.
The PSNI said the tube contained no explosive device and it was likely to be collected for use elsewhere
The device sent to Heathrow Airport caught fire when staff opened it
Five small explosive packages were found at locations across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
The letter bombs were sent in the post to Waterloo Station in London, buildings near Heathrow and London City airports and Glasgow University. A further device was found at a post depot in County Limerick.
The New IRA said it was behind the letter bombs, according to the Irish News.
The bomb exploded outside Bishop Street Courthouse in Derry
A bomb placed inside a van explodes in the centre of Derry.
The blast happened on a Saturday night outside Bishop Street Courthouse.
The PSNI said the attack may have been carried out by the New IRA, adding that a pizza delivery man had a gun held to his head when his van was hijacked for the bombing.
The bullets and guns exploded after being left in a hot boiler house
A stash of bullets and guns believed to belong to dissident republicans exploded after being left on top of a hot boiler at a house in west Belfast.
Responding to reports of a house fire in Rodney Drive, police and firefighters discovered two AK-47s, two sawn-off shot guns, a high-powered rifle with a silencer and three pipe bombs.
Police blamed the New IRA and said the weapons were believed to have been used in previous attempts to murder police officers in Belfast in 2015 and 2017.
The weapons including two shotguns, four handguns, explosives, ammunition and a suspected mortar tube
Police said a "significant amount of dangerous weapons" were seized during a 12-day search operation in counties Armagh and Tyrone.
Thirteen searches took place on land and properties in Lurgan and Benburb from 29 April to 11 May.
The weapons included two shotguns, four handguns, explosives, ammunition and a suspected mortar tube.
Police believed the munitions belonged to two dissident republican paramilitary groups - Arm Na Poblachta. (Army of the Republic) and the Continuity IRA.
Petrol bombs and stones were thrown at police vehicles during an illegal dissident republican parade in Derry on 2 April.
About 200 people attended the Easter Rising 1916 commemoration parade in the Creggan estate.
A neighbour said Raymond Johnston had been making pancakes for Pancake Tuesday when he was murdered
Dissident republicans may have been behind the murder of a man in west Belfast, police said.
Raymond Johnston, 28, was shot dead in front of an 11-year-old girl and his partner at a house in Glenbawn Avenue on 13 February.
Police said the main line of inquiry was that Mr Johnson was murdered by dissidents.
In a statement, it said that "at this time the environment is not conducive to armed conflict".
The group said it would "suspend all armed actions against the British state" with immediate effect.
It was responsible for a number of high-profile attacks, including the attempted murder of police officer Peadar Heffron and a bomb attack at Palace barracks in Holywood.
Charges suggested that Ciarán Maxwell first became involved in terrorism in 2011
Former Royal Marine Ciarán Maxwell pleaded guilty to offences related to dissident republican terrorism, including bomb-making and storing stolen weapons.
The County Antrim man had compiled a library of terrorism documents, including instructions on how to make explosives and tactics used by terrorist organisations.
He also had maps, plans and lists of potential targets for a terrorist attack, and a stash of explosives in purpose-built hides in England and Northern Ireland.
He was jailed for 18 years.
The bomb exploded as it was being examined by the Army
A bomb exploded outside the home of a serving police officer in Derry on 22 February as Army experts tried to defuse it.
The device, which police described as more intricate than a pipe bomb, was reportedly discovered under a car in Culmore in the city.
Children were in the area at the time, police said.
Meanwhile a gun attack on a 16-year-old boy in west Belfast on 16 February was "child abuse," a senior police officer said.
The attack followed a similar one the previous night, when a man was shot in the legs close to a benefits office on the Falls Road.
The shooting happened at a petrol station on the Crumlin Road
A police officer is injured in a gun attack at a garage on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast on 22 January.
Police said automatic gunfire was sprayed across the garage forecourt in a "crazy" attack.
The number of paramilitary-style shootings in west Belfast doubled in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to police figures.
On 15 January, police said a bomb discovered during a security operation in Poleglass, west Belfast, was "designed to kill or seriously injure police officers".
A 45-year-old mechanic caught at a bomb-making factory on a farm was told he would spend 11 years behind bars.
Barry Petticrew was arrested in October 2014 after undercover police surveillance on farm buildings near Kinawley, County Fermanagh.
Police found pipes, timer units, ammunition and high grade explosives in the buildings.
Explosive devices, improvised rockets, detonators, timing units and Semtex were discovered by Irish police
On 6 December, a 25-year-old dissident republican was jailed in Dublin for five years.
Donal Ó Coisdealbha from Killester, north Dublin was arrested on explosive charges in the run-up to the visit of Prince Charles to Ireland in 2015.
He was arrested during a Garda (Irish police) operation when explosive devices, improvised rockets, detonators, timing units and Semtex were discovered.
Following the sentencing, police released a photo of the heavily bloodstained scene of the shooting
A man who admitted taking part in a paramilitary shooting in Belfast was sentenced to five years in jail and a further five years on licence.
Patrick Joseph O'Neill, of no fixed address, was one of three masked men who forced their way into the victim's home in Ardoyne in November 2010.
The man was shot several times in the legs and groin in front of his mother, who fought back with kitchen knives.
The dissident republican group Óglaigh na hÉireann claimed responsibility for the shooting shortly after it took place.
Joe Reilly was shot dead in a house at Glenwood Court
West Belfast man Joe Reilly, 43, was shot dead in his Glenwood Court, Poleglass home on 20 October.
It is understood a second man who was in the house was tied up by the gang.
The shooting was the second in the small estate in less than a week - the other victim was shot in the leg.
Police later said they believed the the murder was carried out by a paramilitary organisation and there may have been a drugs link.
Dissident republicans formed a new political party called Saoradh - the Irish word for liberation.
Several high-profile dissidents from both sides of the border were among about 150 people at its first conference in Newry.
The discovery of arms in a County Antrim forest on 17 May was one of the most significant in recent years, police said.
A "terrorist hide" was uncovered at Capanagh Forest near Larne after two members of the public found suspicious objects in the woods on Saturday.
Some of the items found included an armour-piercing improvised rocket and two anti-personnel mines.
The threat level from Northern Ireland-related terrorism in Great Britain was raised from moderate to substantial.
Two Claymore mines were among the arms found in Capanagh Forest
A man died after being shot three times in the leg in an alleyway at Butler Place, north Belfast, on15 April.
Michael McGibbon, 33, was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he later died.
Police said Mr McGibbon contacted them to say two masked men had arrived at his house on the evening of 14 April.
The men asked him to come out of the house but he refused and the men told him they would come back.
The shooting took place in an alleyway at Butler Place in north Belfast
Police said his killing carried the hallmarks of a paramilitary murder.
Adrian Ismay was the 32nd prison staff member to be murdered in Northern Ireland because of his job
A murder investigation was launched after the death of prison officer Adrian Ismay, 11 days after he was injured in a booby-trap bomb attack in east Belfast.
The device exploded under the 52-year-old officer's van as he drove over a speed ramp in Hillsborough Drive on 4 March.
Days later, the New IRA said it carried out the attack.
Mr Ismay was thought to have been making a good recovery from his injuries, but was rushed back to hospital on 15 March, where he died.
A post-mortem examination found his death was as a "direct result of the injuries" he sustained in the bomb.
Dissident republicans were dealt "a significant blow" by a weapons and explosives find in the Republic of Ireland, the gardaí (Irish police) said.
The weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, mortars, detonators and other bomb parts, were discovered in County Monaghan, close to the border with Rosslea in County Fermanagh, on 1 December.
On 15 December, a further arms find, described as a "significant cache" by Irish broadcaster RTÉ, was made in County Louth.
A number of shots hit the passenger window of a police car in an attack in west Belfast
A gun attack on police officers in west Belfast on 26 November, in which up to eight shots were fired, was treated as attempted murder.
A number of shots struck the passenger side of a police car parked at Rossnareen Avenue.
Two officers who were in the car were not injured but were said to have been badly shaken.
Supt Mark McEwan said that from September 2014 there had been 15 bomb incidents in the Derry City and Strabane District council area.
They included seven attacks on the police.
On 10 October, a bomb was found in the grounds of a Derry hotel ahead of a police recruitment event.
The police recruitment event was cancelled. Two other police recruitment events in Belfast and Omagh went ahead despite bomb alerts at the planned venues.
On 16 October police said a "military-style hand grenade" was thrown at a patrol in Belfast as officers responded to reports of anti-social behaviour.
Police say the device, which failed to explode, was thrown at officers near Pottingers Quay.
Dissident republicans were suspected of being responsible for the attack.
Police found a mortar bomb during an alert in Strabane
Police said a mortar bomb found in a graveyard in Strabane, County Tyrone, on 1 August was an attempt to kill officers.
The device was positioned where it could be used to attack passing PSNI patrols, police said.
A bomb was found under a police officer's car in Eglinton, near Derry, on 18 June.
Police said the attack was a "clear attempt to murder police officers".
PSNI district commander Mark McEwan said the wife of the officer was also a member of the PSNI.
Two bombs found close to an Army Reserve centre in Derry were left about 20m from nearby homes.
The devices were left at the perimeter fence of the Caw Camp Army base and were discovered at 11:00 BST on 4 May.
About 15 homes in Caw Park and Rockport Park were evacuated during the security operation.
Police said a bomb left at Brompton Park in north Belfast was designed to kill officers
A device found in north Belfast on 1 May was a substantial bomb targeting police officers, the PSNI said.
A controlled explosion was carried out on the device at the Crumlin Road junction with Brompton Park.
The PSNI blamed dissident republicans for the bomb and said it could have caused "carnage".
On 28 April, a bomb exploded outside a probation office in Crawford Square, Derry.
Police said they were given an "inadequate" warning before the device went off.
A bomb was found during a search of the Curryneiran estate in Derry
A bomb is found was found during a security alert in the Curryneiran estate in Derry on 17 February.
Police said they believe the bomb was intended to kill officers and that those who had left it showed a "callous disregard for the safety of the community and police officers".
Meanwhile at least 40 dissident republican prisoners were involved in an incident at Maghaberry Prison on 2 February.
Prison management withdrew staff from the landings in Roe House housing dissidents.
A protest, involving about 200 people, took place outside the prison in support of the republican prisoners.
On 8 January, the head of MI5 says most dissident republican attacks in Northern Ireland in 2014 were foiled.
Andrew Parker said of more than 20 such attacks, most were unsuccessful and that up to four times that amount had been prevented.
He made the remarks during a speech in which he gave a stark warning of the dangers UK was facing from terrorism.
He said it was "unrealistic to expect every attack plan to be stopped".
Dissident republicans are believed to have used a home-made rocket launcher in an attack on a police Land Rover at Twaddell Avenue in north Belfast on 16 November .
It struck the Land Rover and caused some damage, but no-one was injured.
Police described the attack as a "cold, calculated attempt to kill police officers".
Meanwhile gardaí described the seizure of guns and bomb-making material during searches in Dublin on 15 November as a "major setback" for dissident republicans.
An AK-47 rifle, a sawn-off shotgun and a number of semi-automatic pistols were found in searches in the Ballymun, East Wall and Cloughran areas of Dublin.
The Irish Army carried out a controlled explosion at one search location where bomb components were discovered.
A device that hit a police vehicle in Derry on 2 November was understood to have been a mortar, fired by command wire.
Dissident republicans were responsible for the attack, police said.
Police foiled an attempted bomb attack in Strabane's Ballycolman estate on 23 October.
Officers were lured to Ballycolman estate on 23 October to investigate reports of a bomb thrown at a police patrol vehicle the previous night.
The alert was a hoax but then a real bomb, packed with nails, was discovered in the garden of a nearby house.
Dissident republicans claimed responsibility for a device that partially exploded outside an Orange hall in County Armagh on 29 September.
In a phone call to the Irish News, a group calling itself The Irish Volunteers admitted it placed the device at Carnagh Orange hall in Keady.
On 16 June, police investigating dissident republican activity said they recovered two suspected pipe bombs in County Tyrone.
On the night of 29 May, a masked man threw what police have described as a "firebomb" into the reception area of the Everglades Hotel, in the Prehen area of Derry.
The hotel was evacuated and the device exploded a short time later when Army bomb experts were working to make it safe.
No-one was injured in the explosion but the reception was extensively damaged.
The man who took the bomb into the hotel said he was from the IRA.
A prominent dissident republican was shot dead in west Belfast on 18 April.
Tommy Crossan was shot a number of times at a fuel depot off the Springfield Road.
Mr Crossan, 43, was once a senior figure in the Continuity IRA.
It was believed he had been expelled from the group some years ago after falling out with other dissidents.
Police said a bomb found at a County Tyrone golf course had the capability to kill or cause serious injury.
Bomb disposal experts made the device safe after it was discovered at Strabane Golf Club on 31 March.
A Belfast man with known dissident republican links died on 28 March a week after he was shot in a Dublin gun attack.
Declan Smith, 32, was shot in the face by a lone gunman as he dropped his child at a crèche on Holywell Avenue, Donaghmede.
He was wanted by police in Northern Ireland for questioning about the murder of two men in Belfast in 2007.
On the night of 14 March, dissidents use a command wire to fire a mortar at a police Land Rover on the Falls Road in west Belfast.
The device hit the Land Rover, but police said it caused minimal damage.
No-one was injured in the attack.
The dissident group calling itself the New IRA said it carried out the attack and claimed the mortar used contained the military explosive Semtex and a commercial detonator.
Seven letter bombs delivered to army careers offices in England bore "the hallmarks of Northern Ireland-related terrorism", Downing Street said.
The packages were sent to offices in Oxford, Slough, Kent, Brighton, Hampshire and Berkshire.
On 13 December, a bomb in a sports bag exploded in Belfast's busy Cathedral Quarter.
About 1,000 people were affected by the alert, including people out for Christmas dinners, pub-goers and children out to watch Christmas pantos.
A telephone warning was made to a newspaper, but police said the bomb exploded about 150 metres away as the area was being cleared.
Dissident republican group, Óglaigh na hÉireann, said it was were responsible.
On 5 December, two police vehicles were struck 10 times by gunfire from assault rifles while travelling along the Crumlin Road in north Belfast.
A bomb, containing 60kgs (132lbs) of home-made explosives, partially exploded inside a car in Belfast city centre on 24 November.
A masked gang hijacked the car, placed a bomb on board and ordered the driver to take it to a shopping centre.
It exploded as Army bomb experts prepared to examine the car left at the entrance to Victoria Square car park.
On 21 November, a bus driver was ordered to drive to a police station in Derry with a bomb on board.
The bus driver drove a short distance to Northland Road, got her passengers off the bus and called the police.
A former police officer is the target of an under-car booby-trap bomb off the King's Road in east Belfast.
The man spotted the device when he checked under his vehicle at Kingsway Park, near Tullycarnet estate on 8 November.
The man was about to take his 12-year-old daughter to school.
Dissidents are blamed for a number of letter bomb attacks at the end of the month.
A package addressed to the Northern Ireland secretary was made safe at Stormont Castle, two letter bombs addressed to senior police officers were intercepted at postal sorting offices, and a similar device was sent to the offices of the Public Prosecution Service in Derry.
Two police officers escaped injury after two pipe bombs are thrown at them in north Belfast.
The officers were responding to an emergency 999 call in Ballysillan in the early hours of 28 May.
Police were fired on in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast
They had just got out of their vehicle on the Upper Crumlin Road when the devices were thrown. They took cover as the bombs exploded.
Police escaped injury after a bomb in a bin exploded on the Levin Road in Lurgan in County Armagh on 30 March.
Officers were investigating reports of an illegal parade when the device went off near a primary school.
Petrol bombs were thrown at police during follow-up searches in the Kilwilkie area.
Police say a bomb meant to kill or injure officers on the outskirts of Belfast on 9 March may have been detonated by mobile telephone.
Officers were responding to a call on Duncrue pathway near the M5 motorway when the bomb partially exploded.
On 4 March, four live mortar bombs which police said were "primed and ready to go" were intercepted in a van in Derry.
The van had its roof cut back to allow the mortars to be fired. Police say they believed the target was a police station.
It is the first time dissidents had attempted this type of mortar attack.
An off-duty policeman found a bomb attached to the underside of his car on the Upper Newtownards Road in east Belfast.
A bomb was found under a police officer's car in east Belfast
The officer found the device during a routine check of his family car on 30 December, as he prepared to take his wife and two children out to lunch.
An Irish newspaper reported that a paramilitary plot to murder a British soldier as he returned to the Republic of Ireland on home leave had been foiled by Irish police.
The Irish Independent said the Continuity IRA planned to shoot the soldier when he returned to County Limerick for his Christmas holidays.
On the first day of the month, a prison officer was shot and killed on the M1 in County Armagh as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison, Northern Ireland's high security jail.
Mr Black was shot as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison
David Black, 52-year-old father of two, was the first prison officer to be murdered in Northern Ireland in almost 20 years.
On 12 November, a paramilitary group calling itself "the IRA" claimed responsibility for the murder.
The following day, a bomb was found close to a primary school in west Belfast.
Police said the device "could have been an under-car booby trap designed to kill and maim".
Security forces were the target of two bombs left in Derry on 20 September.
A pipe bomb and booby trap bomb on a timer were both made safe by the Army.
The pipe bomb was left in a holdall at Derry City Council's office grounds and the booby trap attached to a bicycle chained to railings on a walkway at the back of the offices.
Dissident republicans were blamed for leaving the bombs.
On 26 July, some dissident republican paramilitary groups issued a statement saying they were to come together under the banner of "the IRA".
The Guardian newspaper said the Real IRA had been joined by Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) and a coalition of independent armed republican groups and individuals.
A gunman fired towards police lines from within a crowd gathered at Brompton Park in Ardoyne on 12 July.
Republican Action Against Drugs said it was behind a bomb attack on a police vehicle in Derry on 2 June.
The front of the jeep was badly damaged in what is understood to have been a pipe bomb attack in Creggan. The police described the attack as attempted murder.
A pipe bomb was left under a car belonging to the elderly parents of a police officer in Derry on 15 April.
A number of homes were evacuated while Army bomb experts dealt with the device at Drumleck Drive in Shantallow.
A 600lb bomb was found in a van on the Fathom Line in Newry
A fully primed 600lb bomb was found in a van on the Fathom Line near Newry on 26 April and made safe the following day.
A senior police officer said those who left it had a "destructive, murderous intent".
Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Finlay said it was as "big a device as we have seen for a long time".
On 30 March two men were convicted of murdering police officer Constable Stephen Carroll in Craigavon in March 2009.
Two men were convicted of murdering Constable Stephen Carroll in Craigavon
The 48-year-old officer was shot dead after he and colleagues responded to a 999 call.
Convicted of the murder were Brendan McConville, 40, of Glenholme Avenue, Craigavon, and John Paul Wootton, 20, of Collindale, Lurgan.
Derry man Andrew Allen was shot dead in Buncrana, County Donegal, on 9 February.
The 24-year-old father of two was shot at a house in Links View Park, Lisfannon.
Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) later admitted it murdered Mr Allen who had been forced to leave his home city the previous year.
Strabane man Martin Kelly was jailed for life by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on 24 January for the murder of a man in County Donegal.
Andrew Burns, 27, from Strabane, was shot twice in the back in February 2008 in a church car park.
The murder was linked to the dissident republican group, Oglaigh na hEireann. Kelly, from Barrack Steet, was also sentenced to eight years in prison for possession of a firearm.
On 20 January, Brian Shivers was convicted of the murders of Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey at Massereene Barracks in March 2009.
Police in Derry believed dissident republicans were responsible for two bomb attacks on 19 January.
The bombs exploded at the tourist centre on Foyle Street and on Strand Road, close to the DHSS office, within 10 minutes of each other.
Homes and businesses in the city were evacuated and no-one was injured.
A bomb was left in the soldier's car in north Belfast
A Scottish soldier found a bomb inside his car outside his girlfriend's house in the Ligoniel area of north Belfast.
It is understood the device contained a trip wire attached to the seat belt.
Police say if the bomb had gone off the soldier, and others in the vicinity, could have been killed. Dissidents admitted they carried out the attack.
A bomb outside the City of Culture offices was blamed on dissidents
A bomb exploded outside the City of Culture offices in Derry on 12 October.
Security sources said the attack had all the hallmarks of dissident republicans, who damaged a door of the same building with a pipe bomb in January.
The Real IRA was blamed for two bomb attacks near Claudy, County Londonderry on 14 September.
One of the bombs exploded outside the family home of a Catholic police officer. No-one was in the house at the time.
The other device was made safe at the home of a retired doctor who works for the police.
Two masked men threw a holdall containing a bomb into a Santander bank branch in Derry's Diamond just after midday on Saturday 21 May.
Police cleared the area and the bomb exploded an hour later. No-one was injured.
However, significant damage was caused inside the building.
The grenade was thrown at officers during a security alert
A grenade was thrown at police officers during a security alert at Southway in Derry on 9 May.
The device, which was described as "viable", failed to explode.
Two children were talking to the officers when the grenade was thrown.
The mother of one of them said he could have been killed and whoever threw the grenade must have seen the children.
The Real IRA, threatened to kill more police officers and declared its opposition to Queen Elizabeth II's first visit to the Republic of Ireland.
A statement was read out by a masked man at a rally organised by the 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Derry on Easter Monday, 25 April.
A 500lb bomb was left in a van at an underpass on the main Belfast to Dublin road in Newry.
Constable Ronan Kerr was killed after a bomb exploded under his car outside his home in Omagh on 2 April.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack but dissident republicans were blamed.
The 25-year-old had joined the police in May 2010 and had been working in the community for five months.
Forensic experts at the scene of Derry courthouse bomb
The PSNI described a bomb left near Bishop Street Courthouse as a "substantial viable device".
District commander Stephen Martin said a beer keg, left in a stolen car, contained around 50kg of home-made explosives.
A number of shots were fired at police officers at Glen Road in Derry on the night of 2 March.
Police said it was an attempt to kill.
A policeman found an unexploded grenade outside his home in County Fermanagh.
The device was discovered at the property in Drumreer Road, Maguiresbridge, on 23 December.
A grenade was found outside a police officer's home in County Fermanagh
In the Republic, three men from Northern Ireland were jailed for IRA membership on 15 December.
Gerard McGarrigle, 46, from Mount Carmel Heights in Strabane was sentenced to five years in prison.
Desmond Donnelly, 58, from Drumall, Lisnarick, Fermanagh and Jim Murphy, 63, from Floraville in Enniskillen, were given three years and nine months.
They were arrested in Letterkenny in February after Irish police received a tip-off that dissident republicans were about to carry out a 'tiger' kidnapping
A military hand grenade was used to attack police officers called to a robbery at Shaw's Road in west Belfast on 5 November.
Three police officers were hurt and one of them suffered serious arm injuries when the grenade was thrown by a cyclist.
The dissident paramilitary group Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH) said it was responsible for the attack.
The Ulster Bank on Culmore Road was damaged in a car bomb attack in Derry
A car bomb exploded close to the Ulster Bank, shops and a hotel on Derry's Culmore Road on 4 October.
The area had been cleared when the bomb exploded, but the blast was so strong that a police officer who was standing close to the cordon was knocked off his feet.
Lurgan man Paul McCaugherty was jailed for 20 years for a dissident republican gun smuggling plot that was uncovered after an MI5 sting operation.
McCaugherty was found guilty of attempting to import weapons and explosives.
Dermot Declan Gregory from Crossmaglen, was found guilty of making a Portuguese property available for the purpose of terrorism. He was sentenced to four years.
Three children suffered minor injuries when a bomb exploded in a bin in Lurgan's North Street on 14 August.
The bomb went off at a junction where police would have been expected to put up a cordon around the school. The explosion injured the children after it blew a hole in a metal fence.
Three children were hurt after a bomb exploded in a bin in Lurgan
A booby trap partially exploded under the car of a former policeman in Cookstown, County Tyrone, on 10 August.
The man was unhurt in the attak.
A bomb was found under the car of a Catholic policewoman in Kilkeel in County Down on 8 August.
It is believed the device fell off the car before being spotted by the officer.
A booby-trap bomb was found in the driveway of a soldier's house in Bangor
On 4 August, booby trap bomb was found under a soldier's car in Bangor.
It then fell off and he discovered it as he was about to leave his home.
A car that exploded outside a police station in Derry contained 200lb of homemade explosives.
No-one was injured in the attack, which happened on 3 August, but several businesses were badly damaged in the blast.
A bomb exploded between Belleeks and Cullyhanna in south Armagh, blowing a crater in the road and damaging a stone bridge on 10 July.
Police viewed it as an attempt to lure them into the area in order to carry out a follow-up ambush.
Dissident republicans were blamed for organising two nights of sustained rioting in the Broadway and Bog Meadows areas of west Belfast on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 July.
Later rioting on 11, 12, 13 and 14 July in south and north Belfast, Lurgan and Derry is also believed to have involved dissidents.
Dissidents were believed to have organised riots in Belfast
Scores of police officers were injured during the violence, which featured gun attacks, petrol bombs and other missiles being thrown.
Shots were fired at Crossmaglen PSNI station on 2 July.
Dissident republicans said they were behind two similar attacks in December and January.
A car bomb exploded outside Newtownhamilton Police Station in County Armagh, injuring two people.
People also reported hearing gunshots before the blast.
There were five pipe bomb attacks on houses in the west of Northern Ireland in a week - two of them claimed by a group calling itself Republican Action Against Drugs.
A car bomb was defused outside Newtownhamilton police station in south Armagh on Tuesday 13 April.
A bomb in a hijacked taxi exploded outside Palace Barracks in Holywood, on Monday 12 April - the day policing and justice powers were transferred to Northern Ireland.
The barracks is home to MI5's headquarters in Northern Ireland.
Police said a car bomb left outside Crossmaglen on Easter Saturday night could have killed or seriously injured anyone in the area.
The bomb - made up of a number of flammable containers - was made safe by Army experts.
Kieran Doherty was murdered by the Real IRA
The naked and bound body of 31-year-old Kieran Doherty was found close to the Irish border near Derry on 24 February.
The Real IRA said it killed Mr Doherty who, it claimed, was one of its members.
Two days earlier a bomb damaged the gates of Newry courthouse in County Down.
Officers were evacuating the area when the bomb went off. Police said it was a miracle no-one was killed.
A 33-year-old Catholic police officer was seriously injured in a dissident republican car bomb about a mile from his home in Randalstown in County Antrim.
On the last day of the month the Real IRA opened fire on a police station in County Armagh.
No-one was injured in the attack in Bessbrook.
Dissident republicans were blamed for leaving a car containing a 400lb (181kg) bomb outside the Policing Board's headquarters in Belfast.
The car, which had been driven through a barrier by two men who then ran off, burst into flames when the device partially exploded.
On the same night, shots were fired during an undercover police operation in the County Fermanagh village of Garrison, in what police described as an attempt to kill a trainee PSNI officer.
One of Northern Ireland's top judges moved out of his Belfast home over fears of a dissident republican threat against him.
Democratic Unionist Party politician Ian Paisley junior said police had warned him that dissident republicans were planning to murder him.
Mr Paisley, who was then a member of the Policing Board, said officers contacted him to inform him of the foiled attack.
A police officer's partner was injured when a bomb exploded under her car in east Belfast.
The 38-year-old was reversing the vehicle out of the driveway of a house when the device exploded.
In the same month a bomb exploded inside a Territorial Army base in north Belfast.
The police confirmed that "some blast damage" had occurred inside the base off the Antrim Road and shrapnel from the overnight explosion was found in neighbouring streets.
The PSNI said a 600lb (272kg) bomb left near the Irish border in south Armagh was intended to kill its officers.
The bomb was defused by the Army near the village of Forkhill.
Days later the Real IRA claimed responsibility for placing two explosive devices near the homes of a policeman's relatives in Derry.
The first device exploded outside his parents' home while a second device, which was found outside his sister's home, was taken away for examination by the Army.
Conor Murphy, then a Sinn Féin MP and minister in Northern Ireland's devolved administration, blamed dissident republicans for an arson attack on his home in south Armagh.
Dissident republicans were suspected of involvement in a petrol bomb attack on the Derry home of senior Sinn Féin member Mitchel McLaughlin.
Northern Ireland's then Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said dissident republicans had threatened to kill him.
Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey died in the attack
Two young soldiers were shot dead as they collected pizzas outside Massereene Barracks in County Antrim.
Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey were killed just hours before they were due to be deployed to Afghanistan.
The Real IRA was blamed for the attack.
Within 48 hours policeman Stephen Carroll was shot dead in Craigavon, County Armagh, becoming the first police officer to be murdered in Northern Ireland since 1998. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-10866072 |
Humza Yousaf confirmed as Scotland's new first minister - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The SNP leader wins a majority of votes from MSPs to become the country's sixth first minister. | Scotland politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Humza Yousaf has been confirmed as Scotland's new first minister after a vote in the Scottish Parliament.
The SNP leader was backed by his own MSPs and the Scottish Greens - guaranteeing him a majority.
All three opposition leaders stood against him but knew they had no prospect of being successful.
Mr Yousaf, who succeeds Nicola Sturgeon, is the country's sixth first minister and first from an ethnic minority background.
He is also the youngest first minister at 37, and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.
Following the vote, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak phoned Mr Yousaf to congratulate him.
He said he wanted to continue "working constructively with the Scottish government" to deliver on what he argued were the "people's priorities across Scotland, including the need to half inflation, delivering growth, and cut waiting times."
Mr Yousaf raised the question of a second independence referendum, but Mr Sunak suggested this would "distract" from "delivering on the things that are top of the priority list for people across Scotland".
The new first minister started to shape his team on Tuesday afternoon with the announcement that Shona Robison - who has been serving as the social justice secretary and was a close ally of Ms Sturgeon - would be become his deputy first minister.
He also confirmed he would have a "minister for independence" in his government, a role he pledged to create during the leadership campaign
Ms Sturgeon formally tendered her resignation to the King earlier on Tuesday after more than eight years as first minister. She announced last month that she would be standing down once a replacement was appointed.
Mr Yousaf was backed by all 64 SNP MSPs and the seven Greens, with the two parties having a power-sharing agreement in the 129-seat parliament.
Mr Yousaf was congratulated by Shona Robison, who will become his deputy first minister
All 31 Conservative MSPs voted for Douglas Ross, the 22 Labour members for Anas Sarwar and the four Liberal Democrats backed Alex Cole-Hamilton.
Mr Yousaf said it was a signal of the progress that Scotland has made that two of the nominees for first minister - himself and Mr Sarwar, who were at school together at the private Hutchesons' Grammar in Glasgow - were from minority ethnic communities.
He described the moment as "a privilege of my life", and said Ms Sturgeon - who watched the vote from the backbenches - leaves "some very big shoes to fill indeed".
Mr Yousaf added: "I pledge that Scotland will continue to be a positive, progressive voice on the world stage".
And he said his government would "listen carefully and pay respect" to the views of all MSPs while standing up to any attempts to "undermine devolution".
Nicola Sturgeon now sits on the back benches at Holyrood
The new first minister said: "I will never shy away from tackling the big issues our country faces.
"My starting point will be that we all want the best for Scotland and the people that we are so privileged to represent. I will stand up unequivocally for this parliament and against any attempts to undermine devolution.
"I will work every hour of every day to harness the potential of Scotland and every single person. I will place no limits on the ambitions that we have collectively for ourselves, for our country or indeed for the world that we live in."
Mr Yousaf will be officially sworn in as first minister during a brief ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday, and is expected to then start the process of appointing the rest of his cabinet team.
He will also face opposition leaders for the first time at the weekly First Minister's Questions session on Thursday.
There will be considerable interest in the future of Kate Forbes, who finished a close second to Mr Yousaf in the SNP leadership contest after attacking his competency and Ms Sturgeon's record in government in a live STV debate during the campaign.
Ms Forbes had herself been attacked by senior SNP figures including outgoing Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who has also now left the government, over her socially conservative views on issues like gay marriage and abortion.
She has been on maternity leave as the country's finance secretary and Mr Yousaf has said he has spoken to her and "absolutely" wants her to be part of the government - but it not yet known what role he would offer or whether she would accept.
Humza Yousaf's speech was really an introduction to himself as first minister. Unlike the other party leaders, there was relatively little in the way of politics.
He leaned heavily on his family, who were packed into the VIP gallery. His children were warned that Bute House's stairways offer plenty of space for a "naughty step".
And he talked about the impact of being a Muslim in the UK in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
Mr Yousaf hopes it sends a message to many in minority groups that he could go from fearing he did not have a place in Scotland to leading its government.
There was some broad-brush policy towards the end - a commitment to ease cost of living pressures and boost the NHS. He pledged to continue many of Nicola Sturgeon's plans, and sounded the obvious note in favour of independence.
But this was very much Day One of the Yousaf government. There will be plenty of time to come for detail and debate - today was all about beginnings.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was looking forward to meeting and working together with Mr Yousaf, but the UK government has already made clear it will continue to refuse to grant formal consent for another independence referendum.
Mr Yousaf was also congratulated on his appointment by opposition leaders at Holyrood, with Mr Ross saying: "With both the first minister and the prime minister representing the UK's diverse communities, this sends a strong, positive message to everyone that there are no barriers to what you can achieve in this country."
But he went on to claim that Mr Yousaf "seems to be doing his best to offer a poor imitation of his predecessor" having decided on his first day to "renew Nicola Sturgeon's constitutional conflict with the UK government" by calling on it to grant formal consent for an independence referendum.
Mr Sarwar told Mr Yousaf that their respective grandparents "could never have imagined" that their grandchildren would reach the positions of first minister and Scottish Labour leader when they arrived in the country and made Scotland their home.
He added: "I know that he (Mr Yousaf) has faced personal abuse and racism, as have so many others who don't have the platform that he and I are fortunate to have.
"I am proud of the work we have done alongside others to stand against hatred and bigotry, and my promise is that I will continue to stand alongside you in that fight for all of us." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65098609 |
King Charles praises Ukraine support on state visit to Germany - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The King promises to "strengthen" relations with the country and says they stand together on Ukraine. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
King Charles III has paid tribute to Germany's "extraordinary hospitality" towards Ukrainian refugees during his first state visit as monarch.
The King said both the UK and Germany "stand together" with Ukraine in "defence of freedom and sovereignty".
In his toast at a lavish state banquet, which he delivered partly in German, the King promised to strengthen ties.
The speech to dignitaries from both countries, including ex-leader Angela Merkel, drew many laughs and applause.
The King's three-day tour with Camilla, the Queen Consort, comes after a planned visit to France was cancelled following unrest in several cities over pension reforms.
Germany, due to be the second stop on the trip, is instead the location of King Charles' first foreign visit of his reign - and the first of a British monarch since the late Queen Elizabeth II's own state visit there in 2015.
The British government hopes the King's visit will reinforce relations between the two nations following the UK's decision to leave the EU - described as a "sad day" by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in his own toast.
At the President's Bellevue Palace on Wednesday evening, the King said he would do everything he could to "strengthen the connections between us".
He also heaped praise on the "generosity of spirit of the German people" for taking in more than one million Ukrainian refugees displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict with Russia.
"We stand side-by-side in protecting and advancing our shared democratic values," he said.
"This is epitomised so clearly today as we stand together with Ukraine in defence of freedom and sovereignty in the face of unprovoked aggression."
The King also spoke about the fight against climate change, adding: "I am utterly convinced that the connections between us will grow ever stronger as, together, we pursue a more sustainable, prosperous and secure future."
He also mentioned his late mother, thanking the German people for the messages of "support and affection" they sent when she died last year.
"Over all these years, and in so many ways, I have been struck by the warmth of the friendship between our nations and by the vitality of our partnership in countless areas," the King said.
"It was, Mr President, a friendship which mattered greatly to my mother, the late Queen, who cared deeply about the bond between our two countries.
"The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me... I will do all I can to strengthen the connections between us."
In his speech the King drew laughs from guests when he referenced a British comedy sketch called "dinner for one".
In it an elderly aristocrat dines alone while her waiter gets progressively more drunk as he consumes the alcohol poured for her missing dinner guests.
Both the King and president raised a toast at the end of their remarks, with President Steinmeier also unveiling a photograph of Charles as a child with his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh.
This is King Charles's first state visit as monarch
King Charles praised the "generosity of spirit" of the German people
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel sat next to King Charles at the banquet
Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse and her husband, Ukrainian dancer Evgenij Voznyuk, met the royals before the banquet - Camilla is reported to be a Strictly fan
Wednesday's state visit began with a 21-gun salute and fighter jet fly-past as the King and Camilla emerged from the ministerial plane Voyager after touching down at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport.
As a mark of respect, the couple's plane was escorted by two Typhoon jets as it approached the airport.
From there, it was on to the ceremonial arrival at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbolic heart of Berlin. The sky was cold and grey, but the display in King Charles' honour was intended to show the warmth of the greeting from President Steinmeier.
This was the first time in history the Brandenburg Gate had served as the backdrop to the welcome reception of any visiting head of state.
The monument is a symbol of the country's division during the Cold War and subsequent reunification. For more than three decades, it stood just behind the wall which divided West and East Germany.
There were also splashes of colour from flags which hung around Pariser Platz - and not just German and British flags, but also conspicuously many EU flags.
And that reflected the underlying purpose of this state visit - to strengthen relations with an important European partner that might have been frayed by Brexit.
It was a formal meeting between heads of state, with military bands and tight security, but it was also a carefully choreographed piece of diplomatic theatre, delivering an image of unity in Germany's most iconic setting.
After the flags were hoisted and national anthems were played, King Charles and President Steinmeier made their way to greet crowds of people who had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the British monarch.
The King and Queen Consort were formally welcomed by President Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender
The King and German president shook hands and spoke with some of those in the crowd
President Steinmeier described the decision to pick Germany to host the state visit as an "important gesture for German-British relations".
In his banquet speech, he acknowledged how that relationship had changed but said "we are opening a new chapter" between the two countries.
"Our situation is different as we look to the future, yet we are doing so together," he said.
"No matter what lies ahead, I know that our German-British friendship will remain significant and will remain firm. Our friendship is important and it is strong."
King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, sign the Golden Book as they visit Schloss Bellevue
As head of state, the King's official visits are decided on government advice. The choice of Germany - and originally, France - as the first overseas destinations visited by the monarch will be seen as prioritising stronger relations with European neighbours.
Announcing the state visit earlier this month, Buckingham Palace said it would "celebrate Britain's relationship" with Germany, "marking our shared histories, culture and values".
As well as addressing what a palace spokesperson called the "sacrifices and challenges of our shared past", the trip is intended to focus on modern challenges, including climate change and the war in Ukraine.
The King will become the first British sovereign to address the Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament, on Thursday.
King Charles and Camilla were originally due to be welcomed at a red carpet reception in the Elysée Palace in Paris on Sunday.
But the French leg of their European tour was cancelled last week after protesters planned further demonstrations over President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms to coincide with the visit. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65115192 |
Melissa Joan Hart: I helped kids flee shooting - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Sabrina The Teenage Witch actress says she was near Monday's deadly Nashville school shooting. | US & Canada | Melissa Joan Hart said this is the second time a mass shooting had occurred in her community
US actress Melissa Joan Hart has said she helped children flee after the Nashville school shooting.
In an emotional video on Instagram, Hart said her children go to school near The Covenant School, where an attacker opened fire on Monday.
The Sabrina The Teenage Witch actress said she and her husband helped a class of kindergartners escape and reunite with their families.
Three children and three adults were killed in the shooting.
The children were nine-year-old pupils at the Christian private school. The adults were all staff members.
Hart said that she and her husband were in the area on their way to attend conferences at their children's school when the shooting unfolded on Monday morning.
They then assisted with family reunification efforts as pupils from The Covenant School began to flee.
"We helped a class of kindergartners across a busy highway. They were climbing out of the woods. They were trying to escape the shooter situation at their school," Hart said, appearing visibly upset.
"So we helped all these tiny little kids cross the road and get their teachers over there, and we helped a mom reunite with her children."
This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by melissajoanhart This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Hart noted that this is the second time a mass shooting had occurred in her community.
She previously lived in Connecticut and her children attended a school near Sandy Hook, where a gunman opened fire and killed 20 children in 2012.
"This is our second experience with a school shooting with our kids being in close proximity," she said.
"I just don't know what to say anymore," she added later in the video. "It is just, enough is enough. Just pray. Pray for the families."
The Nashville shooter has been identified by police as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, a former student of the school.
Officers said Hale was armed with at least two assault-style weapons and a handgun, all of which were purchased legally. The suspect was killed by police shortly after the shooting began.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: 'No parent should have to receive that call' | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65114339 |
Man guilty of murdering train passenger with horseshoe in Reading - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kirkpatrick Virgo attacked Thomas Parker after an argument over music being played on their train. | Berkshire | Thomas Parker and his brother became involved in an argument about music being played on the train
A man who killed a fellow passenger with a horseshoe after a row about music being played on their train has been found guilty of murder.
Kirkpatrick Virgo attacked Thomas Parker, 24, on a platform at Reading station after the journey on 30 July.
It followed an argument between the pair after one of Virgo's friends was told to turn the music down.
Virgo, 42, from Slough, had previously admitted manslaughter and carrying an offensive weapon but denied murder.
Kirkpatrick Virgo told Reading Crown Court he bought the horseshoe as a "lucky charm"
During a trial at Reading Crown Court, the jury heard the row started at about 23:00 BST when Mr Parker's brother Craig, 27, asked for the volume of the music to be lowered.
The two groups shouted at each other before the altercation was ended by off-duty police officers.
Virgo then followed the Parker brothers after the train arrived at Reading station, the jury was told.
Craig Parker told the court he went to be sick behind a pillar after feeling ill from a McDonald's milkshake he had consumed during the journey.
"Once I vomited I felt Tom looking over me, making sure I was all right," he said, adding: "Then it happened, so quickly, Tom was on the floor in front of me."
Virgo followed the group before removing the horseshoe from his rucksack
The court heard Virgo had followed the group, removing a heavy horseshoe from his rucksack, which he then used to hit Thomas Parker in the head.
Virgo told jurors he bought the horseshoe as a "lucky charm" from an antiques shop and was carrying it because he had not got round to hanging it on a door.
He claimed he was spat at and racially abused by Thomas Parker who he feared was going to attack him.
British Transport Police (BTP) said the victim had been on his way home from a match between Arsenal and Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium in London.
CCTV footage showed Virgo and two friends boarding the same train at Slough carrying a boom box and accounts taken from witnesses stated they were playing loud music, the force said in a statement.
During the argument, passengers heard Virgo remark: "Do you want to die tonight?"
Following the attack, Craig Parker chased Virgo through the station, catching him on the concourse and tackling him to the floor in a "bear hug" before rail staff intervened and alerted emergency services.
After Virgo was detained, Mr Parker said he heard someone tell him: "You best come down now."
He returned to find his brother surrounded by paramedics. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 00:40 BST.
Thomas Parker, a golf greenkeeper, was described by his family as "loving and funny",
Speaking after the verdict, Det Ch Insp Paul Langley, from BTP, said Mr Parker was a young man with his whole life ahead of him.
"But that life was taken away by an extremely violent individual who fatally struck him following a disagreement," he said.
"Thanks to a single shocking act of violence by Kirkpatrick Virgo, Tom's family now face the rest of their lives without their brother, son and friend."
Virgo will be sentenced at the same court on Friday.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-65104602 |
Next says prices to rise by less than expected this year - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Lower shipping costs and factory prices means price rises will be lower this year, retailer says. | Business | High Street retailer Next has said it will put up its prices by less than expected this year.
It said it now expected prices to rise by 7% in the spring and summer of 2023, and 3% in the autumn and winter - slightly less than the increases it warned of in January.
It said shipping costs were falling and suppliers were charging better rates.
It came as Next reported a 5.7% rise in pre-tax profits to £870.4m for the year to January.
On Tuesday, the retailer also announced it would buy the Cath Kidston fashion brand for £8.5m, but not its shops.
Next has about 500 stores and trades online. It is often considered a good indicator of how the British High Street is doing.
The retailer had already put up its prices in 2022, blaming rising production costs and a weaker pound.
And in January it said prices would have to rise again by 8% this spring and summer, and by a further 6% this autumn.
But on Wednesday, Next boss Simon Wolfson said he expected the UK to be "past peak inflation" towards the end of the year.
Despite the strong results, Next is forecasting 2023 will be bumpy, with sales and profits falling as energy and wage costs remain high.
Most businesses have been putting up prices, with grocers Aldi and Lidl hiking them recently.
Last year bakery chain Greggs, retailer Marks & Spencer and furniture business Dunelm also announced price increases.
The Bank of England expects overall inflation - the rate at which prices rise - to fall to under 3% by the end of the year, as energy and food costs come down.
But there was a surprise jump in inflation to 10.4% in the year to February from 10.1% in January.
The Bank of England has put up interest rates 11 times since December 2021 to try to control rising prices.
And Governor Andrew Bailey has urged businesses not to put up prices faster than inflation, warning it would drive up the cost of living even further.
"I would say to people who are setting prices - please understand, if we get inflation embedded, interest rates will have to go up further and higher inflation really benefits nobody," Andrew Bailey told the BBC's Today programme.
Lord Wolfson declined to comment on Mr Bailey's remarks but suggested Next would reflect falling inflation rates in its pricing.
"Where we get better prices, we've passed them on to consumers… We want to remain competitive in the long run." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65109131 |
Paul O'Grady death: Camilla and Elton John pay tribute - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Queen Consort, who knew the 67-year-old through their charity work, is "deeply saddened" by his death. | Entertainment & Arts | While Paul wasn’t born in Liverpool - though many think he was - he became an icon on the city.
Here at the Royal Albert Dock his actual birthplace, Birkenhead, is visible over the River Mersey.
And it’s here that people have come to pay their respects thanks to a very special, and quite funny, portrait of him.
The Paul O’Grady portrait, made of Jelly Beans, has become somewhat of a local landmark.
I walk my dog almost daily around the Albert Dock and it’s rare that I walk past without spotting someone posing for a photograph next to it.
So naturally, as people pass today, many are stopping for an extra few moments to pay their respects to Paul.
Martin Davies from Newport with the jelly bean portrait of Paul O'Grady Image caption: Martin Davies from Newport with the jelly bean portrait of Paul O'Grady
Among them are Clive and Diane Ballard, on holiday in Liverpool from Essex.
Diane said: “He was such a comedian. He had that great sense of humour. He seemed to be a warm hearted person that anyone would get along with.”
Clive added: “We loved him for Lilly Savage. Drag Queens are always such characters and he was a right character.”
Martin Davies, visiting Liverpool from Newport, South Wales, is among the many who stopped to get pictures with the portrait.
He said: “I think people just loved him because he was himself. He was so genuine.” | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/entertainment-arts-65108689 |
Elon Musk among experts urging a halt to AI training - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Elon Musk among those calling for training in powerful artificial intelligence to be suspended. | Technology | Elon Musk is among those warning of the risks from advanced AI
Key figures in artificial intelligence want training of powerful AI systems to be suspended amid fears of a threat to humanity.
They have signed an open letter warning of potential risks, and say the race to develop AI systems is out of control.
Twitter chief Elon Musk is among those who want training of AIs above a certain capacity to be halted for at least six months.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and some researchers at DeepMind also signed.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, recently released GPT-4 - a state-of-the-art technology, which has impressed observers with its ability to do tasks such as answering questions about objects in images.
The letter, from Future of Life Institute and signed by the luminaries, wants development to be halted temporarily at that level, warning in their letter of the risks future, more advanced systems might pose.
"AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity," it says.
The Future of Life Institute is a not-for-profit organisation which says its mission is to "steer transformative technologies away from extreme, large-scale risks and towards benefiting life".
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Mr Musk, owner of Twitter and chief executive of car company Tesla, is listed as an external adviser to the organisation.
Advanced AIs need to be developed with care, the letter says, but instead, "recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no-one - not even their creators - can understand, predict, or reliably control".
The letter warns that AIs could flood information channels with misinformation, and replace jobs with automation.
The letter follows a recent report from investment bank Goldman Sachs which said that while AI was likely to increase productivity, millions of jobs could become automated.
However, other experts told the BBC the effect of AI on the labour market was very hard to predict.
More speculatively, the letter asks: "Should we develop non-human minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete [sic] and replace us?"
Stuart Russell, computer-science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a signatory to the letter, told BBC News: "AI systems pose significant risks to democracy through weaponised disinformation, to employment through displacement of human skills and to education through plagiarism and demotivation."
And in the future, advanced AI's may pose a "more general threat to human control over our civilization".
"In the long run, taking sensible precautions is a small price to pay to mitigate these risks," Prof Russell added.
But Princeton computer-science professor Arvind Narayanan accused the letter of focusing on "speculative, futuristic risk, ignoring the version of the problem that is already harming people".
In a recent blog post quoted in the letter, OpenAI warned of the risks if an artificial general intelligence (AGI) were developed recklessly: "A misaligned superintelligent AGI could cause grievous harm to the world; an autocratic regime with a decisive superintelligence lead could do that, too.
"Co-ordination among AGI efforts to slow down at critical junctures will likely be important," the firm wrote.
OpenAI has not publicly commented on the letter. The BBC has asked the firm whether it backs the call.
Mr Musk was a co-founder of OpenAI - though he resigned from the board of the organisation some years ago and has tweeted critically about its current direction.
Autonomous driving functions made by his car company Tesla, like most similar systems, use AI technology.
The letter asks AI labs "to immediately pause for at least six months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4".
If such a delay cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium, it says.
"New and capable regulatory authorities dedicated to AI" would also be needed.
Recently, a number of proposals for the regulation of technology have been put forward in the US, UK and EU. However, the UK has ruled out a dedicated regulator for AI. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65110030 |
Prince Harry accuses Associated Newspapers of 'criminality' - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Duke of Sussex is bringing a legal case alongside six other claimants, including Sir Elton John. | UK | Prince Harry has criticised attempts by Associated Newspapers to have the High Court case thrown out
Prince Harry says he is determined to hold the publisher of the Mail newspapers to account as he says he is "deeply concerned" by their "unchecked power, influence and criminality".
His witness statement was disclosed as part of his privacy case against Associated Newspapers.
In it, he also claimed he was kept out of Royal Family discussions about taking legal action on phone hacking.
He attended the High Court for a second day of legal arguments on Tuesday.
The Duke of Sussex and six other claimants, including Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence - the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence - claim their personal information was obtained illegally and used as material for Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday stories.
Associated Newspapers has dismissed the claims as "preposterous smears" based on a "fishing expedition".
In the duke's statement, he criticises attempts by the publisher in court this week to have the case thrown out for legal reasons.
"Unfair is not a big enough word to describe the fact that Associated is trying at this early stage to prevent me from bringing my claim," the statement reads.
"If the most influential and popular newspaper in the UK can evade justice without there being a trial of my claims, then what does that say about the industry as a whole and the consequences for our great country.
"I am bringing this claim because I love my country and I remain deeply concerned by the unchecked power, influence and criminality of Associated."
The statement details stories the duke claims were based on private information which had been obtained illegally.
They include reports about his relationships with two girlfriends.
He also criticises a story about his reaction, along with that of his brother William, to the publication of pictures of his dying mother in the Italian media.
"It is really disgusting", he says, with a "crude headline" and "explicit reference to a phone call".
"My brother and I were relatively young at the time (I was just 21) and we were having private conversations about photographs of our dead mother which had been put into the public domain."
In his witness statement, Prince Harry said the Royal Family - which he referred to as the Institution - had been withholding information from him about the possibility of taking legal action in response to media intrusions.
He said he only started talking to a senior lawyer for the Royal Family when he began dating his now wife and "defamatory stories" were published.
The prince eventually became aware he could take legal action over phone hacking in 2018, he says.
"The Institution made it clear that we did not need to know anything about phone hacking and it was made clear to me that the Royal Family did not sit in the witness box because that could open up a can of worms," he said.
Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish have made claims in the High Court case
Fellow claimant Sir Elton John has meanwhile accused a private investigator of tapping his home phone and that of his gardener.
He said it was a "violation of our home and the safety of our children and loved ones."
Sir Elton is claiming damages in relation to 10 articles for which he says the Mail titles "misused information which they stole from our family and friends".
In his witness statement, he said the Mail exploited "love, connection, trust and bonds to find out information shared in confidence".
Sir Elton's case against Associated Newspapers includes the claim that a private investigator obtained details of his medical conditions, including that he had "collapsed on a plane".
His husband, David Furnish, is also making claims in the High Court legal action.
His statement reveals the couple were informed by the actor Liz Hurley of the allegation that their live phone calls had been intercepted by an investigator working for the Mail on Sunday.
She said the investigator appeared to know that Sir Elton did not have his own mobile phone and used several landlines.
Ms Hurley alleged that her calls had also been tapped.
Baroness Lawrence claims private investigators working for the Daily Mail tapped her home phone and hacked her voicemails.
In her own statement to the High Court, she also accused the newspaper of commissioning investigators to monitor her bank accounts and phone bills.
She says she trusted the Daily Mail, which had strongly campaigned for justice for her family, but concluded: "I was played for a fool."
Associated Newspapers rejected her allegations as "appalling and utterly groundless smears".
The publisher said the claims were based on the word of private investigator Jonathan Rees, who has served a prison sentence for perverting the course of justice.
In a statement last year, Associated said: "It is deeply saddening that whoever is cynically and unscrupulously orchestrating these claims appears to have persuaded Baroness Lawrence - for whom the Mail has the greatest respect and admiration - to endorse the word of someone who is such a manifestly discredited and untrustworthy liar."
But Baroness Lawrence said in her witness statement, disclosed by the court, that she feared the actions of private investigators may have disrupted investigations into Stephen's murder.
In her statement, she said: "We developed good relationships with the press and by February 1997 we aligned ourselves with the Daily Mail and who always held themselves out to be the guardians of truth and justice, the people who fight corruption and who hold the bad people accountable and who really cared about the fact my son's killers had walked free."
But upon discovering the alleged use of private investigators, she said there had been a "level of trust" and "the betrayal I felt when that was taken away and I realised it had all been false was intense".
She added: "I cannot think of any act or conduct lower than stealing and exploiting information from a murder and from a mother who buried her son, and by people who pretended to be my friends.
"It has been a new trauma and injustice for me."
Allegations in the case against Associated Newspapers include phone tapping, "hacking" of voicemail messages and the use of private investigators to obtain personal data.
More than 70 journalists have been implicated by the allegations made by seven claimants - Prince Harry, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Liz Hurley, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Simon Hughes.
Their names cannot be reported for legal reasons.
Legal arguments on Tuesday centred on ledgers setting out payments made by Associated Newspapers (ANL) to 19 private investigators in the past, alleged to have been working for the journalists.
The seven claimants say these were for large sums of money and are proof that illegal methods were being used to gather information about them.
The ledgers were disclosed to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards in 2011.
ANL is trying to get part of the case struck out because, it says, the Leveson files cannot be used in other cases, due to confidentiality rules.
The company also says that two barristers in this case, and Sir Simon Hughes, were closely involved in the Leveson Inquiry and gave "undertakings" not to disclose documents they received.
Barristers for ANL told the court these restrictions would have to be removed by the government if the evidence was to be used in the current case. This has not happened and they said sections of the case relying on the ledgers should therefore be struck out.
But David Sherborne, representing the seven who are suing Associated, told the judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, that the ledgers had in fact been obtained by an investigative journalist, not from the Leveson Inquiry.
As a leading barrister at the Leveson Inquiry, representing victims of press intrusion, he had personally agreed not to disclose confidential information.
But he said that undertaking ended when the inquiry report was published in 2012.
The court also released the witness statement of private investigator Gavin Burrows, who denied all allegations that he hacked phones, tapped landlines, or bugged cars on behalf of the Daily Mail or Mail on Sunday.
Addressing the specific allegations made by Prince Harry, Baroness Lawrence, Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, he said: "I was not instructed or commissioned by the Mail on Sunday or the Daily Mail to conduct unlawful information gathering."
Two other private investigators have also made statements to the court admitting their role in supplying illegally-obtained information to journalists at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65105315 |
Julian Knight: Met Police drop sexual assault investigation into Tory MP - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Julian Knight, who was suspended as a Tory MP over the case, had always denied the allegations. | UK Politics | The Metropolitan Police has said it is no longer investigating allegations of sexual assault against a Tory MP.
Julian Knight, who was suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party over the case, had always denied the allegations.
The Tory whips office said it would not restore Mr Knight as a Tory MP following "further complaints".
Mr Knight has claimed he is the victim of a "continuing a witch hunt against me" by the whips.
A spokesperson for the Chief Whip Simon Hart said: "Following further complaints made to the Whips' Office, we will not be restoring the whip to Julian Knight.
"These complaints, if appropriate, will be referred to the relevant police force, or appropriate bodies."
Mr Knight said the statement from the whips "smacks of a desperate attempt to cover up the identities and motives of those in Parliament who colluded for many months to bring the false allegation against me to the police".
"The whips office now seems intent on continuing a witch hunt against me in an attempt to prevent my naming names," he added.
An investigation was launched after police received allegations of serious sexual assault.
Scotland Yard received an allegation on 28 October last year, before a further referral relating to the incident was made on 7 December.
In a statement, the police said they are no longer proceeding with an investigation and there have been no arrests.
Mr Knight said he was not interviewed by the police, in a statement released before the whips office announced that he would not return to sit as a Conservative MP.
He said: "The fact is that there was never anything for the police to investigate. This was a single, false and malicious allegation initially brought to them by third parties, each of whom had their own clear motives for doing so."
He said the Conservative whips office "acted disgracefully and in breach of natural justice" in "publicly naming me in connection with the allegation".
"Their actions meant my name was dragged through the mud and my good reputation immeasurably damaged," Mr Knight said.
He added: "Had the police taken the simple step at outset of interviewing me under caution, they would have seen that the allegation was false and scandalous. Instead, they waited four months, without ever talking to me, before deciding there was nothing for them to investigate.
"I have been left effectively to prove my innocence through my public statements and letters to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Chief Whip. That cannot be right.
"It is now my intention to use every legal route available to pursue those inside and outside Parliament involved in having this allegation brought against me."
The Solihull MP is the chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee and has represented the constituency since 2015.
He currently sits as an independent after being suspended as a Conservative MP in December last year. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65115208 |
Scotland 2-0 Spain: Steve Clarke's classy and clinical side give coming of age show - BBC Sport | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | null | Scotland deliver a performance for the ages to vanquish a new-look Spain on an unforgettable night at Hampden, writes Tom English. | null | On nights like this - tumultuous and turbulent and a triumph from beginning to end - you raise your eyes to the heavens and thank the man above for Scott McTominay and his giant-killing chums, for Steve Clarke and his heroic leadership, and for the Hampden crowd in all their ground-shaking-under-your-feet euphoria.
Scotland hadn't beaten Spain since 1984, when Mo Johnston and Kenny Dalglish were the heroes. Ronald Reagan was president of the United States of America in 1984. Band Aid was in 1984. Diego Maradona joined Napoli in 1984. 1984 was a long, long, long time ago. Clarke had his 21st birthday that year.
When Kieran Tierney sped away from the Champions League-laden Dani Carvajal early in the second half, an entire stadium jumped to its feet in anticipation. When McTominay drilled his shot between the legs of David Garcia and past Kepa Arrizabalaga, the place erupted.
• None Podcast: 'There's no reason this team can't get to the Euros'
Never mind being able to hear the noise from one end of Glasgow to the other, you could have heard the racket from Santiago de Compostela to Seville. They'll have been gulping in Norway and Georgia, too. This was a night that will have reverberated around Europe.
With a new manager, a new captain, a new team, new tactics, Spain also had a new experience. Before this, they had lost only seven times in 146 qualifying games for European Championships and World Cups.
Make that eight. Make that a haunted look on the face of their players. Make it a post-mortem in their media and some deeply uncomfortable times for Luis de la Fuente, only in the job a wet week and already in danger of being overcome by a deluge of flak.
'Spain high on histrionics but low on cutting edge'
Two goals to the good, this was fantasy football come true. McTominay, an utter colossus on a night of giants, came off the bench on Saturday against Cyprus and scored twice late on. He took seven minutes to score again.
Poor Pedro Porro. Nobody warned him how tricky underfoot the Hampden pitch can be. Never let another bad word be said about this majestic, magic carpet. He slipped on the surface and let Andy Robertson in behind him. Robertson, like a terrier, pulled it back for McTominay and his shot got a deflection that took it past Kepa.
Hampden screamed its head off and rubbed its eyes in disbelief.
On the touchline, De la Fuente turned away in angst. He said that a new era in Spanish football had dawned with his appointment but he can't have predicted this. He took Luis Enrique's World Cup squad, World Cup tactics and World Cup mindset with its sideways passing and its attempt to inflict death by possession and chucked it in the bin. But what has he replaced it with?
He elevated younger players and dispensed with older ones. He took other older ones from the wilderness and put them in his team. Against Norway on Saturday, he gave Espanyol striker Joselu a debut two days short of his 33rd birthday. Against Scotland, he gave Osasuna centre-back David Garcia a debut at 29.
From Spain's exit from the World Cup to the Norway game, his first in charge, the coach made a host of changes. From Norway to Hampden, he made another eight. A brand-new team with a new back four, a new attacking three and a new front man. None of it worked. None of it.
Robertson's tenacity and McTominay's Midas touch set the night up perfectly; it engaged the crowd and rattled the Spaniards, who came steaming back into it. The first half was frenetic and narky. There was all sorts going on. Lusty tackles, play-acting, missed chances, controversy.
Joselu, scorer of two goals in two minutes against Norway, was the pantomime baddie here. He missed from point-blank range midway through the half, he hit the crossbar from whatever position is more point-blank range than point-blank range seconds later. Spain's crosses were sumptuous, their finishing slapstick.
And there was the incident that drove them scatty. Robertson's shoulder connected with Porro's chin and down the Tottenham defender went. Down and over and across he went, like a fish being landed. Robertson, it has to be said, was lucky. His elbow caught Porro and he got away with it. It was a big break on a momentous night that only got more intoxicating as it went on.
Spain were high on histrionics but low on cutting edge. They could and should have had a penalty, Joselu going down after his shirt was pulled, but maybe he was seen as the boy who cried wolf at that point. Play went on, Joselu beat the grass in frustration, Hampden laughed. Uproariously.
It was one of the most brilliant halves of football seen at Hampden in years. This wasn't a grim, but exciting, battle against a minnow; not a thrilling get-out-of-jail situation, the like of which we have seen in the recent past. This was a top nation being beaten by a fast-emerging nation, a new Spain team being put away by a team truly coming of age.
McTominay's second was a joy, pure and simple. Tierney, with little game time under his belt for Arsenal, made light of Carvajal down the left. He made the decorated full-back look like an old man. The finish from the Manchester United player was more akin to a guy from across the city. Haaland-esque.
There was more, loads more. Spain dug deep to try to claw their way out of the hole they were in but Scotland, showing the resilience that has seen them concede one goal in their last five competitive matches, were having none of it.
Everybody stepped up. Everybody. If the aristocrats from Madrid, Barcelona and beyond weren't aware of the legend of Ryan Porteous, then they're aware of it now.
Spain had some moments that were snuffed out. Scotland had some other moments that were also missed, not that it mattered. It mattered not an inch, not when they were already a veritable mile ahead.
They closed it out like the excellent team they are now. Confident, classy and clinical. A new Scotland, top of the table. Bask in the glory.
• None Watch the nail-biting final of The Apprentice
• None Is paying more for premium petrol worth it?: Greg Foot drives the investigation into the fumy world of petrol | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65107499 |
Amsterdam launches stay away ad campaign targeting young British men - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Dutch city targets UK men aged 18-35 in an ad campaign aimed at changing its reputation. | Europe | Amsterdam has warned rowdy British sex and drug tourists to "stay away".
A digital discouragement campaign targeting men aged 18 to 35 in the UK is being pushed out by the Dutch city's council.
The initiative forms part of efforts to clean up Amsterdam's raunchy reputation as Europe's most liberal party capital.
Typically blunt, the videos show young men staggering in the street, handcuffed by police, finger-printed and having their mugshots taken.
The online ads, highlighting the risks associated with the excessive use of drugs and booze, will be triggered when people in Britain tap in terms like - stag party, cheap hotel or pub crawl Amsterdam.
The message is uncompromising - a long weekend in Amsterdam may create the wrong kind of memories, the escapism you crave in the renowned party capital could result in inescapable convictions.
Brits can find return flights to Amsterdam for £50 (€57; $62).
UK-based travel agencies also offer stag weekends in Amsterdam, including canal boat cruises with unlimited booze, "steak and strip" nights and red light district pub crawls.
For years people have complained of drunken Brits urinating in public, throwing up in canals, stripping off and engaging in drunken brawls.
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This is not a new phenomenon. Almost a decade ago, Amsterdam's then mayor invited his London counterpart Boris Johnson, who had described the city as "sleazy", to see for himself what Brits got up to.
"They don't wear a coat as they slalom through the red light district… they sing 'You'll never walk alone'. They are dressed as rabbits or priests and sometimes they are not dressed at all. I'd love to invite him to witness it," Eberhard van der Laan said at the time.
Critics argue the targeted ad campaigns are discriminatory and are based on unfair stereotypes.
In the Netherlands, coffee shops are allowed to sell cannabis as long as they follow certain strict conditions, like not serving alcoholic drinks or selling to minors.
"Tourists come for the museums and also for the coffeeshops," Joachim Helms, owner of the Greenhouse coffee shop, told me.
He nodded towards a woman in her 60s and pointed out his clientele came from all social and economic walks of life, arguing that attempts to exclude some based on their age and gender violated the principles of freedom, tolerance and equality that Amsterdam prided itself on.
Joachim Helm's coffee shop has been visited by many stars, including Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Rihanna and Justin Bieber
But the narrow, cobbled, bike-laden streets and canals are under pressure.
Amsterdam is one of the world's most visited cities. Around 20 million visitors - including a million Brits - visit the city, which has a population of approximately 883,000, every year.
But over-tourism is testing the locals' tolerance and has compelled the council to act.
Larger-than-life billboards displayed in the red light district show photos of residents, with words reminding visitors: "We Live Here".
The council is in the process of moving the famous neon-lit windows, where sex workers parade for trade, out of the residential heart of the capital to a new "erotic zone".
Whispers about banning the sex trade entirely have faded for now. Instead, more stringent operating rules are being introduced.
Starting this weekend, brothels and bars will have earlier closing times and a ban on smoking cannabis on the streets in and around the Red Light District comes into force in May.
There is still debate about whether tourists should be banned from the Dutch capital's cannabis cafes.
Amsterdam's mission is to make the industry less seedy, more sustainable, and the city, more liveable.
But many locals living in the tall narrow townhouses that line the 17th-Century canal rings tell me it is not the young men who are the problem but the sheer numbers.
"It feels like we're living in Disneyland or a zoo," the Visser family told me.
Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki said Amsterdam was already taking more management measures than other large cities in Europe.
"Visitors will remain welcome but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance," he added.
People have been responding to the anti-tourism campaign on social media, with one man joking it "looks more like a commercial to me" and another remarking it was a "mystery why 18-35 [year olds] would be attracted to a city with legalised drug cafes and brothels".
Others seem sceptical of the campaign, with one woman writing: "They want to make money with families and museums but they know it's weed and red light that keep the city running." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65107405 |
Jason Smyth: Six-time Paralympic champion retires aged 35 - BBC Sport | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | null | Ireland's Jason Smyth, who won 21 major titles in an illustrious sprinting career, announces his retirement at the age of 35. | null | Last updated on .From the section Disability Sport
Jason Smyth, Paralympic sport's fastest man until 2021, has announced his retirement at the age of 35.
The Ireland sprinter earned six Paralympic titles, which included 100m and 200m doubles at the Beijing and London Games in 2008 and 2012.
Visually-impaired Smyth stayed unbeaten during a Paralympic career which began at the 2005 European Championships.
His final Paralympic triumph saw him hold off Algeria's Skander Djamil Athmani in the T13 100m in Tokyo.
That was the Northern Irishman's 21st major title of a Paralympic career, which also included nine world titles and six European gold medals, and he remains the fastest-ever sprinter in his classification.
He has now taken up a new role with Paralympics Ireland which will see him work as strategy manager with the organisation.
Smyth enjoyed the status of being the world's outright fastest Paralympian from 2012 until the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, when his 100m time of 10.46, set in the T13 class, was beaten by 0.03 of a second by T12 runner Salum Ageze Kashafali.
County Londonderry's Smyth had perfect vision up until the age of nine before a hereditary condition known as Stargardt's Disease began to cause his sight to deteriorate.
His athletics talent was developed by current UK Athletics technical director Stephen Maguire, who initially coached Smyth to an Irish Schools title before learning the full extent of his disability.
The Strabane man realised Smyth might be eligible for Paralympic competition and by the following summer he was a double European Paralympic champion, those performances qualifying Smyth for the maximum 40,000 Euros Irish Sports Council grant.
In addition to starring on the Paralympic stage, Smyth's 100m personal best of 10.22 seconds saw him compete alongside Usain Bolt and the planet's other greatest able-bodied sprinters at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
Smyth had become the first Paralympic athlete to compete at a European Championships when he reached the 100m semi-finals in Barcelona in 2010 and had high hopes of representing Ireland at both the Paralympics and Olympic Games at London 2012.
His 100m personal best from 2011 was an agonising 0.04 seconds outside the Olympic standard but he regrouped from that disappointment in spectacular style as he defended his Paralympic titles in London.
In the 100m final in the Olympic Stadium, Smyth improved his own T13 100m world record to 10.46 seconds and he produced an even more impressive performance in the 200m as he lowered his existing global mark to 21.05 seconds - 0.11 slower than his fastest performance in able-bodied competition in the longer sprint.
Those two times remained his fastest performance in Paralympic competition but the titles continued to roll in for the Eglinton native over the next nine years - despite often battling against injury.
Smyth's hopes of a third successive Paralympic sprint double were dashed by the International Paralympic Committee's decision to remove the T13 200m from the programme at the Rio Games in 2016.
However, Smyth, who two years earlier had represented Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, comfortably retained the 100m title as he clocked 10.64 seconds to finish 0.14 ahead of Namibia's Johannes Nambala.
It was altogether closer at the Tokyo Games in August 2021 which had been delayed for a year by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Smyth's prized unbeaten record in Paralympic competition looked under major threat from emerging Algerian Athmani but a superb start from the Irishman gave him an early advantage in the final and his perfectly-judged dip at the finishing line helped him hold off the north African by the tightest of margins - 0.01 seconds.
Following his Tokyo triumph, Smyth said that he would consider prolonging his Paralympic career until Paris 2024 but some 17 months before those Games, he has opted to bring the curtain down on his competitive days.
Smyth's retirement closes a glorious Paralympic athletics chapter for both Irish and Northern Ireland sport following his great friend Michael McKillop's exit from the sport after the Tokyo Games.
Like Smyth, McKillop secured double gold for Ireland at London 2012 after winning his first Paralympic title in Beijing four years ago and went on to clinch another triumph at the Rio Games.
Despite his astonishing run of success, Smyth often spoke of his frustration at how the media interest would invariably quickly fade following his return home.
In the run-up to the delayed Tokyo Games, he also said he doubted there were obvious successors to Northern Ireland's golden generation of Paralympians which also included swimmer Bethany Firth, skier Kelly Gallagher as well as his fellow athlete McKillop.
With Smyth now retired, Firth is the only member of that quartet who remains in competition. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/65100668 |
Glan Clwyd Hospital: No major improvement at troubled A&E - report - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Patients at Glan Clwyd Hospital are at significant risk of harm, inspection report finds. | Wales | It is the third critical inspection report in a year for Glan Clwyd Hospital's A&E department
A third inspection in a year failed to find any major improvements at a north Wales hospital's emergency department.
Staff at Glan Clwyd Hospital's A&E were said to be working tirelessly to give the best care possible, but the service still requires significant improvement.
Inspectors said poor sepsis screening and triage and pain relief delays were putting patients at significant risk.
Health Minister Eluned Morgan admitted there were still "very, very serious problems" at the department.
Inspectors' concerns about standards in the department were classified as the most significant, with minimal improvements since their two previous visits.
The report comes a month after the health board was placed back in special measures following a damning audit report, and 11 independent board members were told to quit by the Welsh government.
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) visited the emergency department of the hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, in November after previous visits in March and May of 2022.
Their report again highlights an "incredibly busy department, struggling with shortages of staff, high numbers of seriously unwell patients and a lack of space to treat them".
The same could be said of emergency departments across Wales, but the fact that so little has been done to improve things since two previous visits means it remains under HIW's highest level of scrutiny.
Some speciality doctors refused to review patients in the emergency department, inspectors found
HIW chief executive Alun Jones said: "This inspection found evidence of a department struggling to cope with the day-to-day demand of providing a safe service to patients.
"It has highlighted areas such as poor team working between the ED [emergency department] and other departments within the hospital which, in turn, is compounding nationally recognised challenges around patient flow.
"The health board will need to take strong and decisive action to tackle the issues identified in our inspection. We will continue to engage with the health board to ensure sustained action is taken in relation to our findings.
"Inspectors found the standard of patient notes had improved, however rotas were challenging as there was a heavy reliance on bank and agency staff because of recruitment and retention issues.
"While waiting times to see a doctor had improved since May, the flow of patients through the department was still extremely challenging.
"Waits to see a specialty doctor varied and inspectors found on some occasions those doctors refused to review patients waiting in the ED, leading to further delays."
HIW said it would continue to monitor the response of the health board very closely.
The health board has apologised to patients who may not have received "the level of care they deserved".
Dr Nick Lyons, executive medical director and interim deputy chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, noted improvements highlighted by inspectors but acknowledged "we still have some way to go" to improve care for all patients."
"It is true staff within the ED at Glan Clwyd Hospital have been under enormous strain for the past three years and this has increased since restrictions eased," he said.
"Attempts to attract permanent members of staff to support the ED's work continues and another recruitment open day is planned within the next few weeks.
"However, the fragility in staffing and the volume of acutely unwell people we receive each day means we remain a service requiring significant improvement.
"The vast majority of our colleagues are a credit to our organisation and we value their hard work and professionalism. We will continue to strive to make sure they feel supported by colleagues in other specialties and their hospital management teams."
Dr Lyons said he noted "with pride" inspectors' comments about the commitment of staff, and the satisfaction of the "majority of patients" with their care.
He added: "Despite the issues raised in the report inspectors acknowledged progress has been made but we know this needs to accelerate.
"Our colleagues within ED, and in other areas of the hospital, are fully focused on driving this change forward and we are pleased to see the proportion of patients moving through the department within four hours continuing to rise."
Following publication of the inspection report, Health Minister Eluned Morgan agreed there were "still very, very serious problems" at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and its emergency department "in particular".
Eluned Morgan: "There seems to be a specific problem with the emergency department in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd"
Answering questions in the Welsh Parliament, the minister said there had been "serious discussions" with Dr Lyons "to ask about what exactly has been put in place" to improve the situation.
"There seems to be a specific problem here with the emergency department in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd," she said.
"We've got to encourage" the department to learn from the other emergency departments within Betsi Cadwaladr health board that are "working better", the minister said.
There had been "some encouraging improvements after the previous inspection" but it was "very disappointing that many of the issues have still not been fully resolved".
Ms Morgan was answering questions from members including Vale of Clwyd Conservative MS Gareth Davies, who later urged Ms Morgan to "get a grip on the situation" and "stop passing the buck".
"Patients, along with the people of North Wales, deserve better," he added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65101747 |
NI Water to increase bills for businesses - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Businesses will see an average increase of 13.4% in their water bills from next month. | Northern Ireland | Businesses will face the increase from 1 April
Businesses in Northern Ireland are facing an above inflation increase in water charges.
The average increase of 13.4% will also apply to other non-domestic customers like schools and churches.
NI Water said it had "absorbed as much cost as possible" but was facing "significant financial pressures" from rising energy prices.
Unlike other parts of the UK, households in Northern Ireland are not billed for water.
The water system in Northern Ireland is mostly funded by government resources rather than consumer charges.
NI Water is government-owned and mostly funded by the block grant provided to Stormont by the Treasury.
Specific bill changes for non-domestic customers operate according to a formula agreed with the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator.
NI Water director of finance Ronan Larkin said measured customer bills will rise by 12.7%, while unmeasured and trade effluent bills will rise by 13.7% and 15.5% respectively.
He added that this "compares favourably with other utilities across Gas and Electricity sectors".
The increases will mean a shop or small office unit, connected to sewer, using 285M³ of water, will pay £478, a rise of £54 per year.
A farmer using 400M³ of water, with septic tank, will pay £345, a rise of £37.
The increases will take effect from 1 April. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65109990 |
Lib Dems: Tories making cost-of-living crisis worse - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Sir Ed Davey accuses the Tories of "crashing the economy" as he launches the Lib Dem local elections campaign. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The Lib Dems have accused the Conservatives of making the cost-of-living crisis worse, as the party launched its local elections campaign.
Leader Sir Ed Davey said the Tory government had "crashed the economy" and added hundreds of pounds to people's monthly mortgage payments.
He said May's polls were the last chance to send a message to the government before a general election.
On 4 May, 230 councils across England will hold elections.
Sir Ed launched his party's campaign by driving a yellow tractor through a "blue wall" of hay bales in the former Conservative heartland of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, before giving a speech to councillors and party members.
"We're going to need some heavy machinery to clear up the mess of the Conservatives," he joked, after arriving in the tractor.
He told the crowd that with energy, food and housing costs "going through the roof", millions of families and pensioners were "struggling like never before".
"But the Conservative government is letting people down badly. They're taking people for granted," he said.
He added that the Conservatives had "made the cost-of-living crisis so much worse with their total chaos", with "unfair tax rises and cuts to essential public services, paying for the damage that they caused in the first place".
Sir Ed also accused the government of "letting the NHS crisis spiral out of control", by failing to deliver promised new hospitals and recruit enough doctors, as well as cutting GP numbers.
Earlier, the Lib Dems called for 8,000 new GPs to be recruited over four years to save "on-the-brink" local health services.
Analysis by the party has found there are now 500 fewer open and active GP surgeries than in 2019.
Recruiting extra GPs would reduce pressure on A&E and ambulance services from patients struggling to be seen by a doctor, the Lib Dems said.
The Lib Dems are also calling for energy bills to be cut by an average of £400 this year and a ban on water companies dumping raw sewage.
At last May's local elections, the Lib Dems won 224 new council seats - more than any other party.
The Lib Dems will be targeting both Labour and Conservative-held seats at this year's election, Mr Davey said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65106745 |
Paul O'Grady: TV presenter and comedian dies aged 67 - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The TV presenter and comedian died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening, his husband says. | Entertainment & Arts | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Presenter and comedian Paul O'Grady has died at the age of 67.
He died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening, his husband Andre Portasio said in a statement.
O'Grady rose to fame in the 1990s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, going on to present BBC One game show Blankety Blank and other light entertainment programmes.
Later in his career, he went on to host a number of chat shows, and also brought his love of dogs to the screen.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Paul O'Grady speaks to Michael Parkinson about his alter ego Lily Savage (2002)
"It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening," Mr Portasio said.
"He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.
"I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years."
A statement released on behalf of Queen Consort, Camilla, she was "deeply saddened to have learned of the death of Paul O'Grady, with whom she worked closely to support the work of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and whose warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many".
A spokesperson said she will be "sharing her sympathies with Paul's family privately in due course".
He had recently been on tour playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie.
Writing on Instagram a few weeks ago, after returning from performing in Newcastle, O'Grady said he was "thoroughly enjoying" playing the role again after so long "especially with a truly amazing and lovely cast".
The broadcaster left his weekly BBC Radio 2 show in August 2022, confirming it was because he was unhappy about sharing his Sunday afternoon slot.
He was due to present on Boom Radio in less than two weeks time for Easter Sunday.
O'Grady as his drag alter-ego Lily Savage at the Brit Awards in 1995
O'Grady's long-time radio producer Malcolm Prince said he had visited the star at his home on Tuesday afternoon, describing him as "laughing, smiling, and full of life".
Mr Prince posted on Twitter: "He was so proud of Annie, so happy to be back on Boom Radio, and he was looking forward to so many new projects.
"And now he's gone. I can't believe it. We have lost a unique talent - and I've lost a dear friend."
Speaking on her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show on Wednesday, Zoe Ball said: "We're all heavy of heart here this morning at the news of our dear friend Paul O'Grady. I know he was so loved by the Radio 2 listeners and all of us here."
O'Grady was described as a "really special man" by ITV's Lorraine Kelly. "Such sad news. Paul O'Grady - funny, fearless, brave, kind and wise," she tweeted. "Will be sorely missed."
Writing on Instagram, TV host Amanda Holden said O'Grady was "strong, funny, opinionated, no-nonsense, brilliant", while radio presenter Simon Mayo added he was "a lovely man, always funny and a radio natural".
Singer and TV host Aled Jones described O'Grady as "a lovely lovely person", while presenter Vernon Kay said he was "one of the nicest and kindest people I've ever met, always a joy to be around and obviously, so much fun".
Last year Paul O'Grady was joined by Camilla, the Queen Consort, for an episode for The Love of Dogs
Danny Beard, winner of the fourth series of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK, told BBC Breakfast O'Grady was "the most important person in British culture for drag".
Campaigner Peter Tatchell described the presenter as a "much-admired campaigner for LGBT+ equality and animal rights".
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, TV presenter Carol Vorderman said: "He just fizzed, he was one of those people that just made you feel every part of you was alive.
"He exploded through the daft, made-up rules of society. He was a massive talent, but you can't forget he was a social worker when he was younger, he saved babies and young children from abuse, he lived in Soho before it was gentrified, he never judged the vulnerable, the weak, the misunderstood."
O'Grady had been due to present a show on Boom Radio next weekend for Easter Sunday
One of O'Grady's most recent TV appearances was last year with Camilla, the Queen Consort, for a one-off episode of ITV's For The Love of Dogs - a series he helped launch in 2012, following the staff at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organisation for which he was an ambassador.
Following his death, the animal home remembered O'Grady as a "devoted animal lover" and a "champion for the underdog".
Former BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce wrote: "Such shocking sad news about Paul O'Grady. A unique and brilliant broadcaster who brightened the nation."
Top Gear host Paddy McGuinness added: "Paul started in the pubs and working men's clubs but finished as an icon of British TV. I'll miss him very much. Rest in peace Paul."
O'Grady won trophies at the TV Baftas and National Television Awards during his career
O'Grady was born in Birkenhead, on the Wirral, Merseyside, in 1955, to a mother whose maiden name was Savage - which is believed to have inspired his famous drag act.
He began performing as Lily Savage in the 1970s. The drag queen later performed in a solo show that ran for eight years at London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and made a name by speaking out about LGBT issues.
Later he hosted chat show The Lily Savage Show for BBC for a short run in 1997, before turning his hand to hosting a revived version of gameshow Blankety Blank, which remained on air until 2002.
He later hosted teatime programme The Paul O'Grady Show on ITV from 2004 to 2005, before moving with it to Channel 4 from 2006 until 2009. It was later revived in 2013 on ITV and remained on air for two years.
During 2013, the chat show was fronted by guest hosts after he suffered a health scare. He had previously had heart attacks in 2002 and 2006, the latter requiring a stay in intensive care.
The broadcaster also took over the reins presenting Blind Date from close friend Cilla Black, during a 2017 reboot of the show on Channel 5.
During his career O'Grady won a TV Bafta, British Comedy Award and a National Television Award for The Paul O'Grady Show.
In 2008, he was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to entertainment.
The TV star had a daughter with his friend Diane Jansen in 1974. He later married a Portuguese lesbian in 1977 in a marriage of convenience and only legally divorced her in 2005.
He married his husband at a ceremony in London in 2017.
O'Grady, who lived in Aldington, near Ashford, was appointed one of Kent's deputy lieutenants in November. The role is responsible for representing the King at events in the area. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65108130 |
Who is Kate Forbes, defeated SNP leadership candidate? - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ms Forbes was at the centre of a political storm over her religious beliefs at the start of the contest. | Scotland politics | Kate Forbes, who finished second to Humza Yousaf in the SNP leadership race, has announced that she is leaving the Scottish government.
Scotland's finance secretary was on maternity leave after the birth of her daughter when Nicola Sturgeon suddenly announced that she was quitting as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.
Within a couple of days of confirming she would be standing in the contest to succeed her, Ms Forbes found herself at the centre of a political storm.
Her views on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, trans rights and having children outside of marriage were savaged by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who had been standing in for the deeply religious Ms Forbes since last July.
Ms Sturgeon herself also made thinly-veiled barbs at the woman she had appointed finance secretary at the age of 29, just hours before she had to deliver a budget speech.
Scotland is a progressive country, Ms Sturgeon stated, and the views of the next first minister therefore matter.
Ms Forbes saw several supporters desert her campaign in response to the furore, which was ignited when she told journalists that she would not have voted for gay marriage had she been an MSP at the time.
She subsequently told Sky News that she believed that having children outside of marriage is "wrong" according to her faith as a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, while stressing that: "In a free society you can do what you want."
Ms Forbes has never hidden her religious beliefs, leaving pundits wondering why they had appeared to come as a shock to some of her supporters.
The Free Church, of which she is a devout follower, has strongly opposed gay marriage since it was legalised in Scotland in 2014.
Ms Forbes and her husband Ali celebrated the birth of daughter Naomi last year
In 2018, Ms Forbes spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast for Scotland a day after a Westminster debate on abortion, when she called on politicians to "recognise that the way we treat the most vulnerable - whether the unborn or the terminally ill - is a measure of true progress".
She was among the 15 SNP politicians who wrote an open letter to Ms Sturgeon the following year asking for a delay to gender recognition reforms that would allow people in Scotland to self-identify their sex.
The final vote on the proposals was held when Ms Forbes was on maternity leave, but when she launched her leadership campaign she made clear that she still had significant concerns about self-identification and would not have been able to vote for the legislation in its current form.
Several senior figures within the Scottish government reacted with fury to her comments, with Mr Swinney saying he profoundly disagreed with her views despite also having deep Christian faith.
Humza Yousaf warned that independence could only be won if the SNP sticks to "progressive values" and avoids a "lurch to the right".
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The bubbling tensions boiled over in a televised STV debate, when Ms Forbes launched an attack on Mr Yousaf in which she slated his performance as a government minister.
Ms Forbes told Mr Yousaf: "You were transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times.
"What makes you think you can do a better job as first minister?"
Ms Forbes presumably did little to endear herself to the SNP hierarchy watching at home - although Ms Sturgeon says she didn't tune in for the debate - when she declared that it was time for a new generation to lead the party and that "more of the same is not a manifesto - it is an acceptance of mediocrity".
The remark could be read as a dig at Mr Yousaf, who to some extent pitched himself as the "continuity candidate", and the record of Ms Sturgeon herself.
She later doubled down by saying she would potentially have space for Mr Yousaf in her cabinet if she won the contest - but not as health secretary.
Ms Forbes was born in Dingwall in the Highlands, but was partly raised in India as her parents travelled there twice as missionaries, the first time when she was four years old.
Her parents are reported to have been members of the more liberal Church of Scotland, with Ms Forbes claiming that she had chosen to join the Free Church after returning from India as it was "just down the road".
Ms Forbes (centre) had two spells in India during her childhood
She went to a Gaelic school while in Scotland and became a fluent speaker of the language as a child.
When she returned to India at the age of 10, she studied at Woodstock School - an international residential school in the foothills of the Himalayas.
She went on to complete degrees at Cambridge University and Edinburgh University and became a chartered accountant for Barclays in London.
She worked as an assistant to the SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Dave Thompson, for two years before being selected to replace him when he stood down.
On the backbenches, the then 26-year-old campaigned to ban plastic straws and delivered a speech in the Holyrood chamber entirely in Gaelic.
In 2018 she entered government as public finance minister working alongside Derek Mackay, who she would go on to succeed as finance secretary when he was forced to stand down just hours before delivering his budget speech after it emerged he had sent inappropriate text messages to a 16-year-old schoolboy.
Ms Forbes became Scotland's first female finance secretary and was widely praised for delivering the budget speech with just a few hours' notice, having only received the call from Ms Sturgeon at 7am that morning.
She has said the SNP needs to win over No voters by using the Scottish Parliament's existing powers to show that Scotland can flourish if it is to secure independence.
Ms Forbes had only a few hours to prepare for a budget speech after being appointed to the finance brief
Ms Forbes told the Guardian: "We keep holding ourselves as hostages to fortune by setting a timetable rather than by focusing on what is really going to shift the dial.
"So day one, I would start the campaign for independence. But I would do that through gentle persuasion, making the economic case and earning people's trust back. The more successful and effective we are at that, the shorter the timetable becomes."
She has said she would not raise income tax for higher earners and would instead focus on growing the economy and expanding the tax base by cutting red tape for businesses, improving transport infrastructure and having a "cautious" transition away from North Sea oil and gas.
Ms Forbes has also described the government's bottle return scheme as well-intentioned but "badly executed".
During a Channel 4 debate, presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy told Ms Forbes that her views on taxation and economic growth sounded "a bit like Liz Truss".
The three candidates were Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes
Little of this would be popular with the Scottish Greens, whose power-sharing deal with the SNP would have been very unlikely to survive under Ms Forbes - particularly because of her views on social issues.
The SNP's social justice secretary, Shona Robison, said she would have to think long and hard about whether she would serve in government under Ms Forbes, while the party's deputy leader at Westminster, Mhairi Black, warned of a possible split if the finance secretary had won the leadership.
Several of her colleagues were said to have been furious over her attack on Mr Yousaf's record, which they believe will be quoted repeatedly by opposition parties as they seek to attack the SNP's record in government.
The Scottish Conservatives have already said they want to use Ms Forbes' remarks in their next party political broadcast. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64886840 |
Pope Francis spends 'calm' night in hospital - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The pontiff, 86, will stay in hospital for a few days, but does not have Covid, the Vatican says. | Europe | Pope Francis was helped into the popemobile after his weekly general audience on Wednesday
Pope Francis spent a calm night in hospital after being admitted for a respiratory infection and is expected to remain there for a few days for treatment, a Vatican source has said.
Italian news agency Ansa reported nurses were optimistic he would be out of hospital in time for Palm Sunday this weekend.
It added tests had ruled out heart problems and pneumonia.
In a statement, the Vatican said said Pope Francis had a respiratory infection and would need to remain there for a few days.
The 86-year-old has had breathing difficulties in recent days, but does not have Covid, its statement said.
"Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the statement added.
His closest staff, including security, spent the night at the Gemelli Hospital, a person with direct knowledge told the BBC.
This is the busiest time of the year for Pope Francis, with many events and services scheduled ahead of Easter weekend.
A Palm Sunday Mass is scheduled this weekend, with Holy Week and Easter celebrations next week.
He is also scheduled to visit Hungary at the end of April.
On Wednesday morning, he presided over his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square. He appeared in good spirits, but was seen grimacing as he was helped into his vehicle.
The Vatican initially said the Pope had gone to hospital for a previously scheduled check-up, but Italian media questioned this account after a television interview was cancelled at short notice.
Reacting to the news, President Joe Biden asked people to make an "extra prayer" for the Pope's recovery.
Mr Biden, who is only the second Roman Catholic to be elected leader of the US, also described the pontiff as one of the "most Christ-like figures I've ever met".
People in the Pope's home city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, shared their feelings with Reuters news agency. One man, Daniel Saco, said the pontiff "must ask himself whether he can continue".
"It is very sad because, as a Latin American, I feel represented by this Pope, who is very open-minded and human," said Victoria Veira, who is originally from Brazil.
Anibal Pizelle, who met the Pope when he was bishop of Buenos Aires, said she was optimistic for a recovery as Francis was "physically and mentally strong" and a "person with enormous faith".
The Pope has used a wheelchair in recent months because of mobility problems related to his knee.
He also underwent surgery to treat a colon problem in 2021. In January, he said the condition had returned.
Despite his ailments, the Pope has remained active and has undertaken trips abroad. He visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in February.
In January, the Pope led the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI - who was the first pope to step down voluntarily for centuries. He said this was due to ill health.
Pope Francis has previously indicated that he may also wish to follow in Benedict's footsteps in the event that his health deteriorates.
A statue of late Pope John Paul II in front of the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis is being treated
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From February: BBC religion editor Aleem Maqbool witnesses the Pope's visit to Kinshasa | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65117270 |
Video of deadly fire at Mexico migrant centre causes outrage - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Footage appears to show officers failing to open a cell door as the fire erupted. | Latin America & Caribbean | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Outrage is growing in Mexico following a fire at a migrant centre in Ciudad Juárez that killed 38 migrants.
Footage has emerged which shows the moment the fire started at the centre run by Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM).
Uniformed officials seem to walk away as the blaze erupts in a corner, leaving a group of men behind in what appears to be a locked cell.
The men unsuccessfully try to open the barred door as smoke quickly spreads.
The BBC verified the footage by reverse searching the thumbnail and seven frames from the 32-second video and found no copy of it before Tuesday evening, indicating the footage is recent.
It also spoke to Alejandra Corona, a co-ordinator for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Ciudad Juárez, who visits the facility weekly.
She said the view seen on the video was consistent with the location of a security camera at the entrance to the men's detention area.
Ms Corona explained that the migrant centre - located just south of the bridge which links Ciudad Juárez with the city of El Paso in Texas - houses offices where migrants are processed, as well as areas where they can be detained.
She described the area behind bars that can be seen in the footage as "a cell".
"The door has always been locked when we have visited [this area], and even when we come to speak to the migrants, they can't come out, we have to stay on the outside," she explained.
"I am not aware of an emergency exit, as far as I know the door you can see in the video is the only exit."
Ms Corona said that on her visits the cell, which usually holds between 40 and 60 men, has been watched over by a private security guard and a staff member of the INM, which squares with the two uniformed men who can be seen in the footage.
The footage has been widely shared on Twitter and published by a number of Mexican newspapers, with many people expressing shock at what they said was a failure by the uniformed staff to act.
They point to the moment at which one of the men in uniform seems to ignore a man behind the barred door, who appears to try to open it and fails as the flames spread.
As the video has no sound it is not possible to ascertain what, if anything, was said as the fire erupted. It is also unclear what the uniformed staff are doing when not on camera.
The smoke then fills the room making it hard to make out anything beyond the glare of the flames.
The footage appears to back up the account of the wife of a Venezuelan migrant who survived the fire.
Viangly Infante Padrón's husband was inside the facility when the fire broke out. He has survived
Viangly Infante Padrón told reporters that officers had left her husband and the other male migrants "behind locked bars" as they fled.
"There was smoke everywhere. They let the women out and the migration staff, but it wasn't until the firefighters arrived that they let the men out," she told Associated Press news agency.
She also said that the men had been protesting because they had not been given any water while in custody.
On Monday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the migrants set mattresses alight "when they learned that they'd be deported".
On Tuesday, he said a thorough investigation would be carried out and vowed there would be "no impunity and no one will be protected".
Mexican officials say a total of 68 men were in the facility at the time of the blaze. The majority were from Guatemala with the others from Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela.
Mexican officials have released the names of all the men but have not yet provided clarification as to which of them are dead and which have survived.
INM Commissioner Francisco Garduno visited some of the injured migrants in hospital
They also revised the number of dead down from 40 to 38, while 28 are reported to be seriously injured and suffering from smoke inhalation.
Distraught relatives have complained about not being given enough information about the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.
Even an updated list of casualties still contained erroneous information, further heightening the anxiety among those waiting for news, Ms Corona of the Jesuit Refugee Service said.
The relatives also queried why the men had been locked up in the first place.
Ms Corona told the BBC that raids to detain migrants had become more frequent in Ciudad Juárez. "Anyone who enters Mexico in an irregular way can face arrest."
She added it was important to note that that did not mean that those held at the facility had committed any crime.
"Their relatives told us that some had been detained upon landing at the airport, others at the bus terminal and yet others on the streets of the city," Ms Corona explained.
The fire comes at a time when Mexico is struggling to deal with an influx of migrants, most of whom are crossing Mexico in the hope of reaching the United States.
Many of them have been camped out in cities on the US-Mexico border for weeks and sometimes months, awaiting the possible lifting of a Trump-era policy which allows US border officials to deny individuals entry to the US "to prevent the spread of communicable diseases".
The Biden Administration had moved to end the policy, which is known as Title 42, last year, but the US Supreme Court blocked the move at the end of December and it remains in place.
However, many migrants from Central and South America, as well as from as far afield as Africa, continue to embark on long treks to the US-Mexico border in the hope of the restrictions being lifted. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-65111258 |
Diesel 17p more per litre than petrol despite oil price falls - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Difference between price per litre is "scandalous" given similar wholesale costs, RAC says. | Business | Diesel is being sold for about 17p per litre more on average than petrol, despite wholesale costs falling to similar levels, a motoring group said.
Average diesel prices are £1.64 per litre compared with £1.47 per litre for petrol, while both are priced at about £1.15 wholesale, the RAC said.
It said the difference was "scandalous" and that cuts in the wholesale price had not been passed on to customers.
Retailers said they "understood the cost pressures" drivers faced.
Supermarkets and private retailers buy fuel on the wholesale market to sell to consumers.
The RAC, which tracks and campaigns on fuel prices, said diesel wholesale prices had fallen and were now the same as petrol on average.
But Simon Williams, fuel spokesman for the motoring group, said there was "still more than 17p difference at the pump" which he described as "absolutely shocking".
Mr Williams said given the amount wholesale prices had dropped, forecourts should have already reduced pump costs for diesel to about £1.52, and a further cut to £1.47 in the coming weeks should feed through.
When prices change in the wholesale market, they can take time to feed through to changes at the pumps, due to how frequently smaller sellers restock.
But Mr Williams said larger supermarkets, which dominate sales, had been given "plenty of time" to pass on lower prices to customers.
"They [supermarkets] remain totally resolute in their refusal to cut their prices substantially which is nothing short of scandalous, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis," he said.
"For retailers to be taking a margin of nearly 20p a litre on average throughout March, compared to the long-term average of 7p, is devastating for every driver and business that relies on diesel."
However, Andrew Opie, director for food at the British Retail Consortium, which represents supermarkets, said: "Retailers understand the cost pressures facing motorists and will do everything they can to offer the best value-for-money across petrol forecourts."
The trade body did not comment on the disparity in prices directly, but said because prices at the pump tend to lag behind wholesale prices, the recent falls in diesel wholesale prices were still filtering through to consumers.
Fuel costs surged in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as global oil prices soared to more than $130 a barrel.
However, crude oil costs have now returned to levels seen before the war.
Nathan Piper, an oil and gas analyst, told the BBC diesel prices have been typically higher due to the UK needing to import the fuel, whereas it is self-sufficient when it comes to petrol production.
The UK imported about 20% of its diesel from Russia before the war in Ukraine.
Mr Piper said cutting ties with the country meant prices increased as demand rose globally.
But there has been criticism from motoring groups like the RAC that while petrol retailers were quick to put up prices, they've been slower to bring them down as costs have fallen.
A competition investigation is ongoing into whether retailers made greater profits through so-called "rocket and feather" pricing, which is when fuel prices rise as wholesale costs rise, but then fall more slowly than costs come down.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) watchdog said in its latest update it had seen some evidence of that in 2022, in particular for diesel pricing. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65098942 |
Scotland 2-0 Spain: Steve Clarke's side earn consecutive Euro 2024 qualification wins - BBC Sport | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | null | Sensational Scotland take a seismic leap in their bid for consecutive European Championships by stunning Spain in a heroic triumph. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Sensational Scotland took a seismic leap in their bid to reach consecutive European Championships by stunning Spain in a heroic triumph.
Scott McTominay crashed in a deflected opener after just seven minutes, triggering an explosion of noise inside a charged Hampden Park.
Steve Clarke's team rode their luck to stay ahead at the break, only for McTominay to repeat his earlier feat just after the restart to cause chaos in the stands as well as in the bamboozled Spanish defence.
Scotland, in their first competitive victory over Spain for 39 years, now top Group A - three points above the humbled Spaniards and five in front of a stuttering Norway.
• None Podcast: 'There's no reason this team can't get to the Euros'
This one was for the lovers. It was also for the the long suffering.
Scotland's support are among the most passionate. Even in defeat in Kazakhstan; in incessant matches with Israel; in a 1-0 humbling by Costa Rica; in a last-gasp Harry Kane equaliser; and also in getting to a major championships for the first time in a generation only to have your goalie lobbed from the half-way line.
A top-10 side in Croatia were undone here 10 years ago, but surely not since World Cup finalists France were heroically beaten in 2006 and 2007 has that loyalty been vindicated as it was at a national stadium dripping with drama as much as the damp Glaswegian weather.
Clarke steered Scotland to Euro 2020, but in terms of landmark nights, this one is up there with dumping Denmark and shootouts in Serbia. And then some.
From the seventh minute, Scotland were on the march. Pedro Porro, Spurs' beleaguered full-back, slipped, leaving the door open for Andy Robertson to pounce. His cut back was perfect for McTominay, whose low rifled shot whizzed off the sprawling Inigo Martinez and into the net.
If that was met with hysteria, you could have heard a pin drop when Scotland's new hero struck again on the 51st minute.
This time it was Kieran Tierney's cross after a marauding run that the Spaniards didn't deal with. Fifty thousand held their collective breath as the leather of McTominay's boot struck on the half volley.
Bedlam ensued in the stands, while Clarke allowed himself a modest fist pump in a fleeting glimpse of emotion.
In truth, it was a killer blow that caused Spain - who made eight changes from the side which overcame Norway 3-0 on Saturday - to capitulate. Passes all over the place, 50/50s lost.
They were a shadow of the team that had the Scots clinging to a half-time lead. Their second defeat in 39 European Championship qualifiers was in the post.
While Ryan Christie's meandering run and toe poke whistled past for what would have been a quick second, Espanyol's Joseulu soon caused chaos. He had a free header straight at Angus Gunn saved, before then thundering another off a rattled crossbar.
There was then a moment of madness from Robertson, who was lucky to escape a shoulder to Porro's jaw. It was a bombardment at that point.
But Scotland should have added to their lot, too. Lyndon Dykes steered over when one-on-one just before the break, while John McGinn whacked the bar straight from a free-kick.
In the end it did not matter. The game came to a close with a chorus of "no Scotland, no party". It may be going for some time.
Are sweet dreams made of these? - analysis
This isn't how it's meant to be, is it?
After two games, Scotland are sitting pretty in Group A. Their performance here was markedly up from the one which was enough in a perfunctory 3-0 win over Cyprus on Saturday. In truth, it is potentially a new watermark for this team.
With a new contract just signed, there is a feeling now Clarke and this squad have a real future. An anti-climactic Euro 2020 and a dismal World Cup play-off defeat will act as markers along the road for this team, painful memories in the rear-view mirror to offer a sign of what can happen when this wee nation gets carried away.
But the Tartan Army, just perhaps, can allow themselves to dream big again. Norway will be a different proposition with Erling Haaland back in their ranks, and undoubtedly Scotland got a Spain in transition at exactly the right time. But what a chance they now have.
• None Scotland earned their first win over Spain since November 1984 (3-1 in a World Cup qualifier), while this was just their third ever competitive victory against them (1957, 1984 and 2023).
• None Spain suffered their first defeat in a Euro qualifying match since October 2014 (1-2 v Slovakia), having won 17 of their last 19 such fixtures (D2) and never conceding more than once in a game in this run.
• None Scotland have won five consecutive home matches for the first time since September 2006-October 2007, when they won six in a row between tenures of Walter Smith and Alex McLeish.
• None McTominay became the first Scotland player to score a brace against Spain since Maurice Johnston in a World Cup qualifier in November 1984, which also came in a win at Hampden Park.
• None McTominay has scored twice in each of his last two caps, becoming just the second Scotland player this century to score a brace in consecutive international outings, after James Forrest in November 2018.
• None Robertson has assisted three goals in his last three games for Scotland, while he's the first player to assist in three consecutive appearances since Ryan Fraser in March 2019.
Scotland go to Norway on 16 June (19:45 BST) for an encounter which could have huge ramifications in Group A, before hosting Georgia three days later.
• None Scott McTominay (Scotland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt saved. Lawrence Shankland (Scotland) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Callum McGregor.
• None Attempt missed. Yeremy Pino (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.
• None Offside, Spain. Gavi tries a through ball, but Nico Williams is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65022207 |
Yousaf appoints 'ambitious' cabinet - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Humza Yousaf says his team will deliver a "radical, ambitious and progressive policy agenda". | Scotland | Humza Yousaf has opted for a balance of youth and experience in his cabinet.
This is underlined by the way he has split the finance portfolio between his deputy Shona Robison – an MSP since 1999 and a veteran of several government posts – and a fresher face in Neil Gray, who takes on the economy brief.
Angela Constance and Michael Matheson both know their way around government, and have been handed two of the trickier jobs in justice and health.
But perhaps the stiffest task has been reserved for cabinet newbie Jenny Gilruth, the former teacher who must now attempt to close the attainment gap – a task which eluded a succession of education secretaries including John Swinney.
There are one or two glaring absences though.
Keith Brown is out as justice secretary, two years after returning to government. He will presumably go back to focusing on his post as deputy leader of the SNP, with big changes in the offing at party HQ.
And the absence of Kate Forbes may make it harder for Mr Yousaf to pull the party back together, given how close she ran him in the leadership contest. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-65098644 |
NHS Tracker: Find out about hospital waiting times in your area this winter - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Flu, staff shortages and Covid backlogs are putting the NHS under severe strain, find out what's happening in your area. | 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-59549800 |
Visitors can walk on rare coronation floor in socks - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Westminster Abbey will allow access to the spot on a 750-year-old floor where the King will be crowned. | UK | The coronation will take place on this 750-year-old decorated floor
Historic medieval flooring, at the exact spot where King Charles will be crowned inside Westminster Abbey, is going to be opened to visitors - as long as they take off their shoes.
Abbey authorities say this will be the first time in living memory that the public will have been able to walk across the "Cosmati pavement".
The mosaic is claimed as one of Britain's greatest medieval treasures.
But visitors will have to wear socks to protect the 13th Century surface.
At the centre of the medieval mosaic is a polished stone circle with a swirling pattern, surrounded by rings of designs in glass, marble and coloured stone, and this is where the coronation chair will be placed when King Charles is crowned on 6 May.
Since the 19th Century, the richly-decorated but rather battered floor had been covered up with carpets - including for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 - or roped off from public access.
The medieval floor had been covered by carpets at the previous coronation in 1953
But the intricate mosaic, claimed as the most important example of this style outside Italy, will be revealed for the coronation of King Charles, with the 700-year-old coronation chair being placed in the centre of the floor.
For 10 weeks after the coronation, from 15 May to 29 July, visitors will be able to walk across the Cosmati pavement and stand on the spot where centuries of royal coronations have taken place.
Standing in their socks - bare feet will not be allowed to avoid the floor getting "sticky" - visitors would be able to get the view that King Charles had, looking towards the high altar with the congregation and choir behind him.
The Abbey, expecting a high demand for this one-off experience, said the visits must be pre-booked, with people allowed on to the flooring in small groups, as part of a £15 guided tour.
Visitors to the Abbey can see the flooring designed by medieval Italian craftsmen
But this week the site was also briefly occupied by anti-monarchy protesters, who walked on to the Cosmati pavement, wearing shoes, and held up a banner.
A spokesman for campaign group Republic, which has called for the abolition of the monarchy, criticised the coronation as a "pointless parade" that would shore up an "unelected head of state".
The medieval floor has had painstaking restoration work, taking off centuries of grime, but the Abbey's head conservator Vanessa Simeoni says much of the stone is original.
She said that working on the historic floor gives her a real sense of continuity with the original craft workers who laid the mosaic 750 years ago.
Vanessa Simeoni, head conservator, says she feels a connection with the original makers of the flooring
"It's absolutely amazing. I always feel a connection with the people who made these objects. They knew their materials, they knew their designs," says the conservator.
Working on the stones she says the conservators can see different techniques that were being tried by their medieval forebears, such as a way of waterproofing and keeping out the damp that the Italians working in London had developed.
Anti-monarchy protesters walked on to the Cosmati pavement and held up a banner
The floor, named after the Italian craftsmen who created it, was commissioned by Henry III and completed in 1268. It's a square of about 7.5 metres, with a design of interlocking patterns, using inlaid stones, such as purple-coloured porphyry and yellow limestone.
When it was first laid, the marble, glass and coloured stones would have been highly polished, so that the floor would have shimmered in the candlelight.
Ms Simeoni said that as well as Italian and local English materials, the floor includes stones from Egypt, Greece and Turkey.
Many of the pieces of stone and marble used in the floor were taken from Roman ruins and recycled by Italian craftsmen who brought them to Britain, she added.
It means that the coronations of monarchs in Westminster Abbey have taken place for centuries on a surface built from the fragments of an even older Roman Empire. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65027039 |
Gigantic dinosaur skeleton on show in London - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Natural History Museum displays the bones of one of the biggest animals ever to walk the Earth. | Science & Environment | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: A timelapse movie of Patagotitan's assembly at the Natural History Museum
A colossus has landed in London: A cast of what was one of the biggest animals ever to walk the Earth is now on show at the Natural History Museum.
Patagotitan was a dinosaur that lived 100 million years ago in South America.
Measuring some 37m (121ft) from nose to tail, the beast could have weighed up to 60 or 70 tonnes in life.
The museum has brought over not just a representative skeleton but some of the real fossil bones first discovered in Argentina in 2014.
The largest is a 2.4m-long femur, or thigh bone. It's been erected upright to give visitors an extraordinary selfie opportunity.
There are interactive games and videos - and a few selfie opportunities
"Patagotitan was what we call a sauropod dinosaur," explained palaeontologist Prof Paul Barrett.
"It's a relative of things like Diplodocus that you might be a bit more familiar with. It's one of these large barrel-bodied animals with forced-out legs. It almost looks like a giant elephant that's had an anaconda snake threaded through it, with a very long neck and a long tail," he told BBC News.
The replica skeleton is on loan from Argentina's Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio (MEF), whose staff unearthed the original fossils.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Paul Barrett: "They turned their bodies into huge fermentation tanks"
The London institution had to put its thinking cap on to work out how best to display the creature.
It only just fits in its Waterhouse Gallery, its largest exhibition space. Even then, the end of the tail has had to be bent around a column.
The floor also needed to be strengthened, but, cleverly, engineers have been able to hide some of the supporting armature, or support frame, so that it looks as though the dinosaur is walking along the carpet.
"It's been quite the challenge, second only to hanging our blue whale from the ceiling in the museum's Hintze Hall," said head of technical production, Jez Burn.
The cast is accompanied by lots of interactive videos and games that explain the life stories of the exceptionally large sauropods that lived in the Cretaceous Period of Earth history.
Who exactly was the biggest of these titanosaurs is difficult to say, but animals like Patagotitan and another creature called Argentinosaurus were right up there.
"What's incredible about Patagotitan is the amount of the dinosaur that was found," said exhibition developer Sinéad Marron.
"The other giant dinosaurs are known from just a few fragments of bones, whereas the skeleton of Patagotitan is known from a couple of hundred bones from at least six different individuals. We simply know more about Patagotitan than all the other giants."
Get in there and touch. Patagotitan strides directly across the carpet. It's not on a plinth
Scientists are unsure why the titanosaurs were so big, but they have a good idea as to how they developed their immense bulk.
This probably had something to do with the relatively poor quality plant food available to them, which required a large digestive system to get the most out of it.
Essentially, they were giant fermentation tanks on sturdy legs.
Visitors will get to squeeze some tubes intended to simulate a titanosaur's intestines. Prepare to be shocked by the beast's tummy rumbles.
An animal as big as Patagotitan would have had to eat all day and most of the night to sustain itself.
By one calculation, the animal could have consumed over 130kg of plants every day. This is equivalent to approximately 515 round lettuces.
From Pangea to the present day A series of images animated to show how Pangea evolved over time to create the world land masses that we know today
No wonder scientists describe titanosaurs as "ecosystem engineers". As they moved across the landscape, they would have cleared all vegetation in front of them.
Imagine the slurry production... from a whole herd.
It's a yucky thought but with it would have come the mass processing and shifting of nutrients, along with the dispersal of countless seeds.
The influence on the environment and the lives of all animals around at the time would have been profound.
The exhibition - Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur - opens on Friday and runs until 7 January next year. It is a ticketed event.
The dinosaur bones were unearthed in 2014 in Patagonia, Argentina | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65094602 |
King Charles says Germany and UK have shared future in speech to Bundestag - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Speaking in German at the Bundestag, he covered the war in Ukraine, climate change, and the Lionesses' victory at the Euros. | UK | It's been a busy day in Germany for King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort.
Not only did he make history by becoming the first British monarch to address the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament, he also met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and paid a visit to a local market
The red carpet was rolled out for the King's meeting with Scholz Image caption: The red carpet was rolled out for the King's meeting with Scholz
The King and the Queen Consort then visited a street market, where they greeted members of the public and chatted with stall holders Image caption: The King and the Queen Consort then visited a street market, where they greeted members of the public and chatted with stall holders
Then it was off to the Bundestag, where the King received a warm reception to his speech - which was mainly delivered in German Image caption: Then it was off to the Bundestag, where the King received a warm reception to his speech - which was mainly delivered in German
Later, he tried his hand at table football while visiting Ukrainian refugees at an arrival centre Image caption: Later, he tried his hand at table football while visiting Ukrainian refugees at an arrival centre | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-65063333 |
Shona Robison replaces Kate Forbes as finance secretary in new cabinet - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Shona Robison is given the finance brief as well as serving as Humza Yousaf's deputy first minister. | Scotland politics | Ms Robison will be responsible for drawing up the annual Scottish budget in her new role as finance secretary
Shona Robison is to replace Kate Forbes as Scotland's finance secretary after new First Minister Humza Yousaf announced his first cabinet.
Ms Robison has been given the finance brief as well as serving as deputy first minister.
She is a close friend of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Ms Robison was responsible for introducing the controversial gender reforms in her previous role as social justice secretary.
The announcement came as Mr Yousaf unveiled his new cabinet team after being formally sworn as first minister in a brief ceremony at the Court of Session.
Other key appointments include Michael Matheson taking over from Mr Yousaf as health secretary, while former transport minister Jenny Gilruth will join the full cabinet for the first time as education secretary.
Another cabinet newcomer, Mairi McAllan, will be the net zero and just transition secretary, at the age of just 30.
The new cabinet team consists of six women and three men
And Neil Gray, who led Mr Yousaf's SNP leadership campaign, also joins the cabinet after being given responsibility for the wellbeing economy, fair work and energy briefs.
The SNP's deputy leader, Keith Brown, has been replaced by Angela Constance as the country's justice secretary.
The remaining three members of the nine-strong cabinet team are:
The full list of 18 non-cabinet ministerial roles was also announced on Wednesday, including a new post of minister for independence, which will be filled by Jamie Hepburn.
The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater have been reappointed to the roles they held under Nicola Sturgeon as part of the partnership agreement with the SNP.
There is no role in Humza Yousaf's government for defeated SNP leadership candidate Ash Regan.
Kate Forbes, who was narrowly defeated by Mr Yousaf in the contest, announced on Tuesday she was leaving the government.
She had been offered a new role by Mr Yousaf that would have given her Ms Gougeon's rural affairs job rather than finance - which would generally be viewed as a demotion - but she turned it down.
The new cabinet team has five members under the age of 40 and, for the first time, a majority of women.
Mr Yousaf said it reflected the priorities that the government will pursue, including tackling child poverty, improving public services and building a fairer, greener economy.
He added: "I have committed myself to a radical, ambitious and progressive policy agenda for Scotland - and I know that this team is the right one to deliver it.
"As we make the case for Scottish independence, we will continue to govern well and demonstrate to the people of Scotland the benefits of decisions about their lives being taken here in Scotland."
Mr Yousaf said he wanted a government that looked as much as possible like the people it represented, but insisted that all of his appointments had been made on merit.
He also paid tribute to those ministers who are now departing government - including Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney.
And he said he was disappointed that Ms Forbes was not in his cabinet as "she's a great talent, she's somebody who has got a lot to give".
Mairi McAllan joins the cabinet for the first time, at the age of 30
During the SNP leadership campaign, Mr Yousaf said he favoured a "big tent" rather than "inner circle" approach to making key decisions and has pledged to bring the party back together again after deep divisions were exposed by the contest.
He faced withering criticism of his own ministerial record from Ms Forbes in a live STV debate, while her views on issues such as gender recognition reform and gay marriage led the Scottish Greens to question whether they could work with her.
Given the narrow margin of his victory over Ms Forbes, by 52.1% to 47.9%, some of her supporters had urged Mr Yousaf to keep her in government.
BBC Scotland understands that Ms Forbes felt the SNP's partnership agreement with the Scottish Greens would have "tied her hands and cost her dearly in her constituency" if she had taken the rural affairs job.
It emerged earlier on Wednesday that Ivan McKee, who had been the business minister under Nicola Sturgeon, will also leave the government after being offered a new role that he regarded as a demotion.
Mr McKee had initially been campaign manager for Ms Forbes in the leadership contest, but stepped back from that role after early controversies in her campaign.
Humza Yousaf has opted for a balance of youth and experience in his cabinet.
This is underlined by the way he has split the finance portfolio between his deputy Shona Robison - an MSP since 1999 and a veteran of several government posts - and a fresher face in Neil Gray, who takes on the economy brief.
Angela Constance and Michael Matheson both know their way around government, and have been handed two of the trickier jobs in justice and health.
But perhaps the stiffest task has been reserved for cabinet newbie Jenny Gilruth, the former teacher who must now attempt to close the attainment gap - a task which eluded a succession of education secretaries including John Swinney.
There are one or two glaring absences though.
Keith Brown is out as justice secretary, two years after returning to government. He will presumably go back to focusing on his post as deputy leader of the SNP, with big changes in the offing at party HQ.
And the absence of Kate Forbes may make it harder for Mr Yousaf to pull the party back together, given how close she ran him in the leadership contest.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie described the new cabinet team as "dismal" and said it "cements the SNP's new status as a deeply divided party led by B-rate politicians".
She added: "The first minister promised to bring the country together, but he can't even bring his own party together. Loyalty is being rewarded over talent - but both are in short supply in the SNP.
"At the heart of this continuity government are some of the most incompetent politicians of the last decade, set to deliver more of the same failure."
Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: "This is a cabinet in Humza Yousaf's image - failed, continuity ministers appointed by a failed, continuity minister.
"The likes of Shona Robison, Michael Matheson, Angela Constance and Jenny Gilruth have been found sorely wanting in previous ministerial roles, yet all have been 'rewarded' with promotion by the new first minister." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65112195 |
Kate Forbes: SNP leadership candidate leaves government - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Her departure came hours after SNP leader Humza Yousaf was confirmed as Scotland's new first minister. | Scotland politics | Ms Forbes and Mr Yousaf embraced after he was confirmed as Scotland's new first minister on Tuesday afternoon
Kate Forbes, who finished second in the SNP leadership race, is to leave the Scottish government.
The BBC understands the finance secretary was offered a move to rural affairs by the new first minister, Humza Yousaf, but turned down the job.
Her departure came hours after the new SNP leader was confirmed as Scotland's first minister after a vote in the Scottish Parliament.
The post she was offered by Mr Yousaf would be seen as a major demotion.
Ms Forbes later tweeted that Mr Yousaf had her "full support" and said: "I have full confidence he will appoint a talented cabinet and ministerial team, able to meet the challenges facing the country."
She had been on maternity leave from her role when Nicola Sturgeon resigned as first minister and SNP leader last month.
Mr Yousaf was elected as first minister after being backed by his own MSPs and the Scottish Greens, which guaranteed him a majority over the opposition party leaders.
He becomes Scotland's youngest first minister, at the age of 37, and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Mr Yousaf to congratulate him on Tuesday.
Ms Forbes had launched a highly-personal attack on Mr Yousaf during the SNP leadership contest when she questioned whether he was capable of being first minister during a live STV debate.
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She told Mr Yousaf: "You were transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times".
Ms Forbes came under fire from senior SNP colleagues during the campaign over her socially conservative views on issues like abortion and gay marriage, with Mr Yousaf warning the party against a "lurch to the right".
Her beliefs as a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland also clash with those of the Scottish Greens, who had threatened to walk away from their power-sharing agreement with the SNP if she had won the contest.
Speaking shortly after being confirmed as the new first minister on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Yousaf said he had spoken to Ms Forbes and "absolutely" wanted her to remain in government - but it was not known at that stage what role she had been offered or whether she would accept.
Mr Yousaf narrowly defeated Ms Forbes by 26,032 votes to 23,890 to become SNP leader on Monday after a contest that exposed deep divisions within the party.
The result was closer than many people expected, and showed that Ms Forbes has considerable support among grassroots SNP members despite Mr Yousaf being backed by the party hierarchy.
Polling expert Prof Sir John Curtice has said Ms Forbes appeared to be more popular than Mr Yousaf with Scottish voters as a whole.
Ms Forbes congratulated Mr Yousaf after he was confirmed as the new SNP leader on Monday, saying: "Whatever the robust disagreements or frank exchanges of the last few weeks, I am confident we will unite behind Humza as our new party leader in the shared and common objective of independence".
The pair also embraced in the Scottish Parliament chamber after the vote that saw him also appointed as the country's sixth first minister.
Following the vote, Mr Yousaf announced that Shona Robison - who has been serving as the social justice secretary and was a close ally of Ms Sturgeon - would be appointed as his deputy first minister.
Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said Mr Yousaf had "poured petrol on the SNP civil war".
Nicola Sturgeon tendered her resignation as first minister in a letter to the King
"Kate Forbes' furious snub to his offer of a cabinet demotion shows his mission to reunite their feuding party is doomed to failure," he said.
"It makes a mockery of his claim only yesterday that: 'We are no longer team Humza, or team Ash, or team Kate, we are one team.' The reality is the SNP are divided from top to bottom."
In his conversation with the new first minister on Tuesday, the prime minister is said to have reiterated his desire to "continue working constructively with the Scottish government".
After his victory, Mr Yousaf promised he would "argue tirelessly for independence"
He raised the question of an independence referendum during their call, but Mr Sunak suggested this would "distract" from "delivering on the things that are top of the priority list for people across Scotland".
Earlier in the day, Nicola Sturgeon officially tendered her resignation as Scotland's first minister in a letter to the King.
This is a big setback for Humza Yousaf's efforts to reunite the SNP after a bruising leadership contest in which Kate Forbes ran him close.
On Monday, he appealed for the party to come together as "one team" and to quickly heal the divisions that opened up in the campaign.
Today he told me he "absolutely" wanted Kate Forbes in government but within a couple of hours she had turned down his offer to move to rural affairs.
That would have been a demotion from finance but those close to Humza Yousaf say it was a genuine offer informed by earlier indications from Kate Forbes.
Allies of Kate Forbes say she has had to consider whether or not she could effect real change in Mr Yousaf's government.
She will also have weighed up whether serving in his team would help or hinder her prospects should there be another leadership contest in the coming years. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65105951 |
Gwyneth Paltrow 'visibly upset' after ski crash, says daughter - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Testimony from Apple and Moses Martin was read to jurors about the 2016 collision on the slopes in Utah. | US & Canada | Ms Paltrow, seen in court on Tuesday, has been present throughout the trial
Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter has testified that her mother was "visibly upset" after a 2016 collision with another skier, who says the incident left him with life-changing injuries.
The Hollywood actress' trial has heard sworn testimony from Apple Martin about the crash on a beginners' slope at the Deer Valley resort in Utah.
The 18-year-old said her mother seemed to be in pain after the collision.
Terry Sanderson is suing Ms Paltrow, alleging she crashed into him.
The retired eye doctor - who says the incident left him with brain damage and broken ribs - is seeking $300,000 (£245,000) in damages.
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The Oscar winner has countersued for $1, plus legal fees.
Apple and her brother, 16-year-old Moses Martin, had both been expected to testify in person on Tuesday.
But time restraints imposed by the judge meant that transcripts of their previous depositions were read to the court instead.
Neither of the teenagers - Ms Paltrow's children with her ex-husband, Coldplay star Chris Martin - witnessed the crash.
But they said in their sworn testimony that they had been told right afterwards by their mother that a skier had hit her and knocked her down at the upmarket resort.
Apple, who recalled being 11 or 12 years old at the time of the incident, said: "Well, she, I've never seen her really, like, shaken up like that, and she was very clearly visibly upset, and she had some sort of pain."
In his testimony, Moses who was nine at the time, said he remembered seeing his mother on the ground after the crash.
Apple Martin, seen at a Paris fashion show this year
Moses seen with his father in Los Angeles in 2016, the year the crash occurred
According to the boy's sworn testimony, he skied to the scene and heard Ms Paltrow saying: "What the F-word, you just ran into me."
The children's depositions were read out on Tuesday after over seven hours of testimony from expert witnesses on human anatomy and neurological rehabilitation.
Ms Paltrow and her two children were skiing with her now-husband, Brad Falchuk, and his two children when the crash occurred.
Mr Falchuck has already said he is not an eyewitness and it is unclear if he will be called to testify.
Two of Mr Sanderson's daughters have already testified in court.
Polly Sanderson-Grasham and Shae Herath said last week that their father changed significantly after the crash.
Ms Sanderson-Grasham said her father, once "outgoing" and "gregarious", now gets "agitated" and "easily frustrated".
She also said her father had become "obsessed" with getting an apology from Ms Paltrow. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65107933 |
Is this NHS crisis really worse than ones before? - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Winter is always the most difficult time of year. How alarming are the current problems? | Health | The headlines were terrifying. Hospitals facing intolerable pressures with patients left dying in corridors, the BBC reported.
It got so bad that 68 leading A&E doctors wrote to the prime minister to spell out their concerns.
This is not now though. It was the winter of 2017-18 - the last bad flu season when more than 300 people a day were dying from that virus at one point.
And that was not even a one-off. In January 2016 hospitals were cancelling routine operations, telling patients to stay away from A&E if they could, and emergency treatment areas were being set up outside some units - just as they are now.
The truth is the past decade has been a story of lengthening waits and declining performance.
A&E waits are the best barometer of this. The proportion of patients waiting less than four hours - a key metric in measuring NHS effectiveness - has been gradually eroded.
It is a similar story elsewhere in the UK - with performance even worse in Wales and Northern Ireland.
This should not come as a surprise, as NHS spending has been squeezed.
Between 2010 and 2019 the annual rises for health were well below those traditionally given since the birth of the NHS, making it difficult to keep up with the needs of the ageing population.
During that period, the Tories have been in power - albeit with the Lib Dems for the first five years.
But it is worth noting, in its 2010 and 2015 election manifestos, Labour was not proposing any tangibly higher increases in spending either.
The financial crash of 2008 meant all the main political parties were signed up to the idea that spending had to be curtailed.
This parliament has seen a change - annual rises are now planned to be close to 4% and will end up higher once the pandemic spending is taken into account.
But the result of the squeeze in the 2010s is fewer doctors and nurses per head of population than our Western European neighbours.
The turn of the year is always the hardest time. And with the latest data for A&E only covering November, we need to look elsewhere to judge how alarming the current pressures driven by the Omicron variant are.
Since Christmas there have been reports of hospitals declaring critical incidents. At one point on Wednesday evening, one in seven hospital trusts in England were in this situation.
A modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection are required to view this interactive. How is the NHS in your area coping this winter? This trust does not currently supply A&E waiting time figures. When patients arrive at hospital by ambulance they should be handed over within 15 minutes. This data shows the proportion of ambulance patients who waited 30 minutes or more, in the week shown. It comes from daily situation reports which are published weekly during the winter in England. As this is fast-turnaround data, the NHS says only minimal validation can be carried out but it is considered fit for purpose. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not publish ambulance queue data. Patients at A&E should be seen within four hours of arrival. This data shows the proportion of patients attending A&E who waited longer than four hours to be treated, discharged or admitted. This data is published monthly for England and Wales and weekly for Scotland. Northern Ireland publishes its data quarterly and Winter 2021 is not yet available. If a patient at A&E needs to be admitted, the wait from decision to admit to being given a bed on a ward is recorded in England. The bed waits figure is the proportion of patients admitted via A&E who waited longer than four hours for a ward bed. In Wales, bed wait data is not published, so the figure shown is the occupancy level in general and acute beds. Scotland and Northern Ireland do not publish bed wait or bed occupancy data. Data for England is show by NHS trust, where the trust includes at least one hospital with a Type 1 A&E department. Type 1 means a consultant-led 24 hour A&E service with full resuscitation facilities. When you enter a postcode for a location in England you will be shown a list of NHS trusts in your area. They will not necessarily be in order of your closest hospital as some trusts have more than one hospital. Data for Wales and Scotland are shown by NHS board. Comparative data from two years ago is shown where available. However, where trusts have merged there is no like-for-like comparison to show. Bed occupancy data in Wales only goes back to April 2020.
It is, however, very hard to judge exactly what these declarations tell us. They are not normally made public and instead are there to alert local health systems that a service needs help. We have nothing to compare them to.
If we look at the delays ambulances face when dropping off patients at A&E - this data is available in England up to last weekend - we can see the current difficulties are worse than the last winter before the pandemic hit.
But it is also fair to say this does not represent the collapse of the NHS, despite all the headlines.
The truth is the health service will not suddenly become overwhelmed. Instead, what is happening is that care is deteriorating bit by bit.
The heart attack patients are waiting longer for an ambulance, more elderly patients are spending nights on a trolley in A&E and growing numbers of people are waiting for hip and knee replacements.
The challenges are, of course, different from winters past. It is a pandemic after all.
A mass vaccination campaign is underway, while the level of staff absence from Covid is bringing another added complexity - it is nearly twice what you would expect - and explains why the army has had to be brought in.
Hospitals have also had to completely reconfigure their wards to create Covid and non-Covid areas.
And the sheer numbers coming in are a problem. Traditionally winter would see around 1,000 admissions a day for all types of respiratory infections.
Currently the NHS is seeing more than double that for Covid alone - although a chunk admittedly are people who are ill with something else, such as broken arms, strokes and cancer for example, and may well have come in anyway.
But even if you discount these patients, you are still well above the 1,000 threshold.
However, the NHS has been helped by lower pressures elsewhere. Flu is at rock-bottom levels. There are fewer than 50 patients in hospital with the virus in England.
So what can we conclude? The challenges are certainly worse and that is translating into poorer quality services.
But this is not the first year care has been compromised. What matters now is when Covid infections peak - that will determine just how bad this winter will be.
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First cheetah cubs born in India since extinction 70 years ago - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The four cubs are the first to be born in the country since the big cat was declared extinct there. | India | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Cheetah cubs snuggle up after rare birth in India
India has welcomed the birth of four cheetah cubs - more than 70 years after the animals were declared officially extinct there.
The country has been trying to reintroduce the big cats for decades, and last year brought eight cheetahs over from Namibia as part of the plan.
Another 12 cheetahs were brought to India from South Africa last month.
The four cubs were born in Kuno National Park wildlife sanctuary to one of the females that came from Namibia last September.
Announcing the news on Twitter, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said he was "delighted".
"I congratulate the entire team of Project Cheetah for their relentless efforts in bringing back cheetahs to India and for their efforts in correcting an ecological wrong done in the past," he said.
The cubs were believed to have been born five days ago, but they were spotted by officials on Wednesday, the Press Trust of India reported.
A park official told the news agency that the mother Siyaya and the cubs were fine and healthy.
But the announcement of the new cubs comes just two days after one of the other eight Namibian cheetahs died at the Kuno National Park due to kidney failure.
When they were transported to India last year, it was the first time a large carnivore had been moved from one continent to another and reintroduced in the wild.
Cheetahs - the world's fastest land animal - became officially extinct in India in 1952, after years of dwindling numbers because of hunting, a loss of habitat and not having enough prey to eat.
The vast majority of the 7,000 cheetahs in the world are now found in Africa - in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.
The Asiatic cheetah is critically endangered and now only found in Iran, where there are thought to be about 50 left.
The cheetah is listed globally as "vulnerable" on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
It can race across grasslands at speeds touching 70 mph (112km/h) to capture prey.
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'Boy in the Tent' Max Woosey sets Guinness World Record for charity camp-out - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Max Woosey, 13, has spent every night for three years under canvas, raising more than £750,000. | Devon | Max Woosey, pictured with Andrea Crisp (left) and Dee Thorne of North Devon Hospice, has raised more than £750,000 for the charity
A teenager known as the "Boy in the Tent" has set a Guinness World Record for the most money raised by camping.
Inspired by a family friend who died of cancer, Max Woosey, 13, has raised more than £750,000 for North Devon Hospice.
He has spent every night under canvas since starting his marathon camping mission exactly three years ago in the garden of his home in Braunton, Devon, even pitching up at 10 Downing Street.
"It's been the best three years of my life," he told BBC News.
Max began camping in his garden in March 2020 after being inspired by a family friend who died of cancer
Max's epic camp-out started when he was 10 following the death of family friend Rick Abbot in February 2020.
"Before my neighbour died of cancer, he gave me a tent and told me to 'have an adventure'," Max said.
"The North Devon Hospice took such good care of him I wanted to do something to say thank you to them."
Along the way, the rugby fan has camped out at the Exeter Chiefs' Sandy Park stadium and has even pitched up in the garden of 10 Downing Street, meeting the then-prime minister, Boris Johnson.
Max estimates he has got through 15 tents since beginning his challenge
Max met Boris Johnson and Dilyn the dog when he camped out at 10 Downing Street
Through storms, snow, hail, torrential rain and baking sun, Max has stuck it out in his tent.
"The worst night was when the tent collapsed," he said.
"It was chucking it down with high winds, it was 12 o'clock at night and we couldn't find another tent to pitch up."
Max, who was granted the British Empire Medal in 2022, reckons he has gone through about 15 tents since starting his challenge.
"I only set out to have an adventure and raise £100," he said.
"It is crazy that it has got so much attention but I hope it makes people see that children are capable of a lot more than people think."
Max was presented with a British Empire Medal in May 2022
His mum Rachael said: "Any time we mentioned him stopping there would be tears and tantrums.
"And then after Christmas he toyed with the idea.
"So we tried to back off and then he said three years was enough and he wanted to focus on other things."
Hayley Robinson, healthcare assistant at North Devon Hospice, said of Max's achievement: "You can't imagine what it would be like with the weather that we've had.
"We used to worry about him being so young. but doing that for the hospice is just amazing."
Max has also announced he will hold a final celebratory camp-out festival on 1 April at Broomhill Estate in North Devon.
"There have been ups and downs but I wanted to finish on a high, and hopefully there will be more adventures in the future," he added.
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Baroness Casey urges Met Police chief to accept problems are institutional - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Baroness Casey challenges police chief to fully accept her report, in a BBC debate. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The author of a damning report which found evidence of racism, misogyny and homophobia in the Metropolitan Police has urged the force's chief to accept its problems are "institutional".
The report by Baroness Louise Casey published last week laid bare deep and widespread failings in the force.
She said it would "mean so much" if Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley accepted the term "institutional".
But Sir Mark said the word had become politicised and is ambiguous.
The report, which found the Met Police was institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic, was commissioned following the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, in 2021.
Baroness Casey concluded the force was failing women and children, was unable to police itself and that public confidence had been shattered.
She also warned there could be more officers like murderer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's The Today Debate, Baroness Casey said: "I think it's really important for Londoners, and particularly people of colour in London, and women and children, that somehow there's a moment where actually just sort of accepting what people want you to accept is more important than me, or you, or even the report I suppose, Mark."
She urged Sir Mark to accept the description, adding: "I just think it would really help move things on."
Sir Mark said he accepted the diagnosis of racism, misogyny and homophobia in the Met - but he refused to use the term institutional.
He said the the term means different things to different people and is "quite ambiguous".
Last week, Baroness Casey said the report found a "boys club" culture was rife and the force could be dismantled if it does not improve.
Mina Smallman, the mother of two murdered sisters whose bodies were photographed by police officers, also took part in the Today debate, alongside Baroness Casey and Sir Mark.
Ms Smallman said she was "gobsmacked" at the Met commissioner refusing to to use the term "institutional" and described it as "an own goal".
Two Met PCs were jailed for sharing photos of the murder scene and referring to the victims as "dead birds" in WhatsApp messages.
During the BBC debate, on the theme Policing and us - how do we fix it?, Ms Smallman also expressed concern that the report could "disappear again".
"I'm sick and tired of people hiding behind reports and feeling as though the job is done because the report's done it."
She said the "hard work of putting everything in place is not done". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65110300 |
Betty Boothroyd: Funeral held for first woman Commons Speaker - BBC News | 2023-03-29T00:00:00 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Baroness Boothroyd, who served as Commons Speaker from 1992 to 2000, died aged 93 in late February. | Leeds & West Yorkshire | Betty Boothroyd, who served as Commons Speaker from 1992 to 2000, died aged 93
The funeral of Betty Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House of Commons, has taken place.
West Yorkshire-born Baroness Boothroyd, who served as Speaker from 1992 to 2000, died in February aged 93.
She was the Labour MP for West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000 and became a baroness in the House of Lords in 2001.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and current speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle were among those at the service in Cambridgeshire.
"Today we come together from across the political spectrum to remember one of our greatest Speakers - the remarkable Betty Boothroyd," the Prime Minister tweeted.
"Parliament stands taller because of her service."
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer and current speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle were among those in attendance at Baroness Boothroyd's funeral
"A devoted public servant, Betty was at the forefront of a generation of women who smashed the glass ceiling for female politicians," he tweeted.
"She will be dearly missed by all in politics."
The service was held at the 12th Century St George's Church in Thriplow, the village where she lived in her later years.
Four pallbearers carried Baroness Boothroyd's coffin, adorned with a white floral tribute, into the stone church as organ music played.
The service concluded with the congregation singing The Battle Hymn Of The Republic.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner stood in for Mr Sunak and Sir Keir respectively during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.
The service was held at the 12th Century St George's Church in Thriplow
Speaking after the service, Sir Lindsay described Baroness Boothroyd as one of the "greatest women" he had ever known and said he will always be "in awe".
"She supported me to become Speaker and she always gave me advice, whether I wanted it or not, Betty would ring up and just put me right," he said.
"She smashed that glass ceiling to smithereens, she became the first and only woman speaker we've ever had.
"Didn't she climb some hills, from Yorkshire to the hills of Westminster, she took every challenge in her stride and didn't she know how to do it."
The current Commons Speaker said Betty Boothroyd "smashed that glass ceiling to smithereens"
The Reverend Angela Melaniphy, who led the service, said Baroness Boothroyd had planned the service and "chosen all the music".
"The entry music was Climb Ev'ry Mountain sung by Dame Patricia Routledge, who was a very close friend of Baroness Betty Boothroyd's," she said.
"What was lovely about it was that her family was there, her very close friends were there, members of the village were there and members of Parliament were there - it was a service that included all of her life and each part of that reflected how highly she was regarded."
Betty Boothroyd was born on 8 October 1929 in Dewsbury and was the only daughter of mill workers.
Growing up in a political environment - her father was a trade unionist - she described herself as coming "out of the womb into the Labour movement".
Baroness Boothroyd was a professional dancer from 1946 to 1948 and appeared in pantomime in London's West End before going into politics.
She then took a number of office jobs, working for the Labour MP Barbara Castle and on the campaign to elect John F. Kennedy as US President.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Time's up! Betty Boothroyd's farewell to the Commons
In May 1973, after several attempts, she entered Parliament, securing the seat of West Bromwich, later renamed West Bromwich West.
After nearly two decades in Parliament she was elected by her fellow MPs to the position of Speaker of the House of Commons - a job which involves presiding over proceedings in the chamber.
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She stepped down from the position in 2000, but continued to be active in politics - calling for a statue in central London to commemorate the part women played in World War Two.
She was also passionately involved in the campaign to keep the UK in the EU.
Ms Melaniphy added: "In the country she was known to many people as Baroness Boothroyd, in Parliament she was Madam Speaker, but to us she was simply Betty."
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