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Lawyer boycott of juryless rape trials 'to be unanimous' - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Bar associations across Scotland expected to oppose pilot of juryless rape trials, says leading lawyer.
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Scotland
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Stuart Murray, vice president of the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association, says lawyers have been "ignored" by the Scottish government
Lawyers across Scotland are expected to join a near "unanimous" boycott of a pilot scheme for juryless rape trials.
Stuart Murray, vice president of the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association, said at least seven bodies had voted against the government proposals.
Legal professionals have said the scheme, proposed to tackle low conviction rates, could undermine the judicial system.
First Minister Humza Yousaf has defended the plan.
He pointed to a "weight of evidence" that juries are affected by rape myths and misconceptions.
The pilot was proposed by Scotland's second most senior judge, Lady Dorrian, in a review that informed the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.
It would see anyone accused of rape or attempted rape stand trial before a single judge or sheriff, who would decide whether or not they are guilty.
In the most recent figures, conviction rates for rape and attempted rape were 51%, compared with 91% for all other crimes.
The change to trials was proposed by senior judge Lady Dorrian
The Scottish Solicitors Bar Association represents criminal defence solicitors across the country.
Mr Murray, who practices in Aberdeen, spoke out against the pilot scheme after the Aberdeen Bar Association confirmed it was joining Glasgow and Edinburgh associations in a boycott.
He told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that associations in Dundee, Airdrie, Falkirk and Paisley had also joined the backlash.
"It is spreading, there are now seven or eight that have come out in the last week or so, just of bar associations across the country," Mr Murray said.
"There are more votes within the various bar associations across the country in the next week or so. I've no doubt it will be effectively unanimous across the bar associations."
The lawyer said he hoped the boycott would put an end to the scheme, but said he could not say for certain because the Scottish government was "so unpredictable".
He said lawyers had responded to "a knee-jerk reaction from the Scottish government - a blatant attempt to increase conviction rates".
"There are substantial failings which are highlighted in Lady Dorrian's review of the lack of communication from the Crown, lack of involvement with the police, matters being delayed at an investigative stage, all issues which impact on the conviction rate," the lawyer said.
"The way to deal with this is not to remove a jury of your peers."
He said rape cases are also "more intimate" and typically lack evidence such as CCTV footage and extensive witness testimony, leading to lower conviction rates.
Mr Murray said the scheme would hamper efforts to diversify the legal system, and countered the Scottish government's point that 80% of trials already took place without a jury.
He said: "That's a slightly disingenuous point. Those trials are lower level, consist mainly of minor assaults, shoplifting, cases that are far less serious than cases involving sexual offences."
He echoed concerns about the Scottish review of rape trials lacking relevant evidence, with rules prohibiting researchers speaking to former jurors.
"There's been almost no investigation or review carried out in relation to the pilot scheme in Scotland," Mr Murray said.
"The Scottish government is going about this in entirely the wrong manner and rather than engaging with the profession, they are ignoring the profession."
The dean of the Faculty of Prosecutors and Solicitors in Dundee confirmed the group had unanimously agreed to boycott the scheme.
"The crime of rape is a high court matter which has to prosecuted and defended expertly," a statement read.
"It is not in the accused's best interests to be an experimental guinea pig for such a serious matter."
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said she was "determined to proceed in partnership" with lawyers, adding it was "quite simply not true" that the government has ignored the legal profession.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance has rejected claims the government has ignored lawyers
She told BBC Scotland there is "overwhelming" evidence that juries have misconceptions about rape.
"There is international evidence, 50-plus studies most of which have taken place in the past 20 years, that demonstrates the diversity of juries does not overcome unfair influences," the minister said.
She insisted the legal profession, victims and academics would be consulted as part of the parliamentary process.
"No part of the system is beyond scrutiny, including court processes," she said.
Ms Constance added: "I think we have legitimate grounds to have concerns and we have legitimate grounds to proceed with a pilot.
"But it is important that we engage with all the voices and that's part of our parliamentary and democratic process."
The proposal for juryless trials have been welcomed by victim support group Rape Crisis Scotland, which has warned too many women are being let down by the justice system and too many rapists are walking free.
Chief executive Sandy Brindley said: "What we all want is a system where we can be confident that the evidence being heard in rape trials is being assessed fairly and objectively, and isn't influenced by false assumptions or attitudes towards women.
"Everyone has the right to a fair trial but that does not automatically mean a jury trial. A single-judge trial is still a fair trial."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65531380
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How Republican women reacted to Trump civil case - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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US women voters told the BBC how they think the trial will affect Donald Trump's image and his 2024 run.
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US & Canada
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Women, who voted for Donald Trump previously, shared how Tuesday's verdict will affect their 2024 vote
A nine-person New York jury has found Donald Trump liable of sexual abuse and defamation against the writer E Jean Carroll.
The BBC asked Republican women who have voted for the former president in previous elections for their reaction.
His strongest supporters echoed Mr Trump's claim that he is the victim of a witch hunt.
Others said the verdict was further evidence that the party needs to find an alternative in 2024.
Marge will vote for Trump again if he becomes the Republican nominee - but she's worried this verdict will make him vulnerable in the general election.
I do not believe this woman's claim that she was raped by Donald Trump. If something that horrific happens to you it would be a horror you would never forget. The exact date and occurrence would be seared into your mind.
But I think this trial will affect his chances. Not so much because of the people that voted for him before - I think they'll continue voting for him - but it's the women that are on the fence about him. They'll walk away from this verdict, thinking that he's guilty in their mind.
I worry that there will be people that won't vote for him because they don't like his personality. I feel like he is a compassionate person - and he cares tremendously for the United States. If I had my way, Trump would win for four years, and then [Florida Governor] Ron DeSantis would come in for four years or eight years.
Kathleen is grateful for how Donald Trump pushed an anti-abortion agenda - but says many of her friends want to move on from all the drama.
I know that in criminal courts, the level of evidence is pretty high - anybody can take anything to a civil court and sue. As a Christian, you want to first believe everyone's telling the truth. But in this case, you have two people telling two different things. If I had been attacked in the ways that this lady describes, and I'm not doubting her, I would have gone to the cops.
I don't think you're going to change people's minds too much on Donald Trump.
But I know a lot of people who voted for Trump are hoping Ron DeSantis will be the candidate so we can just put all this behind us.
Sheri was a Republican who voted for Trump twice before turning against him over his claims of election fraud in 2020. She is now a registered Independent.
I don't think many people are going to be put off just because of this verdict, unfortunately.
Is it atrocious? Yes. Do I believe he probably did something like this? Yes. I mean, should anyone be a President of the United States with that on their background? No, I don't think they should.
But when it's those two choices [Trump or Joe Biden], I just don't think it's going to make that much of a difference to people. I think it's right versus left. It's conservative versus liberal.
Right before the election, in 2016, he was saying he can grab women by the crotch, basically. It's not like he hasn't said stuff or done stuff. But these days are strange, strange times. It's embarrassing.
Crystal is standing by the former president, but she worries that this trial will damage his re-election chances.
I am sad to see this verdict today. Trump is denying that he even knows this woman. I do not believe that Donald Trump would ever do anything like this and I am 100% on his side. Trump stated that he will be appealing this.
This accusation is only meant to hurt his character in his upcoming run for the 2024 election. This is serious.
I feel like it's once again, it's going to hurt him in the election. People will remember he was accused of this and I think that's going to stick - which could affect the Republican primaries [which determine who will be the party's presidential nominee].
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65540838
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Stephen Tompkinson trial: Actor 'convincing at telling a story' - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson denies inflicting grievous bodily harm on Karl Poole in May 2021.
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Tyne & Wear
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Actor Stephen Tompkinson denies causing grievous bodily harm to a man he confronted outside his home
Stephen Tompkinson's talent made him "convincing in putting across a story", jurors in his trial were told as they retired to consider their verdict.
The 57-year-old actor is accused of punching a man who was drunkenly making noise outside his home in Whitley Bay in the early hours of 30 May 2021.
He denies causing grievous bodily harm and says he only pushed Karl Poole away in self-defence.
Prosecutor Michael Bunch claimed the actor "snapped" and "lashed out".
In his closing speech to the jury, Mr Bunch said this caused Mr Poole to fall and hit his head on the pavement, fracturing his skull.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the DCI Banks star came out of his house wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown after seeing Mr Poole and his friend Andrew Hall drinking at the bottom of his driveway at 05:30 BST.
A neighbour watching from her bedroom window told the court she saw Mr Tompkinson slap and punch Mr Poole, but the actor said he could not have done this because he was holding his phone at the time.
Mr Tompkinson, who was born in Stockton-on-Tees, had argued his profession made him less likely to assault anyone because it would be "career suicide".
Mr Bunch asked jurors: "But when we snap, do we worry about the consequences in that moment?
"Do we think about anything else other than that which has made us see red?"
Karl Poole fell and hit his head, fracturing his skull
The jury might think the actor's "obvious talent makes him convincing in putting across a story", the prosecutor told them.
"He is an expert in playing a part - a man tormented by a pair of drunks. He can deliver a line," he said.
Mr Bunch reminded jurors Mr Tompkinson had described the men's behaviour as "disgraceful" and "pure self-indulgence by grown men who should be behaving better".
Nicholas Lumley KC, defending, said the actor was "sought out by producers because of his calmness".
He asked jurors: "Why would he risk throwing away that hard-earned reputation?"
The Ballykissangel star said he always wanted to treat members of his potential audience "with respect"
Jurors heard Mr Poole and Mr Hall had been drinking since midnight and had passed Mr Tompkinson's home in North Tyneside on the walk back from the beach.
The actor, who was living with his partner and her seven-year-old son, said he had heard "strange noises" and went out to challenge the two "heavily-intoxicated" men, one of whom was wearing just underpants.
He called police after seeing the pair repeatedly fall and try to stand up while drinking from a bottle of Jägermeister, the court heard.
The actor told the court the two men "took great objection" to him complaining and had started to move towards him.
He said he put his hand out to stop Mr Poole coming any further and made contact with his face, but told jurors it "wasn't enough to knock a sober man off his feet".
The jury has been sent out to consider its verdict.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-65548314
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UKIP on brink of wipeout after losing all seats in local elections - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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UKIP has lost almost all of its councillors, as the Eurosceptic party struggles to redefine itself.
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UK Politics
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UKIP has been in electoral freefall since the UK left the European Union
In 2014, David Cameron was still British prime minister and "Brexit" was an obscure word.
In that year's elections to the European Parliament, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) triggered what its then-leader Nigel Farage called "an earthquake in British politics".
UKIP clinched 24 seats and 27% of the popular vote, marking the first time a party other than the Conservatives or Labour had won a UK national election for a century.
The result gave UKIP the momentum to push for a vote on the UK's membership of the European Union and campaign successfully for leaving.
Now, eight years on, the disruptor of British politics is staring down the barrel of electoral annihilation.
Following local elections across England last week, UKIP lost all its remaining district and county councillors.
To put that into context, the party has gone from almost 500 of those councillors in 2016 - its high watermark - to zero in 2023.
"It's no exaggeration to talk about a wipeout," said Tim Bale, a professor of politics and author of The Conservative Party after Brexit.
All that remains for UKIP are elected holdouts on parish and town councils, the lowest tier of local government.
The party's chairman, Ben Walker, said UKIP still has about 30 parish councillors, himself among them, after last week's local elections. "It certainly wasn't a disaster based on what we thought we'd get from these elections," he told the BBC.
Even so, the results overall show how far the party has fallen from the heights of 2014.
The BBC's results say, in total, UKIP lost 25 seats, which were last up for election in 2019.
Mr Walker said only one incumbent UKIP councillor - Steve Hollis in South Staffordshire - contested these elections for the party. He lost, while the party's only other sitting councillor retired.
Little by little, UKIP councillors have either defected to other parties or quit since 2019.
The political fortunes of UKIP, originally a single-issue Eurosceptic party, have declined sharply since Mr Farage stood down as its leader in 2016.
Brexit was Mr Farage's crowning glory as leader, but since then, UKIP has been unsure of its place in the British political landscape and burned through six leaders, as it attempts to find a new purpose in a post-Brexit world.
Prof Bale said, although UKIP struck a chord with many voters who were hostile to the EU and didn't believe the Conservative government was doing enough to limit immigration, the party was "ultimately a vehicle for the political ambitions of one man - Nigel Farage".
"Once he abandoned them, they were always likely to fade away and die," Prof Bale said.
Internal instability and infighting has not helped UKIP's cause, with Mr Farage himself criticising the party's drift towards a far-right, anti-Islam platform under former leader Gerard Batten.
"The problem we've had is a succession of failed leaders and misdirection," Mr Walker said.
"People look at us and think, well, you've kind of did what you meant to do, didn't you? We're out of Europe, your job's done. That's where we're at. So we're trying to redefine what we are now, which is no easy task."
Under the current leadership of Neil Hamilton, a former Conservative MP, UKIP has been calling itself the "only truly patriotic political party" and promoting policies such as ending mass migration and scrapping most foreign aid.
That's similar territory to Reform UK, which was founded in 2018 as the Brexit Party, and which campaigned to leave the EU without a deal.
As Reform UK, the party has failed to make a big impression on the electorate recently, winning just six seats in last week's local elections.
The party, led by Richard Tice, had fielded hundreds of candidates, mainly in areas that had voted heavily to leave the EU in 2016.
Mr Walker said pooling resources with Reform UK and other like-minded smaller parties on the right was one route to an electoral revival for UKIP.
But Dr David Jeffery, a senior lecturer in British Politics at the University of Liverpool, said there appeared to be no way back for populist parties on the right of politics.
"Even Reform, the party to the right of the Conservatives with the most funding and media attention, without the galvanising issue of EU membership struggles to break past 6% in the polls," he said.
"The party is over for UKIP."
Many of those who voted for UKIP in the mid-2010s haven't gone away though. Instead, many of them switched to the Conservatives after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to "get Brexit done".
"We are now one of the only Western democracies to not have a successful populist party," said Matthew Goodwin, a professor of politics and the author of a book about UKIP's rise.
"Much of this reflects how the Conservatives repositioned after Brexit to attract Nigel Farage's voters, though whether they can keep this force at bay, with rising immigration and a spiralling cost-of-living crisis, remains to be seen."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65538114
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Animal tests for makeup ingredients allowed - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The High court dismisses case brought by animal activists against a government change in policy.
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Science & Environment
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Homosalate, a sunscreen ingredient common in concealer and foundations, may need to be tested on animals
The government has allowed animal testing for makeup ingredients to resume despite a 25-year ban.
It changed a policy on animal testing to align with EU chemical rules, according to a High Court ruling.
The High Court said on Friday that the government was acting legally after a case was brought by animal rights activists.
More than 80 brands have said they are "dismayed" by the government's new position.
A Home Office spokesperson told the BBC: "We are pleased that the High Court has agreed with the Government's position in this case. The government is committed to the protection of animals in science".
Animal testing for makeup or its ingredients had been completely banned in the UK since 1998. Animal testing had only been allowed if the benefits gained from the research outweighed any animal suffering, for example for medicines.
But in 2020 the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), an EU agency which oversees chemical regulation, ruled that companies needed to test some ingredients used in cosmetics on animals to ensure they were safe for workers manufacturing the ingredients.
During the case it was revealed that since 2019 the government had been issuing licences for animal testing of cosmetic ingredients in line with EU chemical rules, which it retained despite leaving the EU in 2020.
But manufacturers still cannot undertake any animal testing to check the safety of the makeup for consumers. This should be done using other methods.
This could include testing chemicals commonly found in foundations and concealers by forcing rats to inhale or ingest them.
It is not known how many such licences were issued or to whom.
Cruelty Free International (CFI), which brought the case, argued this was illegal and in breach of the animal testing ban for makeup and its ingredients, which has stood since 1998.
Mr Justice Linden ruled in favour of the government, saying that the change in policy still met existing laws, although he said it was "regrettable" the public had not been informed.
The change in the government's position has been heavily criticised by major beauty and cosmetic brands, including Unilever, Body Shop and Boots. Most major brands have long campaigned to end animal testing.
Cruelty Free International said it was "outrageous" that the government had effectively lifted the ban.
Christopher Davis, director of activism and sustainability at the Body Shop said they would "campaign vigorously" against the changes.
"Allowing animal testing for cosmetics would be a devastating blow to the millions of people who have supported campaigns to end this appalling practice," he told the BBC after the ruling.
The ingredients that may be tested on animals include homosalate - a common sunscreen ingredient used already in many foundations and skincare products.
In low doses homosalate is safe but in higher concentrations the evidence for its impact on the human immune system are inconclusive.
Mr Justice Linden said that nothing was stopping the government from introducing an absolute ban on animal testing of makeup products if it desired.
Cruelty Free International CEO Michelle Thew said: "The case shows clearly that [the government] was prioritising the interests of contract-testing companies over those of animals and the wishes of the vast majority of British people who are strongly opposed to cosmetics testing."
CFI said it would appeal the decision made by the court and ask the government to reinstate the complete ban in the UK.
EU chemicals rules require some cosmetics ingredients to be tested on animals to protect workers
Dr Julia Fentem, head of the safety and environmental assurance centre at Unilever - one of the world's largest cosmetic companies - said tests potentially required under the new policy were "unnecessary", and that safety tests could be carried out without animal involvement.
A new chemicals strategy is expected to be published this year outlining the government's position on the use and testing of chemicals in the UK - which may include further guidance to cosmetic companies.
Clarification 11 May 2023: This article's headline has been amended to make clear that the story concerns makeup ingredients.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65484552
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Daniel Morgan murder: Met sorry for not disclosing documents at HQ - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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The Met Police apologises for not disclosing documents it says were found in a cabinet at its HQ.
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London
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Daniel Morgan was found with an axe in his head outside the Golden Lion pub
The Metropolitan Police has apologised for not disclosing documents relating to the murder of a private detective which it says were found in a locked cabinet at its headquarters.
Daniel Morgan was found with an axe in his head in the car park of a pub in Sydenham, south-east London, in 1987.
The Met was institutionally corrupt in its handling of elements of the case, an independent panel found in 2021.
The latest failure is "unacceptable and deeply regrettable", the Met says.
Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said: "We are working to understand what has taken place and any impact. We apologise to the family of Daniel Morgan and to the panel."
Nobody has been convicted of Daniel Morgan's murder
Thirty-seven documents spanning 95 pages that should have been disclosed to the panel led by Baroness O'Loan were found in the locked cabinet at New Scotland Yard in January and an assessment started in February, the Met said.
The force also admitted a further 23 documents across 71 pages should have been shared with the police watchdog, which in a separate March 2022 report found the Met's approach to tackling corruption within its ranks to be "fundamentally flawed" .
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "This is clearly unacceptable and should never have happened."
No-one has been convicted over father-of-two Mr Morgan's death, with the Metropolitan Police previously admitting corruption hampered the original murder investigation and apologising to his family.
His family believes the police corruption, and reluctance to confront it, could explain the murder and the failed investigations into the killing.
Although Mr Morgan's brother Alastair says he is not surprised by the latest development, he puts it down to "incompetence [and] error" rather than malice.
Alastair Morgan has spent 36 years campaigning for justice for his brother
Speaking to BBC Radio London, he said: "I'm despairing of the police but, again, that's really nothing new for me.
"It's not like this has shaken me to the core or anything like that - it's just same old, same old."
Mr Morgan, from Llanfrechfa near Cwmbran in South Wales, died outside the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham on 10 March 1987.
The police watchdog review last year found then-Met Police chief Dame Cressida Dick may have breached professional standards between 2013-15, when she was an assistant commissioner, by obstructing the work of an inquiry into the case - something she denied.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said Dame Cressida appeared to have "acted in the genuine belief she had a legitimate policing purpose", due to concerns about protecting information but "may have got it wrong".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Morgan's former business partner Jonathan Rees, who was a suspect in the case, has always denied any involvement
Since Mr Morgan's death, there have been five inquiries and an inquest at an estimated cost of more than £40m.
The 2021 report from the Baroness O'Loan panel said there were several theories regarding possible motives to harm the private investigator, among them:
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65544848
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AC Milan 0-2 Inter Milan: Edin Dzeko scores as Inter beat city rivals in thrilling derby - BBC Sport
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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Inter Milan take a big step towards reaching the Champions League final as they beat city rivals in a thrilling Milan derby at San Siro.
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Last updated on .From the section European Football
Inter Milan took a big step towards reaching the Champions League final as they beat their city rivals in a thrilling Milan derby at San Siro.
In a game that had been anticipated for weeks in Italy and was witnessed at the ground by a vocal and passionate 80,000-strong crowd, Inter made the perfect start when Edin Dzeko volleyed home in the eighth minute.
The goal silenced the Milan fans - the designated home side for this tie in the stadium the two sides share - as they significantly outnumbered the Inter supporters.
And the hosts were stunned further three minutes later when Henrikh Mkhitaryan swept a shot beyond Mike Maignan after being set up by Federico Dimarco.
Hakan Calhanoglu hit the woodwork as Inter threatened to get a third, but there was hope for AC Milan when referee Jesus Gil Manzano reversed a decision to award the visitors a penalty, deeming Lautaro Martinez to have dived after consulting the pitchside monitor.
Inter dropped their tempo in the second half as they looked to protect their two-goal advantage and it almost presented AC Milan with a lifeline as Sandro Tonali struck the post with a shot from the edge of the box.
But Inter held firm and are in a strong position to reach the final - where they will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid - when the two sides meet again at San Siro for the second leg on Tuesday, 16 May (20:00 BST).
• None What is the best Champions League semi-final ever?
Inter Milan are three times winners of the European Cup or Champions League, but have not reached the final since they last lifted the trophy 13 years ago.
This is the furthest they have been in the competition since then and, despite the intimidating atmosphere created by the overwhelming number of AC Milan fans, they were determined to push on.
Inter boss Simone Inzaghi opted for the 37-year-old Dzeko to lead the attack, with Romelu Lukaku on the bench, and it didn't take long for that decision to be vindicated as the former Manchester City striker steered home a brilliant finish from a corner.
AC Milan knocked Tottenham and Serie A champions Napoli out of the Champions League on their way to the semi-finals but looked capable of being opened up by Inter with every attack and would have been pleased to reach half time just 2-0 down.
They were better after the break but did not manage a shot on target until the 81st minute - a deflected Junior Messias effort - and will need to be much, much better if they are to deny Inter a place in the Champions League final.
• None Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• None Delay in match because of an injury Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan).
• None Attempt saved. Tommaso Pobega (AC Milan) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Sandro Tonali.
• None Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt missed. Theo Hernández (AC Milan) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left from a direct free kick. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65537773
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Boy aged eight survives two days in Michigan wilderness by eating snow - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Nante Niemi went missing for two days while camping in remote woodland in Michigan state.
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US & Canada
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Nante after being found in the remote state park
An eight-year-old boy lost in the remote woodlands of Michigan survived for two days by eating snow and hiding beneath a log for shelter.
Nante Niemi went missing on Saturday while camping with his family in the Porcupine Mountains state park.
He got lost while walking to gather firewood, sparking a 150-person search effort to rescue him.
On Monday he was found underneath his log "in good health", about two miles from his camp.
"He had braved the elements by taking shelter under a log where he was ultimately found," Michigan State Police said in a statement.
The boy told police he "ate clean snow for hydration".
Soon after the alarm was raised on Saturday, his mother thanked people for their support but implored everyone to "please stay away it will make it harder to find him".
State police said the terrain is "very remote and hilly with a lot of standing water due to the time of the year". Several roads were impassable due to the amount of snow.
The team focused on a roughly 40 sq mile (100 sq km) area in the park, eventually finding the boy.
He has been reunited with his family, police said.
The boy went missing while camping in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
• None Woman survives on wine while lost in Australian bush
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65541823
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Eurovision semi-finals: Sweden qualifies but Ireland is out - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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Ireland's Wild Youth and Latvia's Sudden Lights are among the acts going home after the first semi-final.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Swedish star Loreen is the bookmaker's favourite to win the contest
Sweden's Loreen has sailed through to the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest, cementing her position as this year's favourite.
The star, who previously won in 2012, clasped her hands to cover her eyes as it was announced she had qualified from the first semi-final in Liverpool.
Ireland were less fortunate, with the rock band Wild Youth on their way home after failing to attract enough votes.
The country has now failed to qualify on eight of their last 10 attempts.
The continuation of that losing streak will cause much soul-searching in the nation that holds the record for the most Eurovision victories of all time - seven in total.
The last time they qualified was 2018, when Ryan O'Shaughnessy entered with his song Together.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Night one's most iconic Eurovision performances (UK only)
Ireland's Eurovision commentator Marty Whelan could not hide his disappointment.
"Everything was absolutely perfect, they were fantastic," he said live on RTÉ One as the news sunk in.
"There's things I want to say, there's things I want to share. You can probably get it from the tone of my voice, what I'm thinking, that this is... Ugh, this is just such a shame.
"But the votes didn't come. So we are not qualifying again this year from Liverpool when we had great expectations, as the famous book says."
Ireland's Wild Youth had been endorsed by Lewis Capaldi and former One Direction star Niall Horan
Tuesday's semi-final at the Liverpool Arena saw 15 acts competing for a place in Saturday's grand final. These are the ones who made the cut.
Rock bands fared badly in the public vote, with Latvia's Sudden Lights and Malta's The Busker joining Ireland on the chopping block.
The other artists whose journey ended on Tuesday were Azerbaijani twins TuralTuranX and the Netherlands' Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper.
The show was hosted by Alesha Dixon, Julia Sanina and Hannah Waddingham
Ten more acts will progress to the main competition after Thursday's second semi-final. The "Big Five" countries, who contribute the most financially to the competition (France, Germany, Spain, the UK and Italy) qualify automatically, as do last year's winners Ukraine.
Liverpool is hosting the competition on Ukraine's behalf, due to the ongoing Russian invasion of their country.
The impact of the war was referenced throughout the two-hour show. Songs like Switzerland's Watergun and Croatia's Mama ŠČ! denounced conflict and bloodlust, while the Czech band Vesna sang elements of their song in Ukrainian as a show of solidarity with their near-neighbours.
During the interval, Ukrainian star Alyosha performed a mournful version of Duran Duran's Ordinary World, that emphasised the pain of being separated from your loved ones.
The singer fled to America with her three children when the war began, but her husband, Taras Topolja, frontman of the rock band Antitila, was required to stay at home.
As she duetted with Liverpudlian X-Factor star Rebecca Ferguson, text messages from families fleeing the country flashed up on giant video screens and the arena was lit up in the Ukrainian national colours of blue and yellow.
Speaking before the contest, Alyosha dedicated her sobering and beautiful performance to forced migrants around the world.
The half-time show also saw pop star Rita Ora performing a medley of her hits, including Anywhere and Praising You.
She was joined on stage by 12-year-old Ukrainian refugee Sofiia, who has now settled in the UK. Ora said the youngster's plight reminded her of her own family's experience of fleeing the Balkan War in the 1990s "and how I will be forever grateful to the UK for showing us kindness and compassion".
"Sofiia opens my performance this evening playing with a ball, representing the loss of childhood for these poor refugees," she wrote on Twitter. "We love you Ukraine, we all perform tonight, for you."
The evening kicked off with a short video featuring famous faces from around Liverpool including Wirral-born TV baker Paul Hollywood, Ukrainian Everton footballer Vitalii Mykolenko and the late Paul O'Grady.
The video also contained a surprise cameo from the King and Queen, who unveiled the contest's stage last month.
Israel's Noa Kirel gave one of the night's most athletic performances
The royal theme continued with the opening act, Norwegian singer Alessandra, whose barnstorming electropop number Queen of Kings featured a costume inspired by Queen Elizabeth I.
After that, the audience were treated to ballroom dancers, a Portuguese Moulin Rouge routine, and a re-enactment of a traditional Moldovan wedding ceremony.
Co-host Alesha Dixon even recalled her days in the girl band Mis-Teeq, with a rap about the history of the song contest.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Alesha Dixon's Eurovision rap at the first semi-final in Liverpool (UK only)
Noa Kirel - Israel's answer to Beyoncé - received an enthusiastic response for her song Unicorn, and its pneumatic dance routine. And Finland's Käärijä raised the roof with his utterly bonkers thrash techno track Cha Cha Cha.
The night's most outrageous costumes came courtesy of Croatian shock rockers Let 3, who dressed in leather fetish gear before stripping down to white underwear.
Let 3's song was a thinly-veiled attack on Russia's Vladimir Putin
Käärijä's rock-pop hybrid Cha Cha Cha is seen as the biggest challenger to Loreen
However, Loreen was the artist who had the arena in the palm of her hand, with a soaring performance of Tattoo - a song about a love so deep and intense that it becomes engraved on her heart.
Performing in a nude catsuit between two giant LED screens, she threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the 2023 contestants.
But over the weekend, the star said she wasn't too concerned about winning.
"No, I care about creating something that is real," she replied. "So my fear is compromising, my fear is that it's not authentic."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65540160
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Briton pleads guilty in US to 2020 Twitter hack - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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It was probably the most high-profile hack in social media history, hitting dozens of famous accounts.
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Technology
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Joseph James O'Connor was arrested in Spain in 2021
A British national extradited to the US last month has pleaded guilty in New York to a role in one of the biggest hacks in social media history.
The July 2020 Twitter hack affected over 130 accounts including those of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Joseph James O'Connor, 23, known as PlugwalkJoe, pleaded guilty to hacking charges carrying a total maximum sentence of over 70 years in prison.
The hacking was part of a large-scale Bitcoin scam.
O'Connor, who was extradited from Spain, hijacked numerous Twitter accounts and sent out tweets asking followers to send Bitcoin to an account, promising to double their money.
O'Connor, from Liverpool, was charged alongside three other men over the scam.
US teenager Graham Ivan Clark pleaded guilty in 2021. Nima Fazeli of Orlando, Florida, and Mason Sheppard, of Bognor Regis in the UK, were charged with federal crimes.
US Assistant Attorney-General Kenneth Polite Jr described in a statement O'Connor's actions as "flagrant and malicious", saying he had "harassed, threatened and extorted his victims, causing substantial emotional harm".
Celebrities including US boxer Floyd Mayweather and the singer Wiz Khalifa also lost control of their accounts
"Like many criminal actors, O'Connor tried to stay anonymous by using a computer to hide behind stealth accounts and aliases from outside the United States.
"But this plea shows that our investigators and prosecutors will identify, locate, and bring to justice such criminals to ensure they face the consequences for their crimes."
In 2020, an estimated 350 million Twitter users saw suspicious tweets from official accounts of the platform's biggest users. Thousands fell for a scam, trusting that a crypto giveaway was real.
Cyber experts agreed that the consequences of the Twitter hack could have been far worse if O'Connor and other hackers had more sophisticated plans than a get-rich-quick scheme.
Disinformation could have been spread to affect political discourse and markets could have been moved by well-worded fake business announcements, for example.
The hack showed how fragile Twitter's security was at the time. The attackers telephoned a small number of Twitter employees with a believable tale to convince them to hand over their internal login details - which eventually granted the hackers access to Twitter's powerful administrative tools.
Essentially, the hackers managed to use social engineering tricks more akin to those of conmen than of high-level cyber-criminals to get access to the powerful internal control panel at the site.
Mike Bloomberg and Kanye West were among those hacked
It was, and still is, a hugely embarrassing moment in Twitter's troubled history.
O'Connor's admission has not come as a shock though as there was a wealth of evidence in the public domain thanks to the hackers making some bad mistakes or being too loud in their celebrations in the aftermath of the hack.
O'Connor also pleaded guilty to other hacking crimes including gaining access to a high-profile TikTok account.
He posted a video to that account where his own voice is recognisable and threatened to release "sensitive, personal material" related to the owner of the account to people who joined a Discord group.
The US justice department said he had also used technology to stalk a minor.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65540901
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Ukraine war: French journalist killed near Bakhmut - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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Tributes pour in for Arman Soldin, killed while reporting from the war zone near Bakhmut.
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Europe
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A 32-year-old French journalist has been killed while reporting from the war zone in eastern Ukraine.
Arman Soldin, who worked for AFP news agency, died on Tuesday after being hit by rocket fire near Chasiv Yar, just west of Bakhmut.
A team of journalists came under attack at about 16:30 (13:30 GMT) while with a group of Ukrainian soldiers.
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Soldin's work on the front lines of the war.
"We share the pain of his loved ones and his colleagues," he wrote in a tweet.
The chairman of AFP, Fabrice Fries, said the news agency was "devastated" and it came as a "terrible reminder of the risks and dangers faced by journalists every day covering the conflict in Ukraine".
The agency's Europe director, Christine Buhagiar, remembered Soldin as "enthusiastic, energetic and brave", and said he had been "totally devoted to his craft".
MPs across the political spectrum stood in France's National Assembly and paid tribute to Soldin.
He was part of the first AFP team to go to Ukraine following Russia's invasion in February of last year and had lived there since September.
Ukraine's defence ministry offered its "heartfelt condolences" to Soldin's family and colleagues saying: "He dedicated his life to informing the world about the truth. His legacy, as well as his cause, will live on."
Moscow said it was saddened to hear of Soldin's death. "We need to understand the circumstances of the death of this journalist," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
The White House also paid tribute, saying the world was "indebted" to journalists who had lost their lives "while shining a light on the horrors of Russia's invasion".
Soldin, who was born in Bosnia, is the 15th journalist to be killed while reporting on the war in Ukraine since February 2022, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
At least two other French journalists have been killed covering the conflict, Pierre Zakrzewski and Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff.
Bakhmut has been the epicentre of fighting in eastern Ukraine for several months.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65540900
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Autistic teenager was stuck on general hospital ward for months - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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Experts say it was the wrong place for the 16-year-old, but she had nowhere else to go.
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UK
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An autistic girl aged 16 spent nearly seven months in a busy general hospital due to a lack of suitable children's mental health services in England.
Her local health and care system said it was "very sorry" for how she was treated "when she was most vulnerable".
Campaigners describe the shortage of appropriate support for people with autism as a human rights crisis.
Directors of council care services are calling for an urgent government review of children's mental health services.
The teenager, called Molly, spent about 200 days living in a side-room of a children's ward at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. It is not a mental health unit.
Experts say a general hospital was not the right place for her, but she had nowhere else to go because of a lack of help in the community.
Warning: Molly's story contains details that some people may find upsetting
Agency mental health nurses were brought in because she needed constant, three-to-one observations to keep her safe. Her family says security guards were also often stationed outside her room.
Molly's autism is at the root of the deep anxiety and eating problems that she struggles with.
Like many autistic people, she finds dealing with noise difficult. The clamour of the hospital overloaded her senses and her behaviour sometimes became challenging. She was restrained numerous times.
In the final 10 days she was at the hospital, her family says the children's ward was closed to other patients because she became so distressed.
A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System (ICS) said it was sorry Molly "did not receive care in an environment better suited to her needs", adding: "Molly's safety has always been our priority."
The National Autistic Society says it is hearing from hundreds of autistic people who cannot get the support they need.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care says it recognises "the importance of getting people the right care in the right place".
This may be one person's experience, but it tells us so much about how the health and care system is failing too many young people who are struggling.
Molly is a bright, engaging teenager, who loves animals and finds the outdoors calming. She was diagnosed as autistic when she was 10 years old. She is also partially sighted.
For nearly a year, I've been speaking to Molly and her parents. Through the many emails, phone calls, video meetings and visits I've followed the frustrating fight they've faced to try to get Molly the right support.
Molly with her parents Mandy and Richard
When I first sat talking to Molly in the kitchen of her family home last August, she had already spent 90 days on the children's ward of the general hospital because there was no support available elsewhere.
She had initially been taken there because her weight had fallen dangerously low, but described the loud, bright, busy hospital environment as like "living in hell".
"It feels like they're torturing you," she said. "It's almost like the hospital room is like a small box, and you're not allowed to leave it. There are phones going off, alarms, children screaming."
The three-person restraint team that moved in when she became distressed or if she was refusing to eat "just made things 100 times worse", she remembered.
In the past four years, Molly has also spent time on four child and adolescent mental health units. Two of the units have since closed after highly critical inspection reports. Her family believes none of the places provided Molly with the therapy or autism support she needed.
Her father Richard said: "There is no long-term strategy. No planning really, other than reacting to crises."
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICS spokesperson said there had been "a significant and rapid rise" in the number of children and young people with complex mental health conditions requiring care and support since the Covid pandemic.
It says across England, the proportion of children aged five to 16 years identified as having a probable mental disorder increased from 10.8% in 2017 to 16% in 2020. In south-east England the proportion is even higher at 17.4%.
When I asked Molly why she wanted to speak to us, she was very clear. She didn't want others to be treated as she had been treated.
"The system really needs to change," she said.
Once Molly was back at home after being discharged from the last unit, they hoped she would get intensive support in the community to help with her disordered eating and anxiety.
Her family says this proved patchy, with many changes of staff.
Last October, Molly reached another crisis. Her weight dropped again and she was taken back to the Queen Alexandra Hospital. Her parents asked us to delay telling her story, hoping she would be home soon. Nearly seven months later she was still there.
Her family says she was traumatised by the hospital environment, being frequently restrained and largely isolated from other young people.
"It's a vicious cycle," Richard said. "The more distressed she gets, the more her behaviour becomes challenging and then the more intense support they've got around her, which is more oppressive and more sensory-overloading."
Despite the close supervision, she has also harmed herself seriously on several occasions.
"I think we know something is wrong before we even pick up, if the phone rings at night," said her mother, Mandy.
They are both exhausted and when I asked how they were coping, Mandy said: "You have to cope, there is no other way."
In March, Molly's parents told me that the teams involved in her care seemed to agree she was stuck.
Richard said past experience had shown that "off-the-shelf solutions", including stays in mental health units, were "very negative for her and completely don't meet her autistic needs".
An ICS spokesperson said: "Everyone involved has done all they can to ensure she receives safe and compassionate care and sought to move Molly to a setting that better meets her needs as quickly as possible. Teams continue to do their very best to help ensure Molly gets the care she needs."
The National Autistic Society says it hears from hundreds of people trapped in a similar cycle.
It wants the government and NHS to put more money into mental health services that support people at home and to intervene early when there are problems.
The charity's head of research, Tim Nicholls, says that unless this is done the pattern will repeat itself and "one of the great human rights crises of our generation" will continue.
It is hard to calculate how much Molly's latest stay in the general hospital will have cost, but according to the Nuffield Trust health think-tank, a paediatric NHS hospital bed costs nearly £500 a day. If a child has an eating disorder that rises to about £1,400 a day.
The NHS hasn't commented on the financial impact of the nearly 200 days Molly has spent at the hospital, but with the costs of employing agency mental health staff included, it could easily have reached a quarter of a million pounds.
While the NHS runs most mental health services for children, councils also provide community-based support.
In a recent survey, 79% of directors who run council children's services in England said there was "rarely" or "never" appropriate beds available for children with complex needs.
Steve Crocker from the Association of Directors of Children's Services in England said they had seen "a real increase in the number of children stuck on hospital wards with mental health issues".
Until recently he ran children's social care in Hampshire, where Molly lives. While he can't comment on individual cases, he says generally the need for change is urgent and "we also need to push government for a full review around children's mental health services".
The government says its ambition is to halve the number of autistic people and those with a learning disability in mental health hospitals by March 2024. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson added that this is backed by extra funding and "our action plan to improve community support and reduce over-reliance on mental health hospitals".
In April, Molly's family says she became so distressed the children's ward was closed to other patients. Ten days later she was moved to a mental health unit - even though that has not worked for her in the past. It is meant to be a short-term solution but her family say no other options are currently being discussed.
I last spoke to Molly a couple of days ago. She had had a few trips out with her parents and was desperate to get on with life.
And if she can get the right support, her hopes of staying out of hospital and going to college should be possible.
If you are affected by any of the issues in this article you can find details of organisations that can help via the BBC Action Line.
Do you have a similar story? Please email us: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65531686
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Watch daylight Rolex heist at luxury Tokyo shop - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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Video filmed by a person near the shop in Ginza shows the assailants smashing a display then fleeing.
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A video filmed in Ginza, a shopping district in Tokyo, showed a group of masked individuals robbing a luxury watch shop on Monday.
They wielded a knife while inside and threatened to kill the shop's sales clerks - smashing a display and fleeing the scene with stolen goods, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported.
Police say they believe the robbery was committed by three people who fled in a rented van that may have had replacement licence plates. Four arrests have been made in connection with the incident so far.
No one was hurt.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65544140
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Migration bill 'morally unacceptable', archbishop says - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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Justin Welby speaks out against the bill as its begins its passage through the House of Lords.
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UK Politics
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As we've been reporting, there has been a lot of criticism of the bill from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
But several peers - mostly from the Conservative benches - have been speaking in support of it.
Michael Forsyth, the Conservative former Scotland secretary, backed the comments of his old cabinet colleague Michael Howard - who spoke earlier in the debate. Lord Forsyth said “something needs to be done - and this is something, which is an alternative to doing nothing" - which he said was the position of those opposing the bill.
The author Lord Dobbs said while he finds the bill "in many ways distasteful” it is the “moral obligation” of politicians to stop small boat crossings. This bill “aims at finding a better means of fighting the modern slavers and people smugglers” to save human lives, the Conservative peer adds.
Former supreme court judge, Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood, calls on peers to “harden their hearts” and support the bill in order to “stop the boats” and “limit the overall number” of immigrants coming to the UK.
The crossbench peer argues that global famine and conflict will only drive-up immigration in the coming years and the UK must “find its own solution” for illegal migration soon.
Another crossbench peer, the founder of Migration Watch Lord Green of Deddington, backed the Bill, which he says is a small part of the fight against large scale migration. A “real reduction in wider migration is now essential to preserve the country that many of us love”, he says.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-65541788
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Piers Morgan says he was not aware of phone hacking at Daily Mirror - BBC News
| 2023-05-10T00:00:00
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The former newspaper editor tells the BBC phone hacking is wrong and "shouldn't have been happening".
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Entertainment & Arts
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: "I've never hacked a phone, I wouldn't even know how" - Piers Morgan (interview filmed in March)
Piers Morgan says he is not aware of phone hacking taking place while he was editor of the Daily Mirror.
A High Court case against its owners, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), brought by Prince Harry and several other high-profile figures, began on Wednesday.
Lawyers argue that executives at the publisher knew about widespread phone hacking, but failed to act.
Speaking before the trial, Mr Morgan said: "I've never hacked a phone. I've never told anybody to hack a phone."
The long-awaited case involves allegations that the publisher of the Mirror illegally gathered information about the Duke of Sussex and a number of other celebrities to generate stories.
In written arguments put before the court, the barrister representing Prince Harry said it was "inconceivable" that Mr Morgan and other editors did not know about MGN journalists instructing private investigators to obtain information.
Mr Morgan has always denied any knowledge of phone hacking or illegal activity at the Daily Mirror when he was editor.
He was editor of the Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004
He was interviewed by the BBC's Amol Rajan before the trial began. In it, Mr Morgan said he thought phone hacking - the interception of mobile phone voicemail messages - was completely wrong.
He added it "shouldn't have been happening" and said it was "lazy journalists being lazy". He said there was no evidence that he knew anything about it.
Asked in the interview whether it stretched credulity that, as a hands-on editor, he didn't know what was going on, Mr Morgan replied: "I didn't. So I don't care whether it stretches people's credulity, or not."
The former editor pointed out that although there were civil cases happening, none of the journalists who worked with him at the Daily Mirror have been arrested in connection with phone hacking.
Mr Morgan worked at the Daily Mirror for nearly a decade, but he said none of the civil cases had anything to do with him.
"I've not been called to give evidence, I know nothing about it," he told BBC News. Asked if he was worried about Prince Harry's legal action, he said he "couldn't give a monkey's cuss".
"I don't give a damn what actions he wants to take," he said.
Piers Morgan told Amol Rajan he wasn't aware of any phone hacking while he was at the Daily Mirror
In 2015, MGN, which publishes the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, paid out £1.2m in damages to eight phone hacking victims who refused to settle out of court, including Paul Gascoigne and the actor Sadie Frost.
Other cases have been settled out of court so damages to individuals remain unknown.
On Wednesday, MGN apologised to Prince Harry for one instance of unlawful information gathering in relation to a story which appeared in the Sunday People in 2004, but it denied allegations of voicemail interception in all the cases being examined.
Mr Morgan pointed out he only worked for the Daily Mirror and had no responsibility for the Sunday Mirror or Sunday People, or other titles.
A MGN spokesman said: "Where historical wrongdoing has taken place we have made admissions, take full responsibility and apologise unreservedly, but we will vigorously defend against allegations of wrongdoing where our journalists acted lawfully.
"MGN is now part of a very different company. We are committed to acting with integrity and our objective in this trial is to allow both the business and our journalists to move forward from events that took place many years ago."
Mr Morgan presents a show on TalkTV following his controversial exit from ITV's Good Morning Britain. He left in March 2021, after saying he "didn't believe a word" the Duchess of Sussex had said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Media figure Piers Morgan answers questions on everything from phone hacking to Meghan Markle.
Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only) or on BBC Two at 19:00 BST.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65531864
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Year 6 Sats: Children 'distraught' after reading paper - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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A head teachers' union says even staff struggled to understand parts of a Year 6 reading paper.
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Family & Education
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Parents and teachers of Year 6 pupils say a Sats reading paper was so difficult it left children in tears.
One mother told the BBC that her child, who loves reading, was unable to finish the paper.
A head teachers' union said even staff had struggled to understand the questions, and it would be raising concerns about the paper.
The Department for Education (DfE) said it worked to ensure that "all tests are appropriate".
Some parents said on social media that their children were "distraught" after the paper, which is part of a series of national curriculum tests known as Sats.
A head teacher in Cheshire wrote to her MP calling for Sats to be scrapped after her primary school pupils were left "broken".
Jill Russell, from Cumbria, said her daughter, Pashley, was "very close to tears" when she picked her up from school on Wednesday.
Pashley, who is autistic, loves reading and is the subject ambassador for English in her school. She had been worried about Sats, but reading was "the one she was least concerned about".
Pashley (l) is a keen reader, says her mum Jill (r)
"She usually ends up having a lot of extra time left over, and she said 'I don't think I got to the end of the paper.... I didn't understand a lot of it. It didn't make sense'," Ms Russell said.
"It's definitely made her more anxious about going back in today [Thursday]."
Ms Russell thinks it is "good, in a way, to have some kind of tests" before GCSEs and thinks Pashley's school is "fantastic", but feels that schools in general are under too much pressure to perform well in Sats.
"It kind of feels like they're being taught how to pass the test, as opposed to being taught, and then the test is an addition," she said.
The government has advised that the content of the test paper should not be published until all Year 6 pupils have had the chance to take it.
Sarah Hannafin, head of policy for the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said the union was "very concerned" about the paper.
"Members have told us that the choice of texts was not accessible for the wide range of experiences and backgrounds children have and the difficulty was beyond previous tests, leaving children upset and with even staff struggling to understand the questions," she said.
She said the NAHT would raise the concerns with Standards and Testing Agency, which delivers assessments, and Ofqual, England's exams regulator.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said the Sats this week had been "a punishing experience for many pupils and staff".
She said that children who do not meet expected standards in results this year "will take this demotivating label with them into their secondary schools".
"This is not a system that is concerned about children and their learning. There are better ways of assessing pupils," she said.
A DfE spokesman said Key Stage 2 assessments "play a vital role in understanding pupils' progress and identifying those who may have fallen behind".
"Our test development process is extremely rigorous and includes reviews by a large number of education and inclusion experts and professionals, including teachers, and we trial tests with hundreds of pupils over several years to ensure that all tests are appropriate," he said.
"It's important that schools encourage pupils to do their best, but preparing for these exams should not be at the expense of their wellbeing."
Last year, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected levels in reading, writing and maths - down from 65% in 2019.
The national curriculum tests were cancelled in 2020 and 2021.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-65563170
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Rory Gallagher: GAA manager responds to 'very serious' domestic abuse allegations - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Rory Gallagher was speaking after "very serious" allegations were made against him by his estranged wife.
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Northern Ireland
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Rory Gallagher said the allegations had been investigated and dealt with by the relevant authorities
The manager of the Derry senior Gaelic football team has issued a statement in response to what he described as "very serious" allegations made by his estranged wife.
Rory Gallagher is due to lead Derry into Sunday's Ulster Senior Football Championship final against Armagh.
His statement is in response to a social media post by his wife.
Nicola Gallagher made several claims about alleged domestic abuse over a 24-year period.
The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) considered two files from the police relating to the incidents but determined there was not enough evidence to prosecute.
In a lengthy post on social media earlier this week, Mrs Gallagher also referred to a number of locations including Clones in County Monaghan and Enniscrone in County Sligo.
Mrs Gallagher said she was an 18-year-old schoolgirl when she was beaten after being "dragged into a carpark in Clones" by "a person I trusted and thought was my best friend".
She added: "I forgave that man and I married him."
She also claimed the alleged beatings continued through their marriage and that "my pregnancies never changed the violence".
Mrs Gallagher went on to describe how she "developed a problem with alcohol because, at the time, I didn't know how else to cope".
Towards the end of her post, Nicola Gallagher said: "Blocking it out was easier than admitting what was happening."
She concluded her social media post by saying: "Silence nearly killed me".
In a statement responding to the allegations, Mr Gallagher, who is originally from County Fermanagh, said he had been "made aware of a social media post by my estranged wife Nicola Gallagher in which she has made a number of very serious allegations against me".
He went on to explain that their marriage broke down more than four years ago, adding: "Those closest to our family are well aware of the reasons for the breakdown of our marriage and the continued issues we have faced since that time."
He added: "Following long-running court proceedings in family courts in both jurisdictions, I was granted a full Residence Order in respect of our three young children on 17 February 2023. This outcome was recommended by social services."
Mr Gallagher also said: "Allegations against me have been investigated and dealt with by the relevant authorities."
In the statement, issued through a firm of solicitors, he added: "My focus over the past four years has been to protect our children from the ongoing turmoil in our family."
Mr Gallagher has asked for the privacy of their family to be respected at this time.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it had "investigated a number of reported incidents and files have been submitted to the Public Prosecution Service".
The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) received two investigation files from the PSNI in January 2022 and June 2022.
It was determined there was not enough evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction in relation to any individual, with the decisions made in accordance with the PPS' test for prosecution.
In a statement, Brian McAvoy, Ulster GAA chief executive, said: "While we cannot comment or make judgement on any specific allegation or allegations, Ulster GAA does not condone any form of domestic violence.
"We are proud to have joined with White Ribbon NI in pledging to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women.
"We encourage and support anyone who has been a victim of such abuse not to suffer in silence but to avail of the statutory and voluntary support services that are available in the community."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65557406
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Brexit: Rishi Sunak broke his word over EU laws, says Jacob Rees-Mogg - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The government's decision to drop deadline to scrap EU laws sparks a row in the Conservative Party.
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UK Politics
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Former Conservative minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused Rishi Sunak of breaking his word after the government ditched plans to allow thousands of EU-era laws to expire by the end of 2023.
Defending the move, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch told MPs the government was still "ending EU supremacy" but just "changing how we are doing it".
She said it showed Brexiteers could be "pragmatic" and "do what is right".
But Mr Rees-Mogg said the deadline would "make Whitehall work".
Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, he said: "It is hard enough to motivate Whitehall at the best of times - they are not necessarily coming into the office, they don't seem to be working with the efficiency one would like.
"Without a deadline, nothing will happen and we will retain these EU laws for a long time."
Mr Rees-Mogg, who championed the deadline when he was business secretary last year, said getting rid of the laws would help make the UK's economy more competitive and reduce inflation. Of the PM, he said: "He has broken his word. This is very serious in my view".
Dave Penman, the head of the FDA Union which represents senior civil servants, hit back at suggestions the civil service were to blame, saying the deadline was "an inevitability".
"It was a bizarre way of doing business in government to say that unless we get to a certain point in time, any piece of legislation will simply fall away."
During his unsuccessful bid to be Conservative leader in the summer, Mr Sunak sought to attract members' votes by putting out a campaign video which saw bundles of EU laws being shredded.
Mr Rees-Mogg is not the only Conservative MP upset at the government's decision to scrap the 2023 deadline.
On Wednesday, 20 Tory backbenchers went to see the chief whip Simon Hart to express their concern, and some MPs went into Downing Street to do the same.
And during an urgent question in Parliament on the subject, several Conservative MPs criticised the move.
"What on earth are you playing at?" asked Mark Francois as he accused the government of performing a "massive climbdown".
Dominic Raab - who resigned as justice secretary last month - urged ministers to "resist the resistance" in Whitehall.
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However, ministers received support from other Conservative backbenchers - Sir Bob Neill said he now felt more able to support the bill, because gaps in the legislation had been "sensibly filled".
The divisions in the Conservative Party over Brexit are far from as serious as they were under Theresa May. But there are still spits over the pace and extent of divergence from Europe.
When the UK officially left the EU in 2020, the UK incorporated thousands of EU laws into UK law to minimise disruption to businesses - with an ongoing audit by civil servants having identified 4,800 so far.
The Retained EU Law Bill, introduced during Liz Truss's premiership, set a 31 December 2023 deadline, after which most of the laws would have expired unless ministers decided to replaced or retain them.
Critics - including opposition parties, trade unions and campaign groups - had argued that the deadline was unrealistic and could lead to important legislation being lost by accident.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Ros Atkins on... Brexit and the clash over EU laws
Environmental groups had been particularly concerned warning about a loss of rights and legal protections in areas including water quality, air pollution standards and protections for wildlife.
Setting out the decision on Wednesday to scrap the deadline, Ms Badenoch said the cut-off point would be replaced with a list of 600 laws the government wants to replace by the end of the year.
She said that list was "not the limit of the government's ambition" and that ministers expected to have repealed more than 2,000 pieces of rule by the end of the year.
Labour's shadow business minister Justin Madders, described the situation as an "absolute shambles".
"It was completely unrealistic, reckless and frankly arrogant to think they could strike 4,000 laws from the statute book in the timescale."
The SNP's Kirsten Oswald's described the bill as "damaging" and "anti-democratic" and expressed concern that UK ministers would still have the power to act in areas that are devolved to Scotland.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65555608
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Balmoral Show 2023: Big crowds expected at 'highlight of the year' - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Organisers expect that more than 120,000 people will attend the show at the Eikon Centre near Lisburn.
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Northern Ireland
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'This is who I'm meant to be'
"They come every year, they meet their friends and family - maybe they haven't seen some people since this time last year."
As the Balmoral Show 2023 opens its gates, organiser Rhonda Geary is a firm believer that it is about a lot more than farming and food.
"We've more than 600 trade stands for people to enjoy, a fantastic horticultural area," she says.
"There is something for everybody here.
"Last year we'd more than 120,000. We hope to hit that again and perhaps exceed it."
The show is a highlight of the agricultural calendar and the potential prize-winning animals will have been prepped and pampered for months in hopes of achieving a rosette.
"Our livestock entries have exceeded our expectations and we're delighted to have so many here," says Rhonda.
Rhonda Geary hopes the number of people at the show will be even more than in 2022
This is the 154th Balmoral Show and the third since it was cancelled in spring 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. A smaller event was held in September 2021.
There are more than 3,000 livestock entries across all classes and a new Makers' Market for crafters and artisan traders.
Among the seasoned farmers displaying their animals at the show, the farmers of the future are also making their presence known.
Nine-year-old Georgia from Keady in County Armagh has been to the showring to display a bull almost as tall as she is.
Along with her mother, father, brother and six-week-old baby sister, she is competing at Balmoral with the family bull, a Dexter named Arcadius.
"It's a funny feeling but it feels wonderful," said Georgia.
There are more than 3,000 livestock entries across the show
To get animals ready for the show does not come cheap.
David Connolly has spent almost £30,000 on his blond Charolais bull called Balmyle Sandy in the hope of bringing the animal's desirable traits into his herd.
"He's doing a daily live weight gain, as we talk about, of 1.7kg (3.75lb) per day," David told BBC News NI.
"So for the bodybuilders out there, if they could put on a kilo and seven every week they'd be happy."
One category missing from the show again this year is poultry because of bird flu restrictions.
A housing order that was in place was lifted too late for arrangements to be made for the classes to be included.
There will be just one flock from a single breeder on display.
"It's disappointing for the exhibitors but unfortunately the restrictions on the housing were still in place when our entries opened for this year's Balmoral Show," says Rhonda.
"But we have a fantastic display of poultry - we've more than 100 birds in our poultry marquee.
"And we've our egg classes and our rabbits and cavies [guinea pigs] all over in that area so still a really busy area and a lovely display."
Robert McKibbin is the only poultry farmer displaying at the show
Poultry breeder Robert McKibbin is providing birds for the display and he is looking forward to getting back to some form of showing.
"There's a social end to the whole thing, there's a lot of friends that we have met over the years and we don't actually see them from show to show," he says.
"You always had a bit of craic with them and now you don't see them at all or very rarely.
"When you're breeding lovely birds and you think: 'This bird could do very well in a show' but then there is no show, then that bird passes its best and you have to start all over again for the next year and hope for the best.
"You have to live in hope."
The show is taking place against a backdrop of increasing bovine tuberculosis (bTB) numbers.
Rates are at their highest in more than 20 years.
Show organisers are hoping to attract more than 120,000 visitors
Former Ulster Farmers' Union president Victor Chestnutt said it had become the scourge of every livestock farmer in Northern Ireland.
Six years ago he lost his prize Belgian Blue cattle to the disease.
"We lost the best genetics in one fell swoop," he said.
Clougher Wilma and her sister Clougher Wendy went to slaughter, along with another cow.
Victor's main breeds on his north coast farm now are Charolais and Aberdeen Angus.
A Bovine TB strategy was announced in March 2022, including what then-minister Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots called a "limited" cull of badgers as a wildlife source of the disease.
A legal challenge to the plan has been launched.
The Balmoral Show runs from Wednesday 10 May until Saturday 13 May at the Eikon Centre near Lisburn.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65534922
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Boris Johnson's taxpayer-funded legal bill rises to £245,000 - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The BBC has found the Treasury did not sign off the decision to use taxpayer funds to foot the bill.
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UK Politics
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Boris Johnson has denied he knowingly or deliberately misled Parliament over Partygate
Taxpayers are being billed up to £245,000 to cover the cost of Boris Johnson's Partygate inquiry lawyers.
The former PM is being investigated by MPs over whether he misled them over lockdown parties in Downing Street.
He is facing growing calls to cover the legal costs himself, as the bill for his defence team increased this week for a second time.
The BBC has learned the Treasury did not sign off the decision to use public money to pay the bill.
Ministers and civil servants are expected to follow Treasury guidance when making decisions about spending public money.
The Treasury's spending rulebook says its consent should always be sought for costs "which set precedents, are novel, contentious or could cause repercussions elsewhere in the public sector".
The BBC asked the Cabinet Office if this would apply to Mr Johnson's legal bills, in a freedom of information (FOI) request. We were told the Treasury was not required to approve all spending decisions.
Mr Johnson was flanked by lawyers during a four-hour, televised grilling by MPs on the Commons Privileges Committee in March, when he denied knowingly or deliberately misleading Parliament.
If the committee finds him in contempt of Parliament, he faces suspension as an MP, which could trigger a by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.
Mr Johnson's spokesperson said he had "fully co-operated with this very long process at every stage" and would consider the committee's findings when they are brought forward.
The contract to hire Mr Johnson's legal team - led by top barrister Lord Pannick KC - was signed last August, shortly before he was forced to resign as prime minister.
It was this week extended for the third time, rising in value from £222,000 to £245,000.
Opposition parties say Mr Johnson should pay the legal fees himself given he has earned millions since standing down as prime minister.
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The Cabinet Office and a source close to Mr Johnson argued there is a long-standing precedent that former ministers are supported with legal representation.
But former senior civil servants disputed this, telling the BBC that it would not normally apply to parliamentary inquiries, like the one into Mr Johnson.
"Payment of legal fees to the former prime minister in these circumstances would seem to set a precedent and is certainly contentious, so looks on the face of it to meet the test to require Treasury approval," said Alex Thomas, a former top civil servant and director of the Institute for Government think tank.
"I'm surprised that the payments were made at all - but also that they were signed off in this way."
A former permanent secretary also said they were surprised that Treasury approval wasn't sought.
"I would have regarded this as novel and contentious," the former senior civil servant said. "The whole situation is highly unusual, if not unique.
"It's just the sort of situation that Treasury cover is needed for."
Lord Pannick KC was on the legal team hired to defend Mr Johnson during the Partygate inquiry
The government has cited legal support given to former ministers during public inquiries into the Grenfell Tower fire, the BSE disease outbreak in cattle, and infected blood products as examples of precedents.
But these were statutory public inquires initiated by the government, rather than political parliamentary inquiries carried out by MPs.
The last former minister to be investigated by a parliamentary committee for misleading Parliament was former Labour MP and transport secretary Stephen Byers in 2005.
Mr Byers was investigated by the standards committee over allegations he misled MPs over the collapse of British railway infrastructure operator Railtrack.
In 2006, the committee cleared Mr Byers of lying to MPs about Railtrack, but told him to apologise for giving an "untruthful" answer.
During the four-month inquiry, Mr Byers appeared in front of MPs to give evidence, as Mr Johnson did in March this year.
But unlike Mr Johnson, Mr Byers did not have any legal representation - taxpayer funded or otherwise - during the parliamentary inquiry, nor was he offered any by the government.
More recently, Dominic Raab, the former deputy prime minister, paid his own legal fees during a bullying inquiry.
The latest register of interests for MPs shows Mr Johnson has earned more than £5.5m since he stood down as prime minister last year.
Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said the arrangement that left taxpayers covering Mr Johnson's "Partygate defence fund is not only without precedent but without justification".
She said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak "must explain why he failed to put a stop to this brazen scheme and take immediate steps to ensure his disgraced predecessor returns this money to the public purse".
The Liberal Democrats have urged Mr Sunak to ask his ethics adviser to launch an investigation into Mr Johnson's legal costs and "how this precedent has been set".
"Boris Johnson needs to pay back every penny to the public purse immediately," said Wendy Chamberlain, the party's chief whip.
The National Audit Office (NAO), which scrutinises government spending, has been examining the decision to cover Mr Johnson's legal costs during the inquiry, including whether Treasury approval was sought.
A spokesperson said the spending watchdog had spoken to the Cabinet Office about the contract to hire Mr Johnson's lawyers "as part of our standard audit procedures".
"The NAO will publish its report on the Cabinet Office's 2022-23 accounts when the audit is complete, which we are planning to be this summer," a spokesperson said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65401587
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Monkeypox: WHO declares global emergency over - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The World Health Organization says future outbreaks remain possible, as it ends the highest level of alert.
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Health
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Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox
Monkeypox is no longer a global public health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, almost a year after the threat was raised.
The virus is still around and further waves and outbreaks could continue, but the highest level of alert is over, the WHO added.
The global health body's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to "remain vigilant".
It can be passed on by close contact with someone who is infected.
Its official name is Mpox and it is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox, although it is much less severe.
Once the fever breaks a rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body, most commonly the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Anyone with the virus should abstain from sex while they have symptoms, to help prevent passing it on to others.
More than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths have been reported from 111 countries during the global outbreak, according to a WHO count.
But almost 90% fewer cases were recorded over the last three months compared with the previous three-month period, meaning the highest level of alert is no longer required, Tedros said.
In the UK, only 10 cases have been reported since the beginning of the year.
The announcement comes just a week after the UN agency also declared the Covid emergency over.
Declaring a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) signals that countries need to work together to manage a shared threat, such as a disease outbreak.
There is now just one WHO-declared PHEIC - for poliovirus, which was declared in May 2014.
Dr Katy Sinka, head of sexually transmitted infections at the UK Health Security Agency, said: "If you're eligible and still need to take up the vaccine, please come forward ahead of the summer months to ensure you have maximum protection.
"First doses of the vaccine will end on 16 June and both doses will cease at the end of July."
• None What is monkeypox and how do you catch it?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65564033
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Brixton Academy: Fans asked to help save venue after concert crush deaths - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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A campaign to stop the permanent closure of the O2 Academy Brixton after a fatal crush is launched.
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London
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The Night Time Industries Association said it would be a "huge blow" if the venue permanently closed
Music fans are being asked to "step up" to save the O2 Academy Brixton from permanent closure.
Lambeth Council is considering revoking the south London venue's licence after a fatal crush at a gig on 15 December.
Two people died after the crowd surge at the concert by singer Asake and the Academy has been closed ever since.
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), which lobbies for the live music sector, wants people to express support for the venue to stay open.
The Met Police recently urged Lambeth Council to strip the venue of its licence due to safety concerns.
However, Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, told the BBC the O2 Academy Brixton was "hugely important to the cultural economy of London and the UK and without doubt one of the landmark performance venues in the world".
"This venue has been responsible for shaping and nurturing artists' careers," he said.
Mr Kill added that many live music venues had closed in recent years and losing the "iconic" academy would be "devastating".
The NTIA is asking people to write to the Lambeth Council, urging it to keep the venue open.
Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson died as a result of the crush
The crush happened when a crowd of more than 1,000 people turned up to a concert, many without tickets, and forced their way into the lobby of the building.
Mother-of two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, from east London, and Gaby Hutchinson, 23, from Gravesend in Kent - a security contractor working at the venue, were fatally injured. The Met Police investigation into what happened is continuing.
In a recent letter to Lambeth Council, the Met said officers were called to a "large-scale disorder" and arrived to find security staff "completely out of control of the situation".
Concerns have also been raised about the strength of the doors, staffing levels and the provision of medical cover.
The Academy Music Group, which runs the venue, previously said it had made "detailed proposals that we believe will enable the venue to reopen safely".
Lambeth Council is expected to make a decision on the venue's future later this year.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65561065
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Closure of Tavistock gender identity clinic delayed - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The service - the only NHS gender clinic for children in England and Wales - will close in March 2024.
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UK
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The only NHS gender identity facility for young people is based at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust
The closure of the only NHS gender clinic for children in England and Wales has been delayed to March 2024, about a year later than first planned.
The Gender Identity Development Service (Gids), based at London's Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, will be replaced by two regional hubs.
A southern hub will open in autumn, with the northern hub following next April.
A review said a new model was needed, after Gids was heavily criticised.
No new first patient appointments for those on the waiting list to be seen will be offered until the southern hub opens, but the Tavistock will continue providing care for the roughly 1,000 children it is currently treating.
There is currently thought to be a waiting list of several thousand for children wanting to use the service. An online support service will launch in June to provide support to those waiting to be seen.
The new hubs are being formed with partnerships managed by London's Great Ormond Street Hospital and Alder Hey Children's Hospital, in Liverpool.
Robbie de Santos of LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall said it was "pleased with the continuity of care" for existing patients "ensuring their needs are met until new services are ready" and also welcomed the regional hubs.
"However, we remain concerned about waiting times and urge NHS England to continue to communicate plans and provide further support for those on the waiting list," he said.
Transgender Trend, a UK campaign group that questions the increase in diagnoses of transgender children, said it was also concerned about the number of children on the waiting list as they may have co-existing mental health needs.
"We would like to see some temporary provision put in for children on the wait list to see a mental health professional," it said.
"CAMHS [Child and Adult Mental Health Services] therapists are already adequately trained to deal with such co-existing issues affecting children with gender-related distress."
The Tavistock clinic was rated as "inadequate" by inspectors who visited in late 2020 after the BBC's Newsnight programme reported whistleblowers' concerns.
The subsequent review called for more "holistic" care, looking at patients' overall needs.
There has been a large increase in referrals to the clinic in recent years and it has struggled to meet demand.
Many of those referred were recorded as female at birth but developed gender distress in their early teens.
In July last year, NHS England announced Gids would close in spring 2023, following the interim report by Dr Hilary Cass which called the current single service "unsustainable". NHS England said the timetable had since been revised because of the complexity involved.
More than 5,000 patients were referred to Gids in 2021-2022.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65564032
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Heather Armstrong: 'Queen of mommy blogging' dead at 47 - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Ms Armstrong found success in the 2000s documenting the ups and downs of motherhood on her "Dooce" blog.
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US & Canada
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Heather Armstrong, who found success in the 2000s documenting the ups and downs of motherhood on her blogging website Dooce, has died at the age of 47.
Her boyfriend Pete Ashdown told the Associated Press (AP) he had found her on Tuesday night in their Utah home.
The "queen of mommy blogging" wrote frequently about her children, relationships and personal struggles.
At the height of its popularity, her Dooce website received more than eight million visitors a month, reports Vox.
That was in 2009 - the same year Ms Armstrong was named in Forbes' annual list of the 30 most influential women in media.
Ms Armstrong founded Dooce in the early 2000s as a place to discuss work, sex and leaving the Mormon church.
The site's name came from an inside joke about how she was unable to spell out the word "dude" quickly in online chats, according to the AP and New York Times.
In 2002, Ms Armstrong was fired from her job as a web designer in Los Angeles after the blog - in which she gave colleagues nicknames like That One Co-worker Who Manages to Say Something Stupid Every Time He Opens His Mouth - was found to be hers.
Her firing, and the reason for it, ignited a public debate about privacy - and boosted traffic to her blog.
The site restarted six months later as a different kind of blog after she became pregnant. Embracing honesty in her writing, Ms Armstrong detailed her children's temper tantrums, her mental health challenges, and her struggles with alcoholism and postpartum depression.
According to an estimate quoted in the Wall Street Journal, by 2009, the blog may have generated $40,000 (£32,000) a month in revenue from paid advertising.
Ms Armstrong turned her success into a strong social media presence and three books, including the 2009 memoir It Sucked and then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita.
According to the book, she suffered chronic depression throughout her life and it was not treated until she got to college.
A caption on a Dooce Instagram page on Wednesday announcing her death said: "Hold your loved ones close and love everyone else."
Mr Ashdown told the AP that his partner had been sober for more than 18 months but had recently had a relapse. He said she had taken her own life.
Ms Armstrong is survived by her ex-husband Jon; her children Leta, 19 and Marlo, 14; as well as Mr Ashdown and his three children from a previous marriage.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65553608
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Warning UK losing £2,300 per minute to fraud - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Bank industry group UK Finance calls for tech firms to help reimburse fraud victims.
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Business
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People in the UK lost £1.2bn to fraud in 2022, the equivalent of £2,300 every minute, according to bank industry group UK Finance.
It said around three million scams took place - slightly less than the previous year - with frauds involving payment cards being the most common.
UK Finance said losses were not always reimbursed and urged tech firms to "share the burden" of covering costs.
Ministers say they will get tougher on scams as part of a national strategy.
Fraud is now the most common crime in the UK, with one in 15 people falling victim.
According to UK Finance, the amount of money stolen in 2022 was actually 8% less than in 2021, and fraud cases were down 4% - but there were still nearly three million cases across the UK in total.
It said the most common type of fraud after card fraud was scams involving purchases.
UK Finance boss David Postings said drugs gangs, criminal groups abroad and "state-sponsored bad actors" were responsible for the majority of fraud.
He added that while banks were legally obliged to refund so-called unauthorised fraud, they did not have to cover the costs of authorised scams - where victims are tricked into agreeing to send money to fraudsters.
As a result, banks only refunded about 59% of the losses from this type of fraud on a voluntary basis, amounting to £285.6m of the £485.2m stolen.
Mr Postings said many of the most common frauds started online and called on tech and telecoms companies to play a greater role in reimbursing lost funds.
However, industry group Tech UK said technology firms "already take a wide range of active measures to prevent fraud".
In terms of future threats, Mr Postings said he was concerned that artificial intelligence [AI] would let scammers "spoof people even more than is already the case".
He added that AI could be used to automate fraud and generate convincing scams to trick people.
The government recently released a new fraud strategy, which will include allowing banks to delay payments from being processed for longer, to allow for suspect payments to be investigated.
The strategy will also include banning cold calls on all financial products, such as those relating to bogus insurance or sham cryptocurrency schemes, to help stop scams at source.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65545247
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Stephen Tompkinson trial: Actor found not guilty of grievous bodily harm - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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DCI Banks star Stephen Tompkinson maintained he only pushed Karl Poole and that it was self-defence.
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Tyne & Wear
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Stephen Tompkinson told his trial he had acted in self-defence
Actor Stephen Tompkinson has been found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to a drunken man making noise outside his home.
The 57-year-old actor was accused of punching the man in the early hours of 30 May 2021 in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.
Newcastle Crown Court had heard Mr Tompkinson's actions caused Karl Poole to fall and fracture his skull.
The DCI Banks star said he acted in self-defence.
Prosecutors claimed he had "snapped" and "lashed out" at Mr Poole in "disgust" at his behaviour.
But Mr Tompkinson told jurors the contact "wasn't enough to knock a sober man off his feet".
Mr Tompkinson nodded but showed no visible emotion when the verdict was announced following just under two hours of jury deliberations.
Asked for his reaction as he was leaving court, he told reporters: "I just want to go home."
The trial heard Mr Poole and his friend Andrew Hall had been drinking since midnight that bank holiday Sunday and had gone to the beach before walking back.
Mr Tompkinson, who was living with his partner and her seven-year-old son at the time, heard "strange noises" at about 05:30 BST.
Jurors were told he called 999 after seeing the two men try to stand up and fall several times while drinking from a bottle of Jagermeister at the bottom of the driveway.
While waiting to be connected, Mr Tompkinson went outside wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown and told the "heavily intoxicated" men who he was calling.
He said the pair "took great objection to me complaining about them being there" and had started to move towards him.
Karl Poole had told the court he suffered a brain injury after his head hit the pavement
Neighbour Caroline Davidson, who was watching from her bedroom window, told the court she saw Mr Tompkinson slap and punch Mr Poole, causing him to stumble and fall backwards, hitting his head on the ground.
However, Mr Tompkinson, who was born in Stockton-on-Tees, said he could not have punched him because he was holding his phone.
"I didn't want to hurt him, I wanted to stop him to change his mind about coming towards me and further on to my property," he said giving evidence.
He told jurors punching a drunk man would have been "career suicide" and that he had already lost acting work since being charged.
He told the court he was "not responsible" for the brain injuries Mr Poole sustained but that he accepted some accountability.
In his closing speech, prosecutor Michael Bunch had said the actor was "an expert in playing a part" and his "obvious talent makes him convincing in putting across a story".
Speaking after the jury delivered its verdict, Mr Poole said he was shocked and disappointed.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-65548524
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Brexit: Ministers to ditch deadline to scrap retained EU laws - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The end-of-year timetable had sparked concern that important legislation could fall away by accident.
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UK Politics
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The government has ditched its plan for thousands of EU-era laws to expire automatically at the end of the year.
The plan - dubbed a post-Brexit bonfire - would see laws that were copied over to the UK after Brexit vanish, unless specifically kept or replaced.
Critics of the bill had voiced concern that it could lead to important legislation falling away by accident.
But the climbdown is likely to trigger anger from Brexit-backing Conservative MPs and members of the House of Lords.
Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the cut-off point would be replaced with a list of 600 laws the government wants to replace by the end of the year.
In a statement, she said the change would be made through an amendment when the Retained EU Law Bill returns to Parliament next week.
Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, who introduced the bill when he was in government, called the move an "admission of administrative failure".
It showed an "inability of Whitehall to do the necessary work and an incapability of ministers to push this through their own departments," he added.
He said the move to ditch the deadline represented the triumph of "the blob" - a term used by some Tory MPs to describe the Whitehall establishment.
The UK incorporated thousands of EU laws into UK law to minimise disruption to businesses when the UK officially left the EU in 2020 - with an ongoing audit by civil servants having identified 4,800 so far.
Since September 2021, it has been reviewing this body of legislation to identify opportunities to give British firms an edge over European competitors.
The Retained EU Law Bill, which began its journey through Parliament during Liz Truss's premiership, would have introduced a 31 December cut-off date for most of these laws to expire, unless ministers replaced or decided to retain them.
However opposition parties, trade unions and campaign groups cast doubt on whether the deadline was realistic, given the huge workload in reviewing the legislation.
In a statement on Wednesday, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch acknowledged the deadline had created "legal uncertainty" for businesses.
She said the government had already got rid of, changed or replaced around 1,000 EU-era laws - and was still committed to "lightening the regulatory burden on businesses".
But she added that the "growing volume" of EU laws identified during the ongoing audit had started to get in the way of "meaningful reform".
Writing in the Telegraph, she added: "Getting rid of EU law in the UK should be about more than a race to a deadline".
However, Labour called the move a "humiliating u-turn," accusing ministers of trying to "rescue this sinking ship of a bill".
"After wasting months of parliamentary time, the Tories have conceded that this universally unpopular bill will damage the economy," said Jenny Chapman, Labour's shadow Cabinet Office minister.
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Fox said the Conservatives had "dug themselves into a hole" with the bill, adding: "While they may have stopped digging, they're still in the hole".
Asked about Ms Badenoch's article, David Penman, chair of the civil servants' union the FDA, said he read it as a criticism of an "artificial deadline" championed by the former business secretary, Mr Rees-Mogg.
"If you set an artificial deadline, what is a government department going to do? It's going to focus on the things that need to be retained in government," Mr Penman told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday. He said this would "inevitably" take precedence over focusing on what needs to change.
Government is about "doing things, it's about protecting people, it's about making sure business can work," he added.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Ros Atkins on... Brexit and the clash over EU laws
The bill was passed by MPs in January, but was expected to run into significant opposition when it faces further scrutiny in the House of Lords.
Peers were meant to start debating the bill last month, but the government was reported to have put it on hold until last week's local elections in England were over.
The government is still expected to face opposition from peers over new powers for ministers to amend or replace EU laws using secondary legislation, a fast-track process that attracts less scrutiny in Parliament.
Opposition MPs, and some Conservatives, say this would rob Parliament of a meaningful say over what is changed.
Around 500 EU laws covering financial services had been exempted from the deadline, as they are due to be repealed by a separate bill making its way through the Commons. The same is expected for EU legislation affecting VAT and customs.
However, the footprint of EU-era legislation is particularly large when it comes to environmental regulation.
Campaign groups have warned about a loss of rights and legal protections in areas including water quality, air pollution standards and protections for wildlife.
The move to get rid of the deadline may be a pragmatic move, but is likely to disappoint MPs on the right of the Conservative Party and leave Prime Minister Rishi Sunak open to the charge he's not delivering the benefits of Brexit he promised.
Mr Sunak had promised during his unsuccessful leadership campaign last summer to publish a list of which EU laws would be retained or scrapped within 100 days of taking office.
However, he did not keep the pledge after taking office in October after he was chosen to replace Liz Truss as prime minister by Conservative MPs.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65546319
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Humza Yousaf pays tribute to Scot Jamie Carsi found dead in Spain - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The first minister warns about carbon monoxide after an Edinburgh man died in a Spanish villa.
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Scotland politics
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Humza Yousaf has warned the public about carbon monoxide poisoning
Humza Yousaf has paid tribute to an Edinburgh man who died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.
Jaime Carsi, 40, was found dead at his holiday home in Spain. His wife Mary Somerville, 39, is understood to be in a serious condition in hospital.
The first minister has echoed calls for holidaymakers to pack "life-saving" detectors when they travel abroad.
All homes in Scotland must have a detector in any room with a carbon-fuelled appliance.
Mr Carsi and Ms Somerville were staying at a rural property in Cala Mesquida in the north east of Majorca.
Local newspaper Ultima Hora reported the couple had married two weeks before the incident.
At FMQs, SNP MSP Clare Adamson warned that regulations for carbon monoxide alarms are inconsistent overseas.
She highlighted advice from organisations such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Safer Tourism Foundation which says Scots should consider a carbon monoxide alarm as "essential holiday packing".
Mr Carsi, 40, was an analyst for a Scottish investment management firm
Humza Yousaf agreed and said: "My thoughts are with, of course, the family of Jamie Carsi and indeed with his wife Mary."
He added: "And of course with their friends, their family and the community that will be deeply saddened and rocked by these events."
The first minister said carbon monoxide detectors can give "life-saving" warnings.
"Fitting one of these detectors is vital for safety - it could quite literally save your life," he told MSPs.
Mr Yousaf encouraged Scots to find out more about carbon monoxide poisoning.
Scotland became the first nation in the UK to legally require every home to have interlinked smoke alarms in February 2022.
The legislation was introduced in 2019 following the Grenfell disaster but was delayed until 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65557158
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Sanna Marin: Finnish PM to divorce as she prepares to leave office - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin says she is "still best friends" with her husband.
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Europe
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Finland's outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her husband Markus Raikkonen have filed for divorce.
"We are grateful for the 19 years together and our beloved daughter," Ms Marin said on Instagram on Wednesday.
The couple married in 2020, when Ms Marin was leading the country's pandemic response, and they share a five-year-old daughter.
She is due to leave office after her centre-left party lost the general election last month.
In a story posted on her Instagram account, Ms Marin said she is "still best friends" with Mr Raikkonen, who is a businessman and former professional footballer.
"We will continue to spend time together as a family and with each other," she added.
Ms Marin, 37, became the world's youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019. But she lost out in a tight race to the National Coalition Party, headed by Petteri Orpo, and the right-wing populist Finns Party, led by Riikka Purra, in April.
It was a bitter defeat for Ms Marin. While she increased her party's seats and secured 19.9% of the vote, her coalition partners all lost significant numbers of seats.
Her government has formally resigned but will continue serving on a caretaker basis until the formation and appointment of a new government. Mr Orpo has said he hopes to conclude negotiations by June.
Ms Marin has enjoyed high polling throughout her time in office, with many praising her for steering Finland into Nato and navigating her country through the Covid-19 pandemic.
But she is also a polarising figure in Finland, with headlines pertaining to her personal life surfacing in recent months.
She has frequently been a target for criticism for her apparent love of partying - most notably when a video of her at a party singing, dancing and drinking circulated on social media in August 2022.
At the time, Ms Marin said the video had been filmed on "private premises" and that she had spent "an evening with friends".
But the video prompted dozens of complaints alleging Ms Marin's behaviour undermined Finland's "reputation and security".
The incident led to many women coming out in support of Ms Marin. In Finland, women took to social media to post videos of themselves dancing in solidarity.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65555222
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Train strikes: Rail drivers walk out ahead of Eurovision final - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The train drivers' union leader insists Eurovision events in Liverpool were not targeted by strikes.
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Business
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A strike by train drivers caused disruption for rail passengers on Friday and services are set to be affected across the weekend.
Members of the Aslef train drivers' union walked out from 16 companies, with some running no services at all.
On Saturday - the day of the Eurovision final in Liverpool - the RMT union is taking separate strike action, which will affect 14 rail operators.
As well as Friday's walkout, Aslef is also striking on Wednesday 31 May and Saturday 3 June - the day of the FA Cup final.
Aslef insisted that Friday's strike was not scheduled to affect travel to the Eurovision final.
But both Aslef and the RMT have been accused by Transport Secretary Mark Harper of targeting the contest.
Train companies said the action was "likely to result in little or no services across large areas of the network", with services also disrupted on the days immediately after the strikes.
Passengers need to plan ahead and check services before travel, they said.
The first that Monika, a 26-year-old librarian from Whitstable, knew about the strikes was when she turned up at the railway station on Friday morning.
She told the BBC she had a flight booked from Stansted to Warsaw for an important family gathering, but when she tried to get a taxi to the airport, they were all busy.
She then travelled to Canterbury, thinking it would be easier to get a cab, but by the time she got there she had missed her flight.
Monika booked another flight from Heathrow, but then had to get a taxi there. All in, with cab fares and plane tickets, Monika paid out nearly £600 - wiping out most of her savings and forcing her to borrow from her parents.
"It is a lot for me," she said. "I work in a library so I'm on a low income."
Monika said she felt "really frustrated" by the situation. But she added that she feels sympathy for the striking train workers and is "100% behind" them.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan told the BBC that if the union had deliberately targeted the Eurovision final, it would have taken action on the "Friday, Saturday and the Sunday" instead.
Mr Whelan added: "We don't want to hurt anybody, but there is no good day for a strike. If you pick any one day in any given week you'll hit some event."
However, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train firms, insisted that the action was timed to hit Eurovision and would "disrupt the plans of thousands of fans".
The Department for Transport said it was "hard to believe" Aslef would be "unaware of the huge impact" on Eurovision of its action.
Fans have been gathering for events at the Eurovision Village in Liverpool throughout this week
Mr Whelan was asked whether Aslef would be able to find a "middle ground" with the government, but he said talks were not ongoing.
"I haven't seen the government since January... they take no ownership," he told the BBC. "They don't talk to us, only the [rail] companies."
Rail Minister Huw Merriman insisted Aslef had been offered a "fair and reasonable" pay deal.
"We had a good positive meeting... and it was agreed with Mick Whelan and the Rail Delivery Group that they'd go off and have further talks," he said.
He added that a pay offer was put to Aslef but had not been "put through" to members to vote on, which he was "disappointed" with.
Asked why the government was not doing more to end the disputes, Mr Merriman argued that being a train driver is a "well-paid job" and said it would be "even more so if this pay offer was put forward to members and accepted".
"At the moment a train driver is paid on average, for a 35-hour week, just short of £60,000," he told the BBC. "The latest offer would take them up to £65,000."
But Mr Whelan told the BBC it was a "malicious lie" that the offer was fair and reasonable "because the strings attached to it rip up every condition we've gained over the last 140 years".
He said the offer was less than inflation "so in effect it's a 20% pay cut for giving all our terms and conditions", and negotiations had been "scuppered" by union "red lines" being put back into the deal.
Eurovision fan Harry Cunningham said the strikes were a "huge disappointment"
Harry Cunningham, 23, who lives in London, had been planning to get the train on Friday to Liverpool and stay the night for the Eurovision Village grand final on Saturday.
When the strikes were announced, he and his friend looked into other transport options but any alternative would have been three times longer than the train.
He said it was "crushing" and "heartbreaking" that they wouldn't be able to go.
"It's a huge disappointment... this is something we've been planning and prepping for since September."
There have already been six strike days in Aslef's long-running pay dispute.
The industry and the government say the railway's finances are unsustainable, so ways of working have to change and efficiencies be made, in return for wages going up.
Unions point out the pay rises on the table are way below inflation, and argue their members' jobs and working conditions are being attacked.
Last month, Aslef rejected the latest proposals from the group representing train companies.
Separately, RMT members who work as maintenance workers and signallers at Network Rail voted to accept a deal in March, ending that dispute.
But the parallel dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions with 14 train companies goes on.
The RMT's committee has rejected the train companies' latest offer, including a 5% pay rise one year and 4% the next.
Are your travel plans affected by the industrial action? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65552029
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US border crisis: El Paso readies for rise in crossings as end of Title 42 looms - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Cities on both sides are predicting a rise in attempted crossings when a pandemic-era policy expires.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: What is the Title 42 border policy?
A record number of migrants were recently apprehended at the US-Mexico border in a single day, fuelling fears over what will happen in a few hours when a controversial immigration policy expires.
The rule, known as Title 42, was first implemented in 2020 and made it easier for the US to expel migrants back to Mexico using the coronavirus pandemic as justification.
But its looming expiration at 23:59 ET on Thursday (03:59 GMT on Friday) has triggered a rush to reach the border, and cities on both sides are readying for a rise in attempted crossings once it lapses.
President Joe Biden acknowledged earlier this week that the border would be "chaotic for a while" despite the best efforts of the authorities.
The potential impact is already clear in the Texas city of El Paso, which is seeing an increase in arrivals ahead of the rule change.
Migrants - many of them confused about the impending change - are sleeping rough in makeshift campsites on the city's streets. Several thousand were camped out earlier this week around a church in the city centre.
"We've never seen this before," Mayor Oscar Leeser said at a border security expo just streets away from the campsite on Wednesday. "Something has to change. As a community, we can't do this forever."
He warned that across from El Paso alone, an estimated 10,000 migrants were "lined up at the border, waiting to come in".
Joe Sanchez, the regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, compared the situation to a stampede at a football game - only many times larger.
"Imagine 60,000 people in one location, and all of a sudden an alert comes on and says there's a bomb in the building. What happens after that? Chaos… It's very hard to control and very hard to manage," he told the BBC.
"That's exactly what it's like on the border."
For those migrants - and those already in the US - the future is uncertain.
In a bid to stop the flow, the Biden administration introduced strict new rules for asylum seekers on Wednesday, which included barring those who cross illegally from applying from asylum for five years.
US officials have also announced new changes aimed at encouraging migrants to seek legal pathways to the country, as well as strict penalties and swift deportation for those who do not.
Migrants are camped out at a church in El Paso ahead of Title 42 ending
Moreover, about 24,000 law enforcement officers have been stationed along the length of the 2,000 mile (3,218km) border, along with thousands of National Guard troops and active-duty military personnel sent to help Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The new measures come at a challenging time for the CBP. In the El Paso sector alone, officers have seen a sharp rise in attempted crossings over the past six months and are carrying out hundreds of detentions every day.
Authorities in the city have been left to contend both with unprocessed migrants who crossed illegally, and those who have been released from detention to await a court date with an immigration judge. Some migrants in El Paso told the BBC they would have to wait years before they appear in court.
And just days before Title 42 expires, officials here have launched an enforcement operation asking migrants to head to the nearest processing facility.
Those who were found to have legitimate asylum claims were given dates to appear before an immigration judge, while others were detained for eventual removal. One woman told the BBC that her court date was in 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Migrants in the area also said that some had run, fearful of deportation, while others had reluctantly presented themselves to CBP officers in the hopes that they would be allowed to stay.
"It was crazy. They came to tell us early in the morning, when it was still dark," said Luis Angel, a 29-year-old Cuban who was paroled into El Paso awaiting his court date. "Some of my friends are still detained."
Speaking on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that much of the problem stemmed from smugglers who had "been hard at work spreading false information that the border will be open" after 11 May.
"It will not be. They are lying," he added. "We urge migrants once again not to believe the smugglers who are lying to them solely to make a profit. We are building lawful pathways for you to come to the United States."
Among the steps being taken are the opening of regional processing centres aimed at helping migrants apply to come to the US, as well as expanded access to CBP One, an app which migrants can use to schedule asylum appointments.
Migrants run from Border Patrol after crossing into El Paso, Texas
CBP also plans to ramp up efforts to counter misinformation to combat rumours about border policies.
Still, many migrants in El Paso said that they found the rules confusing and had heard conflicting information about what might happen before or after the policy ends.
"The rules definitely influenced me. I heard that with Title 42 they'd return me to Mexico to try again until I get in," said Daniel, a Venezuelan.
"But now they'll return everyone to their country," he said. "If I go back to Venezuela, who knows, they might torture or imprison me. That's how it is there."
With additional reporting from Angelica Casas and Morgan Gisholt Minard
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65552877
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Mercedes-Benz shooting: Two killed at factory in Germany - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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A suspect has been arrested after opening fire at the plant in south-western Germany.
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Europe
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The plant in Sindelfingen employs about 35,000 people
Two people have been killed in a shooting at a Mercedes-Benz factory in south-western Germany, police said.
A 53-year-old man entered the production hall at the plant in Sindelfingen and opened fire, shooting two 44-year-old men.
One of the victims died at the scene, the other died later in hospital. No one else was hurt.
Security staff detained the suspect and handed him to officers who arrested him without resistance, police said.
The incident happened at about 07:45 local time (05:45 GMT), police in the city of Ludwigsburg said.
"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news from Sindelfingen this morning. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site," Mercedes-Benz said in a statement.
Mercedes-Benz produces its S-Class luxury model at the Sindelfingen plant, which employs about 35,000 people.
The firm said the people involved in the shooting had been employed by an external service provider.
The Stuttgart prosecutor's office said there was a single perpetrator and no one outside the factory was involved.
There was no danger to the public, police said.
Germany has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe and authorities say they are planning to tighten them further.
In March a shooting at a Jehovah's Witnesses meeting hall in Hamburg claimed seven lives, including that of an unborn child.
Authorities were also alarmed by a suspected plot to overthrow the government, which led to mass arrests in December.
Current laws require anyone aged under 25 to pass a psychological evaluation before getting a gun licence.
In 2021, there were around one million private gun owners in Germany, according to the National Firearms Registry. They account for 5.7 million legal firearms and firearm parts, most of them owned by hunters.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65557774
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Rocket kills woman in Israel as strikes target Gaza militant commanders - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The deadly attack in Rehovot follows the killing of Islamic Jihad's rocket chief and his deputy.
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Middle East
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One person was killed and five others were injured when a Palestinian rocket hit an apartment in Rehovot, in central Israel
The Israeli military has killed two Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders in air strikes in Gaza during a third day of fighting with militants there.
A pre-dawn attack on an apartment in Khan Younis killed the head of PIJ's rocket-launching force and two others, who the military said were militants.
In the afternoon, his deputy was killed in a strike in a nearby town.
Later, one woman was killed when a rocket fired from Gaza hit a building in the central Israeli city of Rehovot.
It was the first fatality in Israel since it began an operation against PIJ on Tuesday morning with a series of air strikes that killed another three of the group's commanders.
Twenty-nine people have been killed and 93 injured in Gaza over the same period, health officials there say. At least 10 civilians are also among the dead, which the United Nations has called unacceptable.
The Israeli military said four people, including three children, were killed in Gaza by rockets falling short on Wednesday, though this has not been corroborated by Palestinian sources. PIJ denied the allegation and accused Israel of trying to evade responsibility for their deaths.
Militants have launched at least 803 rockets since Wednesday, 620 of which have crossed into Israeli territory, the Israeli military says. Some have hit buildings, but most have landed in open areas or been intercepted. It says it has hit 191 PIJ sites since Tuesday.
On Thursday night a barrage of rockets reached the area around Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial capital, about 60km (37 miles) north of Gaza, with no immediate reports of injuries.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Yolande Knell: "A very frightening day for Israelis and Palestinians"
The early morning Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, destroyed an apartment at the top of a six-storey building and damaged the apartment below it.
Abdullah Samir Hummaid, whose apartment in a neighbouring building was also damaged, said he had just got into bed when "two explosions sounded within a few seconds".
The PIJ confirmed that the head of its missile unit, Ali Hassan Ghali, also known as Abu Mohammed, was killed the attack, which it described as a "treacherous Zionist assassination".
The Hamas-run health ministry said three people were killed and seven others injured. Palestinian media reported that the two other dead were Ghali's brother and nephew.
The PIJ is the second biggest militant group in Gaza after Hamas, which controls the territory, and has been responsible for many of the rocket attacks on Israel in recent years.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had targeted Ghali and what it called two "other Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza" in their "hideout".
It said Ghali had been "responsible for the recent rocket barrages launched against Israel".
Later on Thursday, militants began firing mortars and rockets at Israeli communities near the Gaza perimeter fence, damaging two homes in the Eshkol Regional Council area.
The IDF said it struck a number of targets belonging to PIJ in response to the rocket fire before it announced in the late afternoon that it had killed the deputy head of the group's rocket-launching force, Ahmed Abu Daqqa, in an attack in the town of Bani Suheila, near Khan Younis.
It said Abu Daqqa "took a significant part" in carrying out the rocket barrages over the past two days.
PIJ also confirmed Abu Daqqa's death, while local health officials four people were wounded in the strike.
"Anyone who comes to harm us - blood on his head, and also blood on the head of his replacement," warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to a military base.
Not long afterwards, Palestinian health officials reported that another two people were killed in the Shejaiya area of Gaza City.
Several barrages of rockets were also launched towards communities in southern and central Israel, triggering sirens and causing residents to run to shelters.
"We've got 30 seconds to literally get in [the safe room]," Beverly Jamil, who lives in Ashkelon, 12km north of Gaza, told the BBC .
"You can be anywhere - parking the car, in the middle of cooking, in the shower, you've got 30 seconds to get in here, close the door and wait and we have to make sure that we're all in, ie the whole family, me, my husband, my two girls and the three dogs."
Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service said there was a direct hit on an apartment building in Rehovot, about 21km south of Tel Aviv, killing one person. It said five people have been wounded by rockets and 16 injured running to shelters since the rocket fire began on Wednesday.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander Ahmed Abu Daqqa was killed in an Israeli strike on a house in Bani Suheila, Gaza
Earlier, a spokeswoman for UN Secretary General António Guterres said he condemned "the civilian loss of life, including that of children and women, which he views as unacceptable".
This week's fighting is the heaviest since three days of hostilities between Israel and PIJ last August, in which 49 Palestinians were killed in Gaza.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian health ministry there said a 66-year-old Palestinian man was killed by Israeli forces during a raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp, near Tulkarm. The IDF said its troops returned fire after one was shot and lightly wounded by gunmen.
Update 12 May 2023: This story has been updated to say that the Israeli civilian killed in Rehovot was a woman and not a man, as initial reports stated.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65553728
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Autistic teenager was stuck on general hospital ward for months - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Experts say it was the wrong place for the 16-year-old, but she had nowhere else to go.
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UK
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An autistic girl aged 16 spent nearly seven months in a busy general hospital due to a lack of suitable children's mental health services in England.
Her local health and care system said it was "very sorry" for how she was treated "when she was most vulnerable".
Campaigners describe the shortage of appropriate support for people with autism as a human rights crisis.
Directors of council care services are calling for an urgent government review of children's mental health services.
The teenager, called Molly, spent about 200 days living in a side-room of a children's ward at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. It is not a mental health unit.
Experts say a general hospital was not the right place for her, but she had nowhere else to go because of a lack of help in the community.
Warning: Molly's story contains details that some people may find upsetting
Agency mental health nurses were brought in because she needed constant, three-to-one observations to keep her safe. Her family says security guards were also often stationed outside her room.
Molly's autism is at the root of the deep anxiety and eating problems that she struggles with.
Like many autistic people, she finds dealing with noise difficult. The clamour of the hospital overloaded her senses and her behaviour sometimes became challenging. She was restrained numerous times.
In the final 10 days she was at the hospital, her family says the children's ward was closed to other patients because she became so distressed.
A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System (ICS) said it was sorry Molly "did not receive care in an environment better suited to her needs", adding: "Molly's safety has always been our priority."
The National Autistic Society says it is hearing from hundreds of autistic people who cannot get the support they need.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care says it recognises "the importance of getting people the right care in the right place".
This may be one person's experience, but it tells us so much about how the health and care system is failing too many young people who are struggling.
Molly is a bright, engaging teenager, who loves animals and finds the outdoors calming. She was diagnosed as autistic when she was 10 years old. She is also partially sighted.
For nearly a year, I've been speaking to Molly and her parents. Through the many emails, phone calls, video meetings and visits I've followed the frustrating fight they've faced to try to get Molly the right support.
Molly with her parents Mandy and Richard
When I first sat talking to Molly in the kitchen of her family home last August, she had already spent 90 days on the children's ward of the general hospital because there was no support available elsewhere.
She had initially been taken there because her weight had fallen dangerously low, but described the loud, bright, busy hospital environment as like "living in hell".
"It feels like they're torturing you," she said. "It's almost like the hospital room is like a small box, and you're not allowed to leave it. There are phones going off, alarms, children screaming."
The three-person restraint team that moved in when she became distressed or if she was refusing to eat "just made things 100 times worse", she remembered.
In the past four years, Molly has also spent time on four child and adolescent mental health units. Two of the units have since closed after highly critical inspection reports. Her family believes none of the places provided Molly with the therapy or autism support she needed.
Her father Richard said: "There is no long-term strategy. No planning really, other than reacting to crises."
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICS spokesperson said there had been "a significant and rapid rise" in the number of children and young people with complex mental health conditions requiring care and support since the Covid pandemic.
It says across England, the proportion of children aged five to 16 years identified as having a probable mental disorder increased from 10.8% in 2017 to 16% in 2020. In south-east England the proportion is even higher at 17.4%.
When I asked Molly why she wanted to speak to us, she was very clear. She didn't want others to be treated as she had been treated.
"The system really needs to change," she said.
Once Molly was back at home after being discharged from the last unit, they hoped she would get intensive support in the community to help with her disordered eating and anxiety.
Her family says this proved patchy, with many changes of staff.
Last October, Molly reached another crisis. Her weight dropped again and she was taken back to the Queen Alexandra Hospital. Her parents asked us to delay telling her story, hoping she would be home soon. Nearly seven months later she was still there.
Her family says she was traumatised by the hospital environment, being frequently restrained and largely isolated from other young people.
"It's a vicious cycle," Richard said. "The more distressed she gets, the more her behaviour becomes challenging and then the more intense support they've got around her, which is more oppressive and more sensory-overloading."
Despite the close supervision, she has also harmed herself seriously on several occasions.
"I think we know something is wrong before we even pick up, if the phone rings at night," said her mother, Mandy.
They are both exhausted and when I asked how they were coping, Mandy said: "You have to cope, there is no other way."
In March, Molly's parents told me that the teams involved in her care seemed to agree she was stuck.
Richard said past experience had shown that "off-the-shelf solutions", including stays in mental health units, were "very negative for her and completely don't meet her autistic needs".
An ICS spokesperson said: "Everyone involved has done all they can to ensure she receives safe and compassionate care and sought to move Molly to a setting that better meets her needs as quickly as possible. Teams continue to do their very best to help ensure Molly gets the care she needs."
The National Autistic Society says it hears from hundreds of people trapped in a similar cycle.
It wants the government and NHS to put more money into mental health services that support people at home and to intervene early when there are problems.
The charity's head of research, Tim Nicholls, says that unless this is done the pattern will repeat itself and "one of the great human rights crises of our generation" will continue.
It is hard to calculate how much Molly's latest stay in the general hospital will have cost, but according to the Nuffield Trust health think-tank, a paediatric NHS hospital bed costs nearly £500 a day. If a child has an eating disorder that rises to about £1,400 a day.
The NHS hasn't commented on the financial impact of the nearly 200 days Molly has spent at the hospital, but with the costs of employing agency mental health staff included, it could easily have reached a quarter of a million pounds.
While the NHS runs most mental health services for children, councils also provide community-based support.
In a recent survey, 79% of directors who run council children's services in England said there was "rarely" or "never" appropriate beds available for children with complex needs.
Steve Crocker from the Association of Directors of Children's Services in England said they had seen "a real increase in the number of children stuck on hospital wards with mental health issues".
Until recently he ran children's social care in Hampshire, where Molly lives. While he can't comment on individual cases, he says generally the need for change is urgent and "we also need to push government for a full review around children's mental health services".
The government says its ambition is to halve the number of autistic people and those with a learning disability in mental health hospitals by March 2024. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson added that this is backed by extra funding and "our action plan to improve community support and reduce over-reliance on mental health hospitals".
In April, Molly's family says she became so distressed the children's ward was closed to other patients. Ten days later she was moved to a mental health unit - even though that has not worked for her in the past. It is meant to be a short-term solution but her family say no other options are currently being discussed.
I last spoke to Molly a couple of days ago. She had had a few trips out with her parents and was desperate to get on with life.
And if she can get the right support, her hopes of staying out of hospital and going to college should be possible.
If you are affected by any of the issues in this article you can find details of organisations that can help via the BBC Action Line.
Do you have a similar story? Please email us: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
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Belfast: Alleged Chinese 'police station' must be shut, says activist - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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There are four alleged stations in the UK, with a senior MP saying one is in Belfast.
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Northern Ireland
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A Belfast-based activist from Hong Kong has called on the UK government to shut down an alleged Chinese "police station" operating in Belfast.
Patrick Yu claimed they are being used to monitor Chinese citizens abroad.
There have been four alleged stations identified in the UK, with a senior MP claiming one operates in Northern Ireland.
The Chinese government has previously denied the claims.
It is estimated there are at least 100 such illegal bureaus across the world with widespread allegations of intimidation.
A Chinese "police station" in Dublin was ordered to close by the Irish government last October.
The UK government told BBC News NI it takes the claims very seriously.
The stations are understood to be operating in 53 countries, according to Spain-based human rights organisation Safeguard Defenders, which monitors disappearances in China.
Last month Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chair of Westminster's foreign affairs Committee, told the House of Commons that the UK was vulnerable to "Chinese transnational repression".
The Chinese government operate a consulate in south Belfast but it is unknown where the alleged "police station" operates
"It is still true that there are four illegal police stations operating in the country that we know of - the one in Belfast seems to be missing from much of the reporting," she said.
The Safeguard Defenders report identified two of the facilities in London with another in Glasgow.
Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was previously in contact with police over the facility, which reportedly operated out of a restaurant.
In April the Times newspaper reported one of the alleged stations is operating in Croydon, south London.
Elsewhere, US prosecutors arrested two men in New York last month for allegedly operating one of the stations while Dutch media found evidence that the stations were being used to try to silence Chinese dissidents in Europe.
It is alleged that the underground policing units exist to carry out persuasion operations, aimed at coercing those suspected of speaking out against the Chinese regime to return home.
Patrick Yu claims the alleged police stations are used to monitor Chinese citizens abroad
Mr Yu, who has lived in Northern Ireland for about 30 years and sits on the board of the NI Council for Racial Equality (NICRE), told BBC News NI: "I think it's about the monitoring of Chinese citizens and a way of threatening them.
"If you're a Chinese citizen the government is always watching you."
Mr Yu, who helped organise some of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, said he is unable to return to Hong Kong because of his campaigning and the National Security Law enacted in Hong Kong in 2020.
He said the government should take the necessary action to shut down any alleged police stations operating in the UK.
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Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Commons that the security services had warned the UK government about the existence of these stations.
"We know that they are bringing Chinese dissidents in, confronting them with videos of their families and threatening their families in front of them if they do not co-operate, leave and go back to China," said the former Conservative leader.
During the same debate, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Jim Shannon said: "I have some constituents who are Chinese expats who have told me that they feel they have been followed.
"They are pretty sure that their phones have been tapped."
He later told Belfast Live: "Their concerns are that they have family back home in Hong Kong and... they're very conscious that whatever they do or say that the Chinese authorities, or whoever it may be, are keeping a tab on them."
The Chinese government has also been accused of establishing "police stations" across the globe
The EU director of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, Mark Sabah, told BBC News NI that UK authorities "have done nothing" on the matter of Chinese-controlled stations, despite mounting political pressure.
"If the [Belfast station] is in any way aligned with the two in London and the one in Glasgow then it should be immediately shut down and the owner called in for questioning or expelled," he said.
Amnesty International in Northern Ireland said the government should tell Chinese authorities it "will not tolerate the long arm of Chinese state oppression here".
Patrick Corrigan, the head of Amnesty International NI, said: "Any Chinese 'police station' being used to spy on Hong Kong and mainland Chinese communities in Belfast - or anywhere else in the UK - must be shut down immediately.
"The UK authorities need to steadfastly protect Hong Kong and mainland Chinese people against any intimidation by Beijing."
A UK government spokesperson said: "Reports of alleged, undeclared 'police stations' operating in the UK are of course very concerning and are taken extremely seriously.
"Attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable. We are committed to tackling these challenges wherever they originate."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65537553
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NHS misses targets in England to tackle care backlogs - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Too many people face long waits for cancer and planned care, but the NHS says huge progress has been made.
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Health
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Hospitals in England have failed to hit key targets to tackle the backlogs in cancer care and routine treatment.
Waiting times show too many patients were still facing long waits at the end of March.
The targets were to eliminate 18-month waits for planned care, such as knee and hip replacements, and to bring 62-day cancer waits to pre-pandemic levels.
NHS England said huge progress had been made, particularly on routine care.
The numbers waiting more than 18 months for treatment peaked in September 2021 at nearly 125,000.
By the end of March, just over 10,700 were waiting that long - but NHS England said about 4,000 of them were complex cases or patients who had been offered treatment but had chosen to wait.
Half of the people were concentrated in 10 NHS trusts.
Overall, there are now a record 7.3 million people on a hospital waiting list, which is nearly three million higher than it was before the pandemic started.
Ministers have warned it could be next spring before the numbers start falling.
Last spring a tumour was found on Phil Martlew's kidney.
Doctors said there was an 80% chance it was cancerous.
Within two months he had a pre-op assessment, but delays meant it was seven months before the tumour was eventually removed in January 2023.
The 68-year-old from Merseyside said the treatment, when he received it, was "exemplary".
But he said the wait placed a huge mental strain on him.
"The wait was enormously stressful and the thought that the tumour may be cancerous is on your mind every day.
"It's like the film Alien. I kept thinking that this thing's inside of me and I just wanted it out.
"All the medical staff who dealt with my care have been fabulous.
"I'm annoyed about the admin and management of it."
Are you experiencing a long wait for elective surgery or cancer treatment? Get in touch.
The NHS had already acknowledged it was going to miss the cancer target.
It was set a goal of bringing back the number of people waiting more than 62 days for treatment to pre-pandemic levels of 14,200.
By the end of March, more than 19,200 were waiting that long - although that is also well down from the peak in September 2022 of nearly 34,000.
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said "great strides" were being made in the face of "incredible pressure".
As well as the demands placed on hospitals by flu and Covid this winter, the NHS has also had to contend with managing the impact of strikes by nurses, junior doctors, physios and ambulance workers, which have caused the postponement of more than 500,000 appointments and operations.
"There is still much work to be done, but these are remarkable achievements given all the NHS has had to contend with," added Ms Pritchard.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "I promised I would cut NHS waiting lists and we are delivering.
"Reducing 18-month waits by over 90% is huge progress, and it is testament to the hard work of NHS staff who have achieved this despite one of the busiest winters on record."
At the end of last year, the National Audit Office warned that the plan to tackle the backlog in treatment was at serious risk.
A lack of staff and hospital beds was affecting productivity, it warned.
It has meant the NHS is still doing fewer planned treatments, such as knee and hip replacements, than before the pandemic.
Tim Mitchell, from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said it was "disappointing" the targets had not been met.
He said NHS staff were "doing the very best they could", but were being hampered by the "chronic staff vacancies that impede the day-to-day running of the NHS".
He urged ministers to publish the much-delayed NHS workforce plan which will set out how staffing shortages will be tackled.
The plan is expected in the coming weeks.
Labour's shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said the government had "broken its promise, leaving thousands of patients in pain and discomfort for unacceptably long".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65556498
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Updated DNA map better reflects human diversity - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Researchers produce a new version of the human genome that could improve medical treatments.
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Science & Environment
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Researchers say the new genetic map of humanity is more representatives of variety
Scientists have produced an updated map of all human DNA which could help to transform medical research.
The original human genome, published 20 years ago, is mostly from one person, and does not represent human diversity.
The latest version - dubbed the pangenome - is made up of data from 47 people from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
It is hoped it will lead to new drugs and treatments that work for a much wider range of people.
According to Dr Eric Green, who is director for the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda Maryland, the research, which has been published in the journal Nature, has the potential to transform medical research.
"This represents a tremendous scientific achievement. A pangenome that better reflects the diversity of the human population will enable scientists to better understand how genetic variation influences health and disease and moves us to a future in which genomic medicine benefits everyone".
The genes that make up human DNA are made up of of sequences of chemicals.
The pangenome consists of 47 separate DNA maps of the people from different ancestries, which can also be combined and compared with new software tools to find important genetic differences.
The aim is to develop more effective treatments for more people, but genetic scientists are aware that the research has the potential to be misused. Prof Muzlifah Haniffa, of the Sanger Institute in Newcastle, who was not part of the research team, said that the science should not be misinterpreted,
"Genetic information about diversity should be used responsibly and not to provide evidence of differences in race, which is a social construct. We have to understand what it shows and, importantly, what it doesn't show. We have to make sure that taking information very superficially to establish false racial characteristics does not happen".
The human genome was largely completed in 2003. It is a map of the basic chemical building blocks that make up human DNA. Researchers use it to identify genes involved in diseases so as to develop better treatments. It has led to improved cancer therapies and the development of tests to predict the onset of inherited conditions, such as Huntington's disease.
It took hundreds of machines 13 years to read all the DNA that makes a human
But the downside is that 70% of the genome came from a single individual: an American man with European and African ancestry. This therefore misses important genetic differences that play an important part in diseases in people from other backgrounds, according to Dr Karen Miga of the university of California in Santa Cruz.
"Having one map of a single human genome cannot adequately represent all of humanity. This reboot can be the foundation for the scientific community to have more equitable healthcare in the future".
Although the map of the human genome currently used by researchers has a lot of African DNA in it, counterintuitively it is the population that is one of the most lacking, according to Dr Ewan Birney, deputy Director General of the European Molecular Biology Lab near Cambridge.
"The most important place in the World to get genomes from is sub-Saharan Africa. It is where we started as a species, and it has the greatest genetic diversity. So, one African American genome is not enough to represent that diversity".
Dr Zamin Iqbal, a senior researcher at EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute near Cambridge, believes that a more representative genome will lead to better treatments for more people.
"Expanding the range of populations present in the human reference genome will reduce a long-standing implicit bias in studies of human genetics. Humans are diverse, and it's important that our analytical methods incorporate that.
Two recent studies in the US and in the UK and Ireland found that children of European ancestry were twice as likely to be diagnosed with genetic tests than those of African ancestry.
Dr Alexander Arguello, who is the programme director at at the National Human Genome Research Institute, says the aim of the new project was to change those outcomes.
"The hope is that once you capture sufficient diversity you will get the same diagnostic results whatever the population".
The new pangenome is made up from 47 people, half of whom have ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa, a third from the Americas, 13% from China and 2% from Europe, with representation of indigenous people.
But this is just the start of an ambitious programme to better represent the diversity of the world's population. The initial aim is to increase the number to 350. After that the scientists leading the largely US programme plan to increase numbers and diversity further by working with organisations from other countries in what they hope will become phase two of the human genome project.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65539594
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Harry blames press intrusion for Chelsy break-up - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The prince said Ms Davy decided "a royal life was not for her", as his High Court case against Mirror Group Newspapers begins.
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UK
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The Duke of Sussex has blamed alleged illegal intrusion into his private life by journalists for the break-up of his relationship with Chelsy Davy.
In a witness statement, Prince Harry claimed Ms Davy decided that "a royal life was not for her" following repeated acts of harassment.
The claims emerged in a High Court case against Mirror Group Newspapers brought by several high profile figures.
MGN denies allegations of voicemail interception in the cases.
It also claimed some of the cases being brought are beyond a legal time limit.
Ms Davy and Prince Harry were in an on-off relationship between 2004 and 2010.
In a summary of his witness statement, the duke's lawyers alleged unlawful activity "caused great challenges" in the relationship, and led Ms Davy to decide that "a Royal life was not for her".
This included journalists booking into a hotel in Bazaruto, a small island off the coast of Mozambique, where Harry and Ms Davy had tried to escape to in order to "enjoy some peace and quiet", the document reads.
The lawyers also said that mobile phonecalling data to be used in the trial shows that Ms Davy was targeted for voicemail interception between 2007 and 2009.
The activities caused him "huge distress" and "presented very real security concerns for not only me but also everyone around me", he said, adding that they also created "a huge amount of paranoia" in future relationships.
"Every time he was in a relationship, or even a rumoured relationship, that whole person's family, and often their friends, would be 'dragged into the chaos' and find themselves the subject of unlawful activity on the part of MGN," lawyers said.
Prince Harry's lawyers allege that his mobile phone number was recorded in a handheld device belonging to "prolific hacker and head of news at the Sunday Mirror" Nick Buckley.
The prince is also expected to allege that he experienced what was, in hindsight, voicemail interception in relation to 30 people with whom he had a close relationship.
He is expected to give evidence in June - the first time a senior royal will be a witness in court in modern times.
MGN has not admitted to any of the charges, although it said it "unreservedly apologises" for a separate instance of unlawful information-gathering against Harry and said that the legal challenge brought by the prince "warrants compensation".
The article that incident referred to - regarding an MGN journalist instructing a private investigator to unlawfully gather information about Harry's activities at the Chinawhite nightclub on one night in February 2004 - is not one of the claims being brought by the prince.
MGN said it would never be repeated.
In written submissions, MGN's barrister, Andrew Green KC, said the publisher denied that 28 of the 33 articles in Harry's claim involved phone hacking or other unlawful information gathering.
He said that stories came from a variety of other sources - including other members of the Royal Family.
Mr Green added that it was "not admitted" that five of the 33 articles contained unlawful information gathering.
Other celebrities have brought claims against MGN, with "test cases" - including Prince Harry's - selected to go to trial from the wider group of claimants.
They include that of former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson, comedian Paul Whitehouse's ex-wife Fiona Wightman and actor Michael Turner - who played Kevin Webster in Coronation Street and goes by his stage name Michael Le Vell. All are expected to give evidence during the six- to seven-week trial.
The court heard that Ms Sanderson felt like she was "public property" and experienced abuse in the street following "false insinuations" in articles published by MGN.
"[She had] people shouting at her in the street calling her a 'whore', 'slag' or 'slut' and even being physically assaulted on numerous occasions," barrister David Sherborne said.
Mr Turner was accused by fellow cast members of being a "mole" amid alleged phone hacking, the court heard.
The hearing is focusing on what senior executives at MGN knew about alleged phone hacking - including TV host Piers Morgan, who was editor of the Daily Mirror between 1995 and 2004.
Mr Sherborne told the court that unlawful information gathering was both habitual and widespread at three papers - the Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People - between 1991 and 2011.
He described "a flood of illegality", adding that "this flood was being authorised and approved of" by senior executives.
The barrister also accused executives of misleading the Leveson inquiry - the inquiry into the practices, culture and ethics of the press - something it denies.
In written arguments, Mr Sherborne said it was "inconceivable" that Mr Morgan and other editors did not know about MGN journalists instructing private investigators to obtain information.
"The systemic and widespread use of PIs [private investigators] by MGN journalists to unlawfully obtain private information was authorised at senior levels," Mr Sherborne, who is also representing the duke, said.
Mr Morgan has repeatedly denied any knowledge of phone hacking or illegal activity at the Daily Mirror when he was editor.
"I've never hacked a phone. I've never told anybody to hack a phone," he told the BBC's Amol Rajan in an interview conducted before the trial began.
MGN has previously settled a number of claims against it in relation to stories obtained through unlawful means.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65550021
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Israel and Gaza militants in heaviest fighting for months - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Palestinian militants fire hundreds of rockets as Israel strikes dozens of Islamic Jihad targets.
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Middle East
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Yolande Knell: "A very frightening day for Israelis and Palestinians"
Israel says Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 460 rockets at it, and that its military has hit over 130 militant targets in Gaza, in the heaviest fighting in nine months.
Six people were killed and 45 injured in Gaza, local medics say.
Several were hurt rushing to shelters in Israel, where most rockets have been intercepted or fell in open areas.
It comes a day after 15 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, including three Islamic Jihad leaders.
The Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which is the second biggest militant group in the territory after Hamas, had sworn to avenge their deaths.
In a televised address on Wednesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel's "campaign is not over".
"We have hit Islamic Jihad with the most significant blow it has ever suffered," he said, referring to the simultaneous killings of the three PIJ commanders in the early hours of Tuesday.
Hours before Mr Netanyahu spoke, Egyptian media reported that Egypt had brokered a ceasefire, but there was no immediate confirmation from the two sides. Soon afterwards, another rocket barrage was fired towards southern Israel and there were further strikes in Gaza.
An umbrella organisation representing armed factions in Gaza earlier warned that "if Israel increases its aggression, dark days await it".
Palestinians said the exchange of fire began on Wednesday morning with several loud explosions in southern Gaza, sending up large plumes of smoke.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said an aircraft targeted PIJ operatives travelling in a vehicle to a concealed rocket launcher in the Khan Younis area.
About an hour later, the IDF announced that it had started attacking underground rocket launchers belonging to PIJ across the territory in order to thwart planned attacks.
Palestinian media reported strikes in and around Gaza City, in the southern town of Rafah, and in the northern towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun.
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza reported that six people were killed in Israeli strikes.Four of them were members of the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the group said, adding that two died in Khan Younis and the other two in Rafah.A 10-year-old girl was also killed in Gaza City in unclear circumstances.
As Israeli aircraft struck Gaza, militants began firing barrages of rockets from Gaza and rocket sirens sounded in communities in southern Israel.
Later, rockets were launched towards central Israel, triggering sirens in the Tel Aviv area, 80km (50 miles) from Gaza. In one video filmed in Old Jaffa, explosions could be heard as two rockets appeared to be intercepted overhead.
The Israeli military said four houses suffered direct hits - two in Sderot, which is only 1km (0.6 miles) from Gaza, and two in Ashkelon, 7km from Gaza. Another hit the roof of a kindergarten in Nirim, on the edge of Gaza to the south, and a yeshiva (religious school) in Netivot, 11km east of Gaza. There were no injuries directly from rocket fire.
The IDF said one in four rockets fired at it had fallen short and landed inside Gaza. It said Israel's Iron Dome air defence system had intercepted 153 rockets, three had hit urban areas in Israel and the rest landed in open areas.
The Joint Operations Room of armed groups in Gaza, which includes Islamic Jihad and Hamas, claimed in a statement that they had launched the rockets.
"The damage to the homes of civilians and faction fighters is a red line, and we will respond strongly to it. Resistance forces are ready for all options," it said.
The Israeli military said it was targeting sites used by Islamic Jihad to launch rockets
The IDF launched Operation Shield and Arrow in the early hours of Tuesday with several waves of strikes across Gaza that killed 13 Palestinians.
Three were PIJ commanders who the IDF said were involved in recent attacks against Israeli civilians and were planning more. But the other 10 dead were civilians, including four women and four children.
Another two Palestinians were killed on Tuesday afternoon in a strike that the IDF said targeted militants planning to fire anti-tank missiles.
The strikes were the deadliest since three days of hostilities between Israel and PIJ last August, in which 49 Palestinians were killed in Gaza.
PIJ has been responsible for many of the rocket attacks on Israel in recent years and is sworn to Israel's destruction.
There was a serious flare-up last week, as PIJ and other groups fired more than 100 rockets into Israel over two days, following the death in an Israeli prison of a Palestinian hunger striker. The Israeli military carried out air strikes on sites it said were linked to Hamas in response.
Tensions also remained high in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, after Israel carried out arrest raids overnight.
Two Palestinians were killed in the town of Qabatiya by Israeli forces, who said the pair fired at them. The IDF also said a soldier was also seriously wounded during a separate exchange of fire with Palestinian gunmen in Tubas.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-65544214
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Chris Mason: Sunak pledge to scrap EU laws collides with reality - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The PM has U-turned on a government plan to get rid of thousands of EU laws by the end of the year.
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UK Politics
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This is a classic example of a big, bold campaigning promise colliding with reality.
When Rishi Sunak was running to be Conservative leader last summer, he put out a video.
In it, inside what is called the 'Brexit Delivery Department,' vast bundles of paper representing EU laws thud down on a desk, and then a shredder is wheeled into the room.
And yes, you guessed it, those A4 pages encounter oblivion, one after another, as they are fed in.
Well, not enough people did, from his perspective, but he became prime minister in the end nonetheless - and now that video has collided with reality.
It turns out trying to feed too much stuff into a shredder, too quickly, runs the risk of not being able to read it all before it encounters the metal gnashers and is torn to smithereens.
The government ditching its plan to automatically cull thousands of EU-era laws at the end of this year has had the whiff of inevitability about it for some time.
For months, a myriad groups have raised concerns about the unintended consequences of laws disappearing by default.
But plenty of Tory MPs are grumpy about this, seeing it as a straight forward failure to deliver from the prime minister.
One told me many felt the government was acting in "bad faith" and they didn't buy the argument that this was an impossible deadline.
Around 20 Conservative MPs went to see the chief whip Simon Hart to register their irritation.
Some Tory MPs went into Downing Street to do the same.
"There was an arms race in last summer's leadership race, where Liz and Rishi found themselves out Brexiting each other. That's where all this started," one senior figure told me.
Ministers claim they are now being pragmatic.
They say they are still "taking back control", as the Brexit campaign slogan put it, but are doing so at a more sensible pace.
The move has angered Brexiteer Tory MPs like Jacob Rees-Mogg
"Kemi [Badenoch] approaches Brexit not as an end in itself, but as a means to an end," one ally said of the business and trade secretary.
She happened to inherit all this because it had been a responsibility of Jacob Rees-Mogg, who was briefly Business Secretary under Liz Truss.
Mr Rees-Mogg is now the most outspoken public critic of Mrs Badenoch's plan.
Ministers are promising to get rid of another 600 laws by the end of the year - we'll find out which ones next week.
They claim around 1,500 others have either already gone, have been reformed, or that they soon will be.
But that still leaves a couple of thousand not yet looked at.
The old saying goes that politicians campaign in poetry and govern in prose.
In this instance, we've gone from a brash campaign video last August to a government ministerial statement nine months later.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65553658
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Bannau Brycheiniog: Campaign to reinstate Brecon Beacons park name - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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More than 50 businesses in the national park want the official name to be in English and in Welsh.
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Wales
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The campaign group says the bilingual tradition must be protected and respected
More than 50 businesses in the Bannau Brycheiniog national park have called for its English name to be reinstated.
They have formed a campaign group and said they were considering legal action.
The group argued businesses have spent decades making the area a "well-known global hotspot for tourism".
The park authority, which said it would stop using the Brecon Beacons name last month, said people were "welcome to use whichever name they choose".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Brecon Beacons National Park will now be calling itself only by its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog
The decision was aimed at promoting local culture and heritage, as part of a wider overhaul of how the park is managed.
The new campaign group - called "Our Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons" - is made up of range of businesses in the fields of tourism, farming, green energy, hospitality and retail.
Helen Howarth says losing the English language name will hurt tourism
They said they were proud of operating in a bilingual nation and believed "this tradition must be protected and respected".
They said they were also seeking legal advice about whether they could mount a High Court challenge, which would argue the park's rebrand conflicts with the 1993 Welsh Language Act obliging public bodies in Wales to treat Welsh and English on an equal basis.
"I firmly believe that losing our identity as the Brecon Beacons National Park will be detrimental to us all and especially tourism, hospitality and trade," said Helen Howarth, who owns a self-catering accommodation business.
The group has penned an open letter to park bosses calling on them "to reinstate the bilingual Bannau Brycheiniog/ Brecon Beacons National Park name and brand".
They say a number of the campaign's signatories are part of a scheme to be official ambassadors for the park and were "not even notified about the renaming and rebranding project before its launch on 17 April".
Nigel Kilgallon says the name change seems like "an act of sabotage"
Nigel Kilgallon, who runs a B&B in Brecon and is a town councillor, said the name change highlights the disconnect between the authority that runs the national park, and the local community.
"You could call it a trademark, you could call it intellectual property, you could call it a marketing tool. All these things that it could be. But it's also the home of the people that live here. Our Brecon Beacons," he said.
"And so to just change it, just seems like an act of sabotage. It's either that or it's just ill-thought out by the authority.
"It's what it's always known as and that bilingualism is really at the heart of what we're trying to do here."
Owen Williams, the managing director of a digital marketing agency, said he found it difficult to understand the campaigners' argument.
The attention the national park had received through its decision in recent weeks had been "unreal", he claimed.
"It's been a very canny marketing strategy," he said.
Referring to moves in other countries such as Australia to focus on the indigenous names for iconic sites he said "tourism doesn't drop because the Ayres Rock name is minimised and Uluru brought to the fore".
A spokeswoman for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said the organisation had "decided to prioritise the Welsh name going forwards".She added: "The park is not asking other people or organisations to prioritise the Welsh name. This is an organisational decision and applies to all the work they do.
"Others are welcome to use whichever name they choose for the park."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-65556286
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The View: Gig halted after band members clash on stage - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The concert by The View was halted after the lead singer apparently threw a punch at the bassist.
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Manchester
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The View, pictured left to right: Darren Rennie, Kieren Webster, Pete Reilly and Kyle Falconer
A gig came to an abrupt halt after The View lead singer apparently threw a punch at the band's bassist.
Fans were left shocked when the disturbance broke out between Kyle Falconer and Kieren Webster at The Deaf Institute in Manchester.
The set ended with the musicians walking off stage after the clash was captured in footage shared on Twitter.
Fan Saffie Yates, who had waited six years to see the band, said she first thought it was some sort of stunt.
She said: "It was very scary to see someone you respect behave like this.
"The bass player normally plays a couple of songs and it was his birthday yesterday. He wanted to play a third song and the lead singer went for him.
"He punched the bassist. I didn't know if it was part of the act.
"The band left the stage and the fans were hanging around waiting to see what would happen.
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A statement from the band's management apologised to fans who attended the Wednesday night show.
A spokesman said the group's next appearance, booked in London for Thursday night, had been postponed.
He added: "Unfortunately we are having to postpone tonight's London show.
"Our promoter is working to resolve the situation.
"Please keep hold of your tickets for now & we will make a further announcement in a few days. Massive apologies to all our fans."
The band, from Dundee, is also due to play at the Neighbourhood Weekender festival in Warrington at the end of the month before several other festival dates over summer.
Formed in 2005, The View is best known for its hit Same Jeans, which charted at number three in 2007, and their platinum-selling debut album Hats Off to the Buskers which topped the album charts.
The band split in 2017 and has since played a variety of comeback gigs.
Described on its Twitter feed as "three pals in a band from Dryburgh", the group is planning to release a new album called Exorcism of Youth in August.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-65558954
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Interest rates: Bank of England announces 12th successive rise - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Bank of England raises rates from 4.25% to 4.5% - their highest level in almost 15 years.
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Business
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Why does the Bank of England keep raising rates?
James from Norwich notes that people are spending more because of high energy and food prices. The point of raising interest rates is to reduce the amount people spend - so why does the Bank of England keep raising rates? Lots of people are asking the same question – for entirely understandable reasons. Why would the Bank of England raise rates, increasing the financial pain on those already suffering, knowing that the impact on prices could be limited? One answer is that the base rate is a blunt instrument, but pretty much the sharpest the Bank has. So, the committee has decided that a higher rate will dampen some non-essential spending, and bring down the rate of price rises (known as inflation). It may take some time. Clearly, the impact is that borrowing gets more expensive for millions of people. This may, or may not, be the end of the run of rate rises. It certainly isn’t the end of the debate over this policy.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-65551151
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BBC editor (and Eurovision superfan) plays 10 nostalgic hits - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg takes a brief break from the day job to indulge his musical passion.
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The BBC's Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg is best-known for keeping us up to date with events in Moscow, but he is also a huge Eurovision fan.
He knows how to play upwards of 300 hits on the piano... from memory.
At an event in Liverpool he put his skills on show before a live audience.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65552525
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Monkey dust drug clampdown could be coming in UK - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Tougher penalties may be introduced for the street drug that has led to people jumping off buildings.
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Health
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A relatively new and dangerous street drug called monkey dust, which is already banned in the US, could soon face tougher penalties in the UK.
The government is asking officials about the drug that can cause violence and paranoia - some users have jumped off buildings or tried to eat glass.
The city of Stoke-on-Trent has seen a big rise in users and related crimes, including arson.
Reclassifying it from Class B to A would increase jail terms for dealers.
Stoke-on-Trent South MP Jack Brereton says he is pleased the government is taking action.
He said: "It's a hallucinogenic drug, and many people's lives have been completely destroyed as a result of taking this drug.
"There is no treatment for those who become addicted - and it is very addictive. For those who succumb to it, it's very profound."
He said users could become a danger to themselves as well as others.
The effects can vary considerably from user to user.
Police officers have described tackling those under the influence as like trying to wrestle with the Incredible Hulk.
"It's so cheaply available, it's cheaper than the price of alcohol and people are able to just pick it up readily. We need to see reclassification and put the consequences up for those who are pushing this drug."
According to Mr Brereton, a hit can cost as little as £2 to buy on the street.
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Monkey dust is the street name for methylenedioxy-α-pyrrolidinohexiophenone or MDPHP, which is a synthetic cathinone.
It is a white or yellowish powder that is sold by dealers as an alternative to drugs like speed, ecstasy or cocaine.
Users snort it or wrap it in paper and swallow it, but it can be smoked.
While it can create euphoria, it can make users feel anxious and paranoid.
Some users may experience fits and heart damage.
Policing Minister Chris Philp said: "These synthetic drugs ruin lives, families and neighbourhoods. Made in labs and pumped into our communities, our drug laws must keep pace with their evolution."
By making monkey dust a Class A substance, criminals caught supplying it would face a life sentence.
Possession would carry a penalty of up to seven years in prison.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will give the government the findings of its review in due course.
The BBC's political reporter in Staffordshire, Amara Sophia Elahi, said: "I covered the problems the substance was causing in Stoke-on-Trent for BBC News, and five years on it is still a huge issue for the city. In fact, Staffordshire Police now have a dedicated operation aimed at trying to disrupt the supply chain of the drug in Stoke-on-Trent.
"In recent weeks, the force has seized more than 10 kilograms of Monkey Dust worth over £100,000 which was due to be delivered to addresses in the city.
"Although Stoke-on-Trent will receive an extra £1.5 million from the government's Drugs Strategy funding over the next year to try to tackle substance misuse, for many in this city reclassification seems to be the only way to prevent Monkey Dust from wreaking further havoc yet."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65556046
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Leaseholds will not be abolished by government this year - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Michael Gove says the system is unfair but getting rid of it will take longer than he hoped.
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UK Politics
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The leasehold system will not be abolished in England and Wales this year, despite Housing Secretary Michael Gove previously promising to scrap it.
Mr Gove has described the system - where the owner of a property pays maintenance charges and often ground rent - as unfair and outdated.
The government says it will bring in new laws later this year to make life better for leaseholders.
But their plans will not include a date for abolishing the system.
Karolina Zoltaniecka, co-founder of the Commonhold Now campaign group, said this was "a betrayal".
She said "more sticking plaster reforms" would "do nothing to hand control to the paying leaseholders".
Mr Gove's long-held ambition is to scrap the system entirely and he has expressed this view repeatedly in media interviews and in the House of Commons.
In January, he told MPs the government would "absolutely" maintain a commitment to abolish the leasehold system and would "bring forward legislation shortly".
However, as first reported by the Guardian, legislation due in the autumn will stop short of that.
Instead, the proposed new law is expected to focus on further protections for tenants from ground rents and legal fees, and strengthening the powers they have in dealings with freeholders.
Rosemary White, who lives in a leasehold property in Bolton, said she was very disappointed by the news.
The 73-year-old said her service charge had more than doubled since she moved in around 10 years ago, which she said had been a "nightmare".
The rise was largely due to increased buildings insurance costs, but as a leaseholder she had no say over which insurance company was chosen.
As a retiree, Ms White said it had been a struggle to cover the increase and some of her neighbours had suffered financial hardship as a result.
Rosemary has lived in a leasehold flat since 2012
Only a handful of countries still have leasehold systems but around 20% of homes in England are leasehold properties, many of them flats in cities.
Last year, the government abolished ground rents for most new residential leasehold properties in England and Wales, but only for new leases granted after June 2022.
A ground rent is often paid by owners of leasehold properties on top of their mortgage, with some facing high charges and unexpected increases.
This is because they only own the lease, which gives them the right to use the property, but not the land it is built on.
When a leasehold flat or house is first sold, a lease is granted for a fixed period of time. People may extend their lease or buy the freehold, but this can be complicated and expensive and involve legal fees.
Mr Gove's pledge to abolish leaseholds was viewed with some scepticism, even at the time, not least because an alternative system has not been fully established.
A bill including further leasehold reforms is expected in the King's Speech, which sets out the legislation the government intends to pursue in the next parliamentary session.
The scope of the bill has not yet been agreed, but it is expected to bring forward reforms that will make the leasehold system less attractive, and lay the groundwork for a viable commonhold system.
A commonhold system would mean occupants jointly own and take responsibility for their buildings without an expiring lease.
Mr Gove's ambition to move away from leasehold to commonhold is unchanged, but the existing system will not be abolished overnight, which will disappoint campaigners.
Conservative MP Bob Blackman said the "much-needed reform" had been "delayed for far too long".
Michael Gove has previously said he wants to scrap the leasehold system
Labour has pledged to end the sale of new private leasehold houses and introduce a system to replace private leasehold flats with commonhold.
The party's shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy, said: "In the space of a few months, this government has caved into backbenchers on housing targets, locked themselves in internal battles on making the basic improvements for renters and is now rowing back on leasehold commitments.
"Labour is the only party that will deliver much needed reform to give people secure, affordable and decent housing."
The government is also facing challenges over other aspects of housing policy.
In December, Mr Gove agreed to water down housing targets for local councils, in response to a rebellion from Conservative MPs.
But other Tories believe this was a mistake and that failing to build enough homes could damage the party's prospects, particularly with younger voters.
Meanwhile, long-promised legislation to reform the rental market has been delayed for "procedural" reasons, prompting criticism from campaigners and demands from Labour not to water down promised protections for tenants.
A Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities spokesperson said: "We are determined to better protect and empower leaseholders to challenge unreasonable costs.
"We have already made significant improvements to the market - ending ground rents for most new residential leases, and announcing plans to make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to extend their lease or buy their freehold.
"In line with our manifesto commitment, we will bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament."
Are you a leaseholder? What is your reaction? Share your views and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65556089
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AC Milan 0-2 Inter Milan: Edin Dzeko scores as Inter beat city rivals in thrilling derby - BBC Sport
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Inter Milan take a big step towards reaching the Champions League final as they beat city rivals in a thrilling Milan derby at San Siro.
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Last updated on .From the section European Football
Inter Milan took a big step towards reaching the Champions League final as they beat their city rivals in a thrilling Milan derby at San Siro.
In a game that had been anticipated for weeks in Italy and was witnessed at the ground by a vocal and passionate 80,000-strong crowd, Inter made the perfect start when Edin Dzeko volleyed home in the eighth minute.
The goal silenced the Milan fans - the designated home side for this tie in the stadium the two sides share - as they significantly outnumbered the Inter supporters.
And the hosts were stunned further three minutes later when Henrikh Mkhitaryan swept a shot beyond Mike Maignan after being set up by Federico Dimarco.
Hakan Calhanoglu hit the woodwork as Inter threatened to get a third, but there was hope for AC Milan when referee Jesus Gil Manzano reversed a decision to award the visitors a penalty, deeming Lautaro Martinez to have dived after consulting the pitchside monitor.
Inter dropped their tempo in the second half as they looked to protect their two-goal advantage and it almost presented AC Milan with a lifeline as Sandro Tonali struck the post with a shot from the edge of the box.
But Inter held firm and are in a strong position to reach the final - where they will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid - when the two sides meet again at San Siro for the second leg on Tuesday, 16 May (20:00 BST).
• None What is the best Champions League semi-final ever?
Inter Milan are three times winners of the European Cup or Champions League, but have not reached the final since they last lifted the trophy 13 years ago.
This is the furthest they have been in the competition since then and, despite the intimidating atmosphere created by the overwhelming number of AC Milan fans, they were determined to push on.
Inter boss Simone Inzaghi opted for the 37-year-old Dzeko to lead the attack, with Romelu Lukaku on the bench, and it didn't take long for that decision to be vindicated as the former Manchester City striker steered home a brilliant finish from a corner.
AC Milan knocked Tottenham and Serie A champions Napoli out of the Champions League on their way to the semi-finals but looked capable of being opened up by Inter with every attack and would have been pleased to reach half time just 2-0 down.
They were better after the break but did not manage a shot on target until the 81st minute - a deflected Junior Messias effort - and will need to be much, much better if they are to deny Inter a place in the Champions League final.
• None Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• None Delay in match because of an injury Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan).
• None Attempt saved. Tommaso Pobega (AC Milan) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Sandro Tonali.
• None Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt missed. Theo Hernández (AC Milan) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left from a direct free kick. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65537773
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Finance worker found dead in Spanish holiday villa - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Jaime Carsi, from Edinburgh, died after a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a holiday home in Spain.
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Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland
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Mr Carsi, 40, was an analyst for a Scottish investment management firm
A man from Edinburgh has died and his wife is seriously ill after a suspected carbon monoxide leak at their holiday home in Spain.
Jaime Carsi, 40, was found dead on Saturday at a house in Majorca by emergency crews and Mary Somerville, 39, was discovered next to him.
Ms Somerville is understood to be in a serious condition in Manacor Hospital.
The newlywed couple were staying at a rural property in Cala Mesquida in the north-east.
Majorcan newspaper Ultima Hora reported that Mr Carsi and Ms Somerville married two weeks before the incident.
It said they were due to go on a boat trip on Saturday and the alarm was raised when they failed to show up.
Mr Carsi was an analyst for a Scottish investment management firm.
Patti Montella, a friend of the couple, said he was a "magnificent soul" in a social media post.
She wrote: "Jaime Carsi came into my life and took up residence in my heart, so many years ago, in London.
"His smile and spirit are pure love.
"And when he married our precious Edinburgh girl, sweet Mary, it was a match made in heaven."
The couple were involved in the Edinburgh Interfaith Association which aims to bring the city's religious faiths together.
The association's director Iain Stewart said: "They were just such a warm, open couple - they would light up the room.
"Jaime was a joy to be around, he was so open, such a kind person - you just felt better about yourself when you were with Jaime."
Ms Somerville is a talented harpist, who often plays at events organised by the association.
Mr Carsi described himself online as being from Madrid but it is believed he moved to the UK as a child and relocated to Edinburgh from London about six years ago
Police in Majorca confirmed the incident is under investigation.
A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British national who was hospitalised in Mallorca. We are in contact with the local authorities".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65538788
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Met Police officer who left man paralysed not guilty of GBH - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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PC Imran Mahmood used a Taser on Jordan Walker-Brown, who broke his back and now uses a wheelchair.
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London
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Jordan Walker-Brown spoke outside Southwark Crown Court after the jury found PC Imran Mahmood not guilty
A Met Police officer who left a man paralysed when he fell after being Tasered by him has been cleared of causing grievous bodily harm.
PC Imran Mahmood, 36, inflicted the injuries on Jordan Walker-Brown in Harringay, north London, during the first coronavirus lockdown in May 2020.
Mr Walker-Brown, 23, broke his back when he fell backwards over a fence.
The officer said he had feared Mr Walker-Brown had a knife and believed he needed to be "contained".
PC Mahmood wept in the dock at Southwark Crown Court as the jury's verdict was delivered - after nearly 10 hours of deliberations - as did some others, although some people walked out of the courtroom shaking their heads.
Following the verdict, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was looking into whether PC Mahmood should face disciplinary action.
PC Mahmood admitted inflicting serious injury but denied he had acted illegally
Speaking to reporters outside the court Mr Walker-Brown, who is paralysed from the waist down, said he had known what the verdict would be.
"I feel like he won before he got here, it's rigged, I was fighting against something that is bigger than everything.
"But I'm over it, it's done. Win or lose, it's a losing battle."
When he gave evidence last week, PC Mahmood described how he was one of a group of nine officers from the Met's territorial support group who were in a police vehicle when they saw Mr Walker-Brown walking down the road, on 4 May 2020.
The defendant told jurors he thought Mr Walker-Brown was wearing a small bag around his waist, and his suspicion was "heightened" because such bags were often used to conceal weapons or drugs and Mr Walker-Brown did not seem to be out for shopping or exercise.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The moment PC Imran Mahmood fired his Taser at Jordan Walker-Brown was captured on body-worn camera
The court heard that PC Mahmood and a colleague began following him on foot when Mr Walker-Brown started running away from them, climbing on top of a wheelie bin and scrambling on to an adjacent wall. It was at this point PC Mahmood Tasered Mr Walker-Brown, who fell and hit his head on a footpath.
The defendant told the jury Mr Walker-Brown had reached for his waistband while running and did not respond when asked to stop.
In a statement, the director of the IOPC Amanda Rowe said: "We note the jury's decision and acknowledge the devastating impact this incident has had on Mr Walker-Brown, who sustained life-changing injuries.
"We will now be considering evidence from the trial and liaising with the Metropolitan Police regarding disciplinary proceedings for potential breaches of police professional standards."
Mr Walker-Brown was supported by his family and friends
Det Ch Supt, Caroline Haines, who is responsible for policing in Enfield and Haringey, said after the verdict: "My thoughts today are with Mr Walker-Brown and his family whose lives have been changed forever.
"I don't underestimate the effect this incident will have had on them and have offered to meet with them when appropriate to listen to their concerns and discuss the matter in further detail."PC Mahmood has been on restricted duties since the incident.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65543574
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South Africa supplied arms to Russia - US ambassador Reuben Brigety - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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President Cyril Ramaphosa's office says it is disappointed by the claims and demands evidence.
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Africa
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The Russian fleet sent to South Africa for naval exercises was led by the Admiral Gorshkov warship, seen here in Cape Town in February
The US ambassador to South Africa has accused the country of supplying weapons to Russia despite its professed neutrality in the war in Ukraine.
Reuben Brigety claimed that a Russian ship was loaded with ammunition and arms in Cape Town last December.
President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said it was disappointed by the claims and said no evidence has been provided to support them.
The country has maintained claims of neutrality in the invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Brigety said at a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday that Washington had concerns about the country's stated non-aligned stance on the conflict.
He referred to the docking of a cargo ship in the Simon's Town naval base between 6 and 8 December last year which he was "confident" uploaded weapons and ammunition "as it made its way back to Russia".
The presence of the ship, the Lady R, had seemed curious at the time and raised questions from some local politicians.
"The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved," Mr Brigety said, in a damning accusation that seems to have caught South Africa's officials off guard.
In the wake of the allegations, the South African government announced the establishment of an independent inquiry led by a retired judge, a spokesman for the president's office said.
The US has been critical for months about South Africa's continued cosy relationship with Russia.
State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told journalists on Thursday that the US had previously raised concerns about the Lady R with numerous South African officials.
He said the US would speak out against "any country taking steps to support Russia's illegal and brutal war in Ukraine", but would not say whether there would be any repercussions for South Africa if the claims proved to be true.
Washington has also expressed concerns about South Africa's participation in military exercises with Russia and China during the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told parliament his government was looking into the claims
The naval exercises took place over 10 days in February and were criticised by opposition figures as an endorsement of the Russian invasion.
The South African authorities denied the war games were provocatively timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary and said the country routinely hosts similar drills with other nations, including France and the US.
South Africa previously abstained from a UN vote condemning the invasion. It also refused to join the US and Europe in imposing sanctions on Russia.
In response to a question raised by the leader of the opposition John Steenhuisen, President Ramaphosa told parliament on Thursday that the comments made by the US ambassador would be looked into.
The president asked opposition parties to allow for the process to be completed, adding that "in time we will be able to speak about it".
If the claims are true, they not only weaken South Africa's claim of neutrality, but some may even go as far as saying the country is complicit in the ongoing aggression of Russia in Ukraine.
"If South African bullets are found on Ukraine bodies, that is not a position we would want to be in," one expert in international relations said.
The details around the arms cache are still thin. It is not clear if the weapons would have been acquired from a state-owned arms company, or a weapons company based in South Africa.
But either way, this does not bode well for South Africa's international ties, especially with the US, one of its largest trade allies.
At the heart of the issue for South Africa now, off the back of these claims, will be the impression this could create that the country is not only non-aligned but has in fact chosen to be a "soft ally" to Russia, at a time when some Western countries see Russia as an aggressor guilty of human rights violations.
South Africa has modern-day ties with Russia because they are members of the Brics alliance, a group which represents some of the world's leading emerging economies, including China, Brazil and India.
The country's governing African National Congress (ANC) also has long-standing ties with Russia.
South Africa was faced with a diplomatic dilemma in March after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He is accused of being responsible for war crimes in Ukraine, including the unlawful deportation of children.
Mr Putin was due to attend an upcoming Brics summit in South Africa in August but the warrant meant that Pretoria would have to detain him on arrival.
In response, last month Mr Ramaphosa said the ANC had decided that South Africa should quit the ICC, before backtracking hours later citing what his office called a communications "error".
Historically, South Africa had a thriving arms industry, selling weapons to countries across the continent. The scale of that arms power to date is currently not known.
South Africa's authorities have been less than pleased with the accusation from the US ambassador, saying the matter should have been handled through proper diplomatic channels.
It is not enough for the envoy to simply claim the existence of the intelligence and there will be an expectation from many in South Africa for the US to provide evidence of its claim.
This is a hang-over from claims once made by the US of weapons of mass destruction, which led to the invasion of Iraq some years ago.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65563027
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The grandfather they said would never walk again - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The 86-year-old is able to climb stairs and do laps of the garden at an Edinburgh nursing home.
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Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Martin has battled against illness and injury to walk again at the age of 86
Two years ago doctors told Martin Birkhans he would never walk again after contracting an infection in his spine.
The 86-year-old had survived a 50:50 chance of dying from sepsis and pneumonia and was also recovering from a broken hip.
But after working tirelessly with physios, the Edinburgh grandfather can now walk again and is even able to climb stairs.
Martin said his personal best was now 12 laps of the track in the garden of the Cramond Residence nursing home in Edinburgh - a distance of 700 metres.
"I was in a sad physical state when I arrived here," he told BBC Scotland.
"The doctors at the hospital had said they could not do any more for me. They said I would never stand and never walk.
"They said I would be incontinent for life too, it was the most devastating news you could ever cook up, just dreadful. I was given zero hope."
Martin Birkhans says he is happy to have his life back
Physios had helped his late wife, the author Joan Lingard, who had dementia. So when his daughters were choosing a nursing home for him, they picked the one that had a physiotherapy package.
And when physio Nicola McIntosh noticed that Martin had slight movement in his body, she decided to get him to a standing position.
Martin had not thought it would be possible - but she was able to get him onto his feet with the help of the hoist and other physios.
"It was very elementary standing, but I was on my feet. It was crazy. Then we took it from there."
Over the months his nerves started to repair and he built up the strength in his muscles.
Martin can now climb up and down stairs
"One would be behind me with the wheelchair and the other on her knees in front of me managing my feet. When someone does that for you, you had better respond.
"If they had said jump out of the window I would have done it. I had total faith."
After a year he was able to walk down the corridor outside his room.
Then he progressed to the lift, then the stairs, the gym and the garden.
"Up until two weeks ago I had to do these things with someone, but now I can do it myself, I have the run of the place," he said.
He has now been able to go on holiday to his daughter's house in Kingussie. He is no longer incontinent and does not need to take the dozens of pills he was on each day.
Martin Birkhans with his wife Joan and children
The former architect was born in Latvia, where he lived until he was seven. He then spent two years in refugee camps in Germany until his family left for Canada.
"I know all about walking along dusty roads dodging bullets," said Martin, who moved to Scotland when he was 30.
"Canada was great. I was an athlete so I was perfect for the outdoor life there.
"So when I found myself bedbound I wasn't filled with happiness.
"I lay there thinking I don't believe it, my life had changed so extremely."
Martin can now stand unaided while he brushes his teeth, although he needs a walker for support when he moves.
Martin cared for his wife, Joan, for eight years at their house in Edinburgh while she had dementia
"I was on a fierce programme to learn to stand without support of my hands," he said.
"I'm allowed to walk without people watching me now. I feel emancipated.
"I can go for lunch with my daughter as I can now get in and out of the car, and I've just been on holiday.
"I would like to visit my sisters in Toronto so we'll see if I can ever make it on a plane."
Eileen Crawford, a charge nurse at Cramond Residence, said Martin could not walk when she first met him.
"He never gave up. I have never seen anyone with determination like this, he needs a medal," she said.
Martin can do 12 laps of a track at his nursing home - the equivalent of 700 metres
Benedicte Aarseth, a physio from Balanced Edinburgh, has been treating Martin. She said her colleague Nicola had noticed that he had more movement than was described in the discharge letter from the hospital.
"She realised he was starting to heal so could be pushed a bit more. A big part of it is how motivated he is.
"People in rehab normally plateaux but Martin is still continuing to climb and managing to have new achievements.
"We are not going to stop until he tells us."
She said that he may one day be able to walk with a stick instead of the walker.
Martin uses a cycling machine for 20 minutes every day
"He is the most successful client I've ever had - his transformation is incredible," added Benedicte.
"For an 86-year-old's quality of life to still be improving is amazing.
"He could have been in a full body hoist for the rest of his life if someone didn't pick up on the ability he had."
Martin said he would continue to work on his walking distance record.
"I'm in love with trying to improve myself and in love with my physios," he added.
"The value of all carers is underestimated as they make a huge difference to our lives."
• None 'I was told I would never walk again' Video, 00:01:17'I was told I would never walk again'
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65459248
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Italian mafia: Police arrest 61 suspected 'Ndrangheta in widespread raids - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The sting was part of a wider operation to crack down on crimes including fraud and drug-trafficking.
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Europe
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More than 500 police officers were involved in Wednesday's operation
Italian police have arrested a further 61 suspected members of Italy's most powerful mafia, the 'Ndrangheta, in a series of raids across seven regions.
They are suspected of crimes including fraud, drug-trafficking, infiltrating government and extorting local farmers.
More than 500 police officers were involved in the operation, which targeted 167 people in total - including dozens currently in prison.
The sting was part of a wider, ongoing operation to crack down on the group.
Last week, more than 100 people were arrested across Europe in what police said was the biggest operation to have ever been carried out against the 'Ndrangheta.
The investigation also revealed important new information about how some of the highest levels of the group operate - including during the Covid pandemic.
One of its alleged bosses, Pasquale Bonavota, was arrested in a cathedral in the northern city of Genoa last month.
Hundreds of other alleged mobsters and corrupt officials have either been imprisoned or are still to be tried over their suspected involvement with the Mancuso family.
It is just one of the 150 families that form part of the 'Ndrangheta's criminal network, which has surpassed Cosa Nostra as the most powerful mafia group in the country and operates in more than 40 countries around the world.
Italian and Belgian investigators believe that the crime group smuggled close to 25,000kg of cocaine between October 2019 and January 2022 and funnelled more than €22m from Calabria to Belgium, the Netherlands and South America.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65552961
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Coronation: I took painkillers before carrying sword, says Penny Mordaunt - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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After her celebrated sword carrying at the Coronation, Penny Mordaunt describes preparing for the role.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Penny Mordaunt reveals to the BBC how she prepared to carry the Sword of State for the King's Coronation.
Penny Mordaunt has said she took a couple of painkillers to help her get through her role of carrying ceremonial swords during the King's Coronation.
The Tory minister won praise for her stamina, carrying the 17th Century Sword of State and Jewelled Sword of Offering for more than an hour.
Working on the coronation has been a "huge privilege", Ms Mordaunt said.
She told Nick Robinson's Political Thinking podcast she enjoyed becoming a hit on social media after the ceremony.
"I was reunited with my phone and found I had become a meme," she said.
She said she saw photoshopped images on social media of the sword replaced by a kebab, and the laurel motif on her dress likened to Poundland's corporate branding.
"I say well done to the Great British public."
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Asked if she had been in training, she said: "I was not in the gym for six months prior to this," but added: "You want to make sure you are in good nick.
"I did take a couple of painkillers before just to make sure I was going to be all right."
Ms Mordaunt said her navy training in Portsmouth also helped her know how to keep her circulation going by "wriggling your toes".
Anyone hoping to emulate her feat should "practise", "have a good breakfast", and "wear comfortable shoes", she added.
She carried the 17th Century Sword of State made for Charles II into Westminster Abbey, and exchanged it for the Jewelled Sword of Offering, which symbolises royal power and the monarch accepting his duty and knightly virtues.
She carried the Jewelled Sword of Offering, with hilt encrusted with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, for the rest of the service and walked with it in front of the King as he left the abbey.
They were two of four swords used in the ceremony, a practice which dates back to the coronation of Richard the Lionheart in 1189.
Notably, Ms Mordaunt became the first woman to carry and present the sword.
Odds on Ms Mordaunt becoming the next leader of her party were slashed by betting companies at the weekend after her performance at the Coronation.
As she returned to her day job as leader of the House of Commons, she was praised - and ribbed - by her political opponents, before the usual hostilities resumed.
Labour's shadow leader of the house, Thangam Debbonaire said Ms Mordaunt was a "symbol of solemnity" and a "credit to this House as our representative".
Her SNP counterpart Deidre Brock said she showed "commendable upper body strength".
"It appears carrying a lethal weapon and wearing an imperial style outfit now makes her favourite to be the next Tory leader," Ms Brock added.
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The run up to the coronation was a "highly emotional time", she said.
"It is nice to be recognised and I think I was a bit of a metaphor for everyone on the day - everyone did their bit, everyone did it really well."
Ms Mordaunt's dress also sparked numerous comments, with people on social media comparing her to Princess Leia from Star Wars.
"That's not the look I was going for," she said.
While her predecessors would have worn "formal dress, which is black", Ms Mordaunt said she wanted to reflect the modern tone of the coronation "with historical references".
"I thought I'm going to buy a modern dress," she said, explaining that she decided to embroider it with the fern motif of the Privy Council "as a nod to the past".
Alongside her role as Leader of the House, Ms Mordaunt is also Lord President of the Privy Council, both positions given to her by then-Prime Minister Liz Truss in September.
The Privy Council role normally requires chairing meetings of the group of the UK's most senior politicians, who are charged with presenting business to the King.
As president of the council, Ms Mordaunt was also responsible for announcing the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the Accession Council last autumn.
Asked about suggestions she was deliberately given the normally low-profile role to keep her out of the spotlight, Ms Mordaunt said: "I can't speculate as to why people have done something.
"But if that was the plan it has not worked out well."
The full interview with Penny Mordaunt is available to listen to on BBC Sounds. It will also be broadcast on Saturday 13 May on BBC Radio 4 at 17:30 and on the BBC News Channel at 22:30.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65543022
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Jordan Neely: Ex-Marine Daniel Penny to be charged over New York subway death - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Daniel Penny, 24, will be accused of causing the death of Jordan Neely who was placed in a chokehold.
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US & Canada
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The incident on 1 May was filmed by bystanders and sparked protests across New York
A former US Marine who placed a homeless man in a fatal chokehold on the New York subway is expected to be charged with manslaughter.
Daniel Penny, 24, will be arrested on Friday and accused of causing the death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely in a train carriage on 1 May.
His lawyers say he could not have known his actions to subdue Mr Neely would lead to his death.
My Neely was pinned to the ground and put in a chokehold for several minutes.
He had been shouting at other subway passengers and asking for money, witnesses said, but there is no indication he had physically attacked anyone.
The incident was filmed by bystanders and sparked protests across New York. A video captured by a freelance journalist on the train shows the former Marine holding the Mr Neely around the neck for two minutes and 55 seconds.
He was later found unconscious in the carriage and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. His death resulted from compression of the neck, the city's medical examiner ruled.
Mr Penny told other riders to call the police during the struggle, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
He was questioned and released by police in New York on the day of the incident. But on Thursday, prosecutors said they would bring criminal charges against him.
"We can confirm that Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of manslaughter in the second degree," a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
"We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan criminal court."
It is not clear whether charges will be brought against two other unidentified people who were also seen restraining Mr Neely.
In a statement earlier this month, lawyers for Mr Penny expressed condolences to the Neely family, and said Mr Penny and other passengers acted in self-defence.
They said Mr Neely's behaviour was "the apparent result of ongoing and untreated, mental illness", which prompted Mr Penny and others "to protect themselves, until help arrived".
A witness to the altercation said Mr Neely was shouting about being hungry and thirsty. Police sources also told CBS News that Mr Neely was allegedly acting erratically.
In a statement earlier this week, Mr Neely's family said that Mr Penny needed to be in prison. "The family wants you to know that Jordan matters," they said.
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Mr Neely was a Michael Jackson impersonator who frequently performed in Times Square.
He had a number of previous offences, which New York City Mayor Eric Adams said highlights the need to improve the mental health system so that it can better protect people like him.
He had 42 arrests on charges such as evading fares, theft, and assaults on three women, according to US media reports.
His mother, Christie Neely, was murdered in 2007 by her boyfriend, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2012, according to the Jersey Journal.
Following his mother's death, Mr Neely began experiencing mental health issues, his aunt, Carolyn Neely, told the New York Post.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65567073
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Ukraine claims gains in Bakhmut after Russia denials - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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After months of slow Russian advances in the devastated city, the momentum seems to have shifted.
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Europe
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A Ukrainian soldier firing an anti-tank grenade launcher at a front line near Bakhmut (pictured on 3 May)
Ukraine says it has recaptured ground in Bakhmut, a rare advance after months of grinding Russian gains in the eastern city.
Kyiv said its forces advanced 2km (1.2 miles) in a week. Russia said its troops had regrouped in one area.
The claims signal a momentum shift in Bakhmut - but more widely, there is no clear evidence of a Ukrainian counter-offensive.
However, two explosions were reported on Friday in Russian-occupied Luhansk.
Images posted on social media, verified by the BBC, show a big plume of black smoke rising from the city, which lies about 90km (55.9 miles) behind the front line in eastern Ukraine.
The blasts come a day after the UK said it had supplied Ukraine with long range Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
Kremlin-appointed officials said six children in Luhansk were injured in a missile attack alongside Russian parliamentarian Viktor Vodolatsky. The authorities there have blamed the attack on Kyiv.
Luhansk is beyond the reach of the Himars rockets Ukraine has previously relied on for deep strikes against Russian targets.
But Russian-appointed officials in the region said they thought Ukrainian-made missiles were responsible, hitting administrative buildings of two defunct enterprises.
Earlier Russia's defence ministry said Russian troops in one Bakhmut area had changed their position for strategic reasons.
It said units of the southern group of Russian forces had taken up a better defensive position in the Maloilinivka area, something which took into consideration "the favourable conditions of the Berkhivka reservoir".
However the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin said what the Ministry of Defence was talking about "is unfortunately called 'fleeing' and not a 'regrouping'".
As the intense, bloody battle has worn on, Bakhmut has become symbolically important - though many experts question its tactical value.
In a post on Telegram, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar claimed Russia suffered significant troop losses as Ukraine gained 2km without losing any positions.
Meanwhile Russian military bloggers reported Ukrainian advances or troop movements in several areas.
The Institute for the Study of War also said Ukrainian forces had probably made gains of 2km in Bakhmut.
The BBC has verified video of soldiers with Ukrainian-identifying markings posing in front of a gate and a tank in the distance, also with Ukrainian markings.
The video, published on 11 May, has been located to an area around Bakhmut industrial college, until recently held by Wagner troops.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says his army needs more equipment ahead of counter-offensive
Away from Bakhmut, the exiled mayor of Melitopol reported a large explosion on Friday morning in the centre of the south-eastern city, which has been occupied by Russia since the start of the war.
It was not known what caused the blast, but the Ukrainian air force made 14 strikes on Russian forces and military equipment on Thursday, Ukraine's armed forces said.
Alongside the air strikes, Ukraine said it destroyed nine Russian drones and carried out successful attacks on dozens of military targets - including artillery units, an ammunition warehouse and air defence equipment.
After months of stalemate, a Ukrainian counter-offensive - helped by newly-arrived Western weapons - has been openly discussed. But Ukraine's president said on Thursday it was too early to start the attack.
"With [what we already have] we can go forward and, I think, be successful," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview.
"But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time."
Despite President Zelensky's words, pro-Kremlin Russian war correspondent Sasha Kots claimed the counter-offensive had begun.
Ukrainian tanks were on the Kharkiv ring road heading towards the border with Russia, he said, quoting "trusted" sources. His claims could not be independently verified.
"There are low loaders in the columns carrying Western [tank] models among others," Kots added.
"In other words," he said, "Kiev [Kyiv] has decided to aggravate the situation along the northern front in parallel with the start of offensive actions on the flanks of Artyomovsk [the Russian name for Bakhmut]."
Another Russian war correspondent, Alexander Simonov, wrote on Telegram that Ukrainian forces had broken through near the village of Bohdanivka, close to Bakhmut, taking "several square kilometres" of ground.
Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Musivenko said Kyiv recognised that the anticipated counter-offensive might not necessarily defeat Russia "in all occupied areas".
He told Ukrainian NV radio there was every possibility the war could continue into next year. "It all depends on how the battles develop. We can't guarantee how the counteroffensive will develop," he said.
An unnamed senior US military official told CNN that Ukrainian forces were preparing for a major counter-offensive by striking targets such as weapons depots, command centres and armour and artillery systems..
Ukraine's spring 2022 advances in the southern and north-eastern parts of the country were also preceded by air attacks to "shape" the battlefield.
Daniele Palumbo and Richard Irvine-Brown contributed to this article
Frank Gardner weighs up the possible outcomes for the war, as Ukraine prepares a counter-offensive against Russian forces.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65567143
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Adidas to sell Yeezy shoes and donate proceeds - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The sportswear giant has about 1.2bn euros of Yeezy shoes sitting in storage.
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Business
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Adidas has decided to sell some of the trainers and other products it made with rapper Kanye West and donate some of the proceeds to charity.
The German sportswear giant cut ties with the celebrity, now known as Ye, last year after he made anti-Semitic comments.
The decision has cost the firm millions in sales and has it facing its first annual loss in more than three decades.
Shoes from the collaboration remain wildly popular in the resale market.
Chief executive Bjoern Gulden said the company was still working out how the sales would happen.
"What we are trying to do now over time is to sell some of this merchandise... burning the goods would not be a solution," he said at the company's annual shareholder meeting.
Adidas has about 1.2bn euros (£1bn; $1.3bn) worth of Yeezy shoes sitting in storage.
Mr Gulden said the firm had decided to sell some of the merchandise, instead of donating it, because it did not want to see the products reach the market indirectly.
Last week, Adidas said that if it decided not to "repurpose" its remaining unsold Yeezy stock, it would hurt its operating profit by €500m this year.
A sale could help reduce some of those losses. Ye will also be entitled to some of the money, under the terms of the partnership.
Shares in Adidas were up 2% following the meeting.
The company is being sued by investors who claim Adidas knew about Kanye West's problematic behaviour years before it ended their partnership.
Investors allege Adidas failed to limit financial losses and take precautionary measures to minimise their exposure.
Mr Gulden defended Adidas' years-long collaboration with the designer and musician, saying that "as difficult as he was, he is perhaps the most creative mind in our industry".
The company said it had concluded an internal investigation into reports that the artist had created a "toxic" environment.
It said the review had not substantiated all allegations of misconduct but that "erratic" behaviour had created challenges. It said that the firm was putting in place changes to prevent such problems from happening in the future.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65562286
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E Jean Carroll: Donald Trump appeals against $5m verdict in sex abuse trial - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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A jury on Tuesday found Mr Trump liable for the sexual assault and defamation of writer E Jean Carroll
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US & Canada
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Former US President Donald Trump has filed a court notice of appeal two days after a civil trial found he sexually abused a woman, E Jean Carroll, in a New York department store.
A New York jury awarded Ms Carroll nearly $5m in damages over her allegation that Mr Trump attacked her in the 1990s.
Jurors found Mr Trump, 76, liable for battery and defamation, but not rape.
His appeal comes a day after the former president called his accuser a "wack job" during a CNN town hall event.
"I swear on my children, which I never do. I have no idea who this woman is. This is a fake story," he said.
He accused the civil trial's presiding judge of anti-Trump bias and said that his decision not to testify in person would not have made any difference to the outcome.
The jury's verdict marked the first time Mr Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women, was found legally responsible for assault.
Ms Carroll, a writer and long-time advice columnist, claimed Mr Trump raped her inside a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room and has defamed her by calling her allegation "a hoax and a lie".
The jury of six men and three women deliberated for less than three hours on Tuesday before reaching their decision.
The standard of proof in civil cases is lower than in criminal cases, meaning that jurors were only required to find that it was more likely than not that Mr Trump assaulted Ms Carroll.
While the jury found Mr Trump liable for sexual battery and defamation of Ms Carroll, they did not find Mr Trump liable of raping her. To do so, the jury would have needed to have been convinced that Mr Trump had engaged in non-consensual sexual intercourse with Ms Carroll.
Mr Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina told reporters outside the courtroom that it was "a strange verdict".
"They rejected her rape claim and she always claimed this was a rape case, so it's a little perplexing," he said.
He added that, in Mr Trump's hometown of New York, where the former president is now unpopular, "you just can't get a fair trial".
The case will now move to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Ms Carroll's lawyer Roberta Kaplan earlier expressed confidence to US media that Mr Trump has "no legitimate arguments for appeal".
"I've rarely felt more confident about an appeal than I do about this one," she said.
Ms Kaplan also told the New York Times that her client was giving "serious consideration" toward filing a new defamation suit against Mr Trump over his latest comments on CNN.
Mr Trump is currently the frontrunner to once again win the Republican nomination for president in 2024, earning more than 50% support in national polls, including several conducted after the New York trial began.
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Imran Khan: Pakistan's Supreme Court rules arrest was illegal - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Judges order the immediate release of Pakistan's former PM, who has been charged with corruption.
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Asia
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Pakistan's Supreme Court has ruled that former prime minister Imran Khan's dramatic arrest on corruption charges this week was illegal.
The court ordered Mr Khan's immediate release. His lawyers had argued that his detention from court premises in Islamabad on Tuesday was unlawful.
At least 10 people have been killed and 2,000 arrested as violent protests have swept the country since he was held.
Tuesday's arrest escalated growing tensions between him and the military.
The opposition leader, ousted in a confidence vote in April last year, was brought to court on the orders of Pakistan's top judge.
As Mr Khan arrived in court, media ran through the corridors to capture his first public appearance since he was arrested.
Surrounded by security, Mr Khan said nothing as he walked to the wood-panelled courtroom which was filled with officials from his party and journalists.
The Supreme Court was surrounded by police
Mr Khan stood surrounded by his lawyers in front of the three Supreme Court judges as they told him that because of the way he had been arrested on Tuesday - inside a court complex, conducting biometric tests - the arrest was invalid.
Footage of his arrest showed paramilitary forces seizing Mr Khan, who was injured in a gun attack last year, and dragging him from inside court premises, before whisking him away in an armoured vehicle.
"Your arrest was invalid so the whole process needs to be backtracked," Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial told Mr Khan. He would now be under the protection of the Supreme Court.
It was then Mr Khan's turn to speak, defiant and indignant at the way he had been arrested.
The former cricketer told the judges he'd been kidnapped from the High Court on Tuesday and "hit with sticks". He was reminded several times by the judges that others had experienced worse treatment.
There was no immediate response from the security forces to the allegation.
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His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party says the cases against him are politically motivated. The arrest enraged his supporters - the past 48 hours have seen widespread violence and rare attacks on state and military facilities.
Seven senior PTI leaders are among those arrested. They include former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who police say "incited violence". In a statement Mr Qureshi denied this and urged supporters to continue with peaceful protests.
Mr Khan has been kept at a police guesthouse in the capital since Tuesday, which was turned into a makeshift court on Wednesday where a judge formally charged him with corruption for the first time in the dozens of cases he faces. He pleaded not guilty.
Conviction would disqualify the former international cricket star - prime minister from 2018-2022 - from standing for office, possibly for life. Elections are due later this year.
Former Pakistani ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told the BBC she thought the court's decision would help to defuse the anger of Mr Khan's supporters.
A paramilitary check post in Karachi that was set on fire during the recent protests
"The last couple of days have seen extraordinary violence by protesters who are supporters of Imran Khan, who are obviously enraged by the manner in which he was arrested," she said.
"There is still uncertainty, but hopefully the situation will not return to the kind of violent scenes that we have seen."
Although Mr Khan asked repeatedly to be allowed to stay at his home, the court determined that because of the security situation he would have to remain at the police guesthouse. However the judges repeatedly emphasised that he would be allowed to have whoever he chooses as a guest.
When the proceedings finished, Mr Khan sat within the court for 15 minutes taking questions from the media. He said he had not known that people had been killed during the protests or that senior members of his party had been arrested.
He told the BBC that when he was arrested he had been hit on the head and was bleeding and that when those images had circulated around the world the reaction by his supporters was not surprising.
When asked whether he would now ask his supporters to stop violent protests he said that he had already made his statement, saying he had always called for protests to be peaceful.
Supporters of Mr Khan welcomed the court's decision. "Imran Khan's release proves we knew the truth," one man, who had spent the past few days gathered outside the PTI leader's residence in Lahore, told the BBC.
Another said the verdict had "revived our hope in the nation".
Khan supporters celebrated in Peshawar after the Supreme Court acquitted him
Many analysts believe Mr Khan's election win in 2018 happened with the help of the military, which both parties denied. But he later fell out with the powerful army. After a series of defections, and amid mounting economic crisis, he lost his majority in parliament.
Since being ousted less than four years into his term, he has become one of the military's most vocal critics, and analysts say the army's popularity has fallen.
In November 2022, Mr Khan was shot in the leg while leading a protest march. He has accused a senior intelligence officials of carrying out the attack - which the military has strongly denied.
A day before his arrest, the military warned him against making "baseless allegations" after he again accused a senior officer of plotting to kill him.
Observers see the country facing an unprecedented series of crises - given endless political turmoil, the economy on a cliff edge and mounting violence by Islamist militants eroding confidence in the security forces.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65561807
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Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price quits after damning report - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Adam Price quits after review found misogyny, harassment and bullying in his party.
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Wales
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Adam Price says he no longer had the support of his party
Adam Price has quit as Plaid Cymru leader after a report found misogyny, harassment and bullying in the party.
North Wales Senedd member Llyr Gruffydd will take over as interim leader, with a new leader in place in the summer, the party has said.
It follows months of difficulties including allegations of a sexual assault made against a senior staff member, and a toxic working culture.
In his resignation letter, Mr Price said he no longer had the "united support" of his colleagues.
He said he wanted to resign in the wake of the report's findings, but was initially persuaded not to quit.
"You have my personal assurance that I will continue to serve my country, my constituents and our party with determination and enthusiasm," he said in a letter to party chairman, Marc Jones.
On Thursday Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford said discussions on his co-operation agreement with Plaid will take place "in light of recent developments"
He thanked Mr Price "for the constructive way the Welsh government and Plaid Cymru have worked together".
The resignation announcement was made following a meeting of the party's ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), late on Wednesday night.
One source from the meeting said some members raised the possibility of Adam Price remaining in post.
But it was considered untenable given the seriousness of the findings of the review.
Plaid's Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts said Mr Price was not asked to resign in the wake of the "toxic culture" report because "stability" was needed to implement its recommendations.
Interim Plaid Cymru leader Llyr Gruffydd has been in the Senedd since 2011
Speaking on the Today programme, Liz Saville Roberts said: "Effective leadership is about balancing conflicting demands.
"What we felt strongly was that we needed a collegiate approach within the party because it (the report) cuts across all aspects of the party and it requires a change of culture".
"In order to do that we would need stability".
She also told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that Mr Price had to go because he had become a "distraction".
She ruled herself out of a leadership contest, saying any new leader would have to be an elected member in the Senedd.
"I'm an MP in Westminster so that's done and dusted," she said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Adam Price apologised last week but said the damning report points to a "collective failure" across the party
Mr Gruffydd's appointment as interim leader was agreed at a meeting of the party's Senedd members on Thursday and will need to be rubber-stamped by Plaid Cymru's National Council on Saturday.
He will not stand in the forthcoming leadership contest
Mr Gruffydd said he was "grateful to the Plaid Cymru Senedd group" for the nomination and thanked Mr Price for his "vision, commitment, and dedication".
Plaid Cymru is the third largest party in the Welsh Parliament, with 12 Members of the Senedd and three MPs in Westminster.
The pro-independence party is in a co-operation agreement with the Welsh Labour government, which means they help them govern.
Mr Price was elected party leader in 2018, when he ousted Leanne Wood.
Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, said: "I have no doubt Adam Price's departure is a moment of personal sadness for him.
"Following the recent report into the culture within their party, it became clear Plaid Cymru politicians no longer had confidence in his leadership, so his departure became inevitable."
For the converted, the die-hard believers, it wasn't meant to be like this.
Adam Price was touted by many in Plaid Cymru as a "once in a generation" politician who could overcome the party's many electoral barriers.
When he challenged his predecessor for the leadership in 2018, he said only he could "create the momentum" Plaid needed to become Wales' main party of government and install him as first minister.
And yet, there was no great advance at the following Senedd election - Plaid remains in third place behind the Welsh Conservatives.
Supporters will say it was an election like no other, one focused almost entirely on the public's broadly favourable opinion of the Welsh Labour government's handling of the pandemic.
It is clear, though, that some of the sheen had faded and in terms of public support, the party remains no further forward under Adam Price's leadership.
As it nears its 100th birthday celebrations, Plaid Cymru will seek its 11th leader with many of the perennial questions about its purpose, its lack of reach beyond the heartlands and its relationship with Welsh Labour likely to be raised.
But it is the drip, drip of negative stories over the last year, culminating in a damning report that found a toxic culture within the party that meant Adam Price's position was no longer tenable.
Addressing those major issues will be his successor's primary focus.
Since last year Plaid Cymru has been dogged by claims of a toxic culture in the party, and it emerged last November that an allegation of sexual assault had been made against a senior member of staff.
Separately, a serious allegation was also made about the conduct of a Member of the Senedd, Rhys ab Owen, who is now suspended from the Senedd group pending an investigation.
The party asked Nerys Evans, a lobbyist and former Plaid assembly member, to hold a review last December.
Her working group's report said Plaid needed to "detoxify a culture of harassment, bullying and misogyny".
It said too many instances of bad behaviour were tolerated, and said an anonymous survey of staff and elected members highlighted examples "of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination".
Mr Price admitted the document left Plaid Cymru "harmed and tarnished". He apologised, but refused to quit.
In his resignation letter, Mr Price said: "On receiving the report, I informed you that I felt morally bound to step down as leader of the party in recognition of our collective failure."
"You counselled against my resignation as you felt it would make it more difficult to achieve progress in implementing the recommendations."
He said he was "persuaded by the argument that my stepping down would be an abdication of responsibility".
But he added: "It is now clear I no longer have the united support of my colleagues that would be necessary to follow this course to fruition."
Mr Drakeford said: "I want to thank Adam Price for the constructive way the Welsh government and Plaid Cymru have worked together to develop and implement the co-operation agreement. These shared priorities are making a real difference to people across Wales.
"The co-operation agreement is an agreement between the Welsh government and Plaid Cymru - not between individuals. There will be discussions about the agreement in light of recent developments."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65553413
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Watch minister get angry telling-off for media leaks - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch is told off by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle over Telegraph leaks.
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The Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has received an angry dressing down from the House of Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, who asked her "who do you think you're speaking to?"
Answering an Urgent Question on the government's decision to ditch plans to allow thousands of EU-inherited laws to expire by the end of the year - and Ms Badenoch's failure to announce it in the Commons before writing about it in a newspaper - the business and trade secretary told the Speaker she was "very sorry that the sequencing that we chose was not to your satisfaction".
A report in the Telegraph said the government intended to abandon its targets to scrap all retained EU law after Brexit, but this was not announced to the House of Commons first, to the anger of the Speaker.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65558694
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Richard Sharp: BBC had no concerns about integrity, review finds - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Richard Sharp resigned as BBC chairman last month, after failing to disclose dealings with Boris Johnson.
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Entertainment & Arts
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The BBC had "no concerns" about Richard Sharp's integrity when he was chairman, a review by the corporation has found.
Mr Sharp announced his resignation as BBC chairman last month, after failing to disclose dealings with Boris Johnson ahead of his appointment.
He will stand down from his position at the end of June.
A previous report found Mr Sharp "failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest" in relation to the former prime minister.
His position was scrutinised after it emerged he tried to secure a high-level government meeting for a businessman offering Mr Johnson financial help.
Mr Sharp defended his conduct but stood down saying he did not want to be a distraction.
The latest review was carried out by three non-executive members of the BBC board's nominations committee - Sir Nick Serota, Shirley Garrod and Dame Elan Closs Stephens.
They were asked to look into Mr Sharp's personal and financial interests since his appointment to the role of BBC chairman in February 2021.
Richard Sharp made his resignation statement ahead of the publication of Adam Heppinstall's report in April
In a statement, the BBC said: "In conclusion, the committee confirmed it had no concerns in respect of the chairman's integrity while in the role.
"It was noted - in line with the findings of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments - that the relevant declarations should have been made at the outset of the chairman's tenure, to avoid any potential perceived conflicts of interest. This was not in line with clause 2.4 of the BBC board's code of practice.
"The committee further agreed all other aspects of the board's code of practice had been followed satisfactorily during the chairman's time in his role."
If the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments had yet to report on whether Richard Sharp had broken public appointments rules, or if it had reported, but Mr Sharp had decided to stay on in his role as BBC chairman, the scrutiny of this new report would be intense.
Richard Sharp's integrity has been called into question in the media ever since the Sunday Times splash in January. He took the heat out of the story by resigning.
Now, nearly two weeks later, the BBC finds it has "no concerns in respect of the Chairman's integrity whilst in the role", although it says he did break the BBC's codes "at the outset" by not declaring his involvement in the story that eventually brought about his demise at the corporation.
The Nominations Committee met four times between February and May; I'm told their work cost the BBC nothing as it was built into their existing duties.
The minutes of those meetings offer up more details of Mr Sharp's interactions with senior government figures. He had three meetings with senior politicians, including Boris Johnson, that had not been noted in BBC records, although he told them either the director general or the BBC would have been notified. He also had three social meetings with the then prime minister, arranged at short notice. He discussed BBC business at two of them.
Mr Sharp told his three fellow board members who carried out the review that his relationship with Boris Johnson was "largely professional" with "only limited social engagement". His relationship with Rishi Sunak, having been his first employer, is "close", but he considered it professional and "had only recently met with his family socially for the first time". They had a trip to the Proms together, and Mr Sunak paid for his own ticket.
If he had not resigned, journalists would be poring over this document. Instead, it feels like a footnote.
The critical report which led to Mr Sharp's resignation last month followed months of speculation about his position and a row about BBC independence.
Led by barrister Adam Heppinstall, it found that the ex-investment banker and Conservative Party donor had failed to disclose two potential perceived conflicts of interest.
The first was a perception "he influenced the former prime minister to recommend him" for the BBC role by telling Mr Johnson he wanted to apply for the job before doing so.
The second related to Mr Sharp's offer to assist the PM in a "private financial matter" by setting up a meeting between Simon Case, the country's most senior civil servant, and billionaire businessman Sam Blyth.
In the event, the meeting never took place, the report found.
Mr Sharp did not accept the first conclusion but he apologised for the second, though described it as "inadvertent and not material".
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The committee responsible for the latest report also published the minutes of the four meetings in which they discussed their review.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65558174
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Woman injured in royal police escort crash - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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A police motorcycle was escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh when the crash happened, police say.
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London
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Paramedics from London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance treated the woman at the scene
A woman in her 80s has been critically injured in a crash with a police motorcycle escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh.
It happened at the junction of West Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in Earl's Court, west London, at 15:20 BST on Wednesday, the Met Police said.
The woman was taken to hospital after treatment from paramedics.
Buckingham Palace said the duchess's "heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family".
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was "grateful for the swift response of emergency services", a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said
Inquiries into the circumstances of the accident are ongoing, the Met Police said.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the duchess was "grateful for the swift response of emergency services and will keep abreast of developments".
"Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated," they added.
The injured woman, whose family has been informed, was treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and London's Air Ambulance.
The LAS said she was transferred to a "major trauma centre" in the capital.
The Directorate of Professional Standards has been notified about the crash.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has begun an investigation, which is at a "very early stage", a spokesperson said.
The watchdog had sent investigators to the scene on Wednesday night, they added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65554648
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Eurovision 2023: Belgium and Australia through to Saturday's final - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Ten go through from tonight's semi-final - including Belgium, Australia, Austria, and Poland.
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Entertainment & Arts
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The Times is reporting that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been "blocked" from addressing the 160 million people expected to watch Saturday's grand final.
Ukraine won last year's contest and, under normal circumstances, would have been this year's host. But the country is still under attack from Russia.
The EBU, which organises Eurovision, has long taken the position that the contest should be free of politics and, although this year's event is reflecting Ukrainian culture, it was felt that an address from President Zelensky would contravene the spirit of the contest.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is an international entertainment show and governed by strict rules and principles which have been established since its creation. As part of these, one of the cornerstones of the contest is the non-political nature of the event,” a spokesman said.
"The request by Mr Zelensky to address the audience at the Eurovision Song Contest, whilst made with laudable intentions, regrettably cannot be granted as it would be against the rules of the event.”
It is not the first time the president has had such a request denied. He was turned down by the Oscars in March, and by Italy's Sanremo Music festival - which selects the country's Eurovision entrant - in February.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/entertainment-arts-65447816
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Phone hacking authorised at highest levels of publisher, court hears - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Prince Harry's lawyer claims investigators received huge sums to illicitly obtain private information.
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UK
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Prince Harry attended the High Court in March for a separate hearing against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper
Unlawful information gathering was widespread and authorised by those at the highest levels of Mirror Group Newspapers, a court has heard.
Prince Harry is among high-profile figures accusing the publisher of using private investigators and phone hacking to gain access to stories about them.
His barrister David Sherborne said millions of pounds were paid to private investigators, with the payments signed off by senior figures at MGN.
It is alleged that journalists from the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People newspapers obtained private and confidential information about people's lives through a variety of illegal means.
The bulk of the trial's evidence are 207 newspaper stories, published between 1991 and 2011 - some 67% of which were written about Harry, the Duke of Sussex.
Mr Sherborne told the High Court one of the most "serious and troubling" features of the case is the extent to which "widespread, habitual and unlawful" activities were "authorised at the highest level".
This included "the systemic and widespread use of PIs (private investigators) by MGN journalists to unlawfully obtain private information" of various individuals, Mr Sherborne told London's High Court.
Mr Sherborne has referred the court to key senior figures in MGN who he claims "authorised" the unlawful obtaining of information.
He said this included former editors Piers Morgan, Neil Wallis, Tina Weaver, Mark Thomas, Richard Wallace and Bridget Rowe, and alleged that managing editors and senior executives also knew.
"Mr Morgan was right at the heart of this in many ways," Mr Sherborne told the court. "He was a hands-on editor and was close to the board. We have the direct involvement of Mr Morgan in a number of these incidents."
Mr Morgan was Daily Mirror editor from 1995 until 2004.
Mr Sherborne said the alleged unlawful activities also included MGN journalists intercepting landline voicemails, even if the phone numbers were ex-directory - meaning they were not listed in the telephone directory and the phone company would not provide them to those who asked for them.
Claims brought by Harry and three others are being heard in the trial, expected to last six to seven weeks, as being "representative" cases of the types of allegations facing the publisher.
The other claimants are former Coronation Street actors Nikki Sanderson and Michael Turner, known by his stage name Michael Le Vell, and comedian Paul Whitehouse's ex-wife Fiona Wightman.
They are all expected to give evidence - when the prince does so in June, he will become the first senior member of the Royal Family to appear in court and be cross-examined in modern times.
The four cases were chosen by the trial judge to help the court set the level of damages MGN should pay if the claimants win, as well as establish the various allegations facing the publisher.
The court would then consider other cases from celebrities including the former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, actor Ricky Tomlinson, former Arsenal and England footballer Ian Wright and the estate of late singer-songwriter George Michael.
MGN has denied the allegations, including those of voicemail interception.
In its defence against some of the claims made by Prince Harry, MGN's lawyers argued that he did not have "a reasonable expectation of privacy".
This argument was made in response to articles about his relationship with Chelsy Davy - the break-up of which Harry blamed on press intrusion, his alleged drug use and one that reported he was forced to carry out farm work as punishment for wearing a Nazi uniform to a party.
In other instances it claimed published information was "limited and banal".
In response to one of the 33 articles put forward by Prince Harry's legal team, which gave details about his 18th birthday celebrations, MGN lawyers argued that the information came from an interview the duke gave to the Press Association.
The article published under the headline "No Eton trifles for Harry, 18" in September 2002 "simply repeated the details that the claimant [Harry] had given" including that he would not be having a party and would be spending the day with his father and brother, MGN argues in court documents. It said there was "no evidence of voicemail interception".
However on Wednesday, the publisher acknowledged and "unreservedly" apologised for a separate instance of unlawful information gathering against Harry, adding that the legal challenge brought by the prince "warrants compensation".
On Thursday, reporters saw the list of 33 stories at the heart of Prince Harry's claim for damages against MGN. He is relying on them to prove phone hacking and other unlawful activity against him. Here are some of them:
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: "I've never hacked a phone, I wouldn't even know how" - Piers Morgan (interview filmed in March)
In Thursday's hearing, Mr Sherborne discussed a Daily Mirror front page story from 1999, which revealed confidential details about the finances of Prince Michael of Kent - cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II - including that he was in debt to a bank.
Prince Michael's lawyers later told MGN they had deduced that a "blagger" had called the bank and, posing as the royal's accountant, obtained confidential information.
MGN eventually settled the claim, published an apology and paid his legal costs, the barrister said.
"It's inconceivable, given the way this progressed, that the legal department and Mr Morgan were not well aware of the source of the story, and that it came from illegally obtained information," Mr Sherborne told the court.
Mr Morgan has consistently denied any knowledge of phone hacking during his time editing the newspaper, but this will be the first time a court has been asked to rule on claims about what he knew.
Speaking to the BBC's Amol Rajan before the trial began, Mr Morgan said he could only talk to what he knew about his own involvement, adding: "I've never hacked a phone, I wouldn't even know how."
Mr Morgan also pointed out he only worked for the Daily Mirror and had no responsibility for the Sunday Mirror, Sunday People or other titles.
In 2015, MGN admitted journalists had regularly used unlawful techniques to obtain private information - and issued a public apology.
The High Court ordered the publisher to pay out damages totalling £1.25m to eight phone-hacking victims, including more than £260,000 to the actor Sadie Frost.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65555637
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Rapist David McCue arrested after weeks on the run - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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David McCue had been missing since he failed to appear in court for sentencing on 31 March.
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Glasgow & West Scotland
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David McCue failed to appear in court for sentencing on 31 March
A rapist who went on the run before the end of his trial has been arrested.
David McCue, 40, was convicted in his absence at the High Court in Glasgow of sexual offences against a woman and a younger girl.
His attacks on the woman, which took place in the city's Townhead and Barlanark areas, included raping her while she was asleep.
McCue, from Springboig in Glasgow, had failed to appear for sentencing on 31 March.
The four charges of which he was convicted spanned between 2010 and 2018.
Police Scotland confirmed he had been re-arrested and is due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-65559685
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Piers Morgan says he was not aware of phone hacking at Daily Mirror - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The former newspaper editor tells the BBC phone hacking is wrong and "shouldn't have been happening".
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Entertainment & Arts
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: "I've never hacked a phone, I wouldn't even know how" - Piers Morgan (interview filmed in March)
Piers Morgan says he is not aware of phone hacking taking place while he was editor of the Daily Mirror.
A High Court case against its owners, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), brought by Prince Harry and several other high-profile figures, began on Wednesday.
Lawyers argue that executives at the publisher knew about widespread phone hacking, but failed to act.
Speaking before the trial, Mr Morgan said: "I've never hacked a phone. I've never told anybody to hack a phone."
The long-awaited case involves allegations that the publisher of the Mirror illegally gathered information about the Duke of Sussex and a number of other celebrities to generate stories.
In written arguments put before the court, the barrister representing Prince Harry said it was "inconceivable" that Mr Morgan and other editors did not know about MGN journalists instructing private investigators to obtain information.
Mr Morgan has always denied any knowledge of phone hacking or illegal activity at the Daily Mirror when he was editor.
He was editor of the Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004
He was interviewed by the BBC's Amol Rajan before the trial began. In it, Mr Morgan said he thought phone hacking - the interception of mobile phone voicemail messages - was completely wrong.
He added it "shouldn't have been happening" and said it was "lazy journalists being lazy". He said there was no evidence that he knew anything about it.
Asked in the interview whether it stretched credulity that, as a hands-on editor, he didn't know what was going on, Mr Morgan replied: "I didn't. So I don't care whether it stretches people's credulity, or not."
The former editor pointed out that although there were civil cases happening, none of the journalists who worked with him at the Daily Mirror have been arrested in connection with phone hacking.
Mr Morgan worked at the Daily Mirror for nearly a decade, but he said none of the civil cases had anything to do with him.
"I've not been called to give evidence, I know nothing about it," he told BBC News. Asked if he was worried about Prince Harry's legal action, he said he "couldn't give a monkey's cuss".
"I don't give a damn what actions he wants to take," he said.
Piers Morgan told Amol Rajan he wasn't aware of any phone hacking while he was at the Daily Mirror
In 2015, MGN, which publishes the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, paid out £1.2m in damages to eight phone hacking victims who refused to settle out of court, including Paul Gascoigne and the actor Sadie Frost.
Other cases have been settled out of court so damages to individuals remain unknown.
On Wednesday, MGN apologised to Prince Harry for one instance of unlawful information gathering in relation to a story which appeared in the Sunday People in 2004, but it denied allegations of voicemail interception in all the cases being examined.
Mr Morgan pointed out he only worked for the Daily Mirror and had no responsibility for the Sunday Mirror or Sunday People, or other titles.
A MGN spokesman said: "Where historical wrongdoing has taken place we have made admissions, take full responsibility and apologise unreservedly, but we will vigorously defend against allegations of wrongdoing where our journalists acted lawfully.
"MGN is now part of a very different company. We are committed to acting with integrity and our objective in this trial is to allow both the business and our journalists to move forward from events that took place many years ago."
Mr Morgan presents a show on TalkTV following his controversial exit from ITV's Good Morning Britain. He left in March 2021, after saying he "didn't believe a word" the Duchess of Sussex had said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Media figure Piers Morgan answers questions on everything from phone hacking to Meghan Markle.
Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only) or on BBC Two at 19:00 BST.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65531864
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Wind is main source of UK electricity for first time - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Wind power overtakes gas for the first time in the UK during first three months of year.
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Science & Environment
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Wind turbines have generated more electricity than gas for the first time in the UK.
In the first three months of this year a third of the country's electricity came from wind farms, research from Imperial College London has shown.
National Grid has also confirmed that April saw a record period of solar energy generation.
By 2035 the UK aims for all of its electricity to have net zero emissions.
"There are still many hurdles to reaching a completely fossil fuel-free grid, but wind out-supplying gas for the first time is a genuine milestone event," said Iain Staffell, energy researcher at Imperial College and lead author of the report.
The research was commissioned by Drax Electrical Insights, which is funded by Drax energy company.
The majority of the UK's wind power has come from offshore wind farms. Installing new onshore wind turbines has effectively been banned since 2015 in England.
Under current planning rules, companies can only apply to build onshore wind turbines on land specifically identified for development in the land-use plans drawn up by local councils. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed in December to relax these planning restrictions to speed up development.
Scientists say switching to renewable power is crucial to curb the impacts of climate change, which are already being felt, including in the UK, which last year recorded its hottest year since records began.
Solar and wind have seen significant growth in the UK. In the first quarter of 2023, 42% of the UK's electricity came from renewable energy, with 33% coming from fossil fuels like gas and coal.
But BBC research revealed on Thursday that billions of pounds' worth of green energy projects are stuck on hold due to delays with getting connections to the grid.
Some new solar and wind sites are waiting up to 10 to 15 years to be connected because of a lack of capacity in the electricity system.
And electricity only accounts for 18% of the UK's total power needs. There are many demands for energy which electricity is not meeting, such as heating our homes, manufacturing and transport.
Currently the majority of UK homes use gas for their heating - the government is seeking to move households away from gas boilers and on to heat pumps which use electricity.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65557469
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Mum of shaken baby relieved after father jailed five years later - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Nicholas Bateman has been jailed after violently shaking his seven-week-old son in 2018.
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Wales
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Natasha says there's no amount of time Nicholas Bateman can do in prison that will be enough
A mother whose baby was shaken by his father so violently he suffered brain damage has spoken of her relief that he has finally been jailed.
Natasha, 27, was out of the family home in March 2018 when Nicholas Bateman, 31, assaulted their son.
The next day, the seven-week-old boy began having seizures and would go on to develop cerebral palsy.
More than five years later, Bateman was finally jailed last week for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
"I always hoped and wished that justice would be served. It went on one year, two years, now we've hit the five-year mark," said Natasha, whose surname is not being reported in order to protect her son's identity.
"I started to think 'is he going to get away with it? Is he going to walk free?'"
On 9 March 2018, while Natasha popped to a doctors appointment, Bateman phoned her to say their son had bumped his lip on his shoulder.
But when she returned home her son was lying limp on the sofa.
After a call to emergency services Natasha was told to administer CPR before the boy was taken into hospital.
The following day he began suffering from seizures and Natasha was told to prepare for the worst as he was put into an induced coma.
After medical examinations, doctors found the baby had multiple fractures including a bleed on his brain.
The injuries caused multiple seizures resulting in brain damage and later a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
Still, Bateman's only explanation was that his son had banged his lip.
On the baby boy's final day in hospital, to her shock, both Natasha and Bateman were arrested.
As she had been the person to call emergency services for help and Bateman was keeping to his story, police placed her as being at the property at the time of the incident.
But Natasha said their arrests was the moment she knew her son had been intentionally hurt.
"(My son) came back with multiple fractures and it was indicating shaken baby syndrome. I knew I didn't do it and the only other person that could have done it was Nicholas.
"In hospital he just seemed like a sad father that wanted his child to get better. But knowing he put him in that situation, he hasn't shown any remorse."
Natasha said no sentence would be enough for her ex partner's assault on her son
It wasn't just authorities who had suspicions about her role in the baby's injuries. The police and ambulance workers who attended the aftermath of the incident had inevitably caught the attention of neighbours.
"People judged, people were staring thinking 'did she do it, will it come out?'," she said.
"They'd judge me and I was like, I didn't need to give them an explanation. The people that knew I didn't do it, thankfully, like my family and friends, knew I couldn't do something like that."
Natasha's son was made the subject of family court proceedings, and had to live with his grandparents while authorities worked out who was responsible for his injuries.
Natasha, said: "Still he (Bateman) didn't admit to nothing at all. He even tried telling people that I was lying about my son being disabled."
Nicholas Bateman was jailed for more than 10 years for assaulting his son
But after eight months of proceedings, Bateman was charged by police with causing grievous bodily harm with intent. No further action was taken against Natasha.
There were years of criminal court delays, in part due to the start of the coronavirus pandemic and Bateman's denials that he had harmed his son.
After many court appearances, and just over five years on the from the assault, Bateman eventually pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court on 21 March.
He was sentenced to 10 years and nine months in jail at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on 4 May.
Judge Lucy Crowther told the sentencing hearing that Bateman had likely first gripped the little boy around his face and chest before "violently" shaking him and throwing him onto a soft surface.
"You shook him when he wouldn't stop crying. You were just too frightened to say what you had done," the judge said.
Natasha said despite her relief that justice has finally been served, she feels there is "no amount of time" that Bateman can serve "that will be enough for what he's done".
"To hear him say (he is guilty) is something we've all wanted to hear. But then to hear him say it five years later is too late. He hasn't had to see what he has done. He's lived a normal life. He's carried on with his life".
She said her son cannot talk, walk or stand without assistance. He struggles to eat a normal diet and survives mainly on yoghurts. He also cannot sleep without medication and doesn't have much of a pain threshold.
"I always look at him and I think 'why?' He was only seven weeks old," said Natasha, from Rhondda Cynon Taf in south Wales.
"I don't know what his future will be. We'll always show him love, he will always be happy. But there will be ways where he will suffer.
"I don't know if he will be able to go out on his own, or have a family. He's had that taken away from him.
"I don't want to say it, but I think he will be his mum's boy for the rest of his life and I'll take care of him for the rest of his life."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65537562
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WATCH: Police mistake goat for man yelling 'help' - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Police in the US were later told the distress call was a goat who had been separated from his friend.
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Police in the US responded to a report of someone crying for "help", but as their bodycam footage showed, it turns out that someone was a distressed goat.
Officers of the Enid police department arrived at the scene in Oklahoma, only for a farmer to explain to them the goat was upset as he had been separated from his friend.
"Thank you, gentlemen. Your swift actions (although in the end not necessary) are appreciated by us all," police joked in a statement reported on CBS News. "All in all, you really can't say it was that baaad of a call."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65553748
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Who is Plaid Cymru's Adam Price? - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Adam Price was long-regarded as a great hope for Plaid Cymru but departs amid a bullying scandal.
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Wales politics
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Adam Price took over as party leader in autumn 2018
Adam Price said Plaid Cymru's "time has come" when he took over as leader five years ago.
His victory was not unexpected - with his imposing presence and strong oratory skills, Mr Price had long been regarded as a future leader.
But he departs after a report heavily criticised the workplace culture that existed in his party, alleging harassment, bullying and misogyny.
A miner's son from the Amman Valley, Adam Price's politics were shaped by the long miners' strike of the mid-1980s.
He became an MP in 2001, representing Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, and made his mark in Westminster by leading an unsuccessful attempt to impeach the then prime minister, Tony Blair, over claims that Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Price stood down as an MP in 2010 before going to study at the prestigious Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in the US.
In 2016 he returned to frontline politics - this time in Cardiff Bay, still representing his home constituency.
One campaign leaflet that year famously described him as an "X-factor politician" and the "mab darogan" (the son of prophecy) - a figure from Welsh mythology who it is said will redeem Wales in its hour of need.
Adam Price and other party leaders meeting the Prince of Wales at the Senedd last year
Two years later he ousted Leanne Wood and became the first openly gay leader of a Welsh political party.
Mr Price described the decision to challenge one of his "oldest friends in politics" as "the most difficult thing I've had to wrestle with in my political life".
Ms Wood would later tell the BBC that the move led to the collapse of their friendship.
In a departure from his predecessor's approach, Mr Price put the notoriously tricky subject of independence at the heart of his political plan, pledging to hold a referendum on the issue by 2030.
But at the snap general election of December 2019 the party found itself squeezed out of the Brexit-dominated debate, and though Plaid held on to its four seats in Westminster, its share of the vote fell back and it came a disappointing third in its main target seat of Ynys Môn.
Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford and Adam Price signed a co-operation deal in late 2021
And so to the 2021 Senedd election, where independence would be front and centre of the party's campaign.
Ahead of the vote, Mr Price said that he would count anything less than becoming first minister as a "failure", and he ruled out working with the Conservatives and joining a coalition with Labour as a junior partner.
But the party slipped back into third place, losing its grip on the Rhondda seat held by Ms Wood, as it struggled to compete with the favourable response towards the Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford's leadership during the pandemic.
Months later, and with Mr Drakeford having fallen just short of a majority in the Senedd, Mr Price formed a co-operation agreement with the Welsh Labour government.
This was to be a new kind of deal, and one which would allow Plaid Cymru to push through some of its key policies, including Senedd expansion, the extension of free school meals, and free childcare for two year-olds.
And that's why in the run-up to last May's Welsh local elections Mr Price - by now a father of two young children - was able to claim his party was "making a difference", and had "snatched a moral victory from the mawing jaws of defeat".
By the end of the year the party was engulfed by claims of a toxic culture within Plaid and criticism of the leadership's handling of the situation.
That culminated in a report by Nerys Evans which said the party had tolerated "too many instances of bad behaviour".
Mr Price initially insisted he would remain in post, arguing that quitting would be "abdicating" his responsibility.
However a week on Mr Price has announced that he will step down and so it will be up to his successor to address the issues raised by the report and set a course for the party into the general election.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-63872715
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Ukraine war: Inside the fight for the last streets of Bakhmut - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The eastern city is a crumpled, skeletal wreck. But Ukraine knows losing it could be costly.
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Europe
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Ukrainian forces are preparing for a counteroffensive near the besieged city of Bakhmut
In a bunker just outside the city limits of Bakhmut, Ukraine's 77th Brigade direct artillery fire to support their infantry - their last line of defence on the western edge of the city.
Ukraine is still clinging to the last few streets here.
But the live video feed the artillery gunners watch intently, from a drone flying above the city, suggests that even if Russia can finally wrestle control, it would be little more than a pyrrhic victory.
The prize is now a crumpled, skeletal city - with hardly a building left unscathed, and with its entire population vanished.
The battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been the longest and bloodiest of this war so far. Western officials estimate between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded here, while Ukraine's military has also paid a heavy price - and it still isn't over.
The plumes of smoke still hang heavy over the besieged city, accompanied by the relentless rumble of artillery fire.
Russia has been trying to capture Bakhmut for months, and it's been a testament - so far - to Ukraine's determination not to give ground. But it's also a reminder that its coming counteroffensive could prove far more challenging.
Drone footage from above Bakhmut shows the devastation caused by the continuing battle for the city
Back in the bunker, Ukraine's 77th Brigade orders another artillery strike on a house. Seconds later a plume of smoke rises from the rubble. Two men emerge from the smoke, stumbling down a street. One appears to be injured.
I ask if they're Wagner soldiers - the Russian paramilitary force which has been leading the assault. "Yes," replies Myroslav, one of the Ukrainian troops staring at the screen.
"They are fighting quite well, but they don't really care about their people," he says.
He adds that they don't seem to have much artillery support and they just advance in the hope that they'll be "luckier than the last time". His comrade, Mykola, interjects: "They just walk towards us, they must be on drugs."
Looking at this shell of a city it's hard to understand why either side has sacrificed so many lives for it.
Mykola admits that the defence has also been costly for Ukraine. He says many soldiers have given their lives, and it's hard to fight in the densely packed streets. He says they've been replaced by troops with less experience, but adds: "They will become the same warriors as those who fought before them."
The whole point of Bakhmut is to keep the enemy there
To the south of the city, Ukraine's 28th Brigade has been helping prevent Bakhmut from being encircled.
The Wagner forces they once faced have already been replaced by paratroopers of Russia's VDV, or airborne forces. But they're still locked in daily skirmishes.
During a lull in the fighting, Yevhen, a 29-year-old soldier, takes us on a tour of their defensive position in a small wood.
The arrival of spring has provided them with some leaves for cover, but many of the trees have been stripped by the constant shelling.
Ukrainian troops seek cover behind bushes on the outskirts of the city of Bakhmut
As we run from a trench, across exposed ground pock-marked by shell holes, the Russians open fire with their mortars. "That was pretty damn close," says Yevhen in perfect English as we reach some cover.
As we move to another position he says: "Now we're going to fire back."
Minutes later his men follow up with a volley of small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). There are no casualties this time. But hours after we leave one of their soldiers is seriously injured.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has called Bakhmut "a fortress" of Ukrainian morale. Yevhen displays that determination not to give up. "The whole point of Bakhmut is to keep the enemy there," he says.
If Ukraine gave up Bakhmut, he says, they'd only lose more lives later. "We could retreat to save a few lives, but we would then have to counter-attack and we'd lose even more".
Ukraine's hope is that the fight over Bakhmut has blunted Russia's ability to conduct its own offensive operations, and exhausted its army and supplies.
In a bunker just outside the city limits, Ukraine's 77th Brigade direct artillery fire to support their infantry
But Russia has also been preparing to stymie Ukraine's upcoming offensive.
Recent satellite images of the occupied south show it has built hundreds of miles of deep trench lines and dragon's teeth tank traps to slow down any attempted advance. More difficult to punch through than the razor wire and mines we saw in front of these Ukrainian positions.
Southern Ukraine is where many expect the focus of the Ukrainian offensive to be. Russia has already ordered a partial evacuation near the nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine, too, has been rationing artillery rounds in preparation for an attack that will be spearheaded by newly trained brigades of troops and some of the 1,300 armoured vehicles and 230 tanks supplied by the West. Though we have also witnessed convoys of Western military equipment heading East.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has tried to dampen down expectations - warning against "overestimating" the outcome.
I ask Yevhen if he feels that pressure too. He says he knows it won't be easy, but adds: "We've already changed the whole world's opinion of the Ukrainian army and we still have lots of surprises."
But this time it may prove harder to conceal the element of surprise.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65533192
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D-Day veteran Edward Gaines from Poole dies aged 98 - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Mr Gaines, known as Eddie, transported 35 tonnes of dynamite to Omaha beach in June 1944.
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Dorset
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Edward Gaines was supported by charity Blind Veterans UK in his later years
One of the last surviving D-Day veterans who transported dynamite to Omaha beach has died aged 98.
Edward Gaines, known as Eddie, died at his home in Poole, Dorset, on 21 April.
Mr Gaines, who had four children and 16 grandchildren, had previously told the BBC about his experience of preparing for the Normandy landings in June 1944.
Blind Veterans UK, which supported Mr Gaines in his later years, said he left "a legacy of service to his family, his country and the veteran community".
Mr Gaines left school aged 16 to take up an engineering apprenticeship
He was born in 1925 and left school at the age of 16 to take up an engineering apprenticeship, although a bomb blast destroyed the firm and he went on to join the Royal Navy in 1943.
After initially training on motor gun boats at Portland, Mr Gaines transferred to become a petrol stoker on landing craft.
He and the other four crew of his landing barge vehicle set off from Poole on 4 June 1944 in preparation for the Normandy landings and they transported 35 tonnes of explosives and a bulldozer to land at Omaha beach on D-Day.
They continued to work on the beach, transporting ammunition, equipment and men, for several months and he served in Normandy until Christmas Eve 1944.
Mr Gaines spoke to the BBC about his experiences and being supported by Blind Veterans UK in 2017
After leaving the Navy when the war ended, he worked in a mill in Battersea before helping his parents build their dream bungalow and then becoming self-employed as a bricklayer until his retirement aged 60.
Mr Gaines first received support from Blind Veterans UK in 2016 after losing his sight much later in life due to age-related macular degeneration.
His family said: "Eddie was so passionate about his support for Blind Veterans UK that he flew the charity's flag outside his home for the last years of his life."
The charity also arranged for Mr Gaines to be presented with the Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Legion D'Honneur in recognition of his part in the liberation of France.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-65562428
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TransPennine Express loses contract over poor service - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The government will now run the service after months of delays and cancellations.
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Business
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TransPennine Express will be nationalised after customer complaints of poor service and cancelled trains.
The government will now run the service which covers Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds in the north of England and runs to Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland.
Passengers will see no change to the service but the overall aim is to improve its performance.
In January and February about a quarter of its services were cancelled, which was the highest rate in the UK.
That improved to around one in six in March, but it was still the worst-performing train operator in terms of cancellations.
The Department for Transport said that TransPennine's contract would not be renewed on 28 May.
It will now be run by the Operator of Last Resort (OLR), which means a business will step in on behalf of the government to take over the management of the service.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said taking TransPennine under state control was "not a silver bullet and will not instantaneously fix a number of challenges being faced".
TransPennine, which is run by the company FirstGroup, has stood out for the number of trains it has cancelled the night before they are due to run, which it has blamed on staff shortages.
The rail operator's services run across the north of England, and include destinations in Yorkshire, the North East and Lincolnshire.
Passengers on the packed Manchester to York line on Thursday morning weren't surprised by the news.
"I've been getting this train for 20 years and it's been a bit fraught," said Chris Flanagan.
A few years ago there was some investment, but since the Covid pandemic "it's been absolutely horrendous", he said.
"Most days you can't actually get into the office. [It's been] pretty grim," he added.
Fellow commuter Sarah Hunt agreed, saying she checks what trains are running both the night before and in the morning before setting off.
But the the service being nationalised "could be a good thing", she said.
"I feel like Northern did benefit a lot from when it was taken over by the Operator of Last Resort, so I do think that possibly, it could be quite useful."
Northern, London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Southeastern Trains are all currently run by the OLR.
Scotrail, Transport for Wales and Northern Ireland Railways are also nationalised.
Based on the latest figures, when the OLR takes over TransPennine's contract, more than one in five train journeys in Britain could be run by nationalised companies.
Nigel Harris, managing editor of Rail magazine, said nationalising TransPennine was little more than "political window dressing", as in effect the government has been in control of the rail network in England since coronavirus lockdowns led to "the collapse of all the franchises".
Emergency contracts were signed during the pandemic, which were replaced by national rail contracts with most train companies in England, whereby the company is paid a fixed fee to operate services and the taxpayer shoulders the financial risk.
"There will be no immediate difference in how the services are operated and the same old problems will persist - but now it will be clearly the government's fault," Mr Harris said.
There has been ongoing disruption to TransPennine services since early 2022, but the company has said a recovery plan was bringing the numbers down.
It has previously blamed high staff sickness rates, a backlog of driver training and the lack of an overtime working agreement with the drivers' union Aslef.
The transport secretary also blamed strikes by Aslef for hampering a full service being offered on TransPennine routes.
However, Aslef said that was "misleading" and that the blame should lie with the company's "inept management".
FirstGroup said it was disappointed by the government's decision not to renew the contract it has run in various guises since 2004.
"Our team have worked extremely hard to improve services, including by recruiting and training more drivers than ever before," said Graham Sutherland, FirstGroup's chief executive.
However, Louise Haigh, Labour's shadow transport secretary, said: "This endless cycle of shambolic private operators failing passengers shows the Conservatives' rail system is fundamentally broken."
A Labour government would nationalise railways as contracts expire, she added.
Andy Burnham, Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, said privatisation has "seen fares shoot up, and the standard of services go down, and the companies in the end are not accountable to the paying public".
West Yorkshire's Labour Mayor Tracy Brabin said there had been "a catalogue of failure and delays and cancellations" on TransPennine and that it was "absolutely right that this is the end of the line" for the operator.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65555262
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Be careful with 100% mortgages, homebuyers told - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The Bank of England governor says buyers should treat these sometimes riskier deals with caution.
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Business
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Buyers and banks need to be "very careful" with 100% mortgages that have no deposit requirement, the Bank of England has warned.
Andrew Bailey, its governor, said "quite a few problems" could arise from such deals which some see as riskier.
This week Skipton Building Society became the latest lender to offer a deposit-free mortgage aimed at first-time buyers currently renting.
Mr Bailey's warning came after the Bank raised interest rates again.
The increase - from 4.25% to 4.5% - was the 12th in a row, and means some mortgage holders will see an immediate increase in their repayments.
The Bank has been trying to control inflation - the rate at which prices rise - which is currently near a 40-year high and putting pressure on families.
However, after its decision on Thursday the Bank warned that price rises were likely to remain higher for longer due to soaring food costs.
Skipton's latest 100% mortgage requires borrowers to show they have had 12 months of on-time rental payments and a good credit history.
Unlike the handful of other no-deposit deals it offers, the deal does not need a guarantor, such as a family member.
Skipton said it had spotted a "gap in the market" as rapidly rising rents and the cost of living made it increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to save for a deposit.
The government's flagship Help to Buy scheme, aimed at helping first-time buyers, is no longer open.
However, zero deposit mortgages have been seen as riskier loans, and were one of the contributing factors behind the 2008 financial crisis, when many borrowers found themselves unable to afford their repayments.
"I think we have to watch it very carefully," Mr Bailey told the BBC when asked about the return of 100% deals.
He added that the risks needed to be well assessed by both lenders and borrowers.
"I'm not going to say no to 100% mortgages but both lenders and borrowers have to be very careful about this," he added.
"You can get quite a few problems. People can often get stuck with mortgages for a long period of time which they can't trade out of."
Currently there are 15 other zero-deposit products on the market, according to financial data firm Moneyfacts, accounting for just under 0.3% of the UK market.
The rate for Skipton's latest 100% deal is 5.49%, which is more expensive than its current average five-year fixed deal of 5%.
Some borrowers have been struggling as rising interest rates have driven up mortgage costs.
Cheryl in Bromley, Greater London, told the BBC the rate rises last year led to her having to sell her house and move back in with her parents as she was unable to afford the mortgage.
"I lived with my daughter and couldn't provide a roof over her head," the 43-year-old added. "She had to go live with her father and I found myself back at my parents' house."
On Thursday, Mr Bailey said he was more optimistic about how quickly the UK economy would grow this year.
He added that the country was likely to avoid a recession, which is when the economy shrinks for two three-month periods in a row.
• None Warning prices to be higher for longer as rates rise
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65565345
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Hospital boss claims unfair dismissal after chairman 'bullied' her - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The Countess of Chester trust chief executive also accuses the chairman of putting finance over safety.
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Health
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Dr Susan Gilby said she faced "offensively sexist comments" in meetings
A former NHS chief executive is suing her employer, saying she was "bullied, harassed, intimidated and undermined" by the hospital trust's chairman.
In legal papers, seen by BBC News, Dr Susan Gilby alleges she was effectively unfairly dismissed by the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust, after she made a formal complaint.
She has also accused the chairman of putting finance above patient safety.
In a statement, the trust said it denied all the allegations.
Dr Gilby, a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care, was appointed as medical director and assistant chief executive of the NHS trust, in August 2018.
Her arrival came a month after nurse Lucy Letby was arrested on suspicion of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill 10 others at one of the trust's hospitals in Cheshire. Ms Letby's trial is ongoing and she denies the charges.
When the chief executive resigned in September that year, Dr Gilby was promoted to the role.
According to documents prepared for a forthcoming employment tribunal, Dr Gilby alleges the problems began when a new chairman, Ian Haythornthwaite, was appointed in late 2021.
She claims that soon after joining the trust, Mr Haythornthwaite - a former BBC accountant - sought to "intervene and influence, and ultimately to control, many operational matters" beyond the scope of his job.
Dr Gilby's claim alleges that the chairman had an "extremely and unnecessarily aggressive" approach, with subordinates "increasingly frightened of crossing him".
She also accuses him of appointing friends to the trust's board and putting finance above patient safety.
Dr Gilby claims the chairman was "highly aggressive and intimidatory" in meetings, that he banged his hand on a desk to emphasise his point, and oversaw a climate where "offensively sexist comments and ferocious and repetitive criticisms" were made by either him or his associates.
Dr Gilby's complaint accuses the chairman of putting finance above patient safety at the hospital trust
She made a formal whistle-blowing complaint against the chairman in July 2022, raising her concerns about his behaviour to both the trust and NHS England.
The trust responded to her concerns, Dr Gilby claims, by proposing that she be seconded to a senior advisory role within NHS England on the condition she withdrew her allegations.
NHS England also contacted her about a role. Dr Gilby responded to the offer in November saying she was not willing to withdraw her allegations; she was suspended by the trust on 2 December. On 5 December, she gave the trust six months' notice of her intention to resign.
Dr Gilby is suing the trust and Mr Haythornthwaite for constructive unfair dismissal.
In a statement, the Countess of Chester NHS Trust said: "There are significant points of dispute between Dr Gilby and the trust and the trust denies all allegations that she has raised. A number of active internal investigations are in train and the trust will not provide any further comment whilst those investigations are ongoing."
Mr Haythornthwaite said he had "nothing to add at this time" to the trust's statement.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65538005
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Met Police will not investigate sexual assault claim against Labour shadow minister - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The claim, reportedly against a shadow minister, is not being investigated "at the victim's request".
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UK Politics
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The Metropolitan Police says it will not now investigate an allegation of sexual assault, reported to be against a Labour frontbench MP, "at the victim's request".
Tortoise first reported that a female Labour MP claimed she had been sexually assaulted by a male shadow minister.
The BBC has been told she reported the incident to the Met Police and the Labour whips.
Labour said the whips had urged her to make a formal complaint to the party.
However, Tortoise reported that she "felt his popularity within the party would stand against her".
In response to the report, the Metropolitan Police told the BBC they received a report in March that a woman was sexually assaulted by a man in London in July 2021.
The incident is alleged to have happened after a summer party in London.
The force said: "At the victim's request, the incident will not now be investigated at this time."
It added that enquiries were at an "assessment stage" and a formal investigation had not been launched.
The Met has not identified either MP.
Labour told the BBC they had not been contacted by the Met, nor received a formal complaint.
A party spokesman said: "We take any allegations of this sort very seriously and would always encourage individuals to go to the parliamentary process, the Labour Party process or the police.
"In terms of the Labour Party process, it is a thorough, robust and independent process that individuals can have confidence in."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65563918
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Porthmadog: Probe after police officer filmed punching suspect - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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North Wales Police says it is investigating the incident after footage circulated on social media.
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Wales
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. North Wales Police said the incident is being "fully investigated"
Footage circulating online appears to show a police officer punching a man nine times while restraining him on the floor.
The incident occurred during the arrest of a man, 34, in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, north west Wales, on Wednesday.
In the footage, a male officer is seen with his arm around the man's neck appearing to punch him in the face.
North Wales Police said the matter was being "fully investigated" and referred itself to the police watchdog.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has since launched an independent investigation.
The video appears to show the suspect taken to the ground by a male and female officer after a brief altercation.
Separate footage shows the man being led to a police vehicle with a swollen and bruised face.
He was then taken to hospital and assessed by medical staff before being transferred into police custody, said the force.
The incident happened on Pensyflog, a street in the coastal town of Porthmadog.
Nia Jeffreys, Gwynedd councillor for the area, said: "The whole community is shocked to tell the truth and it's really shaken our faith and trust in the police here in north Wales.
"Trust is definitely shaken. Nobody expects to see one police officer punching a man several times whilst he is already on the floor, it's very serious.
"This kind of behaviour by one police officer can't be tolerated it's very difficult to justify."
Ms Jeffreys added that she, along with the local MP and MS, have written to the chief constable to determine the "facts of this situation".
Police and Crime Commissioner for north Wales, Andy Dunbobbin, described the footage as "concerning" and said he was taking it "very seriously".
"I discussed this incident with the chief constable this morning and she has confirmed the matter is rightly being investigated by North Wales Police," he said.
"I take such incidents very seriously and will work with the police and other bodies to understand the circumstances behind the footage," he added.
David Ford, director of the IOPC, said: "Footage on social media, capturing part of the interaction between police officers and the arrested man has, understandably, attracted significant interest and public concern.
"It is important that we thoroughly and independently investigate the whole incident, in order to establish whether the level of force used during the arrest was reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances."
A North Wales Police spokesperson said: "This matter is currently being fully investigated by North Wales Police and further updates will be issued in due course."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65550787
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TransPennine Express worst for train cancellations - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The troubled rail operator cancelled around one in six of its trains last month, the regulator says.
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Business
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Train operator TransPennine Express (TPE) cancelled around one in six of its services in the four weeks to the end of March, new figures show.
The regulator said the cancellation rate leapt from 5.8% to 17% when trains cancelled up to 10pm the night before due to staff shortages were included.
It was the highest in the country, but down on the 23.8% cancellation rate in the previous period to 4 March.
TPE says cancellations have come down after it put a recovery plan in place.
The Transport Secretary has insisted he has not yet decided whether to renew it.
The operator, which runs services across the North of England and into Scotland, has been criticised for months of poor performance.
It has struggled to deliver all its planned services, amid staff shortages it has blamed on staff sickness and a training backlog, and amid poor industrial relations.
The Labour Party, regional mayors and some MPs have said TPE's contract should be removed.
Rowan Burnett says he has seen no improvement in TPE services
Rowan Burnett, who travels on TPE's trains from his home in Marsden, West Yorkshire to work in Manchester, told the BBC in January that regular cancellations and delays were a source of daily stress.
This week, he said: "I would love to tell you a positive story or a turnaround in the last quarter, but no it hasn't improved.
"I still wake up every day, check my phone, see the swathe of red across my cancelled trains. Then I have to make the best of the commute one way and then hopefully back home."
Mr Burnett wants to use the train as it is more sustainable, but feels trust has been eroded because he is not confident he can be in the right place at the right time.
He said whichever company ran the service needed to be held accountable. "I personally can't carry on like this", he added.
On Wednesday, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the current level of service had been "unacceptable", and if he thought TPE was not capable of improving, "no option is off the table".
He told the Transport Select Committee he had to make a decision that was "legally defensible" by examining all of the evidence about the service and the "capacity of the company to improve those services".
In January, TPE's managing director admitted to the BBC services had not been good enough, and said the company had a recovery plan to do better.
For the third month in a row, figures from the Office of Road and Rail show TPE used pre-planned cancellations - also called P-coding advance cancellations - because of a lack of available staff more than any other operator in Britain.
However, it has cut its use of "P-coding" when not enough staff are available by nearly half.
A spokesperson for TransPennine Express said: "We introduced our recovery plan at the beginning of February to reduce cancellations and provide greater reliability and stability for our customers.
"As a direct result of this plan, we have seen a 40% reduction in cancellations, and continue to work to bring these numbers down in the coming weeks and months."
The overall rate of cancellations at train companies across Britain rose from 3.3% to 3.7% for the same period.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65346831
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New York City passes law barring weight discrimination - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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America's largest city joins a movement to make size a protected trait on par with race and gender.
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Business
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Supporters of New York City's weight discrimination bill rally in New York
New York City has passed a bill outlawing discrimination based on weight, joining a growing movement in the US to make size a protected trait on par with race and gender.
More than 40% of American adults are considered obese and studies show weight stigma is pervasive.
The bias can bring sharp costs, such as lower wages, especially for women.
City Councilman Shaun Abreu said weight discrimination was "a silent burden people have had to carry".
During public hearings, supporters cited difficulty navigating seating at restaurants and theatres, getting turned away by landlords, and butting up against weight limits on the city's bike sharing programme.
Councilman Abreu, who sponsored the bill, said he became more aware of the issue when he gained more than 40lb (18.1kg) during lockdown and saw a shift in how he was treated. He said the lack of protections had amplified the problems people face.
"They're being discriminated against with no recourse and society saying that's perfectly fine," he said.
The measure is expected to be signed into law by New York's mayor later this month. The effort received widespread support, passing 44-5, despite scepticism in some quarters.
New York City council's minority leader, Joseph Borelli, who is a Republican, told the New York Times he was worried the law would empower New Yorkers "to sue anyone and everything".
"I'm overweight but I'm not a victim. No-one should feel bad for me except my struggling shirt buttons," he said.
Michigan has barred workplace discrimination based on weight since 1976 and a handful of other cities, including San Francisco and Washington DC, have legislation on the books.
State-level bills have now been introduced in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey.
The efforts follow a dramatic increase in obesity rates over the past 20 years.
Tegan Lecheler, advocacy director for the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance, which worked with Councilman Abreu on the New York City bill, said she hoped the measure would "encourage a larger conversation of framing this beyond health".
"It's not a health issue. It's a civil rights issue," she said. "This is really about if people are safe and protected and have the right to be in spaces."
New York's human rights law already bars discrimination in housing, the workplace and public accommodation based on 27 characteristics, including age, marital status, disability and national origin.
The bill adds weight and height to that list, while including exceptions for jobs in which weight and height are a "bona fide occupational qualification" or where there is a public health and safety concern.
Councilman Abreu said he hoped the move by the largest city in the country would encourage other cities and states to follow suit.
"We want this bill to send a message to everybody that you matter, regardless of if you're above or below average weight," he said. "That's why we pushed this."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65562288
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Prince Harry: Mirror publisher often used unlawful information gathering, trial told - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Prince Harry's lawyer says activities were “authorised at the highest level” by Mirror group executives, editors and managers.
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UK
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First off, that the amount of evidence in this case is going to be mind-boggling. If someone can quickly point me in the direction of an AI legal document reader bot I'd be grateful (PR agencies: this is a joke).
Seriously, what we can see here is a two-pronged attack from Prince Harry's legal battalion. First off, they're wanting to prove that there was a pattern of hacking, illegal intrusion not just against him but many, many others - and that editors, lawyers and executives at the Mirror Group knew.
This will depend on key partially-documented incidents like the Prince Michael of Kent allegation (see our earlier posts) and also inviting the judge to draw inferences.
Secondly, the disclosure this afternoon of the 33 critical articles at the heart of his case reveals that he is prepared to argue with the newspaper group over stories that it insists were already in the public domain or obtainable by lawful means.
This means every single day is going to be a grinding legal battle - tiny details pored over and pulled apart. I don't expect a single one of Prince Harry's witnesses to be given an easy day in court. It is going to be gruelling.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-65548266
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Google reveals AI updates as it vies with Microsoft - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The internet search giant is rolling out generative artificial intelligence to its core engine.
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Technology
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Google has announced it is rolling out generative artificial intelligence (AI) to its core search engine.
The move comes after Microsoft incorporated GPT-4 into its Bing search engine earlier this year.
Search Generative Experience - which will be part of Google - will craft responses to open-ended queries, the company said.
However, the system will only be available to a limited number of users and is still in "experimental" phase.
"We are reimagining all of our core products, including search," said Sundar Pichai, the boss of Google's parent company Alphabet.
Additionally, the company announced a new feature on Google's Android system will proactively warn users about unknown AirTags, tiny devices developed to track personal items like keys and wallets.
The technology giant said the "unknown tracker alerts" would go live this summer.
The announcement came after Apple and Google said last week they were working together to address the problem.
Last year two women sued Apple over AirTag stalking.
Women who have been tracked using the devices told the BBC last year that not enough was being done to prevent misuse.
Google made the announcement at its annual developer conference, where leaders of the company touted their latest advancements in artificial intelligence and new hardware offerings, including a $1,799 (£1,425) phone that opens and closes like a book.
The company said it was removing the waitlist for "Bard", its experimental, conversational, chat service, which will be rolled out in English in 180 countries and territories.
It also said the chatbot would soon be able to respond to prompts with images as well as text.
Google has been under pressure to burnish its artificial intelligence offerings, after the runaway success of rival chatbot ChatGPT, which is funded by Microsoft.
A previous attempt to show off its credentials in the field, in February, ended in embarrassment, after it emerged that - in an advert intended to illustrate its capabilities - Bard had answered a question incorrectly.
The incident wiped $100bn (£82bn) off parent company Alphabet's share value - an indication of how keenly investors are watching how the tech giants' AI ventures play out.
Microsoft is deploying ChatGPT technology into its search engine Bing, after investing heavily in the company that developed it, OpenAI. Chinese tech giant Baidu also has a chatbot, called Ernie.
Chirag Dekate, analyst at Gartner, said Google remained an industry leader and was well poised to benefit in the interest in AI.
"Google has the tools to dominate the AI battles, the perennial question is - will they?" he said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65545864
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Eurovision semi-final: Australia break this year's rock 'curse' - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The five-piece band, whose singer is an immigration lawyer, are one of 10 acts going to the final.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Australia's Voyager have broken the rock group curse at this year's Eurovision Song Contest by qualifying for Saturday's grand final.
The five-piece, fronted by immigration lawyer Danny Estrin, sailed through the second semi-final alongside fellow rockers Joker Out, from Slovenia.
Their success comes two days after the first semi, where every guitar group was eliminated.
They included Ireland's Wild Youth, who extended the country's losing streak.
Ireland, who hold the record for the most Eurovision wins of all time, have now failed to qualify five times in a row.
Voyager's lead singer, Daniel Estrin is a partner at law firm Estrin Saul, who spends his days in court helping migrants sort out their visa issues, before taking to the stage at night.
"I think I might be the first lawyer to take part in Eurovision," he told Australian Broadcaster SBS. "Although I know San Marino sent a dentist a while ago."
This could be Australia's final chance to win - their contract with Eurovision runs out in 2023, and will need to be renegotiated before next year's contest.
Meanwhile, the song contest's organiser has confirmed it will not allow Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky to deliver a video message at the Eurovision final on Saturday.
There is expected to be a special tribute to Ukraine on the night with 11 artists performing including last year's winner Kalush Orchestra.
But the European Broadcasting Union said "strict rules" prevented it from allowing the Ukrainian leader to speak.
"One of the cornerstones of the contest is the non-political nature of the event," the EBU said.
"This principle prohibits the possibility of making political or similar statements as part of the contest."
The second semi wasn't as thrilling as Tuesday's first instalment, with a surfeit of piano ballads sapping the show of energy. A highlight reel reminding fans of the night's songs was essentially a three-minute supercut of women belting out high notes.
But every so often, the contest showed signs of life. Be-hatted Belgian star Gustaph lit up the stage with his infectious house anthem Because Of You; and Poland's Blanka brought some sunshine to a rainy Liverpool Thursday thanks to her breezy pop hit Solo, which is already a huge streaming hit.
Both acts made it through to the grand final, where they'll face stiff competition from Sweden's Loreen and Finland's Käärijä, who are favourites to win.
Of the 16 acts who performed on Thursday, the following 10 qualified:
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Most notable moments from Eurovision semi-final two (UK only)
Hosts Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina were also back on stage after making their presenting debut on Tuesday night.
They oversaw a conga line led by cartoon character Peppa Pig, and an exuberant half-time show by drag queens Miss Demeanour, Mercedes Benz and Tamara Thomas.
The contest itself opened with Danish-Faroese pop singer Reiley, whose wayward vocals set the tone for a night full of fluffed notes.
His 11 million TikTok followers weren't enough to help his sugary-sweet pop anthem Breaking My Heart qualify for the final.
Reiley's pastel-coloured staging was designed to appeal on TikTok
Armenia's Brunette was next up with Future Lover - a yearning ballad, about a lover she has yet to meet. Staged with dramatic lighting atop a perilously titled stage, her self-penned song also made the cut.
But it was bad news for Romania's Theodor Andrei, whose torrid tale of a toxic relationship (sample lyric: "Take off your clothes and step on me") proved too off-putting to pick up votes.
The other acts who went home were Iceland's Diljá, Georgia's Iru, San Marino's Piqued Jacks and Greece's Victor Vernicos who, at 16 years old, was this year's youngest contestant.
Albania's ode to family unity, Duje, got the seal of approval, as did Austria's Who The Hell Is Edgar - a slyly subversive anthem about the music industry's mistreatment of songwriters.
Teya and Salena were greeted by huge cheers, as the audience sang their hooky "Poe, poe, poe, poe, poe" chorus
There was a British connection for Lithuanian qualifier Monika Linkyte, whose backing singer is an Adele impersonator who works in an Essex supermarket.
And viewers got their first glimpse of the UK's actual entrant, Mae Muller, towards the end of the show.
The singer spoke briefly to host Alesha Dixon, before introducing a rehearsal clip of her entry, I Wrote A Song.
"I think it's safe to say on behalf of the whole UK that we're so excited to be hosting on behalf of Ukraine," she said, as fans lifted the country's blue and yellow flags around the Liverpool Arena.
"We love you guys," she added.
Viewers got their first glimpse of Mae Muller's colourful performance
The UK is one of five countries - alongside Spain, Italy, France and Germany - who qualify automatically for the final thanks to their financial contribution to the contest.
Ukraine, who won last year, also go straight to the final. Their act, Tvorchi, also introduced their song, Heart Of Steel, on Thursday night.
Liverpool is hosting the contest on behalf of the Eastern European country due to the ongoing Russian invasion.
Russia has been suspended from participating as a result, while this week's events have had a strong Ukrainian flavour.
Thursday's show featured a moving segment titled "'Music Unites Generations", where Mariya Yaremchuk, who represented Ukraine in Eurovision 2014, sang a medley of well-known Ukrainian songs.
She was joined on stage by rapper OTOY and 14-year-old Ukrainian Junior Eurovision representative Zlata Dziunka, illustrating how music can transcend generations and overcomes darkness.
Several former Ukrainian contestants will take part in Saturday's Grand Final, including former winners Kalush Orchestra (2022) and Jamala (2016).
Liverpool's rich music heritage will also be celebrated, with stars including Duncan Laurence, Cornelia Jakobs, Daði Freyr, Netta, and Sonia, performing songs from the host city.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65561578
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Elon Musk says he has appointed new Twitter boss - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The billionaire has been under pressure to name someone else to lead the company and focus on his other firms.
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Business
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Elon Musk says that he has found a new chief executive to lead Twitter.
He announced the news on the social media platform, which he bought last year for $44bn (£35bn).
Mr Musk did not name the site's new boss but said "she" would start in six weeks, and he would become executive chairman and chief technology officer.
Reports said the incoming leader would be Linda Yaccarino, head of advertising sales at media giant NBCUniversal, which later confirmed her departure.
Mr Musk has been under pressure to name someone else to lead the company and focus on his other businesses.
Last year, after Twitter users voted for him to step down in an online poll, he said: "No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive."
However, although Mr Musk had said he would hand over the reins, it was by no means clear when or even if it would happen.
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Tesla shares rose after the announcement. Mr Musk has previously been accused by shareholders of abandoning Tesla after his takeover of Twitter and damaging the car company's brand.
"We ultimately view this as a major step forward with Musk finally reading the room that has been around this Twitter nightmare," said Dan Ives from investment firm Wedbush Securities.
"Trying to balance Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX as CEOs [is] an impossible task that needed to change."
According to the Wall Street Journal and Variety, NBCUniversal's Ms Yaccarino was in talks to become Twitter's chief executive. The speculation surrounding Ms Yaccarino intensified on Friday when NBCUniversal announced she had left the firm.
Twitter did not comment on the reports.
It is sometimes difficult to know when the billionaire and owner of Twitter is being serious.
Last month, when the BBC asked Mr Musk who was going to succeed him as chief executive of the social media company, he said he had made a dog Twitter's leader.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Elon Musk says his 'dog is the CEO of Twitter'
But if Mr Musk has indeed appointed a female executive, it would make her one of the few women to reach the top of a major technology company.
Women accounted for fewer than 10% of chief executives of tech firms included in America's 500 biggest companies last year.
Although Mr Musk has talked about paid subscribers to Twitter Blue, it is advertising that brings in the vast majority of revenue at Twitter.
The new boss will no doubt seek to improve relationships with advertisers, and smooth their fears over content moderation.
Mr Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech absolutist, has said he took over Twitter to protect free speech. However, advertisers do not want their content next to misinformation or extremist content.
He purchased Twitter in October only after a lawsuit forced him to go through with the deal. Upon taking charge, Mr Musk controversially fired thousands of staff in a bid to cut costs at the firm, which has struggled to be profitable.
In March, Mr Musk said those efforts had paid off and the platform's finances were improving.
And last month he told the BBC that most of the advertisers that had abandoned Twitter immediately after the acquisition had returned.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65562289
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Renewable energy projects worth billions stuck on hold - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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Major UK renewable energy projects being delayed by more than 10 years as grid reaches capacity.
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Science & Environment
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Billions of pounds' worth of green energy projects are on hold because they cannot plug into the UK's electricity system, BBC research shows.
Some new solar and wind sites are waiting up to 10 to 15 years to be connected because of a lack of capacity in the system - known as the "grid".
National Grid, which manages the system, acknowledges the problem but says fundamental reform is needed.
The UK currently has a 2035 target for 100% of its electricity to be produced without carbon emissions.
Last year nearly half of the country's electricity was net-zero.
But meeting the target will require a big increase in the number of renewable projects across the country. It is estimated as much as five times more solar and four times as much wind is needed.
The government and private investors have spent £198bn on renewable power infrastructure since 2010. But now energy companies are warning that significant delays to connect their green energy projects to the system will threaten their ability to bring more green power online.
A new wind farm or solar site can only start supplying energy to people's homes once it has been plugged into the grid.
Energy companies like Octopus Energy, one of Europe's largest investors in renewable energy, say they have been told by National Grid that they need to wait up to 15 years for some connections - far beyond the government's 2035 target.
There are currently more than £200bn worth of projects sitting in the connections queue, the BBC has calculated.
Around 40% of them face a connection wait of at least a year, according to National Grid's own figures. That represents delayed investments worth tens of billions of pounds.
"We currently have one of the longest grid queues in Europe," according to Zoisa North-Bond, chief executive of Octopus Energy Generation.
The problem is so many new renewable projects are applying for connections, the grid cannot keep up.
The system was built when just a few fossil fuel power plants were requesting a connection each year, but now there are 1,100 projects in the queue.
Torbay Council has been hit by the delays. The diggers are already clearing the ground for a 6-hectare solar plant it is building in Torquay. It is due to be finished next year.
The council plans to use money raised from selling the energy to help fund local services, but it has been told the plant will not be connected for five years.
And even that date is not certain. "Worryingly, there are some indications that that could slip into the mid 2030s", said Alan Denby from Torbay Council. "That's a real problem for the council in that we declared that we wanted to be carbon neutral by 2030."
With projects unable to get connections, construction is either being paused or projects are being completed but are unable to produce any power.
Torbay Council's solar site was due to finish in a year but will not be connected until 2028 at the earliest
National Grid, which is responsible for moving electricity across England and Wales, says it is tightening up the criteria for projects to apply so only the really promising ones join the queue.
But a huge new investment is also required to restructure the grid so it can deal with more power sources, says Roisin Quinn, director of customer connections.
"Fundamental reform is needed," she told the BBC. "More infrastructure is needed. We are working very hard to design and build at a faster pace than we ever have done before."
Energy Networks Association represents the UK's network operators, such as DNOs, which connect people's homes to the main system owned by National Grid. It says that the government needs to speed up the planning process so electricity infrastructure can be built more quickly.
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "We have connected the second highest amount of renewable electricity in Europe since 2010 but we recognise the challenge of connection delays."
The government is due to announce a new action plan for speeding up connections later this year.
The energy regulator, Ofgem, which oversees the operators, said that all stakeholders were playing catch-up with the government's targets.
Rebecca Barnett, director of networks at Ofgem, said: "The targets have been increasing in the last two or three years dramatically and there is a long lead in investment time that is needed to commit, develop, and deliver these really big assets.
"I think that has caused a real problem; we definitely need to catch up. The incremental approach of the past is not fit for purpose."
Ofgem says it has agreed to allow the National Grid to raise an additional £20bn over the next 40 years from customer bills to pay for the huge upgrades the grid needs.
Customers have seen household prices soar over the last year following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and a run-on gas.
But Ms Barnett said this new investment will have a minimal impact on customers bills and will help shoulder the burden of some of the volatile energy prices.
"The future is for green, more secure and in fact cheaper energy. We know there is some investment cost needed to get us there, but in the long run it is going to be cheaper for us all," she said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65500339
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UK confirms supply of Storm Shadow long-range missiles in Ukraine - BBC News
| 2023-05-11T00:00:00
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The Storm Shadow cruise missile will give Ukraine new capabilities in its conflict with Russia.
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Europe
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The UK has confirmed it is supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles it requested for its fight against invading Russian forces.
The Storm Shadow cruise missile has a range of over 250km (155 miles), according to the manufacturer.
By contrast, the US-supplied Himars missiles used by Ukraine only have a range of around 80 km (50 miles).
The weapons will give Ukraine the "best chance" of defending itself, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.
They are fired from aircraft, so the longer range means Ukrainian pilots will be able to stay further from the frontlines.
Once launched, the Storm Shadow drops to low altitude to avoid detection by enemy radar, before latching onto its target with an infra-red seeker.
The announcement was made in the House of Commons by Mr Wallace. The decision follows repeated pleas from Ukraine for more weapons from the West.
Mr Wallace said the missiles would "allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based on Ukrainian sovereign territory".
He said the UK took the decision after Russia "continued down a dark path" of targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Mr Wallace wrote to his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in December, he said, to warn that further attacks could result in the UK donating more capable weapons.
He said the missiles were "going into" or already in Ukrainian hands, and described the move as "calibrated and proportionate to Russia's escalations".
"None of this would have been necessary had Russia not invaded," he said.
He said the missiles would be compatible with Ukraine's existing, Soviet-era planes and praised the technicians and scientists who made that possible.
But he warned the range of the British-supplied Storm Shadows was "not in the same league" as Russia's own missile systems - with some of Moscow's weapons being able to travel far further.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov insisted longer-range missiles would not be used to attack targets within Russia itself.
"If we could strike at a distance of up to 300 kilometres, the Russian army wouldn't be able to provide defence and will have to lose," he told an EU meeting.
"Ukraine is ready to provide any guarantees that your weapons will not be involved in attacks on the Russian territory."
The UK's Royal Air Force arms its Eurofighter Typhoon jets with Storm Shadow missiles
In February, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was prepared to send long-range missiles to Ukraine, and the British government opened a bidding process for their procurement.
"Together we must help Ukraine to shield its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones," Mr Sunak said then. "That's why the United Kingdom will be the first country to give Ukraine longer-range weapons."
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would take an "appropriate" military response to any British-supplied Storm Shadow weapons used by Ukrainian forces.
The Storm Shadow missile has been operated by both British and French air forces and has been used previously in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya.
The British-supplied missiles can only be fired by aircraft, but French missiles can be fired from ships and submarines.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says his army needs more equipment ahead of counter-offensive
• None Zelensky: We must wait before starting offensive
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65558070
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Coronation photo shows King Charles with Prince William and Prince George - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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Official photo shows the King with his elder son and grandson, who are next in line to the throne.
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UK
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The King and his son and grandson were pictured on Coronation day in Buckingham Palace
The latest official Coronation photograph released by Buckingham Palace sends a strong message about the monarchy's next generations.
King Charles III is shown with his son Prince William and grandson Prince George, bringing together the King with those next in the line of succession.
The picture, taken in the palace Throne Room, is part of a set of official photographs taken by Hugo Burnand.
The King is seen wearing the Imperial State Crown and coronation robes.
In these formal portraits, he is pictured carrying the regalia from the Coronation - an orb and sceptre - while sitting in a throne made for the Coronation of Edward VII.
It is an image full of lavish symbolism and regal colours of gold, red and purple.
A second newly released photograph shows King Charles and Queen Camilla with their pages of honour and ladies in attendance.
It shows some of the members of the Queen's family who had roles in last Saturday's Coronation, including her sister Annabel Elliot, her grandsons Freddy Parker Bowles and Gus and Louis Lopes, as well as her great-nephew Arthur Elliot.
In a modern development, the Prince and Princess of Wales have released a YouTube video giving some candid shots of their preparations for the Coronation.
The short clip includes shots of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as they get ready to leave home for their grandfather's big day.
The photo of the Royal Family includes the Queen's sister and grandsons
The first set of official Coronation photos showed the King and Queen, but also focused on the "working royals", highlighting those who will be at the centre of royal duties during the King's reign.
There are expected to be more official photographs released as part of a Cabinet Office initiative to provide public buildings with a photographic portrait of the King.
Anti-monarchy campaigners have complained about the budget of £8m for the project, calling it a "shameful waste", with no details released so far of how the funds might be spent.
Read the latest from our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan - sign up here.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65575553
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Phillip Schofield says Holly Willoughby is his rock after reports of fallout - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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The presenter issues a statement following reports his relationship with Holly Willoughby has cooled.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Media reports have suggested Willoughby and Schofield's relationship has cooled in recent weeks
Phillip Schofield has described co-star Holly Willoughby as his "rock" following reports the pair's relationship has come under strain.
The atmosphere between the two This Morning hosts is said to have recently become frosty behind the scenes.
In a statement, Schofield admitted: "The last few weeks haven't been easy for either of us."
But, he added, Willoughby had still been "an incredible support" to him throughout a difficult period.
Schofield recently returned to the ITV daytime show after taking pre-planned leave around his younger brother's sex abuse trial at Exeter Crown Court.
In April, Timothy Schofield was convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child.
Separately, Willoughby has also recently taken time off presenting This Morning due to illness.
The Sun previously reported a "cooling" of the pair's friendship in recent weeks.
But in a subsequent statement, Schofield told the paper: "As I have said before, Holly is my rock. We're the best of friends - as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone.
The pair also present ITV's Dancing On Ice together
"Holly has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And I've been there for her.
"The last few weeks haven't been easy for either of us."
He continued: "My family went through a real ordeal, and Holly's support throughout meant the world to me - as did the support of my bosses at ITV, my editor Martin Frizell and the whole This Morning family, including our amazing viewers.
"And of course Holly has herself been ill with shingles.
"Whatever happens, we still have each other to count on."
Schofield has been a regular presenter on This Morning since 2002, and Willoughby since 2009. The pair also present ITV's Dancing On Ice together.
Last year, they faced criticism after their press visit to the Queen's lying in state was interpreted by many as skipping the 20-hour queue outside.
In October, following the controversy, Schofield thanked viewers after This Morning took home the daytime prize at the National Television Awards, saying: "This means so much to us every year, especially this year."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65569337
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Year 6 Sats: Children 'distraught' after reading paper - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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A head teachers' union says even staff struggled to understand parts of a Year 6 reading paper.
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Family & Education
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Parents and teachers of Year 6 pupils say a Sats reading paper was so difficult it left children in tears.
One mother told the BBC that her child, who loves reading, was unable to finish the paper.
A head teachers' union said even staff had struggled to understand the questions, and it would be raising concerns about the paper.
The Department for Education (DfE) said it worked to ensure that "all tests are appropriate".
Some parents said on social media that their children were "distraught" after the paper, which is part of a series of national curriculum tests known as Sats.
A head teacher in Cheshire wrote to her MP calling for Sats to be scrapped after her primary school pupils were left "broken".
Jill Russell, from Cumbria, said her daughter, Pashley, was "very close to tears" when she picked her up from school on Wednesday.
Pashley, who is autistic, loves reading and is the subject ambassador for English in her school. She had been worried about Sats, but reading was "the one she was least concerned about".
Pashley (l) is a keen reader, says her mum Jill (r)
"She usually ends up having a lot of extra time left over, and she said 'I don't think I got to the end of the paper.... I didn't understand a lot of it. It didn't make sense'," Ms Russell said.
"It's definitely made her more anxious about going back in today [Thursday]."
Ms Russell thinks it is "good, in a way, to have some kind of tests" before GCSEs and thinks Pashley's school is "fantastic", but feels that schools in general are under too much pressure to perform well in Sats.
"It kind of feels like they're being taught how to pass the test, as opposed to being taught, and then the test is an addition," she said.
The government has advised that the content of the test paper should not be published until all Year 6 pupils have had the chance to take it.
Sarah Hannafin, head of policy for the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said the union was "very concerned" about the paper.
"Members have told us that the choice of texts was not accessible for the wide range of experiences and backgrounds children have and the difficulty was beyond previous tests, leaving children upset and with even staff struggling to understand the questions," she said.
She said the NAHT would raise the concerns with Standards and Testing Agency, which delivers assessments, and Ofqual, England's exams regulator.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said the Sats this week had been "a punishing experience for many pupils and staff".
She said that children who do not meet expected standards in results this year "will take this demotivating label with them into their secondary schools".
"This is not a system that is concerned about children and their learning. There are better ways of assessing pupils," she said.
A DfE spokesman said Key Stage 2 assessments "play a vital role in understanding pupils' progress and identifying those who may have fallen behind".
"Our test development process is extremely rigorous and includes reviews by a large number of education and inclusion experts and professionals, including teachers, and we trial tests with hundreds of pupils over several years to ensure that all tests are appropriate," he said.
"It's important that schools encourage pupils to do their best, but preparing for these exams should not be at the expense of their wellbeing."
Last year, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected levels in reading, writing and maths - down from 65% in 2019.
The national curriculum tests were cancelled in 2020 and 2021.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-65563170
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YouTuber Trevor Jacob admits to crashing plane for views - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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Trevor Jacob will plead guilty to obstructing an investigation by destroying the wreckage.
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US & Canada
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Trevor Jacob bailed out of a solo flight over the Los Padres mountains in California in 2021
A YouTuber who intentionally crashed an aeroplane for views will plead guilty to obstructing a federal investigation by cleaning up the site of the crash, US prosecutors say.
Trevor Jacob, 29, posted the video of the plane crash to YouTube in December 2021, implying it was an accident. It has over 2.9 million views to date.
In a plea agreement, he said he filmed the video as part of a product sponsorship deal.
He could face up to 20 years in prison.
The 29-year-old pilot and skydiver has agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, the US justice department said in a statement on Thursday.
In November 2021, Mr Jacob left a Santa Barbara, California airport on a solo flight with cameras mounted on his plane. Along with the cameras, Mr Jacob took a parachute with him, as well as a selfie stick.
He "did not intend to reach his destination, but instead planned to eject from his aircraft during the flight and video himself parachuting to the ground and his airplane as it descended and crashed", the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said.
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The plane crashed into the Los Padres National Forest 35 minutes after takeoff. He hiked to the site and recovered the footage.
Some YouTube viewers were sceptical of the crash, noting that Mr Jacob was already wearing a parachute and made no attempt to land the plane safely.
He reported the crash to the National Transportation Safety Board, who said he was responsible for preserving the wreckage. According to the plea agreement, Mr Jacob later claimed he did not know the location of the site.
He did, and returned by helicopter and secured and removed the wreckage, which he later destroyed, the statement says.
Mr Jacob is expected to make his initial court appearance in the coming weeks.
His pilot's licence was revoked last year.
Mr Jacob's lawyer has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.
Mr Jacob leaving the plane before the crash
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65567519
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Coronation: Royal fan held for 13 hours after being mistaken for protester - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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Alice Chambers was handcuffed on the Mall when police officers mistook her for a Just Stop Oil protester.
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UK
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A royal fan who was mistaken for a protester and detained by police at the Coronation has spoken about her ordeal.
Alice Chambers was handcuffed and held for 13 hours when officers arrested Just Stop Oil protesters she happened to be standing near to on the Mall.
The architect told BBC Newsnight she was handcuffed, fingerprinted and questioned in a police station.
The police say they are reviewing the incident and trying to establish the full details of what happened.
The 36-year-old - who first told her story to the i newspaper - said she spent hours in handcuffs in the back of a police van despite repeated attempts to explain the situation to officers.
"I was just sitting there waiting for the Coronation to begin. Next I realised the police had swooped in and handcuffed a whole heap of people," Ms Chambers said.
"I tried to say anything I could to say I wasn't part of that group [of protesters] but nothing could be said that made a difference.
"I gave them my contact details. I showed them my ID and nothing seemed to be able to be said that made a difference really."
Describing how officers eventually questioned her after half a day in custody, Ms Chambers said: "They asked me, 'What were you doing on the Mall?' I explained everything and they looked at each other in shock."
"It's just been so shocking, and very emotional. It's not something you ever expect, to find yourself in a jail cell for a period of time," she added.
"Really you would think that this should never happen. Clearly there are processes that need to be put in place, or that weren't followed.
"No-one should endure an extended period under arrest, just because they're an innocent bystander."
Ms Chambers, who is originally from Australia but lives in London, was released without any further action and missed the Coronation celebrations in their entirety.
She accused the Met Police of "finger pointing" after it responded by saying the officer who arrested her had been drafted into London from Lincolnshire Police.
Ms Chambers said the Met "ultimately took over" from the arresting officer and detained her. She has lodged a formal complaint.
A Met spokesperson said: "The arresting officer was from Lincolnshire Police and the complaint has therefore been passed to the relevant force to investigate.
"The Met will assist by providing any relevant information they require."
Chief Inspector Simon Outen from the professional standards department at Lincolnshire Police, said: "We have now received a complaint and we are reviewing the incident, and we are in contact with the complainant to establish the full details of her allegations."
Policing around the Coronation has come under scrutiny after the Met expressed regret over the arrest of the head of anti-monarchy group Republic and five other protesters on the morning of the ceremony, despite them having co-ordinated a legal protest with the force.
In total, 64 people were arrested in London during the Coronation policing operation.
Police said 52 of these related to concerns people were going to disrupt the event. Four people have so far been charged.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65567316
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Train strikes: RMT industrial action coincides with Eurovision final - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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RMT union members from 14 rail companies are walking out on Saturday in a long-running pay row.
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Business
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RMT general secretary Mick Lynch (third from right) joins members of his union on Saturday outside Euston station
Rail passengers have faced travel disruption on the day of the Eurovision Song Contest final as RMT union members strike again in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the strikes were "cynically targeting" the final, taking place in Liverpool on Saturday night.
But the RMT denies planning strikes to coincide with the event in Liverpool.
It said Saturday was chosen for a strike as it was the last date allowed under employment laws.
There will be no further strike action until 31 May.
Train companies warned passengers should be prepared for disruption on the days immediately after the strikes.
Train drivers who are part of a different union, Aslef, went on strike on Friday, with some parts of England having no trains all day. It also denies planning strikes to impact Eurovision.
Merseyrail, which operates trains around Liverpool, said it was unaffected by Saturday's strikes and would run late night services.
Most train companies travelling to and from Liverpool had a limited service as a result of the strike action, according to National Rail.
Speaking at a picket line outside London Euston station, Mr Lynch said was the last Saturday of the union's six-month mandate in which it could strike.
He then told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "We've not targeted Wembley or Liverpool or any of the activities that people get up to" - a reference to both Eurovision and to the football National League play-off final at Wembley on Saturday afternoon.
He said the union "wouldn't target a cup final", but did not rule out considering strikes taking place on 3 June, when the men's FA Cup final and Scottish Cup final will be held.
Future strike dates could be announced as early as next week, he said, adding that the union was available to meet with the government and employers at any time to try to agree a deal.
He has written to the transport secretary calling for an special summit between ministers, train companies and unions to end chaos on the railways.
In a statement, the Department for Transport said RMT members should be allowed to vote on the latest pay offer.
"Since coming into office, ministers have met with the RMT leadership four times and helped facilitate three fair pay offers from employers," it said.
"It's now time for unions to give their members democratic say on their future."
The following rail operators will be impacted:
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents 14 train companies, said rail users should plan ahead and check services before travel. It warned that with fewer services running there would be "wide variations".
Rebecca Dane-Alderman was planning to travel from Milton Keynes to Worthing to watch the Eurovision final with her best friend - a tradition they have shared every year, except for during the coronavirus pandemic.
She said most of Friday was spent trying to find alternative routes, but they were unsuccessful, so instead will watch it in separate locations over a video call.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "Most of yesterday I was quite sad and I felt quite devastated by it all.
"I know there are bigger problems in the world, but it was just something that, like I said is a tradition to us, and we were really looking forward to doing."
The RDG offered rail workers a backdated pay rise of 5% for 2022, with a second year's pay rise was dependent on reforms being negotiated.
Mr Harper has called on the RMT to allow its members to have a vote on the offer that the RDG has put forward.
But Mr Lynch said the RDG had "torpedoed" the talks aimed at ending the long-running dispute because agreement would have prohibited further industrial action.
He told BBC One's Breakfast: "We haven't got enough people, and our members, and Aslef members, are having to work extended shifts, extra days, six and seven days out of the week, when they're sick and tired of it."
Responding in a statement, the RDG said the RMT had "time and time again... blocked the deal negotiated line by line by its top team from going out to its membership for a vote".
It said in a statement it was "time the union leadership and executive finally agreed on what they want from these negotiations".
Meanwhile, train drivers with Aslef have rejected a two-year offer which would see members receive a backdated pay rise of 4% for 2022 and a 4% increase this year.
However, there has been some resolution between the rail industry and the unions. A revised offer from Network Rail, which owns and operates the UK's railway infrastructure, was accepted by RMT members on 20 March, ending that separate dispute.
Aslef drivers will strike again on 31 May and 3 June, affecting services across on the day of the FA Cup final in England and the Scottish Cup final.
How are you affected by the latest round of rail strikes? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65574063
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The Christie: World-renowned NHS centre downgraded by watchdog - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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A former nurse at The Christie alleges trust bosses intimidated staff to stop them voicing concerns.
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Manchester
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A world-renowned cancer centre hit by whistleblowing concerns over alleged bullying has been downgraded by the health watchdog.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) told The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester it "requires improvement" in safety and leadership.
A former trust nurse told the BBC leaders had intimidated staff to stop them voicing concerns to inspectors.
The trust said it was working hard to ensure staff felt supported.
Rebecca Wight worked at The Christie - Europe's largest cancer centre - from 2014 but quit her role as an advanced nurse practitioner in December, claiming her whistleblowing attempts had been ignored.
She told BBC Newsnight the trust had attempted to manipulate the inspection by intimidating those who wished to paint an honest picture.
"The well-led inspection was basically run by The Christie," she said.
"The CQC requested a few forums with clinical staff. Those forums were infiltrated by leaders.
"The forum I went to was attended by senior leaders in the executive team."
Ms Wight said it was done "to intimidate staff to not speak up or maybe not speak openly about leadership".
Ms Wight said she and others wrote to the CQC to warn inspectors they were only getting a carefully controlled and inaccurate picture.
As a result, an off-site session was arranged by the CQC, she said, "for people to come anonymously and speak to them".
Roger Kline, an NHS workforce and culture expert from Middlesex University Business School, told BBC Newsnight there was a culture at The Christie which was "unwelcoming of people raising concerns".
He said: "The trust response is more likely... to see the person raising the concerns as the problem rather than the issues they have raised," adding this was "not good for patient care".
Following the downgrading of the trust's rating, Mr Kline said leaders should now consider their positions, adding: "I think for a trust like The Christie, a small specialist trust, any form of downgrading is a significant problem."
Roger Kline said there was "poor governance" at The Christie
The Christie had been rated as "outstanding" in its previous two CQC inspections.
Downgrading the trust's rating to "good" following its latest inspection, the CQC criticised The Christie's workplace culture, highlighting that staff did not always feel listened to.
It followed an NHS England review in February 2022 which found the trust had been "defensive and dismissive" when staff raised concerns about bullying and a £20m research project.
The CQC said while there was some "outstanding practice" at The Christie - and praised its commitment to research and innovation to improve cancer patients' outcomes - a number of improvements were required, notably in safety and leadership.
The report said: "Very senior executives were heavily invested in the promotion and protection of the trust's reputation.
"This impacted negatively on some staff; staff did not always feel supported and valued.
"A minority of staff expressed reservations about raising concerns and others did not always feel listened to."
The CQC's Northern operations director Ann Ford said: "Although the trust had made some changes to improve the culture, more work needs to be done to address the issues we identified."
She thanked staff who came forward to give feedback, adding: "I know speaking up in these circumstances isn't easy but it's important it happens."
Ms Ford praised medical care at the trust, saying "staff treated people with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity and met people's individual needs".
They also provided emotional support to people, families and carers, she added.
"However, they didn't always carry out risk assessments in a timely manner which potentially put people at risk of harm."
Ms Ford praised The Christie's "research and innovation to improve outcomes for people with cancer and the trust and everyone involved should be proud of that important work".
BBC Newsnight put the claims about how the inspection process was handled to The Christie but it declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the CQC.
Trust chief executive Roger Spencer said: "We are pleased the CQC has rated us 'good' despite the difficulties the NHS has faced over the past few years.
"Demand for cancer services has continued to rise, resulting in us treating more patients than ever before.
"We are working hard to make the improvements that have been highlighted by the CQC, ensuring that all our staff feel supported and valued and I thank all of them for continuing to put patients at the centre of everything we do."
BBC Newsnight understands Mr Spencer wrote to staff on Thursday ahead of the CQC report's publication, pointing out that inspectors had advised the trust to continue its plan "to ensure that our staff feel supported and valued and are able to speak up to raise concerns".
Have you been affected by the issues in this story? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-65562080
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Eurovision: Everything you need to know - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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A beginner's guide to the Eurovision Song Contest: how it works, memorable moments, Eurovision heroes and what to watch out for.
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A rule requires all the songs to be non-political and yet…
The international attention that comes with an event the size of Eurovision can lead to controversy.
Ukraine has not been alone in recent years in selecting songs which could be seen as aimed at Russia. When the contest was held in Moscow in 2009, Georgia withdrew from the competition after Eurovision organisers asked for changes to some of their lyrics.
Their song was called We Don’t Wanna Put In, but the chorus sounded an awful lot like "We don’t want no Putin". (Russian forces had invaded Georgia the previous year.)
In 2013, at the end of her performance, Finland’s Krista Siegfrids revealed her song Marry Me was a proposal to another woman by kissing her female backing singer. Not particularly controversial for much of Europe, but perhaps too much for Turkey, which quit Eurovision complaining about some of the competition rules, and for China which edited Siegfrids out of its broadcast.
Eurovision’s first openly transgender singer became a Eurovision icon in 1998, winning with the dance-pop anthem Diva. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups in Israel were less than happy about the choice and she received death threats ahead of her performance.
Italy may be the only country to have banned one of its own songs when Gigliola Cinquetti performed Si (meaning "Yes") in 1974.
After selecting the song, the national broadcaster RAI became worried it might be seen as a message to vote "Yes" in upcoming referendum on banning divorce and decided not to show the performace. The song finished second, the Italian public voted "No" and divorce remained legal.
Finally, there is the rumour that, after winning two years in a row, Ireland deliberately picked acts it hoped would lose in the mid-90s.
Some fans believe that Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan were chosen in 1994 because their gentle, acoustic song-writing was unfashionable and Ireland would avoid the cost of hosting for a third time. If that was the reason, it backfired spectacularly because they won - and Ireland remains the only country to win Eurovision three times in a row.
At the start of the grand final, all the finalists walk on to stage accompanied by their national flag. During this year’s parade, listen out for a unique UK-Ukraine flavour as some much-loved former Ukrainian contestants sing their Eurovision entries woven in with British classics.
Watch all of Eurovision on BBC and BBC iPlayer.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-ddba0616-2130-4650-a122-904c7bd798f2
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Train strikes: Rail drivers walk out ahead of Eurovision final - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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The train drivers' union leader insists Eurovision events in Liverpool were not targeted by strikes.
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Business
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A strike by train drivers caused disruption for rail passengers on Friday and services are set to be affected across the weekend.
Members of the Aslef train drivers' union walked out from 16 companies, with some running no services at all.
On Saturday - the day of the Eurovision final in Liverpool - the RMT union is taking separate strike action, which will affect 14 rail operators.
As well as Friday's walkout, Aslef is also striking on Wednesday 31 May and Saturday 3 June - the day of the FA Cup final.
Aslef insisted that Friday's strike was not scheduled to affect travel to the Eurovision final.
But both Aslef and the RMT have been accused by Transport Secretary Mark Harper of targeting the contest.
Train companies said the action was "likely to result in little or no services across large areas of the network", with services also disrupted on the days immediately after the strikes.
Passengers need to plan ahead and check services before travel, they said.
The first that Monika, a 26-year-old librarian from Whitstable, knew about the strikes was when she turned up at the railway station on Friday morning.
She told the BBC she had a flight booked from Stansted to Warsaw for an important family gathering, but when she tried to get a taxi to the airport, they were all busy.
She then travelled to Canterbury, thinking it would be easier to get a cab, but by the time she got there she had missed her flight.
Monika booked another flight from Heathrow, but then had to get a taxi there. All in, with cab fares and plane tickets, Monika paid out nearly £600 - wiping out most of her savings and forcing her to borrow from her parents.
"It is a lot for me," she said. "I work in a library so I'm on a low income."
Monika said she felt "really frustrated" by the situation. But she added that she feels sympathy for the striking train workers and is "100% behind" them.
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan told the BBC that if the union had deliberately targeted the Eurovision final, it would have taken action on the "Friday, Saturday and the Sunday" instead.
Mr Whelan added: "We don't want to hurt anybody, but there is no good day for a strike. If you pick any one day in any given week you'll hit some event."
However, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train firms, insisted that the action was timed to hit Eurovision and would "disrupt the plans of thousands of fans".
The Department for Transport said it was "hard to believe" Aslef would be "unaware of the huge impact" on Eurovision of its action.
Fans have been gathering for events at the Eurovision Village in Liverpool throughout this week
Mr Whelan was asked whether Aslef would be able to find a "middle ground" with the government, but he said talks were not ongoing.
"I haven't seen the government since January... they take no ownership," he told the BBC. "They don't talk to us, only the [rail] companies."
Rail Minister Huw Merriman insisted Aslef had been offered a "fair and reasonable" pay deal.
"We had a good positive meeting... and it was agreed with Mick Whelan and the Rail Delivery Group that they'd go off and have further talks," he said.
He added that a pay offer was put to Aslef but had not been "put through" to members to vote on, which he was "disappointed" with.
Asked why the government was not doing more to end the disputes, Mr Merriman argued that being a train driver is a "well-paid job" and said it would be "even more so if this pay offer was put forward to members and accepted".
"At the moment a train driver is paid on average, for a 35-hour week, just short of £60,000," he told the BBC. "The latest offer would take them up to £65,000."
But Mr Whelan told the BBC it was a "malicious lie" that the offer was fair and reasonable "because the strings attached to it rip up every condition we've gained over the last 140 years".
He said the offer was less than inflation "so in effect it's a 20% pay cut for giving all our terms and conditions", and negotiations had been "scuppered" by union "red lines" being put back into the deal.
Eurovision fan Harry Cunningham said the strikes were a "huge disappointment"
Harry Cunningham, 23, who lives in London, had been planning to get the train on Friday to Liverpool and stay the night for the Eurovision Village grand final on Saturday.
When the strikes were announced, he and his friend looked into other transport options but any alternative would have been three times longer than the train.
He said it was "crushing" and "heartbreaking" that they wouldn't be able to go.
"It's a huge disappointment... this is something we've been planning and prepping for since September."
There have already been six strike days in Aslef's long-running pay dispute.
The industry and the government say the railway's finances are unsustainable, so ways of working have to change and efficiencies be made, in return for wages going up.
Unions point out the pay rises on the table are way below inflation, and argue their members' jobs and working conditions are being attacked.
Last month, Aslef rejected the latest proposals from the group representing train companies.
Separately, RMT members who work as maintenance workers and signallers at Network Rail voted to accept a deal in March, ending that dispute.
But the parallel dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions with 14 train companies goes on.
The RMT's committee has rejected the train companies' latest offer, including a 5% pay rise one year and 4% the next.
Are your travel plans affected by the industrial action? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65552029
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Cardiff crash: Girl killed by car on zebra crossing - inquest - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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Keely Morgan died as she walked home after spending the day with her family, an inquest hears.
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Wales
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Keely Morgan's parents said their daughter was "sensible, kind and not one person ever had a bad word to say about her"
A teenager was hit and killed by a car on a zebra crossing as she made her way home, an inquest opening has heard.
Keely Morgan, 15, spent Bank Holiday Monday with her family at the seaside in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, and went for a walk after they got home.
She was hit as she crossed Heol Trelai in Caerau, Cardiff, at about 21:30 BST on 1 May and died at the scene.
A post-mortem examination concluded that she died as a result of "multiple blunt force injuries".
Coroner Graeme Hughes said he had reason to suspect the death was "unnatural or violent"and that an inquest was needed.
A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
The hearing was adjourned while police continue their investigations into what happened ahead of another hearing in four months.
In a tribute released previously, Keely's parents said she had a "beautiful smile" that lit up the room, while her teachers described her as an "exceptional student" who loved school.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65571505
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Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson to step down - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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Simon Thompson was under pressure after a long industrial dispute and accusations he had misled MPs.
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Business
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Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson is to step down from his role, the owner of the postal giant has said.
Mr Thompson said he believed it was the "right time" to go after Royal Mail and the main postal union struck a deal that could end a long-running dispute.
He has had a difficult two years in charge of the firm.
Mr Thompson had come under pressure after he was accused of misleading MPs when he denied Royal Mail tracked workers' productivity.
He will remain in post until the end of October, and the board is in "advanced stages" of appointing a new chief executive, it said.
There were reports that Mr Thompson had become "increasingly disillusioned" during strike action by members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU).
It is believed leaders of Royal Mail's parent company, International Distributions Services, also wanted fresh leadership at the firm after the dispute over pay and conditions.
Last month, union bosses recommended that workers accept the new deal which would end the bitter dispute. Union members will be balloted later this month.
The company had said that more industrial action, which had already cost it £200m, could lead to Royal Mail going bust.
Royal Mail will be soon be appointing its third boss in five years.
Mr Thompson's predecessor, Rico Back, was ousted after he promised to transform the service but ended up at loggerheads with unions as well as being criticised for commuting from his home in Switzerland.
Given all the structural challenges the business faces, it feels like the job has become mission impossible.
But Simon Thompson also didn't do himself any favours with his performance in front of MPs, and his handling of a pay dispute became increasingly confrontational as industrial action wore on.
Whoever the new chief executive is, they will have to improve the Royal Mail's relationship with its workforce, and push through some big changes to modernise the business and make it more efficient.
Striking workers had called for Mr Thompson to go
The CWU, which had called for Mr Thompson to go, said on Friday that he was "one of the key individuals responsible for the financial crisis that Royal Mail Group has created over the course of the last year".
It called for "further change in Royal Mail Group's leadership team", saying Mr Thompson "was only one of the senior leadership team responsible for the unacceptable actions and behaviours of managers across the UK throughout this dispute".
Mr Thompson's position within the company was weakened after he was recalled by MPs to give evidence to an inquiry in January.
This followed "hundreds" of complaints about the accuracy of an earlier testimony, in which he denied that the firm tracked workers' productivity through their handheld computers.
MPs also questioned his denial that Royal Mail prioritised parcels over letters.
At the beginning of the year, Royal Mail was also hit by a ransomware attack linked to Russian criminals which disrupted overseas mail.
It took more than a month for international mail services to resume.
In the statement announcing his departure, Mr Thompson said he had been "incredibly proud to lead Royal Mail during this crucial period".
He said the firm "now has a chance to compete and grow" after changes to the business and the agreement with the union.
"It is now the right time to hand over to a new chief executive," he said.
Board chairman Keith Williams said Mr Thompson had made a "significant contribution" to the firm.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65572229
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Portuguese parliament votes to allow limited euthanasia - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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Doctors can now help people suffering from incurable diseases or severe injuries to end their lives.
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Europe
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Portugal's parliament has voted to allow medically assisted dying in certain limited circumstances.
Medical professionals will be allowed to help people die if they are in extreme suffering as a result of an incurable disease or severe injury and they are unable to end their own lives.
The vote overturned a series of vetoes exercised by the country's conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Deputies overwhelmingly voted in favour of the law.
Almost all members of the governing Socialist Party (PS) backed the legislation, as did three smaller left-of-centre parties and the Liberal Initiative (IL). Several members of the largest opposition party, the centre-right Social Democrats (PSD), also supported the bill.
Isabel Moreira, the Socialist Party politician who steered the bill through parliament, hailed the vote as a realisation of freedoms aspired to in Portugal's 1974 Revolution, which ushered in democracy.
Overturning a presidential veto, she said, was "something normal" in a democratic state - not least after a public debate on the subject that has lasted for over three years.
Most PSD members voted against the bill, as did the far-right Chega party, the third largest in parliament, and the Communist Party (PCP).
The Chega leader André Ventura, who like the PSD leadership had demanded a referendum on the subject of euthanasia, told parliament during the debate that he did not believe that the law would ever come into force.
Even if it does, he argued, "there will not be a single doctor in Portugal" prepared to act on its provisions, and any future right-leaning parliament would move to repeal it.
President de Sousa - who in vetoing the bill in April acknowledged that he saw no legal anomalies in it, unlike previous versions that he sent to the Constitutional Court - is obliged to sign it into law within eight days of receiving it, once it is published in the official gazette.
But the reform can be derailed in the meantime, or at least delayed, if one in 10 members of parliament formally ask the Constitutional Court to review the legislation.
Several PSD members of parliament have already declared their intention to do so.
Euthanasia is fully legal in three European countries: Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. But assisted death and passive euthanasia - of various types - are legal in many more European countries.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65574311
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Astronomers detect largest cosmic explosion ever seen - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Astronomers have discovered what they believe to be the largest explosion ever detected.
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Science & Environment
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Astronomers have discovered what they believe to be the largest explosion ever detected.
The explosion is more than 10 times brighter than any recorded exploding star - known as a supernova.
So far it has lasted more than three years, much longer than most supernovae which are usually only visibly bright for a few months.
One theory is that the blast was caused when a vast cloud of gas was swallowed up by a black hole.
A flash in the sky was first automatically detected and recorded in 2020 by the Zwicky Transient Facility in California. But it wasn't until a year later that it was picked up by astronomers combing through the data.
They called the event AT2021lwx. At the time they thought it was unremarkable because there was no indication of how far away it was and therefore it wasn't possible to calculate its brightness.
Last year a team led by Dr Philip Wiseman from the University of Southampton analysed the light from the event which enabled them to calculate its distance - 8bn light years away. Dr Wiseman described the moment the worked out the brightness of the phenomenon.
"We thought 'oh my God, this is outrageous!'".
One of the brightest events in the Universe is an exploding star, known as a supernova. The new object is ten times brighter
The team were completely baffled as to what could have caused something so bright. There was nothing in the scientific literature that could account for something that was so bright that lasted so long, according to Dr Wiseman.
"Most supernovae and tidal disruption events only last for a couple of months before fading away. For something to be bright for two plus years was immediately very unusual."
His theory is that the explosion is a result of an enormous cloud of gas, possibly thousands of times larger than our Sun, swallowed up by a supermassive black hole.
This would send shockwaves across space and leave superheated remnants of the cloud surrounding the black hole like a giant ring doughnut.
All galaxies are thought to have giant black holes at their heart. Dr Wiseman believes that such powerful explosions could play an important role in what he describes as "sculpting" the centre of galaxies.
"It could be that these events, although extremely rare, are so energetic that they are key processes to how the centres of galaxies change over time".
The search is now on for more huge explosions like this, according to Dr Robert Massey who is the Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society.
"We've never seen anything like this before and certainly not on this scale," he told BBC News.
"I'd be amazed if this is the only object like this in the Universe".
Dr Wiseman hopes to detect more events like this with new telescope systems coming online in the next few years.
The team are now setting out to collect more data on the explosion - observing the object in different wavelengths, including X-rays, which could reveal the object's temperature and what processes might be taking place at the surface. They will also carry out upgraded computational simulations to test if these match their theory of what caused the explosion.
An artist's impression of the event - a giant gas cloud sucked into a supermassive black hole
Last year, astronomers detected the brightest explosion on record, a gamma-ray burst known as GRB 221009A, which lasted just over ten hours. Although this was brighter than AT2021lwx, it lasted for just a fraction of the time, meaning the explosive power of the AT2021lwx explosion was far greater.
The details have been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society .
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65571309
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Porthmadog: Police officer suspended after punching video - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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North Wales Police says it has suspended an officer who was filmed seemingly punching a suspect.
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Wales
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. North Wales Police said the incident is being "fully investigated"
A police officer who was filmed seemingly punching a man nine times while restraining him has been suspended by North Wales Police.
The incident occurred during the arrest of a man, 34, in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, north-west Wales, on Wednesday.
In the footage, a male officer was seen with his arm around the man's neck and appeared to punch him in the face.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had launched an independent investigation.
North Wales Police said on Thursday the matter was being "fully investigated".
The man who was being arrested has been released on bail, the force said.
The video appeared to show the suspect being taken to the ground by a male and female officer after a brief altercation.
Separate footage showed the man being led to a police vehicle with a swollen and bruised face.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65576683
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Mike Lynch: Autonomy founder extradited to US in criminal case - BBC News
| 2023-05-12T00:00:00
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Mike Lynch is accused of overinflating the value of his firm Autonomy when he sold it to Hewlett-Packard.
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Business
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British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been extradited to the US to face criminal charges over the $11bn sale of his firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard.
Mr Lynch - once dubbed "Britain's Bill Gates" after the Microsoft co-founder - will stand trial on charges including fraud, which he denies.
He is accused of overinflating the value of his software firm when he sold it to HP in 2011.
The Home Office confirmed that Mr Lynch was extradited to the US on Thursday.
The 57-year-old businessman, who is a founding investor in the UK cyber-security firm Darktrace, has long fought attempts by US prosecutors to stand trial in America.
According to US court documents, Mr Lynch has been ordered to pay bail of $100m with authorities claiming he is a "serious risk of flight" following his years of fighting extradition.
He will be confined to an address in San Francisco, guarded by private security which he must pay for himself.
Mr Lynch's net worth is estimated to be between £988m and £1.1bn.
A court filing said: "After lengthy extradition proceedings in the United Kingdom, Defendant Michael Richard Lynch has finally landed on our shores to stand trial, accompanied by the United States Marshals Service."
Last month, Mr Lynch lost an appeal in the High Court arguing that he should instead be tried in the UK.
The Home Office said: "On 21 April, the High Court refused Dr Lynch's permission to appeal his extradition. As a result, the normal 28-day statutory deadline for surrender to the US applies."
As a result, he was sent to California on Thursday where the trial will take place.
At the time of the sale in 2011, Autonomy was the UK's biggest software company and it was the largest-ever takeover of a British technology business.
HP was primarily known as a technology hardware company and buying Autonomy was aimed at diversifying its business.
However, just a year later, HP wrote down the value of Autonomy by $8.8bn and claimed it had been duped into overpaying for the company.
HP, Mr Lynch and Autonomy's former chief financial officer Sushovan Hussain have been mired in litigation ever since.
Hussain was jailed for five years and fined millions of dollars in 2019 on 16 counts of fraud, securities fraud and other charges.
The company was founded in 1996 by Mr Lynch out of a specialist software research group called Cambridge Neurodynamics.
Autonomy developed software that could extract useful information from "unstructured" sources such as phone-calls, emails or video.
The software could then do things such as suggest answers to a call-centre operator or monitor TV channels for words or subjects.
It gained a listing on the US Nasdaq exchange in May 2000 at the height of the technology boom and was listed in London six months later.
The company suffered when the technology bubble burst, dropping out of the FTSE 100 and having to issue a profit warning in 2001.
But it grew rapidly and opened joint head offices in Cambridge and San Francisco, with other offices worldwide, to serve 65,000 customer companies.
Autonomy was sold to Hewlett-Packard for $11.1bn in 2011. Mr Lynch left the company in 2012.
Last year, HP won a civil fraud case against Mr Lynch and Hussain. The "unusually complex" trial lasted 93 days and involved millions of documents.
At the heart of the case, according to Mr Justice Hildyard, was HP's claim that "they were fundamentally misled and are victims of fraud".
Mr Lynch and Hussain's defence was that HP's claim was "'manufactured' to cover and justify a change of corporate mind, and to cast them as scapegoats for what in reality is buyer's remorse coupled with management failings".
In the end, Mr Justice Hildyard found the "claimants have substantially succeeded in their claims in this proceeding".
The BBC has contacted Mr Lynch's investment firm Invoke Capital for comment.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65568967
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