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President Donald Trump's address from the White House on Wednesday evening was - despite some speculation beforehand - largely a rehash of what he has been saying for days about the Iran war.

In a 20-minute primetime speech, he said the "core strategic objectives" of the US-Israeli military operation were "nearing completion" after a month of war and projected it would last another two to three weeks.

There were the usual threats against Iran, too, including a repeated pledge to bomb the country "back to the stone age".

If you were to copy and paste his posts on Truth Social over the last week or so, you would not be far off this address to the nation.

The president did attempt to persuade Americans of the merits of this war. There is good reason for that, as polls suggest a consistent majority of voters disapprove of the military operation he launched on 28 February.

Trump urged Americans to see this war as an "investment" in their future, and suggested it was nothing compared to other conflicts over the past century or more in which the US has ended up being involved for far longer.

But there was little here for those hoping for clear answers on where this war is heading or potential exit ramps for the US. There were glaring omissions which leave a plethora of questions unanswered.

Firstly, Israel is still attacking Iran and taking incoming drone and missile attacks – including earlier on Wednesday in Tel Aviv just hours before the beginning of Passover.

A key question is whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government agrees with the timetable of a few more weeks that was provided by Trump. We simply do not know at this point in time.

Secondly, what happened to the 15-point peace plan the White House was urging Iran to accept just days ago? There was no mention of it by Trump on Wednesday night. Is Washington now ditching many of those demands, including the retrieval of its stockpile of enriched uranium?

That, too, is unclear.

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels which has been effectively closed off by Iran, is a central issue in this conflict.

The president, however, does not appear to have a settled view on it.

One moment he is demanding Iran allow tankers through, and the next he is telling allies to go and sort it out for themselves. "Go to the strait and just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves," he said on Wednesday. "The hard part is done, so it should be easy."

He then simply said, without expanding further, that the strait would reopen "naturally" when the war was over. That is unlikely to reassure those concerned about oil prices.

Trump's pointed criticism of some allies - he said at one point that they should "build up some delayed courage" and lead an operation to reopen the strait - came after he floated the idea of pulling out of the Nato military alliance in an interview earlier on Wednesday.

But that rhetoric was completely absent from this speech, despite briefings suggesting it would be a key part of his words tonight.

Another key unanswered question relates to ground troops. What are the thousands of marines and paratroopers actually going to be doing in the region as they continue to arrive?

The truth is that after this national address, we are really none the wiser about what the president sees as victory in this war.

And given the often conflicting nature of his statements from one day to the next, everything could change at any time.

Meanwhile, the average price of gas in the US has topped $4 for the first time in nearly four years and the president's approval ratings are cratering, just months before the crucial midterm elections which will determine control of Congress.

This is a US president looking for a way out of this war – and he is still casting about to find one.

Man dies in storm as Saharan dust shrouds Crete

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c070d9g5k7jo, today

A man has died near Athens as a storm hits parts of Greece with gale-force winds and flooding, while a Saharan dust storm enveloped the island of Crete.

The man was found under a car in the Nea Makri rural area early on Thursday, according to the fire department.

Storm Erminio has flooded streets, closed some schools and moored ferries. Meanwhile, some flights were disrupted on Crete on Wednesday after dust from an African storm filled the air, turning the sky red-orange.

The weather is expected to be bad on Thursday in most areas of the country "with long-lasting and intense rains and storms and possibly with local hail", according to the national meteorological service.

A red warning is in place in Crete, mainly in the west and south, from midday until late at night on Thursday.

The fire department received 674 calls for assistance from Wednesday through the early hours of Thursday. The majority were in the Attica region that encompasses Athens, with most calls for fallen trees.

High winds have kept ferries moored in ports, with Greek media reporting some departures may resume on Thursday, weather permitting.

Streets as well as the basement of the local police station in Nea Makri were flooded. A bridge was knocked down on the island of Poros and vehicles have reportedly been swept away. Some schools have also been closed.

Brazil changes laws allowing separated couples joint custody over pets

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8jzn180x2o, today

Separating couples in Brazil will be able to share custody of their pets after the country's congress passed new laws.

Lawmakers in the Brazilian Congress on Tuesday viewed the law change as a reflection on the importance people place on their pets.

Under the new laws, if a couple separates without reaching an agreement regarding their pet, "a judge will determine the shared custody arrangement and the equitable distribution of the animal's maintenance expenses between the parties".

Currently, the country of 213 million people has about 160 million pets, according to the Instituto Pet Brasil.

For the law to apply to separating couples, the animal must have spent the majority of its life with the pair.

Shared custody will not be granted in cases of prior criminal records or a history or risk of domestic violence.

Members of the congress said there had been an increase in pet custody disputes in courts, while noting the law responds to "changes that have occurred in Brazilian society in recent decades," according to a statement accompanying the law.

The statement added that couples with fewer children tend to have closer relationships with their animals, "often considered true family members".

Currently in the UK, dogs are legally seen as inanimate objects akin to cars, houses or other personal items, meaning custody cases come down to determining who the sole owner is.

In 2014, France changed its law so pets were considered "living and feeling beings" rather than "moveable goods". That change meant couples would be able to fight for shared custody in divorce cases.

Australia currently has no legislation on how the courts should navigate living arrangements for pets after a breakup.

The most recent example of a pet being given joint custody was in Spain in 2021. A judge granted joint custody of a dog to a separated couple who went to court to determine who the pet should live with.

The Madrid court considered that both parties were "jointly responsible" and "co-caretakers" of Panda the dog.

A year on: Four ways Trump's tariffs have changed the global economy

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79j1rd92ypo, today

When US President Donald Trump launched his trade war last April, he promised a new era for America - vowing to restore manufacturing, raise money for the government and open up new markets.

One year later, tariff rates in the US stand at the highest level in decades, with the average effective rate at roughly 10% up from about 2.5% at the start of last year.

Here are four ways they have changed global trade.

1. US-China break-up accelerates

Trump delivered a global shock last April on so-called Liberation Day when he unveiled a minimum 10% tariff on many foreign goods - targeting items from some countries, such as China, with far higher duties.

As China hit back with tariffs of its own, the tit-for-tat exchange sent tariff rates spiralling into the triple digits and for a few weeks brought trade between the two giants to a screeching halt.

Those tensions eventually calmed. At the end of 2025, Chinese goods faced tariffs, or border taxes, that were 20% higher than at the start of the year.

But trade between the two countries still took a major hit.

The value of US imports from China plunged roughly 30% last year. Shipments from the US to China saw a similar drop, down more than 25%.

By the end of last year, Chinese goods represented less than 10% of America's overall imports - comparable to levels last seen in 2000 and down from more than 20% in 2016, the year Trump was first elected.

Increased US imports from Vietnam and Mexico, where Chinese firms have boosted their investments, suggest business ties between the two countries have not completely unwound.

But the numbers indicate that the decoupling that started during Trump's first term has finally arrived, says Davin Chor, professor and globalisation chair at Dartmouth University's Tuck School of Business.

When it comes to direct shipments, "it has been very dramatic and it has been very decisive," he said.

Chor said the big shift that happened last year suggested that companies had acted on plans that were already under way for some time. Even if Trump does not end up resurrecting his most aggressive levies, that suggests the break will linger, he added.

"I don't think you should expect things to go back to business as usual," he said.

2. Trade partners look elsewhere

Trump's changes to the US tariff regime were more far-reaching than just his Liberation Day announcement. He also raised levies on specific items such as steel, lumber and cars and ended rules that had allowed shipments worth less than $800 to enter the country, among other measures.

Despite the new taxes, US imports ended up increasing more than 4% last year - more slowly than in 2024 but hardly evidence of a plunge into isolationism.

Still, the measures pushed many firms in other countries to look beyond the US for buyers, as political leaders raced to shore up non-US trade relationships.

That was the case even for a country like the UK, which faced a relatively limited 10% tariff on its goods.

Though the US remained the top destination for British goods in 2025, America's share of exports sank, while countries such as Germany, France and Poland gained ground.

"Some people might be surprised - global trade as a whole...has held up quite well," says economics professor Jun Du of Alston University. But she adds, "there's a lot of re-wiring."

The US successfully convinced some countries to agree to trade changes intended to increase opportunities for US businesses, like farmers, to sell abroad.

But Trump's push has also alienated allies, spurring changes at odds with US interests - even in cases like Canada, where Trump ultimately exempted the vast majority of goods from tariffs, citing a North America free trade pact.

Canada recently agreed to slash its tariffs on thousands of Chinese-made electric vehicles from 100% to roughly 6.1%. It marked a sharp turn away from the US to China, and a particularly unwelcome one for American car firms, which have long dominated the Canadian market.

What is driving alarm "is not as much the level of tariffs as it is the unilateralism," says Petros Mavroidis, a professor at Columbia Law School.

3. Tensions with allies build

Tensions from the tariffs have spilled over into non-trade areas.

Canadian travel to the US plunged by 20% last year, costing the US economy more than $4bn, according to estimates by the US Travel Association.

The tariffs have also complicated US efforts to rally support for issues big and small, whether that's the war in Iran or the extension of a 28-year ban on tariffs on electronic transactions such as streaming, Mavroidis said.

"How can you ask for co-operative behaviour when you screw them on trade?" he says. "You lose your soft power, which was the biggest advantage to the US. All of this is gone now and how do you build it back?"

While direct trade retaliation against the US has remained limited, there is no guarantee that pattern will hold, says economist Michael Pearce of Oxford Economics. He noted that Trump's stance has encouraged other countries to explore their own more protectionist policies.

"That's the significant risk - that over time we do start to see that retaliation in other ways," he says. "That's how damage from the trade war can spread."

4. Prices rise in the US

The tariffs Trump threatened on Liberation Day and that sparked such alarm were ultimately watered down, after the president exempted many goods and struck deals with countries that granted lower rates.

The big promises he made then have not materialised either.

Manufacturing spent much of last year in contraction, while foreign investment into the US also fell, despite pledges by some firms, such as drugmakers, to boost their spending, according to Tax Foundation analysis of government data.

Then in February, the US Supreme Court struck down the Liberation Day duties altogether, even calling into question the surge in tariff revenue the government took in last year. The US is now on the hook to return more than half the $260bn it had collected.

The White House has said it will take time for its policies to pay off, pointing to promises by firms and countries of big investments.

But for now the primary fallout from the tariffs in the US has been business strains and higher prices for consumers.

About 55% of the new charges were passed on to consumers last year, Goldman Sachs estimated in October.

That helped push up the US inflation rate last year by about half a percentage point to roughly 3%, compared to what it would have been without tariffs, Pearce said.

With affordability top of mind for many voters, the issue has complicated Republicans' pitch ahead of of mid-term elections in November.

But though tariffs weighed on consumer spending and business activity, the economy still grew 2.1%, with unemployment in December standing at 4.4%.

"It's created a lot of noise, but I think it's difficult to say that it's had very significant negative macroeconomic impacts," Pearce says.

The White House vowed after the Supreme Court ruling to resurrect its policies with other laws. How hard Trump will push in the run-up to the elections remains to be seen.

"I don't think we'll ever get back to Liberation Day levels," says Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation.

Utah teen identified as victim of serial killer Ted Bundy

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0lendp6390o, today

Officials in Utah have formally closed a 51-year-old cold case after using new DNA technology to identify a murdered teenager as a victim of serial killer Ted Bundy.

Laura Ann Aime, 17, disappeared after leaving a party on Halloween in 1974. Her body was discovered about one month later by hikers in the American Fork Canyon.

On Wednesday, the Utah County Sheriff's Office announced that new testing "confirmed irrefutably that DNA evidence recovered from Laura's body verified the existence of DNA belonging to Bundy".

Between February 1974 and February 1978 Bundy murdered at least 30 women. He has also he's been linked to many more killings throughout the country.

Before he was executed in Florida in 1989, Bundy had confessed to Aime's killing, but since he would not elaborate or give any detail to his actual involvement in her death, "the Sheriff's Department elected to keep this case open until investigators could prove, without a shadow of doubt", that he was her killer, the sheriff said in a statement.

"This case is now officially closed," Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith declared during a news conference, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

The sheriff added that if Bundy were still alive, prosecutors would pursue the death penalty against him.

Bundy is among America's most famous serial killers, and began his spree by attacking victims throughout the Pacific Northwest of the US. He later killed victims in Colorado, Utah, and Florida.

At time of Aime's death, he was living in Salt Lake City and studying law at the University of Utah.

The sheriff's statement said that Aime is remembered as an "outgoing free spirit who enjoyed outdoor activities and shared a passion for riding horses, hunting, and caring for her several siblings".

Bundy was known to often approach women in public places, gain their trust with his charm or a fake injury, and then lure them to secluded areas and kill them.

He was first arrested in 1975 for kidnapping a woman and sentenced to 15 years in jail.

But in 1977 he escaped by jumping out of a prison library window.

He was recaptured for eight days and then escaped again - when he continued to kill until finally being caught in 1978.

US lifts sanctions on Venezuelan interim leader Delcy Rodríguez

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cje4l9de0d1o, today

The United States has lifted sanctions on Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.

The move comes less than three months after US forces seized the country's previous leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife in a military raid in Caracas and took them to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Rodríguez, a close ally of Maduro who served as his vice-president, had been placed on the sanctions list in 2018, with the US accusing her of undermining democracy.

She was sworn in as interim president by Venezuela's National Assembly, which is dominated by Maduro loyalists, days after the US raid and has been described by Trump as "a terrific person".

Rodríguez welcomed her removal from the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List.

Those named on the list have their assets in the United States blocked and US nationals are barred from doing business from them.

In a post on X, Rodríguez called it "a significant step in the right direction to normalise and strengthen relations between our countries".

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the move showed the progress that had been made "between our two countries to promote stability, support economic recovery, and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela".

"As President Trump has said, Delcy Rodríguez is doing a great job and is working with the United States very well," Kelly added.

Opposition activists in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, however, were critical of the move, arguing that the US should exert pressure on Rodríguez to release all political prisoners still held in the country's jails.

The release of political prisoners had been one of the key demands US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had made of Rodríguez in the wake of Maduro's removal.

And while the National Assembly has passed an amnesty law and hundreds of detainees have been freed, prisoners' rights group Foro Penal says that almost 500 political prisoners remain behind bars.

The lifting of sanctions is the latest sign of warming relations between the Trump administration and Rodríguez's team.

Earlier this week, the US officially reopened its embassy in Caracas, seven years after closing it.

A Venezuelan diplomatic team has also been dispatched to the US to reopen its embassy in Washington.

In the months since Maduro's removal from office, several high-level US delegations have travelled to Venezuela to discuss how the US can expand its access to Venezuela's oil and mineral wealth.

Critics of Rodríguez however have bemoaned the fact that there has been little talk of democratic elections.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has been living in exile since leaving Venezuela to collect the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded in December, met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday.

Despite having been sidelined by Trump in favour of Rodríguez, Machado struck an optimistic note, calling the meeting "excellent" and praising the secretary of state's "dedication to democracy, freedom and Venezuelans' well-being".

Speaking to Fox News after the meeting, Rubio insisted that the US was making progress in Venezuela.

Pointing to the three-prong plan he said the US was pursuing, he assured viewers that Venezuela had moved into the second phase: that of recovery.

"Ultimately, there will have to be a transition phase. There will have to be free and fair elections in Venezuela, and that point has to come," he said.

"It's not forever, but we have to be patient, but we also can't be complacent," he said without giving an indication as to when elections could be held in Venezuela.

Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits off Indonesia, killing one

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn53krrrr24o, today

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck in the Molucca Sea off Indonesia's Ternate island early Thursday, killing at least one person.

The quake, which struck at 06:48 local time (22:48 GMT) at a depth of 35km, sparked tsunami warnings which have since been withdrawn.

A 70-year-old woman in North Sulawesi died after being crushed by building debris, and another person broke their leg after jumping off a building, Indonesia's national news agency Antara reported.

While the region experiences high levels of seismic activity, some residents told the BBC this was one of the strongest earthquakes they have felt in at least the past six years.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that tsunami waves less than 0.3m (1 ft) "were possible" along the coasts of Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Taiwan. The tsunami alert was lifted after two hours.

Journalist Isvara Safitri, who lives in central Manado, recalled how furniture in her room shook for several seconds.

"It was really strong... My head even felt dizzy," Safitri told BBC Indonesian.

Even the roads outside the house were shaking, she said, adding that the earthquake "feels like the strongest" she's experienced over the past six years.

Yayuk Oktiani, who lives in Bitung, a city on the north-eastern coast of Sulawesi, said she often experiences tremors, "but they're never as strong as this one".

Oktiani was at the market when "everything started shaking". Several stores experienced power outages and as the tremors got stronger, people fled, she told the BBC.

She headed straight for her child's school, which is located "very close" to the sea.

"The situation there was chaotic... The teachers immediately told parents to bring their children home, even though they had only just arrived," she told the BBC.

In Ternate, resident Budi Nurgianto said the walls in his house vibrated for what felt like more than a minute. He rushed outside, into a scene of panic.

"There were many people outside... I even saw some people leaving their house without having finished their shower," he told AFP news agency.

Manado and Bitung are located on the island of Sulawesi, while Ternate is a volcanic island in the North Maluku province.

The epicentre of the quake was roughly midway between Manado and Ternate.

At least two aftershocks, with magnitudes 5.5 and 5.2, followed the major quake, with authorities warning of more to come.

The national geological agency reported "damage to buildings and injuries" about an hour after the initial tremor, but did not provide further detail.

Footage from a search and rescue team in Manado shows residents and officials walking through the rubble at a sports complex, with some shouting "oh my God".

Large pieces of furniture were flung onto the ground, with some metallic structures bent out of shape.

A patient at Siloam Hospital in Manado recalled the frantic efforts to evacuate staff and patients.

"We were sitting there drinking tea... [Initially we] didn't realise it was an earthquake. And then we heard a child scream, 'Come down, hurry up,' " said Admini, 69.

Nurses and doctors quickly set up makeshift treatment areas, out in the open and inside vehicles.

"Everyone was huddled together outside," Admini said. "Some were in wheelchairs, others were helping each other."

Additional reporting by Heyder Affan in Jakarta

Elon Musk's SpaceX moves to become a publicly-traded company

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2k35lg92dpo, today

Elon Musk's SpaceX is poised to become one of the most valuable publicly-traded companies in the world.

The company, which manufactures rockets, space exploration technology and Starlink satellites, is currently privately held. But on Wednesday it made a confidential filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an initial public offering, which would allow its shares to be traded in the stock market.

The value of SpaceX once it goes public is expected to surpass $1tn (£751bn). That would make its eventual stock market debut one of the most financially significant in history.

Musk's own holding in SpaceX would put him on track to become the world's first trillionaire.

The BBC has contacted SpaceX for comment.

The company is aiming to officially go public sometime in June, according to reports in Bloomberg, Reuters, and The New York Times.

A confidential IPO filing with the SEC allows a company to avoid immediately revealing information to the public while it requests feedback from the regulator. The next step will be for company executives to hold "roadshows" - meetings with big investors to convince them to buy shares.

By making shares of SpaceX available for purchase by the public, the company is looking to raise $50bn or more, according to the reports.

Earlier this year, SpaceX took over xAI, Musk's Artificial Intelligence venture. After that all-stock merger, SpaceX is believed to have become the most valuable private company in the world, with an internal valuation of $1.25trln.

Recently, Musk's various companies have been becoming increasingly intertwined.

Last year, xAI, best known for its chatbot Grok, took over X, the social media platform previously called Twitter that Musk bought in 2022.

This degree of consolidation was a clear sign to investors that SpaceX was preparing to go public.

Emily Zheng, a senior analyst at Pitchbook, earlier told the BBC that by bringing xAI under SpaceX, Musk could show potential investors that he was consolidating costs and able to easily share resources between his companies.

With its large-scale ambitions, SpaceX is in need of a massive cash infusion that going public can provide, Zheng added. The company is racing to keep up with the "sheer cost of compute, infrastructure, and energy" needed to expand, she said.

Earlier this year, Tesla, Musk's electric vehicle company, revealed it had invested more than $2bn in xAI.

The billionaire said a significant share of Tesla's manufacturing would begin to shift toward building robots, which would make use of xAI technology like Grok.

Grok is already included in some Teslas as an AI assistant.

SpaceX would also partner with Tesla and xAI in the massive chipmaking endeavour Musk announced last month, which he is calling Terafab.

"Tesla, xAI and SpaceX have all done amazing things that people did not think could be done before," Musk said in a March presentation discussing Terafab.

Musk started SpaceX in 2002 with the aim of reducing the cost of launching crafts into space, mainly by making rockets that could be launched more than once. It first contracted with NASA in 2006.

Today, most of SpaceX's work continues to revolve around rockets and the operation of Starlink, a fleet of satellites offering internet connectivity across the globe.

But Musk often discusses grander ambitions for the company, including putting data centers needed for AI in space and building a self-sufficient city on Mars, which many experts have said could be impossible to realise.

Palantir UK boss says it's up to militaries to decide how AI targeting is used in war

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrm52g4pl2o, today

Tech giant Palantir has pushed back against concerns that military use of its AI platforms could lead to unforeseen risks, in an exclusive interview with the BBC, insisting that the way the technology is used is the responsibility of its military customers.

It comes as experts have expressed concern over the use of Palantir's AI-powered defence platform - Maven Smart System - during wartime and its reported use in US attacks on Iran.

Analysts have warned that the military's use of the platform, which helps personnel plan attacks, leaves little time for "meaningful verification" of its output and could lead to incorrect targets being hit.

But the company's UK and Europe head, Louis Mosley, told the BBC in a wide-ranging interview that while AI platforms like Maven have been "instrumental" to the US management of the Iran war, responsibility for how their output is used must always remain "with the military organisation".

"There's always a human in the loop, so there is always a human that makes the ultimate decision. That's the current set-up."

The Maven Smart System was launched by the Pentagon in 2017 and is designed to speed up military targeting decisions by bringing together masses of data, including a range of intelligence, satellite and drone images.

The system analyses this data and can then provide recommendations for targeting. It can also suggest the level of force to use based on the availability of personnel and military hardware, such as aircraft.

But scrutiny has grown over the use of such tools in warfare. In February, the Pentagon announced that it would be phasing out Anthropic's Claude AI system - which helps to power Maven - after the company refused to allow use of its AI in autonomous weapons and surveillance. Palantir says alternatives can replace it.

Since the war with Iran began in February, the US has reportedly used Maven to plan strikes across the country.

Pushed by the BBC on the risk that Maven might suggest incorrect targets - which could include civilians - Mosley insisted that the platform is only meant to serve as a guide to speed up the decision-making process for military personnel and that it should not be seen as an automated targeting system.

"You could think of it as a support tool," Mosley said. "It's allowing them to synthesise vast amounts of information that previously they would have had to do manually one by one."

However, Mosley deferred to individual militaries when challenged by the BBC on the risk of time-pressured commanders ordering their officers to take Maven's output as being rubber-stamped.

"That's really a question for our military customers. They're the ones that decide the policy framework that determines who gets to make what decision," he said. "That's not our role."

Since 28 February, the US has launched more than 11,000 strikes against Iran, many reportedly identified by Maven.

Adm Brad Cooper, head of the US military in the Middle East, has hailed AI systems for helping officers "sift through vast amounts of data in seconds, so our leaders can cut through the noise and make smarter decisions faster than the enemy can react".

But some worry AI's involvement in mission planning creates significant risks.

"This prioritisation of speed and scale and the use of force then leaves very little time for meaningful verification of targets to make sure that they don't include civilian targets accidentally," Prof Elke Schwarz of Queen Mary University of London said.

"If there's a risk of killing and you co-opt a lot of your critical thinking to software that will take care of these things for you, then you just become reliant on the software," she added. "It's a race to the bottom."

In recent weeks, Pentagon officials have faced questions as to whether AI tools such as Maven were used to identify targets in the deadly strike on a school in the Iranian town of Minab. Iranian officials said the strike killed 168 people, including around 110 children, on the opening day of the war.

In Congress, a number of senior Democrats have called for increased scrutiny of AI platforms like Maven. Rep Sara Jacobs - a member of the House Armed Services Committee - called for clearly enforced rules and regulations about how and when AI systems are used.

"AI tools aren't 100% reliable — they can fail in subtle ways and yet operators continue to over-trust them," she told NBC News last month.

"We have a responsibility to enforce strict guardrails on the military's use of AI and guarantee a human is in the loop in every decision to use lethal force, because the cost of getting it wrong could be devastating for civilians and the service members carrying out these missions."

But Mosley pushed back against suggestions that the speed of his company's platform is rushing decision making at the Pentagon and potentially creating dangerous situations. He instead argued that the speed at which commanders are now taking action is a "consequence of the increased efficiency" that Maven has enabled.

Citing "operational security", the Pentagon declined to comment when approached by the BBC on how AI systems like Maven will be used in future or who would be held responsible should something go wrong.

But officials in the US appear to be moving forward with plans to further integrate Maven into its systems.

Last week, the Reuters news agency reported that the Pentagon had designated Maven as "an official program of record" - establishing it as a technology to be integrated long-term across the US military.

In a letter obtained by Reuters, deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg said the platform would provide commanders "with the latest tools necessary to detect, deter, and dominate our adversaries in all domains".

Additional reporting by Jemimah Herd

Australia to crack down on gambling ads after years of criticism

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62492e925lo, today

The Australian government has announced long-awaited gambling advertising reforms, after years of public pressure.

The suite of measures will further limit when and where gambling ads can appear, as well as who can star in them - but they stopped short of a full ban, which had cross-party support and the backing of a range of community groups.

Restrictions have been fiercely opposed by powerful gambling agencies, as well as media firms and sports organisations who feared a steep revenue hit.

Australians lose more money to gambling, per capita, than anywhere else in the world.

A number of countries - like Italy, Belgium and Spain - have introduced total or near-total bans on gambling advertising, and a parliamentary inquiry weighing up reform in Australia recommended similar more than 1000 days ago.

In a speech to the National Press Club on Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was "getting the balance right".

"Letting adults have a punt if they want to, but making sure our children don't see betting ads everywhere they look."

Under the reforms, from January 1:

* TV ads from betting agencies will be capped at three per hour, between 6am and 8:30pm, and banned completely from any live sports broadcasts during those hours

* Gambling ads will be banned from radio during school pick-up and drop-off times

* Celebrities and sports players will not be permitted to appear in gambling advertising

* Gambling ads on online platforms will be banned, unless people have a logged in account, are over 18 and have the option to opt-out

* Gambling ads will be outlawed in sports venues and on players' and officials' uniforms

The government will also crack down on illegal, offshore gaming sites, and ban more types of online gambling - like Keno and apps and websites modelled on poker machines.

The measures have already prompted backlash.

In a statement, Responsible Wagering Australia - the peak body for betting agencies - said the new measures are "draconian" and set a "dangerous precedent".

"Today it's gambling advertising, tomorrow it's alcohol, then it's sugary drinks, fast food, critical minerals and who knows what else comes next," chief executive Kai Cantwell said.

He accused the government of blindsiding a sector that supports 30,000 jobs and "provides critical funding to sport, racing and broadcast industries".

"This announcement, with no heads up and no genuine consultation, is a real kick in the guts," he said.

"We acknowledge advertising levels were too high in the past but we've listened and we've acted."

The Alliance for Gambling Reform, on the other hand, believes the proposed changes don't go far enough.

"Imagine three cigarette ads per hour," Reverend Tim Costello said.

"Australian children deserve to grow up in a country that puts their wellbeing before corporate profits."

Calling the changes "piece-meal", Costello said they will not stop children being exposed to gambling ads, reiterating calls for a full ban on the web and broadcast platforms, and the establishment of a national industry regulator.

Oil jumps and shares fall after Trump Iran address

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8lzd4v7zdo, today

Oil prices rose and shares fell after US President Donald Trump delivered a primetime televised speech about the Iran war on Wednesday.

During the address from the White House, Trump said his core "objectives are nearing completion".

He also called on countries that need oil from the Middle East to take the lead to keep the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route open, arguing the US doesn't need energy from the region.

The strait is crucial to the global economy as around 20% of the world's energy usually passes through the narrow shipping lane. It has been effectively shut since the conflict started as Iran retaliated to US and Israeli strikes by threatening to attack ships using the waterway.

The price of benchmark Brent crude was trading at about $100 (£75.50) a barrel before the president started speaking.

After the address Brent jumped by 4.8% to $106.02, while West Texas Intermediate oil rose 4% to about $104.

The gains are a "clear market reality check following the earlier optimism for an imminent ceasefire" said Alberto Bellorin from InterCapital Energy.

Trump's speech lacked a "concrete timeline" for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while a return to normal now looks "months away rather than weeks," he added.

In urging other nations to step in, Trump has removed hopes that disruptions to global energy supplies will be resolved swiftly, Bellorin said.

Trump has signalled that the war is likely to continue, prompting investors to expect that oil supplies will remain tight, said Tina Soliman-Hunter from Macquarie University.

Major stock indexes in Asia fell after the address, reversing earlier gains.

The Nikkei 225 in Japan was down by 1.9%, South Korea's Kospi fell by 3.5% and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong was 1% lower.

The region's stock markets have been volatile since the Iran war started at the end of February.

Asia is particularly vulnerable to the impact of the conflict as it is heavily reliant on the Middle East for its energy supplies.

Meanwhile, US stock futures were also down - pointing to a lower open for Wall Street on Thursday morning.

Dow Jones and S&P 500 futures were around 1% lower, while Nasdaq futures were down by about 1.4%.

Stock market futures are contracts that allow investors to buy or sell a stock index at a set price on a future date.

They function as a bet on which direction investors expect the market to head, with prices reflecting market sentiment.

Trump says Iran war objectives 'nearing completion' in address to nation

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cql72qk97gpo, today

President Donald Trump has told the nation in a televised speech that the US military has nearly completed its goals in the Iran war.

He vowed to strike Iran "extremely hard" over the next two to three weeks and finish the job "very fast", without setting any timeline for ending the conflict.

In his primetime address, Trump called for countries that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz to show "courage" and seize the key waterway, which has been effectively closed by Iranian attacks since the conflict began.

The president is grappling with rocketing gas prices and sliding personal popularity ratings as the war continues into its fifth week and US midterm elections loom in November.

Wednesday night's speech did little immediately to reassure global oil markets that disruption to the Strait of Hormuz shipping route will ease anytime soon.

The price of benchmark Brent crude was trading at about $100 a barrel before the president started speaking. Afterwards it rose to $105.

In the 20-minute speech from the White House, Trump said the US was "nearing completion" of its "core strategic objectives" in the conflict, and had "decimated" Iran's navy drone and ballistic missile forces.

"Very shortly, we are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," Trump said.

However, he provided little insight into the state of what he described as "ongoing" discussions with Iran's leadership, leaving open the possibility of hitting Iranian energy infrastructure if negotiations prove fruitless.

"If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard, and probably simultaneously," the US president said.

"We have not hit their oil, even though that's the easiest target of all, because it would not give them even a small chance of survival or rebuilding."

Earlier in the day, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Iran had asked for a ceasefire - a claim that Iran's foreign ministry quickly described as "false and baseless".

In his speech on Wednesday night, as he has done several times in recent days, Trump called on US allies to do more to secure shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz.

He urged them to "build up some delayed courage".

"Go to the Strait and just take it," he added.

Trump made no specific mention of the future of the Nato alliance, after earlier telling the British newspaper the Telegraph that he'd reconsider the US role in what he described as a "paper tiger".

His address to the nation came shortly after it emerged that Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, who is known as "the Trump whisperer" because of his influence with the president, is planning to visit the White House next week.

The president's political opponents were quick to criticise his speech. New York Democrat and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the address as "rambling, disjointed and pathetic".

"Donald Trump's actions in Iran will be considered one of the greatest policy blunders in the history of our country, failing to articulate objectives, alienating allies, and ignoring the kitchen table problems Americans are facing," Schumer wrote on X. "He is completely unfit to be Commander-in-Chief and the whole world knows it."

According to an update by US Central Command on Wednesday, American forces have struck more than 12,300 targets across Iran since Operation Epic Fury began, including Iranian naval vessels and facilities, missile launchers and defence manufacturing plants.

But despite his claims of victory, Iranian attacks across the region continued on Wednesday, with authorities in both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar responding to missile and drone strikes.

In separate incidents, British troops said they brought down 10 Iranian drones in countries including Jordan, Bahrain and Cyprus.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week suggested that two-thirds of Americans believe the US should end the war quickly, even if it means not achieving Trump's goals. In the survey, 60% of respondents disapproved of the military strikes on Iran, while 35% approved.

Pakistan's push in Iran war diplomacy - is India sidelined?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2lwz71jx50o, today

The chatter in Delhi is unmistakable: as Pakistan positions itself as an intermediary in the US-Iran crisis, is India being sidelined?

Islamabad has moved with unusual agility, casting itself as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran.

Last week, it reportedly relayed a 15-point US peace plan to Iran and offered to host talks - an offer Tehran rejected. This week, Pakistan took the lead again, with its foreign minister flying to Beijing to seek Chinese backing for a five-point peace plan to end the conflict.

For India, Pakistan's larger neighbour and arch rival, the optics are awkward. The unease is sharpened by a more uneven phase in India's ties with the US, even as Pakistan appears to be rebuilding channels with President Donald Trump.

That, in turn, has sparked a familiar divide within India's strategic community.

Some opposition parties and analysts argue that Delhi, with its own cross-cutting ties in the region, should at least have explored a mediatory role - lest it appear absent at a moment of geopolitical flux.

The opposition Congress party has attacked the government, calling it an "embarrassment" for Indian diplomacy after reports of Pakistan being tapped as a mediator.

"By being more agile and aggressive in the 'war of narratives', Pakistan has often outmanoeuvred India diplomatically," strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney wrote on X.

Others see little value in such visibility for its own sake, cautioning that mediation without leverage or invitation can backfire. They believe India's interests are better served by quiet diplomacy and strategic distance.

That view finds echo in the government. In an all-party meeting last week, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reportedly dismissed Pakistan's role as "dalali" (brokerage), noting it has played such a part since 1981, including in US-Taliban talks.

"We don't run around asking countries what kind of brokerage we can do," he is reported to have said.

But for some analysts, the intensity of the debate in Delhi says as much about perception as policy.

At its core, argues Happymon Jacob of Shiv Nadar University, the issue is not strategy so much as psychology.

"The response in India has been one of competitive anxiety: if Pakistan can, why not us!," he noted in an op-edit.

"At best, that is a fear of missing out. At worst, it's jealousy of a smaller neighbour attracting the kind of attention some in our strategic community believe India deserves. But neither the fear of missing out nor jealousy is a sound basis for good foreign policy."

Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council, also pushes back on the "zero-sum approach of India-Pakistan rivalry", arguing India was never really in the running to mediate and is unlikely to step in without a formal invite.

Pakistan's diplomatic burst, he suggests, may be short-lived and limited to a go-between role, with mistrust making direct US-Iran talks unlikely anytime soon. As he puts it, "this misrepresents the state of play".

If India was never really in the mediation race, the more relevant question, many say, is what role it should play instead.

For Ajay Bisaria, former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan, the answer lies in recognising both India's strengths and its constraints.

While India has peacemaking potential, given its stakes and relationships across the region, it is not a tool that can be "directed" by Washington, he says.

"That makes India unsuitable for this role," Bisaria adds, arguing that Delhi should pursue a more substantive peace-promoting role - but "not in the manner of Pakistan and not at the current stage".

Between these positions lies a more pragmatic middle ground: India need not insert itself into high-risk mediation, but it cannot afford to be passive either.

"This war has damaged India's interests in almost every practical sense... The deeper question is whether India is willing to say so with sufficient clarity," former Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao wrote on X.

At home, that restraint has drawn criticism. Opposition leaders have accused the Narendra Modi government of a conspicuous silence on Israel's actions in Gaza and strikes on Iran, arguing it signals an increasingly pro-Israel tilt and a break from India's traditional diplomatic balance.

"Restraint has its place. Calibration is necessary. But when fundamental questions arise - about sovereignty, about the limits of force, about the protection of civilians - India cannot afford to be silent," Rao says.

Bisaria believes India also needs to think beyond headline diplomacy.

India is a stakeholder in both peace and conflict, he says - wars disrupt its central objective of sustained economic growth.

Rather than chasing a mediatory role, he adds, Delhi should invest in the less visible mechanics of peacemaking, building specialist capacity to handle "the nuts and bolts" - from hostage swaps and back-channel military contacts to negotiating safe passage through chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz - in the long run.

Set against this debate about India's role is a parallel question: why has Washington turned to Islamabad at all?

Part of the answer lies in geography and networks.

As Ejaz Haider, a Lahore-based defence analyst, says, Pakistan is "the only country in the Muslim bloc" that maintains working ties with both Iran and the Gulf monarchies - giving it a rare ability to shuttle messages across a fractured region.

More consequential is the harder edge of Pakistan's leverage.

Umer Farooq, an Islamabad-based analyst and a former correspondent of Jane's Defence Weekly, argues Pakistan's diplomatic relevance rests on its security role in the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia and its neighbours, ringed by Iranian-backed militias - from Yemen to Iraq and Lebanon - see Pakistani land forces as a credible buffer, Farooq says.

"Our diplomatic importance is based on this leverage," he says - offering not just access, but a form of coercive reassurance that India lacks in this theatre.

That mix of access and leverage, however, is only part of the story.

Avinash Paliwal, who teaches politics and international studies at SOAS University of London, says Pakistan's mediation push reflects hard compulsion, not diplomatic theatre.

"Unlike India, Pakistan does not have the luxury to sit this war out. If it escalates, Pakistan will be forced to enter the war on Saudi Arabia's side. The true choice Islamabad faces, then, is to either succeed at de-escalation or join a costly war," he says.

Nor does the oft-cited lack of leverage in Iran, the US or Israel invalidate the effort, according to Paliwal.

"No country has such leverage… India included," he says.

"Even if Islamabad fails to muster a ceasefire, these efforts have buttressed its credibility as a sincere player with 'skin in the game'. Pakistan is sending a signal to all those countries witnessing this war with horror that it is willing to risk its limited equities to prevent escalation."

It is precisely this signalling - and the visibility that comes with it - that tends to raise hackles in Delhi.

Expectations of India's global role have been elevated in recent years, both by its growing economic weight and by official rhetoric projecting it as a leading voice on the world stage.

As Modi's government has framed India's rise in expansive terms, projecting it as a leading voice for the Global South and a bridge across geopolitical divides, the temptation to be present in every global crisis has grown.

But that ambition, Jacob says, needs tempering. "India has demonstrated leadership on climate and energy; it need not - and cannot - do everything."

"The real challenge is managing the gap between capability and expectation - and having the wisdom to know what to do, and just as importantly, what not to."

UK to host talks on plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2d0md89v2o, today

A coalition of about 30 nations are to discuss plans to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane in the Middle East, at a virtual summit hosted by the UK on Thursday.

The summit is expected to consider what diplomatic and political steps could be taken to reopen the important shipping route, though the US was not set to attend.

Iran has attacked several vessels in the strait in response to the war waged against it by the US and Israel, severely disrupting energy exports and sending global fuel prices soaring.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said it was for other nations to "build up some delayed courage" and reopen the route.

Trump said allies "should have done it" earlier, adding: "Go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves."

Washington has repeatedly accused allies of not doing enough to secure the shipping route or to support its war effort, leaving the UK and other nations weighing how to contribute to securing the strait without becoming involved in the wider war.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to chair Thursday's virtual meeting.

The summit was expected to involve governments which signed a joint statement in mid-March calling on Iranian forces to halt attacks against commercial ships.

That statement was supported by some Gulf nations, as well as France, Germany, Japan, Australia and others.

The statement says: "We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.

"We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning."

The talks come a day after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was "exploring each and every diplomatic avenue that is available" to reopen the route.

He also said British military planners would consider what could be done in the future to "make the Strait accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped".

At the same time, governments around the world are weighing how to respond to cost-of-living pressures triggered by rising energy prices.

About a fifth of the world's oil and gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The price of a barrel of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, has jumped from $73 (£55) to well over $100 in recent weeks.

How a chance meeting shaped Canadian Jeremy Hansen's mission to the Moon

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy81n289739o, today

Long before he was chosen to orbit the Moon in the ongoing Artemis II mission, Jeremy Hansen was a young cadet at the Royal Military College of Canada. He carried a dream - and had a chance interaction that would help shape his future.

In 1995, during his first year at the military college, Hansen met one of his heroes: Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.

That was before Hadfield had served as commander of the International Space Station. But Hansen saw in his compatriot much of what he aspired to be: a fighter pilot and an astronaut.

Hansen asked Hadfield for his email address, and got it on the spot.

The brief encounter marked the beginning of a journey that would see Hansen follow closely in his hero's footsteps - first as a fighter pilot, and then by joining the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in 2009.

Throughout his astronaut training, his mentor along the way was Hadfield, a young Hansen told the BBC in 2014.

The simple but lasting advice he was given: follow what makes you passionate.

"Jeremy has been getting ready for this flight since he was five years old," Hadfield told Canadian singer Emm Gryner in a podcast in March.

Hansen, now 50, grew up on a farm near London, Ontario, where his fascination with aviation began early.

As a child, he came across a page in an encyclopedia featuring Neil Armstrong and the picture of an astronaut on the Moon from the 1969 Apollo mission.

"That page is still burnt in my brain," Hansen told Spaceflight Now in an interview posted last month.

Soon after, he transformed his childhood treehouse into his own imaginary rocket ship.

In his teens, he went on to join the air cadets youth programme, and to study space science and physics at university.

He eventually became a fighter pilot, flying CF-18s out of the army base in Cold Lake, Alberta, and working with North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad).

Fourteen years after joining the CSA, Hansen was selected for Artemis II: the first crewed mission to travel around the Moon in more than 50 years.

Over the course of 10 days, the crew of four astronauts will travel farther from Earth than any human before them.

Hansen is the only non-American on board. He is joined by mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and fellow mission specialist Christina Koch.

In an interview with the CSA, Hansen said he was aware that the Artemis II mission might not go smoothly.

"To do something that has never been done before means that your team is very likely to face failure," Hansen said. "I like the fact that in space, we are committed to bold goals to the extent that we will not let periodic failure stop our forward progress," he said.

For the mission, Hansen is carrying four Moon-shaped pendants, each with a birthstone representing his wife and three teenage children.

His blue spacesuit has a mission patch he commissioned Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond to design, with contributions from Dave Courchene III of Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba.

The heptagonal shape and the animals on it refer to a set of indigenous teachings that guide how people should treat one another - with love, respect, courage and humility.

Hansen has said the patch is his way of recognising the Indigenous peoples in Canada and their traditional knowledge.

Earlier this week, he told the BBC science editor Rebecca Morelle and 13 Minutes podcast presenter Tim Peake that he was excited for his first views of Earth during his first hour of space flight.

He anticipated that the mission would later afford him a view with the Moon in the foreground and Earth hanging in the distance.

"I hope humanity will stop for a moment when four humans are on the far side of the Moon, and just look at some of the imagery that we are sharing - and just be reminded that we can do a better job as humans of just lifting each other up," he said.

"Not destroying but creating together."

'We entered Race Across the World to honour dying wish'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15dvelwd7qo, today

When Margo Oakley, now 59, was introduced to her older sister's new boyfriend her first impressions of the "po-faced" and "judgey" young man were not great.

And for Mark Blythen, 67, his feelings about his girlfriend's "loud and wild" younger sibling were mutual.

But more than 40 years later the pair became the first set of in-laws to compete on Race Across the World - the BBC show that offers a £20,000 cash prize to the first of five duos to reach the finish line without the aid of phones, internet or air travel and with a limited budget.

They told the BBC the decision to enter the intense TV contest together followed the "last wishes" of Mark's wife and Margo's sister Julia, who died from the rare blood cancer myelofibrosis in 2022.

Mark, from London, met Julia, from Liverpool, while they were both students at Huddersfield Polytechnic, even though initially she was dating one of his flatmates.

"She hit him over the head with a brolly and then about three weeks later I went out with her," he said.

Mark revealed the one thing he and Margo agreed on in those early days was that Julia was "out of my league".

"It took us 23 years to get married but as soon as I met Julia, she was the person I knew I wanted to be with," Mark said.

"She was gregarious, she was funny and she was just everything I wanted in someone, a partner."

His first introduction to Margo came during a weekend visit to Liverpool.

"He wasn't what I imagined her going out with," Margo said.

"He was quite po-faced about me and my friends. We were young, we were having fun. He seemed judgey."

"I was very judgey," Mark agreed.

The pair said they "rubbed along" over the years since then, with occasional "eruptions".

But Julia was "the glue that held us together", they said.

And one thing Margo never doubted was Mark's commitment to her sister.

"I have to say, he was a good husband. He was very, very devoted to her. He couldn't have been more," she said.

"I mean, in a way, and that's part of really the story of the race, in a way he put a lot of who he was aside just because he worshipped her so much."

After decades of not seeing eye-to-eye, Mark and Margo's relationship developed a new dimension in 2019 when Julia became ill.

She had a particularly aggressive form of the disease, and despite undergoing a stem-cell transplant, her condition deteriorated.

As Mark cared for his wife, he said he came to value Margo's visits for the impact they had on her mood.

"One of the things about caring for somebody is that it's very easy to just get lost and focus on caring for someone," he said.

"People that are being cared for, they need to have fun and Margo provided that fun. I think that's what kept Julia going for so long, that Margo would come down and raise her spirits."

Margo said she noticed the toll Julia's illness was taking on Mark.

"When he was caring for Julia, he didn't even know, realise how much it was taking from him," she said.

"We had different roles, but also as well, I knew Mark, like every carer, needed support."

While their relationship had been strengthening anyway, Julia explicitly told them she wanted them to remain close after she was gone.

"It was Julia's last wishes, and it was literally last wishes, that the friendship that Margo and myself had formed continued and we strengthened and we didn't lose it."

Margo said that while her sister had wanted their relationship to continue, how they went about it was an open question.

"You don't really have any blueprint for it, you know, it's an unusual relationship for all those years of friction," she said.

Both Mark and Margo said Julia was a big fan of Race Across the World, but "would never have gone on it" herself.

The inspiration to apply hit Margo suddenly.

"I saw the race advertised and I just thought 'that really speaks to me'. I was looking for adventure because I have a lot on in my life in Liverpool because I care for my mum.

"As soon as I saw the race advertised, just something, I have no idea, spoke to me and said, ask Mark. A voice kind of told me, ask Mark...

"I didn't think twice. And very quickly I asked him and immediately he said 'yes'."

The pair did not want to reveal too much about what went on during filming to avoid spoilers - but said the "magical" journey towards the final destination - Mongolia - featured "real highs and really big lows".

"I don't think that's a spoiler to say, that's the nature of the race. Even the lows, there was absolute magic and alchemy in them," she said.

"Some of the lows, that's where the absolute gold is wasn't it?"

"You find the treasure at the bottom", Mark agreed.

Margo said she believed the excitement and joy in taking part in the race and the sadness of losing Julia would be relatable for people who have experienced loss.

"There's beauty in holding both those things, of sadness and joy of life and honouring her," she said.

The new series of Race Across the World begins at 21:00 BST on Thursday 2 April on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Israel's perpetual war with Iran may be hard to win with military might alone

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cql72k19rz4o, today

On the highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, American flags now hang alongside Israeli ones – a public sign of appreciation for US involvement in fighting Iran.

"We used to beg American administrations only to recognise a Credible Military Threat [from Iran]," said Israel's former National Security Advisor, Tzachi Hangebi, who left office four months before this war began.

"The fact that both Israel and the US are working day in, day out to diminish the capabilities of Iran, that's beyond my most utopian fantasies."

America's decision to jointly wage war on Iran opened-up possibilities for Israel to attack its old enemy in new ways – officials here talk of dividing up targets with their US counterparts according to their respective capabilities.

But this war has so far not resolved any of Israel's regional conflicts in the way its prime minister suggested it would.

As US president Donald Trump talks of winding up the joint offensive in Iran, Israeli forces are still holding territory in Gaza and Syria, with new instructions from their defence minister to take a large swathe of southern Lebanon as a "buffer zone" against Iran's ally Hezbollah.

Some 600,000 people living inside this new 'security zone' have been told they will not be allowed back to their homes until Israel deems its northern communities safe from Hezbollah attacks. Mr Katz has ordered the destruction of all houses in Lebanese villages near the border, in the same way his forces razed communities in Gaza.

Tzachi Hanegbi says Israel will continue its direct confrontation with regional enemies like Hezbollah, even if Washington forces an end to military action in Iran.

"Donald Trump might make a decision that there are no more [Iranian] targets relevant to the nuclear capabilities, and that he would like some kind of ceasefire, and whatever he will do, we will accept," Hangebi told me.

"[But] we'll go forward in Lebanon. We'll keep on doing it, and I'm sure America won't tell us, 'No'."

More than 1,200 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of Israel's most recent campaign, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

And Iran's government says almost 2,000 people have been killed by US-Israeli attacks there since the war in Iran began.

Israel's military strategy in the region changed after the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, from a policy of 'containing' its enemies with occasional operations, to one of pre-empting attacks.

That shift has pulled Israel into direct confrontation with Iran, but also led to a policy of creating so-called 'buffer zones' in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon – wide areas of territory that Israel has seized from its neighbours for what it terms security reasons; the result of a repeated failure to turn military might into sustainable peace.

On Tuesday, just before the Jewish holiday of Passover, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel had inflicted 10 "plagues" on the regime in Tehran, including the establishment of "deep security belts beyond our borders – in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon".

"The buffer zone approach is seen as an insurance policy that gives Israel flexibility and buys it time, linked to the wider change in Israel's security doctrine since the 7 Oct attacks," said Burcu Ozcelik, a specialist in Middle East strategy at UK's Royal United Services Institute (Rusi).

But, she says, there are political fractures within Israel over the purpose of this approach.

"Some think the buffer zones will eventually lead to permanent occupation or the expansion of Israel's borders – an ideological point of view, long championed by the far-right," she said.

"More pragmatic voices argue that what's happening now in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria is a security-driven approach that may be removed once Israel feels safer."

For the past two and a half years, Benjamin Netanyahu has led his country in a continuous rolling conflict with Iran and its allies around the region, each time promising that the next war would restore Israel's security and vanquish its enemies.

Just nine months ago, after Israel's last war on Iran, Netanyahu told his nation they had achieved "a historic victory that will stand for generations", removing the "existential threats" from Iran's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Despite the rhetoric of imminent victory accompanying every fresh conflict, the reality for many Israelis is a new state of 'perma-war'.

"The grandiose promises of destroying Hezbollah and Hamas and Iran are not coming true," said Dahlia Scheindlin, a Policy Fellow at the Mitvim Institute, a think tank focused on Israeli foreign policy.

And Netanyahu's promise that the war on Iran will lead to new regional alliances for Israel hasn't materialised either, she says, leaving Arab States – including current or potential Israeli allies – worried.

"It never happens because Israel is behaving like an unpredictable warmongering actor that might snatch territory," Scheindlin said. "Israel's attack on Iran and Lebanon, and its encroachment into Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, is creating incredible anxiety that Israel is not a good ally in their shared concern about Iran, but that it is a dangerous ally."

Israel's security has been a political mantra for Benjamin Netanyahu during his decades in office. In the early days of the war in Iran, he said Israel had already changed the Middle East, and its own power within it, but more than a month into the campaign the regime in Tehran is still in power, still firing missiles at Israel, and still in possession of its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium – enough, experts say, to make around a dozen nuclear bombs if further refined.

Support for the war among Jewish Israelis was initially estimated at above 90%, in a poll by the Israel Democracy Institute. Since then, it has dropped by almost 20 points, but the prime minister still enjoys majority backing for the war – even though surveys suggest support for him and his party in the upcoming elections has barely moved.

"The problem is that no political opposition leader is saying something totally different: advancing diplomacy; strengthening states in the region; working more closely with Arab states; solving the Palestinian issue – nobody is offering that," said Dahlia Scheindlin.

Tzachi Hanegbi points out that, while America can negotiate with Iran, Israel's only option is military.

"We cannot reach an agreement with Iran about anything, because they don't recognise our very existence. We only have dialogue through missiles, or whatever they do, and we do."

Israel did agree to earlier ceasefire deals in Lebanon and Gaza, but kept striking specific targets in both.

Hezbollah's decision last month to join the war alongside Iran sparked Israel's return to full conflict there, while Gaza remains stuck in limbo, its progress towards stability and reconstruction blocked by a dispute over how and when Hamas must disarm and Israeli forces withdraw.

Maintaining a military presence on several fronts, alongside a full-blown war in Iran and spiralling violence in the occupied West Bank, is taking its toll on Israel's population.

Its conscript army means most Israeli families are directly exposed to the risks of ongoing war, and its widening military footprint in the region has put hundreds of thousands of reservists on call-up lists. Some reservists have already served five or more tours since the 2023 Hamas attacks, and there are anecdotal reports of that some are refusing to serve again.

The defence budget has now risen to more than $45 billion, and there's little appetite among Israelis for endless war, but without a resolution to conflicts that are seen as existential, Israel's defence policies continue to demand money, men and munitions.

The war in Iran was framed as a chance to tackle Israel's existential threats.

But the lessons from Israel's other wars suggest military might alone may not be enough.

Bland or fan love letter? The Super Mario Galaxy Movie draws mixed reaction

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvxky2jx79o, today

He's-a back!

The most famous plumber in the world returns to cinemas this week with a sequel to the mega-successful Super Mario Brothers Movie.

It has been three years since Nintendo's mustachioed mascot appeared alongside brother Luigi, Princess Peach and their nemesis Bowser, making more than $1.3bn (almost £1bn) worldwide.

The Super Mario Galaxy movie, named after the Wii game of the same name, moves the action to space and adds beloved characters Yoshi and Rosalina to the cast.

Reviews of the new release are mixed, with some critics praising its imagination and pace, but others are saying it falls flat compared to the first film.

What is Super Mario Galaxy about?

Super Mario Galaxy picks up where the first film left off, with Bowser (voiced by Jack Black) imprisoned by brothers Mario and Luigi after being shrunk to pocket-sized.

When his son Bowser Jr., voiced by filmmaker and actor Benny Safdie, stages a breakout, it sparks an intergalactic chase.

Along the way, Mario and Luigi befriend dinosaur Yoshi, voiced by actor and musician Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino), and Rosalina, a princess voiced by Captain Marvel star Brie Larson.

Anya Taylor-Joy reprises her role as Princess Peach, and Wednesday star Luis Guzmán plays Wart - the main enemy from 1988 NES game Super Mario Bros 2.

Other characters from Super Mario Galaxy, widely considered one of the greatest video games ever released, also feature in promotional material for the film.

They include Lumas - glowing star-shaped characters that players encounter throughout the game.

What do reviews say?

The first Mario movie didn't get much love from critics, with a score of just 59%, based on 288 reviews, on film and TV review website Rotten Tomatoes.

But audiences loved it, helping to make it the second-biggest film of 2023, just behind the Barbie movie.

This time, the critical reaction has been around the plot and how it struggles to stay connected throughout the film.

The Guardian called the film a "bland screensaver of a movie" and gave it a one star rating, while The Independent gave it a slightly higher two stars but also lamented its "blandness".

One of the biggest complaints about the original movie from fans was the inclusion of various pop and rock songs on the game's soundtrack.

Many felt hits from the likes of Beastie Boys, AC/DC and Bonnie Tyler didn't fit well with the Mario Universe.

However, entertainment reporter Jonathan Sim says Galaxy pulls things back, which allows composer Brian Tyler's "excellent musical score" to take centre stage.

Sim adds that the cosmic film is a "gorgeously animated love letter to Mario fans".

Gaming content creator Sophie Keen, known online as Cadaea, told BBC Newsbeat that she feels The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a good additional storyline for fans to enjoy.

"I see it as a nice extra", says Keen.

Keen says she actually preferred Galaxy to the first film as it has "loads of funny moments" alongside "cute, wholesome moments".

"If you like the first film, you probably will like the second," she explains.

"The only thing I really want people to know is that it's not a perfect 100% adaptation of the game.

"Don't expect the exact same plot to come out, just take it as a nice addition to Mario lore."

Nintendo's future

Nintendo is arguably the world's most famous video game company, but in recent years it's been moving into other forms of entertainment.

After both Mario movies, a film based on the Legend of Zelda is due to be released next year, and there appear to be plans for an animation based on Donkey Kong.

The company has also opened Mario-themed attractions at several Universal Studios resorts, as well as a string of Nintendo-branded merchandise stores in Japan and the USA.

It still makes most of its money from video games, but some fans have been upset at the lack of a brand new 3D Mario game this year.

For Keen, she thinks the movie is a "nice way to keep the fans happy" whilst they wait for the next game release.

Additional reporting by Tom Richardson and Peter Gillibrand

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

The delicate question of where responsibility lies for safety on our mountains

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz0e105yk23o, today

Two walkers find themselves stranded on a remote hillside as night closes in, hundreds of miles from home, after being inspired out into the wilderness by a TikTok video. It might sound like an unusual emergency - but for Mike Park, CEO of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, it's become a familiar story.

"We had two people stuck on a hill at 8pm, no torches. One was in their early 20s and the other was late 30s. It was their first time on a hill. They'd travelled a long way because they'd seen a TikTok route. They set off on their walk at 2pm - too late - wearing shorts, T‑shirts and carrying only a picnic," he recalls.

"They got off‑route, found themselves in unfamiliar ground – but they did the right thing by calling for help."

Park says this recent rescue, just a few days ago in the Lake District, is typical of the kind of callouts many colleagues now see.

His rescue team were able to safely find the pair and walk them off the hill – but the incident perfectly captures some changing behaviours. Their situation was self-inflicted; they weren't prepared and got into trouble, extra layers and some good torches could have seen them rescue themselves - but they were also quick to call for help when they knew something was wrong - a decision Park says saved them from far more severe consequences.

"If we hadn't reached them, they'd have been stuck all night in the dark. By morning, I'm confident they'd be suffering hypothermia - possibly unable to walk."

Over the past few years, mountain rescue teams say there's been a stark rise in the number of people needing to be rescued.

This has ignited a delicate but important debate. Who is responsible for safety on our mountains? And, are increased warning signs and even barriers the answer to saving lives in our most dangerous landscapes, or is risk the price we pay for true adventure?

The rise in callouts

Mountain rescue callouts have been steadily rising for decades. Sport England figures suggest there's been a particular boom in recent years, with the number of us regularly climbing a hill or mountain rising from 2.8m people in 2018 to 3.6m in 2024.

Living an active lifestyle is something the public body estimates could be saving the NHS billions each year, by reducing the number of people developing chronic conditions.

However, it's also contributed to sharp rises in the number of rescues required by the volunteers who make up the UK's so-called "fourth emergency service".

In England and Wales, the number of callouts rescue teams attend has doubled in the past decade, reaching well over 3,000 a year by 2024, according to Mountain Rescue England and Wales.

So what's changed?

One of the key themes rescue teams pick up on is how incidents featuring younger adventurers, aged 18 to 24, have soared in recent years. Callouts for the age group almost doubled in England and Wales between 2019 and 2024, from 166 to 314.

It now makes them the most rescued age group, overtaking walkers in their 50s who had previously needed the most help.

Mike Park has spent the past 40 years on the hills of the Lake District, rescuing those in danger. He has observed a significant shift among younger people in embracing the outdoors - but says he believes better technology and wider social changes in the past few decades have also fed into the overall rise.

"It doesn't matter what age you are - society is more adventurous, more reliant on help, less outdoor‑aware, and less prepared," he says.

"When I first started our team did 10-15 callouts a year. We average around 100 now. The rise hasn't been steady - it's steepened sharply, especially in the last 10 years and after Covid-19."

Park believes part of what makes the mountains of the UK so attractive is that most can be easily accessed for a day-trip - at worst a short weekend break. They are on our doorstep, via the same motorways and service stations we might stop at on our way to a theme park or music gig.

This can breed a sense of overfamiliarity - with some misjudging just how alien and dangerous these environments can be, he suggests.

Park says decades ago, many people who went into the UK's mountains would have it as their sole major pastime, they were "hillwalkers or mountaineers, that was it". Now, outdoor adventures are easy to pick up alongside the many other work and leisure activities people juggle.

"There's so much to do now, we don't concentrate on any one thing. People might do the outdoor environment one week, swimming the next, holiday the week after," he says.

Rescuers say it should be seen as only good news that millions of people are now inspired each year to venture into the outdoors themselves, encouraged by stories of the physical and mental health benefits - and beautiful images spread across social media.

But the reality of having so many novices is also starting to take its toll on some of the UK's busiest rescue teams, who are increasingly grappling with exhaustion and stretched staffing.

It's important to note that no rescue team we spoke to begrudge doing these kinds of rescues - they are grateful they can help those who need it and avoid the situation getting any worse. It doesn't matter how you got there, just that they can help you get down safely.

But according to Park, the fact people are seemingly more willing to take risks in the first place - and then more willing to pick up the phone when things go wrong - has fundamentally changed what kind of rescues his teams do.

"Ten years ago, 70% of callouts were because someone physically couldn't get off a hill," he says.

"Now, most people haven't physically injured themselves - it's that they're mentally unable to get down, because they weren't prepared for the environment."

In other words, people's bodies are capable of getting them off the mountains, but they lack the experience, confidence or equipment to do it safely.

Online influencers

Many mountain rescuers believe the increase in online influencers is playing a role. There are pictures and videos across sites like TikTok and Instagram encouraging people to venture out to beautiful plateaus and waterfalls.

Seeing people influenced by social media "used to be rare, but now it's constant," explains Martin McMullan, from the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team in Northern Ireland.

"People search out iconic locations made popular by influencers. Some go just to experience it - others are trying to create their own content for their platforms."

In some rare cases, McMullan says influencers may even be attempting to get rescued - to create more interesting content for their channels. He became suspicious of one case a few years ago, when his team was called to Northern Ireland's highest peak in "very serious" sub-zero winter conditions.

At the summit McMullan says they found a group of young people who they escorted part of the way down, before calling in a helicopter to evacuate them to safety. It was only days later, when a friend alerted him to it, that McMullan realised the whole thing had been filmed by the group, clutching onto their phones as they were rescued.

"They'd been livestreaming parts of it - even when things became dangerous. We were oblivious to it at the time. They probably thought it made great social media content."

McMullen says although being far from the first time he'd had a rescue filmed by members of the public keen to capture the drama of the job, it was the first time his team suspected a group had gone out with the idea of getting rescued, something they denied.

Hotspots

The vast majority of mountain rescue teams, thankfully, rarely find themselves called out to a death. But the spread is far from even and there are certainly hotspots.

The rescue team covering Yr Wydffa, Snowdon, is far and away the busiest in the UK. The team is often called to fatal incidents and has seen a rise in deaths. Across north Wales, there were 14 fatalities in the mountains back in 2015. Last year there were 23.

So-called body recovery callouts can have a significant impact on the rescuers, with a growing importance being placed on welfare checks and support for the teams who regularly battle the elements to retrieve bodies so they can be returned to their loved ones.

There have been suggestions that putting up physical warning signs, or even fencing, on some of the UK's most dangerous ridges and waterfalls could potentially save lives. The National Trust and conservation project, Fix the Fells, recently decided signs were needed to prevent accidents on England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike.

Over eight years, four people died and more than 40 were rescued from the treacherous ravine known as Piers Gill, before a sign and large rocks were placed on the nearby route to encourage people away from the area.

In mid-Wales, one assistant coroner has recommended multiple times that signs be put up around some of the region's impressive waterfalls. Five people have died at the beauty spots in the past few years, which has prompted the assistant coroner for south Wales central, Rachel Knight, to write three Prevention of Future Death Reports - recommending improvements.

In the most recent one, she argued clearer warning signs were needed for walkers who risked falling from the paths above the waterfalls – suggesting without them, many would fail to understand "the significant risks they face" in the area and more people were likely to die.

So could putting up signs work in other remote areas?

Andy Buchan is due to take over Mike Park's role at Mountain Rescue England and Wales in May.

In some of the most extreme areas, like Crib Goch, a notorious knife edge ridge in north Wales with annual fatalities, Buchan says some ideas should be considered.

"I won't call it signposting in terms of actually putting signs up on the mountain, but certainly signposting towards more information could really help."

Buchan suggests that in rescue hotspots such as Crib Goch, which does already have some warnings placed on the route, more could be done to help walkers access weather forecasts and safety information before they get to an area - potentially by placing additional signs or QR codes in car parks hikers are likely to use before heading out.

However, what Buchan and others I speak to really don't want to see - despite some potential benefits - is the same widespread canvassing of signs and fencing witnessed in other countries.

"There are other parts of the world that I've travelled, like the US, where you can get to remote places and then all of a sudden, when you want to go and have a look at the view over the cliff, there's a big metal barrier around and there's concrete being put in place and it kind of destroys the remoteness of the location that you're in," Buchan explains.

'The mountain isn't going anywhere'

In preparing for the role, Buchan has had plenty of time to think about the current challenges, but is overwhelmingly positive about seeing more people out on the hills.

"We encourage people to get outside for their physical and mental wellbeing," he says. "People recognise the countryside is a cost‑effective way to have great experiences. It's great - but it does come with risk."

The story of Jack Carne is testament to that. Jack and his two best friends had travelled a few hours from their hometown of Barnsley to reach the mountains of Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, in north Wales. Inspired, after the Covid-19 lockdowns, by the freedom the mountains offered them, the trio in their 20s had been out hiking at every possible opportunity. They were committed, fit and experienced - but on this occasion, just "10 metres from the top" of Glyder Fawr, a peak thousands of feet up, everything went wrong.

A rock Jack had grabbed hold of broke away in his hands. His friends could do nothing as they watched him fall. In just an instant he was gone - disappearing out of sight beneath them. Three friends went up the mountain that day. Only two came back.

It was the starkest reminder possible about the unpredictability and the dangers lurking just beneath the surface of the UK's most picturesque landscapes – even for those who come prepared.

At the inquest into Jack's death, the coroner remarked how the young men were all well-equipped and experienced enough for the route they'd chosen.

"It was a scramble - nothing harder than anything we'd done before," Matty Belcher, one of those three friends, told me. "In fact it was easier than a lot of stuff we'd done," added the 27-year-old.

"Mountain Rescue said the boulder that actually took Jack was a freak accident," adds Brandan Smith, 25, the group's third member.

"That rock could have gone in a week's time, a year's time."

One week after Jack's death, Brandan and Matty were back at the same peak - this time making it the additional 10m to the summit, where they had time to reflect alongside Jack's dad, who they'd brought with them.

"Jack's dad wanted to see it - put his mind at ease, instead of guessing what happened," explains Matty.

For Brandan and Matty, it was a key moment - that inspired them to keep adventuring and not give up on the beauty of our landscape, despite the risks.

"Jack was the one who absolutely loved it the most out of us," says Brandan. "He was probably the best of us at climbing - he was brilliant - he always pushed me, believed I could do it even when I didn't.

"If we'd stopped going out after he died, Jack would've kicked us for it."

The key thing, both men say, is for those looking to adventure, to always be aware of the risks.

"For us, if someone isn't feeling safe, we turn back. No question. There's always another day," says Brandan. "It's always going to be there - the mountain isn't going anywhere."

Top picture credit: Getty Images

BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. Emma Barnett and John Simpson bring their pick of the most thought-provoking deep reads and analysis, every Saturday. Sign up for the newsletter here

'We look at life differently' - the over-70s making their comedy debut

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gdkjvj05jo, today

Marie McLaren is a latecomer to the stage - but she's in good company at her comedy class in Glasgow.

The 88-year-old has been learning the ropes of stand-up comedy from professional comedian Viv Gee over the last four weeks.

She is part of a group of over-50s who took part in the sessions, which will end with them taking the stage for live shows at The Social Hub Glasgow.

"The danger of doing comedy as an older person is that people might think you have lost it," Marie says.

"But in my opinion age is only a number."

Marie, from East Kilbride, was nominated for the class by her daughter.

"I've always liked jokes and laughs and make a joke out of anything," she says.

"Nobody's interested in moaners, so it's quite nice to just make people laugh and enjoy life."

Retired journalism lecturer Ronnie Bergman says the class is an opportunity to try something new.

"You kind of disappear when you get older. You get on the bus and people ignore you," says the 74-year-old.

"I was getting too comfortable and in too much of a rut, but this is out of my comfort zone.

"I hate getting my photo taken and I'm disappointed by the sound of my own voice so this is uncomfortable - but I enjoy it."

Ronnie says the benefit of being an older comedian is that he has heard a lot more jokes.

As the class wraps up, he says he will be drawing on Billy Connolly as his comedy hero.

"He's an older comedian and he's still funny," Ronnie says.

Seventy-year-old Christine MacCormack believes her age helps to give her a difference perspective on comedy.

"We look at life differently because we born in a different time," she says.

"I'm just living my best life and I just want to enjoy the experience and my five minutes in the spotlight."

The group took to the stage at the Social Hub for the first time on Wednesday in a show entitled The Old Ones are the Best, which has been organised in partnership with Age Scotland.

We watched as they ran through their material ahead of their debut performance.

With decades of life experience, the jokes run from the cradle to the grave - including a one-liner about being too old to buy a bag for life.

Health problems, family life and the habits of the younger generation have also provided a wealth of material.

But these are not your typical granddad jokes.

In one routine, 65-year-old Mitch Milmore buzzes around the stage wearing a pair of homemade bug-eyed goggles.

Meanwhile, 67-year-old Andy Burke finds his humour in his hometown.

"I come from a wee fishing village in Glasgow called Springburn," he tells the audience.

"It's got some lovely pubs up there - you go in laughing and come out in stitches."

He then launches into an expletive-laden set for the next five minutes before turning to tutor Viv for feedback.

"The great thing about comedy is anyone can do it," says the Scottish Comedy Awards winner.

"I can't teach them to be funny but I can teach them to be funnier."

Blind marathon runner to be guided by smart glasses

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6732p2vpjo, today

A blind runner hopes to run a marathon using technology that allows sighted people to see what he sees - and to give him directions - in real time.

By day, 45-year-old Clarke Reynolds is a creator who turns braille into works of art to raise help raise awareness of sight loss.

But he said that running has given him "another opportunity to spread the word."

He previously completed the London marathon with the help of a physical guide runner - but plans on running his next with the help of a worldwide network of virtual volunteers.

He is being supported by Fight for Sight, a charity which funds research into sight loss, for which he is an ambassador.

Reynolds, from Havant, is also known as "Mr. Dot" - an alter-ego he employs when he travels around the country teaching braille through art in schools.

He has been visually impaired in his right eye from the age of six, but 13 years ago noticed a shadow in his left eye.

"I went to the hospital and they sat me down and said, 'Mr. Reynolds, do you drive?", he said.

"I said yes, and they said, 'hand over your licence, you're going blind.' And that's how you were told."

He describes his sight now as like "being underwater" - he can see shapes, shadows and some colour.

Despite that, he creates visual art using braille - such as the replica of Nirvana's iconic "Nevermind" album cover.

But he's now found another way to raise awareness.

With the help of a tethered guide runner, he ran the London marathon three years ago to raise funds for charity.

Later this month, he'll be running the Brighton Marathon - but is upping the ante.

Rather than using a physical guide, an app called Be My Eyes will connect him with a worldwide network of sighted volunteers.

Through the camera and speakers on his smart glasses, they'll be able to see what he sees and speak to him in real time, directing him through the 26.2 miles (42.2km),

"They tell me if there's a bin or there's a parked car through the glasses - but the majority of the time we're just discussing, what is sight loss?", he said.

Be My Eyes is usually used for day-to-day tasks - a volunteer might help a visually impaired person find the right button on a TV remote, for example.

So it can be surprising when they connect and see Reynolds mid-run.

"They probably think, 'oh my god, this is a bit strange'," he said.

He has been training by running laps of the 0.7 mile-long crescent (1.1km) where lives - a route he knows by heart.

And he said he's had over 100 people supporting him - some from as far afield as Jordan.

The volunteers for race day are being organised by the charity Reynolds works with, Fight for Sight, with the help of the company behind Be My Eyes.

There will also be a back-up guide runner in case the technology fails.

And although he said he was "really scared" before taking on the London Marathon, he feels confident about taking on Brighton.

"I'm really excited to do this," he said.

"If you had told me 13 years ago that I'd be an ambassador for a major charity and I'd be inspiring visually impaired children around the world, I'd never have believed you."

Republicans unveil plan to end partial government shutdown

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly63j5y97yo, today

Congressional Republicans say they have reached a deal to end the partial US government shutdown - the longest in history - as early as this week.

The plan would fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through one spending package, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through a separate budget.

After infighting in recent days, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune jointly confirmed the deal. Top Democrat Chuck Schumer said Republicans had "caved".

The impasse has spawned chaos at US airports due to a shortage of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at security checkpoints.

US Supreme Court appears sceptical of US birthright citizenship challenge

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cje47jk49k0o, today

The Supreme Court appeared sceptical of President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship, a sign the high court could strike down a key element of his immigration agenda.

A majority of the court's justices on Wednesday seemed unconvinced that the US should stop granting citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants and some temporary US visitors.

The administration has argued that its effort to limit birthright citizenship is necessary to help rein in illegal immigration. Opponents argue it would upend more than a century of precedent and unravel a cornerstone of US immigration law enshrined by the 14th Amendment.

Trump attended the oral arguments in person on Wednesday, a rare move by a sitting president that underscored the high stakes of the case.

A defeat for Trump would mark a second straight setback at the high court, following the decision last month that invalidated the president's global tariffs. A win would help Trump deliver on his pledge to reshape America's immigration policies.

During more than two hours of arguments, U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer sought to convince the justices that the 14th Amendment - which establishes the concept of birthright citizenship and was extended formerly to enslaved people - and subsequent court rulings and laws passed by Congress all mistakenly expanded birthright citizenship.

Chief Justice John Roberts, a key swing vote on the court, questioned Trump's authority to exclude the children of undocumented immigrants from receiving US citizenship.

"I'm not quite sure how you can get to that big group," Roberts said.

The oral arguments turned on a key clause in the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the US who are "subject to the jurisdiction thereof."

Bauer argued that the clause should only apply to the children of foreign diplomats and a few other limited groups. Parents who are in the country illegally when their children are born have "allegiance" to their home countries and therefore don't fall under the jurisdiction of US law, he said.

"Jurisdiction means allegiance," Sauer said. Citing a previous court opinion, he later argued that "permanent residence and domicile decides [citizenship]. That's what the court should be bound by."

But several justices said that interpretation would fundamentally reshape how Americans and people living around the world understand the US birthright citizenship process.

Justice Elena Kagan said the administration was seeking to undo a legal tradition of birthright citizenship that dates back to English common law. "What the 14th Amendment did was accept that tradition and not attempt to put any limitations on it. That was the clear rationale," Kagan said.

Several justices also pointed to the 1898 Supreme Court ruling, United States v. Wong Kim Ark, the landmark decision that upheld birthright citizenship in the case of a child born to Chinese immigrants living in the US.

Cecillia Wang, an ACLU attorney representing the plaintiffs in court on Wednesday, used the decision to argue that Trump's executive order should be overturned.

"If we agree with you how to read Wong Kim Ark, then you win," Justice Brett Kavanaugh said. "That could be just a short opinion."

Whether the court ultimately issues a broad or narrow opinion remains to be seen. The difference between a sweeping ruling on constitutional grounds versus a more tailored opinion on statutory grounds is a critical one, legal experts said.

The justices could choose to focus on a 1952 law passed by Congress that codified birthright citizenship and not wade into the larger constitutional debate, said Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law expert.

"The court does not like to rule on constitutional issues if it doesn't have to," Yale-Loehr said. "The court could argue that the Trump executive order is invalid on statutory grounds."

The court is expected to issue its decision in June. It would be the first major immigration case decided by the court on its merits since Trump started his second term. The court has taken up other immigration cases, but has so far sent them back to lower courts for further review.

Trump's push to end birthright citizenship is one part of his larger immigration crackdown. But it's nevertheless a longtime goal of many on the right, and something Trump has supported since his first term in office. A victory in this case would help Trump make the case that he is delivering on his campaign pledge to limit illegal immigration.

A loss would be a setback to Trump's immigration agenda. But it would also represent a larger blow to his efforts to aggressively expand executive power since returning to office. The ruling in February overturning Trump's sweeping global tariffs showed the justices are not willing to give Trump a blank check to bypass Congress and the courts.

Trump signaled his interest in the case by attending the oral arguments on Wednesday. Critics said his appearance was an improper effort to influence the court ahead of a decision that will have major repercussions for his domestic policy agenda.

"We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow 'Birthright' Citizenship!" Trump said incorrectly on social media after leaving the court.

Human wee made into fertiliser to help grow new forest

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgk5k7lkv0o, today

Scientists behind a pioneering project to turn human wee into plant fertiliser are hoping to grow their first forest.

Bristol-based start-up NPK Recovery collects urine from portable toilets during festivals and events, transforming it into fertiliser to help grass grow back on the fields afterwards.

Now, as part of a UK-first Forestry Commission-backed trial, the team plans to grow thousands of native British trees for a new woodland in Monmouthshire, south Wales.

It comes as fertiliser prices have soared due to the war in Iran, putting pressure on farmers and growers.

Based out of the University of the West of England (UWE), in recent years the team has been collecting urine at events like the London Marathon and Boomtown Festival.

They use the nitrogen and other nutrients in wee to produce fertiliser on site, easing the burden on sewage systems as the events run and reducing chemical use.

The product - which, you may be surprised to read, doesn't smell - has already been used to grow grass and crops, with field trials suggesting it can be as effective as synthetic fertiliser.

But this will be the first time it has been used on trees, as part of a three-year project funded by a £435,627 Forestry Commission grant to support innovation in the sector.

The company has partnered with Welsh charity Stump up for Trees and its tree nursery on the outskirts of Abergavenny.

The plan is to use the fertiliser to help grow 4,500 native British trees - such as beech and Scots pine - to be planted in Bannau Brycheiniog national park, also known as the Brecon Beacons.

Lucy Bell-Reeves, NPK Recovery's co-founder, said using a waste product to grow trees was "a circular solution that can revitalise our struggling native species."

Pests, pathogens and invasive species have decimated native tree populations, she explained - pointing to Woodland Trust data suggesting just 7% of Britain's native woodlands are in good condition.

"I love the idea that by the end of this three-year project, revellers and runners will have created a fledgling Welsh forest, which could flourish for hundreds of years," she said.

"We need to stop flushing crop and tree-growing nutrients down the loo, and start using them to increase our fertiliser security. After all, we're not about to run out of urine any time soon."

Author and journalist Rob Penn, who co-founded Stump up for Trees said he was "very excited to be involved in this ground-breaking project, which has implications for the future of sustainable forestry".

The farmer-led charity has recently celebrated planting its 500,000th tree, and is aiming for a million.

Before you get any ideas, weeing in your garden in the hope it'll help the plants grow isn't the best plan.

"Urine does naturally contain all of the nutrients that plants need such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but it also contains a variety of contaminants," explained Olivia Wilson, NPK Recovery's research and development scientist.

The company's process removes the contaminants and turns the nutrients into forms that can be taken up by plants, creating an "effective, safe - and odourless - fertiliser", she emphasised.

At a time when the conflict in the Middle East has put pressure on the availability and price of imported synthetic fertiliser, Wilson said the project hoped in the long term "to provide a bit of fertiliser security for growers in the UK who are looking for a more sustainable source for their fertiliser needs".

Peter Magyar - ex-insider challenging Viktor Orban for power in Hungary

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78l7vyylgqo, today

"Now or never," Peter Magyar has been telling Hungarians, in a breathless campaign across the country in the run-up to 12 April elections that opinion polls suggest he can win.

This 45-year-old former Fidesz party insider represents the biggest threat to Viktor Orban's rule in Hungary since he won the first of four consecutive victories in 2010.

Magyar's slogan dates back to a revolutionary poet's 19th Century rallying cry to rise up for the homeland.

After more than 100 campaign stops his message has been shortened to "Now": the words "or never" have been crossed out, adding to the urgency.

He is on course to visit all of Hungary's 106 constituencies, and he has given four, five, even six speeches a day. Magyar has built a powerful support base in more than two years of touring the country, even in the small towns and villages were Fidesz traditionally dominates.

Last year he walked 300km (185 miles) from Budapest to the Romanian border in a campaign to "reunite" the nation, in a bid to bring natural Fidesz voters to his side.

Magyar promises to tackle corruption, improve the economy and he has sought to woo Hungary's disadvantaged Roma community. He has also promised to unlock billions of euros in EU funds, frozen largely because of concerns over Hungary's rule of law.

But Orban has depicted him as a "puppet" of the EU and Ukraine, and he has been wary of getting too close to Brussels and has promised voters "we are the real party of peace".

His self-confidence stems from a deep understanding of the rival he faces.

Until February 2024, Magyar was very much part of the Fidesz family.

He joined the party at university and married one of its rising stars in Judit Varga, with whom he had three children.

Then Magyar stunned Hungarians with a live appearance on a pro-opposition YouTube Channel called Partizán.

In a country of 9.6 million people, a million watched as a solemn Peter Magyar explained why he had had enough of his own party.

"Everyone warned me against it, friends, family people I know," he told presenter Márton Gulyás. "Obviously I've been in this system, in this circle, for a very long time."

Hungary was in the midst of a scandal in which President Katalin Novak had granted a pardon to a man who had helped cover up sexual abuse in a Hungarian state-run children's home.

She resigned, and so did Magyar's ex-wife. Varga had been justice minister and had co-signed the pardon. Two leading Fidesz women were left to carry the can. Varga had been destined for big things in Fidesz, having left her job as minister to spearhead Fidesz European election campaign. That career was over.

Now she was no longer part of the Fidesz machine, Peter Magyar sensed this was his moment.

"I do not want to be part of a system in which the real people in charge hide behind women's skirts," he wrote on Facebook.

Towards the end of his Partizán interview Magyar spoke of his hope for political change, while realising it would be very difficult while Orban was still in power.

The current opposition was totally inept, he complained, so change would have to come from within. But one day there would be change and when it did happen it could be fast, he predicted.

His YouTube appearance went viral.

"It was not a planned move," he later told the BBC. "My mother called me not to go, but I did the opposite. Everybody knew the situation in Hungary - it's not very safe to go against this government."

Peter Magyar's high-profile party marriage had fallen apart in 2023 but he was still an important figure in Fidesz even if he was little known to the wider public.

He was a natural fit for Orban's social conservatives.

The son of two lawyers - his mother was as senior judge - Peter Magyar also counts a former Hungarian president as his godfather, and he was very interested in politics from an early age.

Magyar went to an elite Catholic boys' high school near the centre of Budapest before studying law at a Catholic university in Budapest while Orban was serving his first term as prime minister from 1998-2002.

Magyar joined the party after Orban's election defeat, and the woman he married, Judit Varga, was destined for Fidesz success, becoming justice minister in 2019, nine years after Orban's return to office.

Magyar himself became a diplomat at Hungary's permanent mission in Brussels, later running Orban's team working with the European Parliament. He went on to serve on the boards of state-owned companies.

His disaffection with the party was gradual.

"After a while I became more and more critical, openly and just among friends. I can tell you that the Fidesz we see today is very very different from the one I joined in 2002."

"I was always told by the politicians it's necessary to keep power - I accepted it for a time. But of course the turning point was in 2024," he told the BBC's Budapest correspondent Nick Thorpe.

For a while, Magyar worried if he had made a mistake: "I have three kids, I love them very much and I was very much worried about their future as well."

If the YouTube interview was the turning point, the next big moment came on 15 March 2024, a national holiday marking the anniversary of Hungary's failed revolution in 1848.

While Orban spoke from the steps of Budapest's National Museum, condemning the EU and calling for the "occupation of Brussels", Peter Magyar was addressing an estimated 10,000 people, alleging corruption and mishandling the economy at the top.

He announced he was forming a new party, with only weeks to go before Hungarians voted in European elections.

He doubled down on his accusations of corruption, releasing a secret recording made of a conversation with his ex-wife in 2023 in which she speaks about a high-profile trial.

Judit Varga said she was appalled by Magyar's actions, accusing him of abuse which he denied. He also fell out with a former friend, Orban minister Gergely Gulyás - who said Magyar was "one who first betrays his family, then betrays his country as an agent of Brussels".

Asked what he thought of his challenger, Orban told the BBC: "He left Fidesz, that's all."

By now Varga's ex-husband was making big strides politically and forming new friendships, among them popular actor Ervin Nagy.

Magyar took over a dormant party called Tisza, and won 29.6% of the vote and seven seats in the European Parliament. Tisza was well behind Orban's ruling Fidesz on 44.8%, but Magyar had made a powerful statement.

By autumn 2024, Magyar's new party was ahead of Fidesz in the polls and he tore into Orban's close ties with Russia as they led rival marches marking Hungary's 1956 uprising against the Soviet Union.

While Orban labelled Tisza as "warmongers" indulging in a "Brussels war march", Magyar taunted the prime minster as the man who had in 1989 called for Russian troops to leave Hungary but now trampled on the legacy of 1956 and was "the most loyal ally of the Kremlin".

"Mr Prime Minister, why won't you say 'Russians go home' any more?" he asked.

Magyar is no liberal. He has openly derided the liberal opposition that tried to take Orban on in the past, only to see the Fidesz leader storm to a two-thirds majority it needed to mould the constitution.

One key to his success has been his demolition of the fragmented, old opposition parties. He sees former Socialist leader Ferenc Gyurcsany as no better than Orban.

And he has not been afraid to take on the pro-Orban new outlets that dominate Hungary's media landscape.

Earlier this year he alleged he had been the target of an attempted "Russian-style" smear campaign involving a sex tape.

Journalists had been sent a black-and-white surveillance image apparently showing drugs on a table near a bed. The implication was that more footage was to come and Magyar moved to pre-empt it.

He admitted having consensual sex with an ex-girlfriend but was adamant he had not touched anything on the table and said he had been lured into a "honey-trap" set up by the secret services.

"My conscience is clear," he said, adding later that he had taken a drug test on 22 March to prove he had not consumed any drugs during the past months, and pointing out he had had similar negative tests in the past.

Until now, none of the accusations and barbs directed at Peter Magyar have stuck. As a former Fidesz adviser, he believes this gives him an advantage.

"I know them, I know their tricks. I know they're very much frightened," he said.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not for Peter Magyar but for the country."

King and Queen give away money in ancient Easter tradition

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgke0qjn1yo, today

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been taking part in the annual Maundy service in north Wales, only the second time the service has been held in Wales in its 800-year history.

The King and Queen attended the service at St Asaph Cathedral, Denbighshire, in a ceremony featuring music by Welsh composers and musicians.

The event takes place annually on the final Thursday before Easter Sunday and commemorates the Last Supper and the importance of humility and service to others.

The Dean of St Asaph Cathedral, Nigel Williams, said they were "deeply honoured" to host the service, hoping it would be a "memorable experience" for those who attended.

The first recorded Royal Maundy service was held in 1210 by King John and commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, with the distribution of alms becoming a tradition.

Charles will present gifts to 77 men and 77 women from Wales and other dioceses across the UK in recognition of outstanding Christian service and for helping people in their communities.

Recipients will be given two purses – a white purse including a set of specially minted silver Maundy coins totalling 77 pennies, to match the King's age, and a red pursue containing a £5 coin marking 100 years since the late Queen's birth, as well as a 50p coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of The King's Trust charity.

The last time the Maundy Service was held in Wales was in 1982 in St Davids, Pembrokeshire.

Grahame Davies, director of mission for Church in Wales, said it was "hugely significant" for the service to be held in north Wales for the first time.

The Bishop of St Asaph, Gregory Cameron, said the Royal Maundy was a "deeply meaningful occasion which we are pleased to welcome to St Asaph".

He admitted he was "nervous" about leading the "ancient" service on Maundy Thursday which marks the day of the last supper when Jesus washed his disciples' feet.

The Cross of Wales, a gift from the King to the Christians of Wales, will be used in the service. The Cross headed the King's 2023 coronation at Westminster Abbey.

Among those who will receive gifts from the King are Susan and Roger Whitehouse from Tywyn, Gwynedd.

The couple said they were "very surprised" to be recognised together, having never sought recognition for their service.

"We've simply tried to serve where needed," they said.

"Our faith informs what we do and why we do it, and it has drawn us deeper into the life of the church while also helping us look outward to the wider community."

Crowds lined the high street in St Asaph ahead of the royal couple's arrival, while graffiti saying "Not our King" was also covered up at the cathedral before the visit.

Workers in hi-vis jackets were seen attempting to remove the message which was sprayed using red paint on a wall in the grounds of the cathedral.

A small group of republican protesters with flags and banners calling for the end of the monarchy also gathered across the road from the cathedral as the King and Queen arrived.

Alleged Bondi gunman loses court bid to suppress names of his family

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4glrnv3qlvo, today

The alleged Bondi gunman has lost his court bid to suppress the names and addresses of his mother, brother and sister due to fears over their safety.

Lawyers for Naveed Akram - who is facing 59 charges over December's attack on a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach that killed 15 people - argued that his family could be targeted by vigilantes and had already experienced abuse.

Last month, details of Akram's family were suppressed under an interim order but on Thursday, a Sydney court lifted it after several media outlets opposed the move.

The case had attracted "unprecedented" attention in Australia and globally, the judge ruled, and information about the family was already widely available online.

"This case has unprecedented public interest, outrage, anger and grief," Judge Hugh Donnelly told the court.

He said the request for a suppression order lasting 40 years did not meet the exceptional circumstances threshold and would have limited impact as it would only apply in Australia and not social media platforms or international media outlets.

The judge said the case was "exceptional by virtue of the sheer magnitude and intensity of the commentary" on overseas platforms, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Donnelly said it was "unfortunate" that Akram's driver's licence had already been posted online but that his lawyers had not properly explained how an order could be enforced.

He also said he was not critical of an interview that Akram's mother gave to a local outlet but that suppressing her identity would do little, the ABC reported.

On the names and workplaces of Akram's siblings, the court said they were unlikely to be part of any court proceedings as they had "little relevance to the case".

Akram, 24, appeared in court via video link from the high security prison where he is being held.

During a hearing last month, the court heard that people had driven past Akram's family home, shouting abuse and death threats.

Family members also reported receiving threatening texts and phone calls.

"We live in constant fear someone will harm us or set our house on fire. I fear for my life and the lives of my children," Akram's mother wrote in a statement.

Lawyers for the media organisations who opposed the suppression order argued that the details of his family were already widely known and there was no evidence of an imminent risk to them, according to the Guardian Australia.

Explosions at Burundi ammunition depot kill civilians, witnesses say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7x7qre0zo, today

At least four people have been killed by a series of powerful explosions at an ammunitions depot in Burundi's largest city, Bujumbura, local residents have told the BBC.

The blasts erupted late on Tuesday at the facility, located in the suburb of Musaga, due to an electrical fault, an army spokesperson said.

Shrapnel and debris were propelled more than 5km (three miles) and several houses in nearby districts were destroyed by the force of the explosions.

The authorities have not yet provided any casualty figures but family members and eyewitnesses told the BBC of four separate deaths in the city. The AFP news agency quotes security sources as saying that dozens of people had died.

One woman told BBC Gahuza that a relative, who had been detained at Mpimba Central Prison, had died after a bomb hit the facility.

Numerous inmates at the prison, which is located near the ammunitions store, are reported to have been injured.

In the north-eastern neighbourhood of Gisandema, witnesses told BBC Gahuza that a bomb had destroyed a house and killed a domestic worker.

The authorities have said they cannot yet comment on the number of casualties as they are still assessing the extent of the damage.

The explosions sent plumes of smoke rising above the city, sparking panic in the city of more than a million people.

President Evariste Ndayishimiye, in a message on X, expressed his condolences to all Burundians, adding that the authorities are "here to help".

More BBC stories about Burundi:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Pair jailed for advertising small boat crossings

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3ln59nvy4o, yesterday

Two Vietnamese nationals who advertised small boat people smuggling services on Facebook have been jailed following a joint UK-French investigation.

Hoang My Tra Nguyen, 25, of Heathfield Road in Croydon, and Hop Cahn Nguyen, 36, of Grasmere Street, Leicester, advertised small boat crossings from France to the UK, "targeting" the Vietnamese community.

They arrived in the UK by small boats in January and July 2023 and were arrested by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers in April 2024.

The pair admitted assisting unlawful immigration at Croydon Crown Court in August 2024, and at the same court on Monday, Hop was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Hoang to 10 years and six months.

The NCA said Hoang and Hop controlled Facebook accounts, together with another male who is awaiting extradition to France, that included video clips of individuals travelling on a small boat and provided UK mobile numbers to arrange travel.

Messages included: "I still have a few direct flights to the UK. Passport available everyone" and "orders for you guys who want to enter Europe with a cheap price... you guys hurry and get a seat".

Hoang and Hop would arrange crossings for migrants and helped them to abscond by putting them in touch with a third party once their claims were processed.

Officers put the group under surveillance and began to monitor their movements over the course of five months.

In February 2024, Hop was stopped by British Transport Police officers at Euston station, attempting to travel to Birmingham with migrants who had recently crossed the Channel via small boat, the NCA said.

Following their arrests in April, officers seized numerous mobile phones, SIM cards and ledgers detailing the names, costs and details of routes.

'Undermine borders'

NCA branch commander Saju Sasikumar said the pair claimed "cheap prices and urgency to entice people looking for a new life".

"These crossings are extremely dangerous and the defendants had no interest in the safety of those making the journey aside from ensuring they received their payment and made significant profits," said Sasikumar.

Hilary Ryan, specialist prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service, said the pair tried to "undermine our borders".

Ryan added: "Their operation was sophisticated and they stood to make hundreds of thousands of pounds, and the sentence reflects that."

Listen to BBC Radio Leicester on Sounds and follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.

Rescuers abandon hope for whale stranded off German island

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cede246wd59o, today

After spending more than a week trying to save a humpback whale stranded off Germany's northern coast, rescue officials have conceded their hopes have run out.

The whale became stuck on a sandbank on 23 March before being rescued days later - only to swim into shallow waters on Poel Island, further down the Baltic Sea coast.

"We're of the firm opinion the animal will die there," Burkard Baschek, head of the German Oceanographic Museum, said on Wednesday.

During an emotional press briefing, local environment minister Till Backhaus said rescuers had "tried everything to give him a chance" and called the situation "an exceptional tragedy".

Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack said they had tried to stop the whale entering a shallow bay on Poel Island, but it had done so anyway.

First spotted in German coastal waters in early March, the whale is thought to have become entangled in netting before eventually becoming stranded on a sandbank on Timmendorfer Strand, near the town of Travemünde.

The humpback is also thought to have been suffering from a skin condition brought on by the lower salt levels of the Baltic Sea.

Late last week, hopes had been high that the whale might move to deeper waters after excavators dug a channel enabling him to swim off.

Attempts to guide the humpback towards the saltier waters of the North Sea proved unsuccessful, and he swam some distance east along the coast before becoming stuck again in a coastal bay in the city of Wismar.

Rescuers coaxed him away but only as far as nearby Poel Island, where he is now lying on the seabed. With the water level set to drop, they believe he is too weak to swim any further.

Baschek said the whale's breathing and reaction to rescuers had deteriorated, and that the chances of coaxing him out of the bay were so slim it would be cruel to try.

It is thought his hopes of survival ran out early on Wednesday.

Backhaus, a leading rescue official in the northern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, told reporters that a 500m (1,640ft) exclusion zone had been set up around the whale so it could die with dignity.

Trump administration to shutter historic Border Road between US and Canada

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly7gl95nnpo, yesterday

The US government will close a nearly nine-mile (14km) stretch of road from 1 July along its border that runs between Montana and Alberta, citing security concerns.

The closure of the stretch, commonly referred to as Border Road, will end more than eight decades of informal crossings between farming communities on each side of the border.

The Trump administration cites a rise in irregular migration and drug smuggling for the decision.

Although the road lies on the Montana side of the US-Canada border, it is maintained by Alberta's Warner County which has already set aside funds to build a replacement.

Calling the move "unfortunate", Warner County's Chief Administrative Officer Shawn Hathaway told the BBC that Canadian officials were first informed last summer of the US plan to close the road.

The road, accessed freely by both Canadians and Americans since the 1940s, lies within the US.

"Two Canadians actually have to access their houses from it," Hathaway said.

Between 800 and 1,200 trucks traverse the Coutts-Sweet Grass crossing every day, and C$15.9bn ($11.4bn; £8.64bn) worth of "two-way trade" crosses the route each year, according to Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.

The Alberta government is now spending C$8m ($5.74m; £4.34m) to build a road alongside it for Canadians.

Construction is expected to begin in April, Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen told the Canadian Press. It is expected to be completed by summer.

"Regardless of the line on the map, you'll have farmers on both sides of the border, you'll have family friends on both sides of the border," he said. "I think obviously that will continue."

DHS has not immediately responded to the BBC's request for comment.

For locals, it is the end of an era.

Ross Ford, who lives on a farm on the Canadian side of the border, described the move to The Canadian Press as "unfortunate" and said the bond between neighbours has always been close.

"Of course, they live in Montana and that won't change – but we have this new barrier," he told the outlet.

Roger Horgus, who lives on the Montana side of the border, recalled for The Canadian Press a time in his youth when kids would run across the border to ride bikes and play.

"[The road closure is] ridiculous. I hate to see it because the Canadians have taken such good care of us and the road, with grading and all of that," he told the outlet.

"The roads will basically parallel each other for the full length of the road. So we'll have our road, and they'll have their road."

Rachel Reeves says she's angry at Trump's decision to launch war with Iran

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c625v1l4l29o, today

Rachel Reeves said she is "angry" that US President Donald Trump chose to go to war with Iran, adding there is no "clear" exit strategy.

The chancellor said the decision is "causing real hardship for people now", with higher inflation, weaker economic growth and lower tax receipts among the potential consequences.

Relations between the US and the UK have become increasingly strained following Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's refusal to be drawn further into the war with Iran.

The direct criticism of Trump by Reeves went further than Sir Keir, who earlier on Wednesday said he would not change his decision "whatever the pressure".

Trump has repeatedly criticised Sir Keir in recent weeks after the PM refused to allow the US to use UK bases for its initial offensive strikes against Iran.

Sir Keir later gave permission for them to be used for defensive action against Iranian missile strikes, but this has not stopped Trump's critical remarks.

Speaking to BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show, Reeves said: "I'm angry that Donald Trump has chosen to go to war in the Middle East – a war that there's not a clear plan of how to get out of. It's why we didn't want to enter this."

Reeves said the government is monitoring the situation closely and "trying to bring the oil and gas into the UK so that those supplies are there and to try and get the prices down".

She also defended the government's response to cost of living pressures, with opposition parties asking for more details on how to protect people from rising energy costs.

The Conservatives and Reform UK both want VAT to be taken off household energy bills, while arguing a planned hike in fuel duty from September should be cancelled.

The Liberal Democrats are also calling for the increase not to go ahead, while the Greens say the government should commit billions of pounds now to subsidise energy bills from July, when the price cap is recalculated.

Plaid Cymru said the government should set out now what support would be available if energy bills rise, while the SNP argues Holyrood should control energy policy.

The tax rate on petrol and diesel is due to rise from September, when a 5p cut made after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is set to be phased out over six months.

Reeves and Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds also met supermarket bosses on Wednesday to discuss how they can work together to "ease the cost of living for consumers and strengthen supply chains", according to a government spokesperson.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium, described the talks as "constructive".

She said: "Supermarkets are doing everything they can to keep food prices affordable and maintain the ongoing resilience of their supply chains."

Sir Keir earlier used a press conference to say the UK would pursue closer economic ties with the European Union as a result of the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

He said: "It is increasingly clear that as the world continues down this volatile path, our long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe and with the European Union."

Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride said Britain is "weaker" because of choices made by Reeves and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

He said: "Tax hikes and Labour's net zero obsession are driving up costs and hitting families in the pocket."

Reform UK's treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said Sir Keir was "using the war in Iran and his inaction on the cost of living as a guise to take us back into the single market".

He claimed this had been Sir Keir's "plan all along", and he was now "trying to do it by the back door".

Plaid Cymru's Heledd Fychan said it was "unclear" what support will come from the UK government.

Fychan said "Brexit was a disaster for the UK" and welcomed Sir Keir's talk about the need for closer links with Europe, adding: "It's about time we saw that progress."

On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host a virtual meeting of 35 nations - including European and Gulf countries - to discuss possible measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the fighting has stopped.

Iran has effectively blocked the strait - one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels - leading to soaring wholesale oil and gas prices.

A sustained rise in the price of oil is likely to lead to a jump in household energy bills in the UK, when the current cap is reset in July.

Why Chinese tech companies are racing to set up in Hong Kong

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8d5v404m96o, 3 days ago

In a hotel lobby on Hong Kong Island, a delivery robot pauses outside one of the lifts as the doors open, and a guest steps out. The robot waits, and then rolls neatly inside.

The move looks simple, but it isn't. To work in the busy hotel, owned by an international chain, the robot must navigate a building that won't slow down for it.

People are often getting in the way, and it must be able to take the lift to the correct floor, and then find the right room.

The company behind the robot, Yunji, is a mainland Chinese tech business that is aiming to use Hong Kong as a springboard for successful overseas expansion.

"We aim to make our product succeed in Hong Kong, and then expand outward," says the firm's vice-president, Xie Yunpeng.

Hong Kong is becoming increasingly important to such mainland Chinese tech companies as a place to raise money, test products with international clients, and build credibility for overseas expansion.

This matters because US and European nations have grown more wary of such Chinese companies. Dubbed "China risk" by some commentators, countries fear state-led espionage and excessive Chinese domination of their tech sectors.

For mainland Chinese tech firms it means they are finding access to capital, customers and trust harder to secure in some international markets. So, they are instead looking to Hong Kong in the first instance.

Last year, the number of mainland Chinese firms listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange increased to 76, up from 30 in 2024, an increase of 153%, according to a report by accountancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Invest Hong Kong, the investment promotion agency for the special administrative region, has also reported a rise in the number of mainland firms it has helped to set up or expand in the territory, with innovation and technology among the biggest sectors.

Xiaomeng Lu, a director at political consultancy Eurasia Group, says mainland Chinese tech firms are "shifting to Hong Kong" for their primary share listing as "geopolitical headwinds dampen their dreams" to float in New York.

"These days Hong Kong is their best hope to attract global investors and position themselves as a player not fully constrained by the boundary of the mainland market," she adds.

Meanwhile, Wendy Chang of the Mercator Institute for China Studies, a Germany-based think tank, says Hong Kong is "fashioning itself as a connector to the outside world for Chinese companies", with policies to speed up share flotations and help mainland firms set up operations in the city.

This increased focus on Hong Kong comes as the Chinese government in Beijing is aiming for the country to achieve more "technology self-reliance".

Significantly reducing its need for foreign hardware and software is now at the centre of its economic policy, especially regarding artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

This is a key focus of the country's new 15th Five-Year Plan, which sees technology not just as an economic priority but as a strategic one given tensions with the US.

In this context, the "strategic value of Hong Kong for high-tech Chinese companies" has increased, says Paul Triolo, a Washington-based partner of global business consultancy DGA Group.

Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at French investment bank Natixis, says that Hong Kong offers mainland firms a place where they can show that they can meet international standards while building trust with global investors and clients.

For Yunji, that means proving its robots can operate in real-world international settings. The company, which builds its service robots for hotels, hospitals and factories, listed in Hong Kong in October of last year, as it sought to widen its investor base beyond the mainland.

MiningLamp Technology, a Chinese AI software company set up its operation in Hong Kong the same month. Its founder, Wu Minghui, calls Hong Kong a "data compliance transfer station", where mainland Chinese firms like his can test how to handle cross-border data flows and build compliance processes before moving into other markets.

But even if a mainland Chinese firm is successful in Hong Kong, it can still face barriers overseas.

Governments in the US and Europe have tightened national security reviews of Chinese investments and technology, citing concerns over data access and critical infrastructure. Some countries, like the US and UK have also moved to restrict or phase out Chinese suppliers from telecoms networks.

Western nations also have broader concerns about Chinese firms' governance and transparency. The Luckin Coffee scandal remains a cautionary tale for many international investors after the Chinese company admitted fabricating sales.

The revelation saw its shares being delisted from New York's Nasdaq stock market in 2020.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong is not as appealing to international companies and investors as it once was. Since mass pro-democracy protests in 2019, authorities have imposed a sweeping national security law and new local security legislation.

Dozens of activists, opposition politicians and journalists have been arrested or jailed under security or related laws. Beijing and Hong Kong officials say the measures were necessary to restore stability and order, but critics say this has sharply curtailed political freedoms.

And Triolo says that even with a Hong Kong base, many mainland companies remain bound by evolving rules set in Beijing, from cybersecurity and data controls, to requirements for public-facing AI.

"Hong Kong is not really a geopolitical shield [for such firms]", he says, adding that it "only partially mitigates" their risks.

Germany has a shortage of workers - so it's turning to India for help

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wlww83yv4o, 10 days ago

Germany is continuing to struggle with a shortage of skilled workers, as elderly staff retire, and there are not enough young candidates to fill their roles. To try to alleviate the problem the country is increasingly turning to workers from India.

For Handirk von Ungern-Sternberg, it started with an email that dropped into his inbox in February 2021. It had come from India.

The gist of the message was: "We have lots of young, motivated people looking for vocational training and we're wondering if you're interested."

Von Ungern-Sternberg was working for the Freiburg Chamber of Skilled Crafts in southwest Germany, a trade body that represents skilled workers, from bricklayers and carpenters, to butchers and bakers, and the companies that employ them.

The email arrived at an opportune moment.

"We had a lot of desperate employers, who couldn't find anyone to work for them," says Von Ungern-Sternberg. "So we decided to give it a chance."

His first call was to the head of the local butchers' guild. Butchers all over Germany were having a particularly hard time. It was a sector in marked decline.

From 19,000 small, family-run businesses in 2002, there were fewer than 11,000 left by 2021. Employers were finding it almost impossible to recruit young people to take up an apprenticeship.

"The butchery trade is hard work," says the butchers' guild head, Joachim Lederer. "And for the last 25 years or so, young people have been going in other directions."

Back in India, at Magic Billion, the employment agency that had sent that initial email, it managed to recruit 13 young people, who arrived in Germany in the autumn of 2022 to begin their butchery apprenticeships in small towns along the border with Switzerland. They would spend part of their time at college.

Among them was a young Indian woman, 21, who asked for her name to not be used. Like many of her cohort, it was the first time she had ever left India.

She remembers her excitement. "I wanted to see the world," she says. "I wanted to make my living standard so high. I wanted good social security."

She had come to work in the town of Weil am Rhein, in the far southwestern tip of Germany, up against both the Swiss and French borders.

Three years later a lot has changed. Von Ungern-Sternberg no longer works at the chamber.

He has instead set up his own employment agency, India Works, in partnership with Aditi Banerjee, of Magic Billion, to help bring more young Indian workers to Germany.

From those original 13 there are now 200 young Indians working in German butchers' shops.

Germany is suffering a crisis of demographics. The economy needs to attract 288,000 foreign workers per year, according to a 2024 study. Otherwise the workforce could shrink by 10% by 2040, said the report by the Bertelsmann Foundation think tank.

As the last of the baby boomer generation edge into retirement there are not enough young Germans to replace them, due to a low birth rate. But there are plenty of young people in India.

"India is a country with 600 million people below the age of 25," says Banerjee. "Only 12 million come into the workforce every year. So there's a huge labour surplus."

India Works is preparing to bring 775 young Indians over to Germany this year to begin their apprenticeships. The range of professions they will join is extensive. There are now road builders, mechanics, stonemasons, and bakers, to name four.

It has been easier for skilled Indian workers to be able to work in Germany since the two countries signed the 2022 Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement. Then at the end of 2024, Germany announced that it would increase the skilled work visa quota for Indian citizens from 20,000 per year to 90,000.

Official Germany figures show that in 2024 there were 136,670 Indian workers in the country, up from 23,320 back in 2015.

Young Indians who have found employment in Germany via India Works offer similar explanations for their decision to try their luck in a new country - the difficulties of finding a job in India, the higher salaries available in Europe, and the ambition to make their own way in life.

There's Ishu Gariya, for example, a 20-year-old who after finishing Indian high school was contemplating a university degree and a job in computers. "But I didn't want to waste my money on this degree and then find work in a company for a low wage," he says.

So he swapped a Delhi suburb for a village in Germany's Black Forest region, where he's a baker's apprentice. His shift didn't finish until three in the morning and he's ensconced in a hooded down jacket to keep out the winter weather. But he's happy.

"We have high wages here," he says. "So I'll be able to help my family [back home] financially."

And he says he loves the clean air in the German countryside.

Ajay Kumar Chandapaka, 25, came from Hyderabad to sign on with Spedition Dold, a haulage company based in a village outside the city of Freiburg. He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.

"It was very difficult for me to get a job in India," he says. "So I thought that Ausbildung would be a better role for me." Ausbildung is the German word for training or apprenticeship.

Lederer, who took two of the original cohort, now has seven young Indians working for him. He says that his new recruits have saved his business.

"When I started out 35 years there were eight shops like mine within a 10km radius," he says. "Now I'm the only one left. I wouldn't be in business today without India."

Up the street at the town hall in Weil am Rhein the mayor Diana Stöcker, from the conservative Christian Democratic Union of Germany party, is also about to hire workers from India. The municipality have identified two young men who'll be coming to Germany later this year to work as kindergarten teachers.

"We've been looking for teachers all over Germany," she says. "But they're really hard to find."

Once a member of the German Bundestag, Stöcker was elected mayor in 2024. She acknowledges the difficulty Germany has in finding young talent across the board and says there's only one solution. "We have to look overseas. It's the only possibility."

The homeless teenager who became a successful advertising boss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn08lx745ndo, 7 days ago

When Greg Daily found himself homeless as a teenager, becoming a successful entrepreneur seemed an impossibility.

Aged 19 back in 2001, for six months he slept wherever he could in Minneapolis.

Short of money and struggling to find long-term employment, Daily couldn't afford to pay rent. So he had to ask friends and acquaintances if he could sleep on their sofas. On a few occasions he had to make do with a kitchen floor.

Business, though, was in his DNA.

"My grandfather sold brooms out of the back of a van," he says, recalling riding with him as young boy, as they would travel to sell cleaning equipment.

It taught Daily a lesson from a young age: "Businesses feed families."

Now 43, his life today is a million miles away from when he had to go to sleep hungry on a friend's sofa.

Daily is the founder and boss of a Denver-based digital marketing firms called Science in Advertising. Launched in 2019, it serves businesses from members of the Fortune 500 list of the largest US companies, down to "mom-and-pop shops" – small, family-owned retailers.

It helps all these clients manage their online advertising, enabling them to reach additional customers through platforms such as Google, Facebook and Instagram.

Despite the business lessons gained from his grandfather, Daily admits that his family life was "broken" when he was growing up in Denver.

"My parents were divorced when I was young… I was raised by a single mother."

When he was 10-years-old, his grandfather passed away, leaving his mother struggling to feed four children. To make money she'd sell clothes and jewellery, which Daily says was "a big part of what helped us survive".

As he reached adulthood, Daily moved around the US, spending six months in Texas with his grandmother, and six months with his father, before falling into couch surfing.

Travelling to Colorado for a construction job, Daily says the moment that changed his life was meeting his wife at a church. Twenty three years later they are still married.

Seeing that she was earning more money and working fewer hours, Daily decided to go back to college in 2008. He jokes that rather than it being "a romantic story" he realised that he needed qualifications to be able to earn more money.

After completing a journalism course at the Metropolitan State University of Denver he got a job on a local newspaper.

A few years later, with newspapers struggling in the face of smart phones and the internet, Daily moved to England to do a two-year creative writing diploma at Oxford University. "Here in the United States, print journalism was dying. I started thinking about how to write for businesses."

Upon his return to the US, his career in digital marketing for companies started.

When preparing to launch Science in Advertising, Daily says that he and his wife worked out they had around six to eight months of savings before they would run out of money. "It was terrifying," he says. "I was in tears."

He believed he could do the work, what frightened him was everything else.

"There were so many questions I didn't have answers to," he says. "What if it doesn't work? What if I fail? What if I can't provide?"

Rather than ignoring that fear, Daily says he built his business around it, making one phrase, central to how he operates - "failure is always an option".

It is something he now repeats to his team, particularly when they are facing a high-risk decision. "If you operate as though failure isn't possible, the ship is going to blow up," he explains.

Instead, he accepts that things can go wrong and if they do it is all about limiting the damage. "Assume failure is real," he says. "Now go look for it. Now try to find it. Now reduce the risk."

He adds that as long as you can still feed your kids, some level of short-term financial loss "doesn't matter".

The business has, however, been successful, and grown its client base. Daily says he's particularly proud to be helping small, family-owned businesses like his mother's and grandfather's.

"I love seeing them be successful because that's what I am. That's my family. That's the background I come from," he says.

US digital marketing expert Shama Hyder says that succeeding in the sector is "not easy". "The industry is saturated, competition is fierce, and with AI, shifting platforms, and changing consumer behaviour, marketing is about to get significantly harder."

She adds: "When someone like Greg builds a thriving agency in this space, that deserves real recognition."

It's clear that family plays an oversized role in Daily's drive to succeed. But has the entrepreneurial spirit that he inherited from his grandfather and mother been passed down to his eight-year-old son?

"He is very engineering minded," Daily explains, "so, we recently invested a few hundred dollars to get him a 3D printer."

Together father and son are now watching online videos about people making money from selling 3D printed items.

Are domes and spheres the future of entertainment?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq6q66n86qyo, 2 days ago

The top of the Las Vegas Sphere had opened, and mortgage loan officer Danielle Renee , of Washington State, was peering upwards in awe at millions of stars. She was going into space – and the Backstreet Boys were driving.

"Oh my gosh, it was incredible," she says. "I don't know how another show could beat it."

Renee, a decades-long Backstreet Boys fan, went to the Las Vegas Sphere in early February and was wowed both by the band's performance and the visual effects on the giant concave screen that covers a 15,000 sq m portion of the Sphere's interior surface. The night sky, the bands' spaceship, all of it was graphics.

Renee, who has seen the Backstreet Boys more than once before, says "nothing compares" to this new show. "Everyone was dancing, everyone was singing along."

Sphere-style entertainment spaces are becoming more popular. Rival Cosm, for example, is opening dome-like facilities in multiple US cities, where audiences can watch live sports events or films including The Matrix with additional visual effects that envelop the portion of the screen showing the movie.

Proponents say this is the future of entertainment – supposedly more immersive, more experiential.

But audiences have heard that before about, for example, 3D cinema, which has failed to gain significant traction more than once over the years. The challenge is to prove that visually-overwhelming domes can do any better.

The Las Vegas Sphere, which cost a galactic $2.3bn (£1.72bn), has hosted a variety of different shows since it opened in September 2023 – from a new version of The Wizard of Oz, with added visual effects, to a residency by Irish rockers U2. Tickets generally cost at least $100, sometimes much more.

For years, commentators questioned the financial viability of such a venue. Was it an exciting new form of entertainment, or a boondoggle?

Early in 2025, multiple observers highlighted the Sphere's ongoing struggle to make money and one critic was left "confused and slightly dismayed" by their visit.

But, as more shows came along, the Sphere has finally turned a profit. In February, Sphere Entertainment reported a net income of $57.6m for the 2025 calendar year. The company declined to speak to the BBC for this article.

"For me, watching a movie is enough of an experience," says creativity and innovation researcher Manel González-Piñero at the University of Barcelona , who has seen The Wizard of Oz at the Las Vegas Sphere. "I don't need to complement the experience with something new."

However, he says the Sphere is a "prototype" that appears to be working well in the sense of offering content to audiences in a unique format.

Last year, Sphere Entertainment announced its plan to bring "mini Spheres", with 5,000-seat capacity, to other locations. González-Piñero says he is not sure such facilities would suit cities such as Milan or Amsterdam. It might make more sense to think of the Sphere as a one-off, a Las Vegas-specific attraction, he suggests.

But Ben Wood, chief analyst at FDM/CCS Insight, a market research firm, found the Sphere "jaw-dropping" when he visited and says he was dismayed to see so much opposition to a sister Sphere in East London.

Plans for such a facility were withdrawn in 2024 after London Mayor Sadiq Khan refused to grant it planning permission.

Venues with large concave screens allow audiences to feel as though they've witnessing a kind of augmented reality, or that they have put on a virtual reality headset, adds Wood: "It's an amazing, futuristic metaphor for the way people consume content."

Though, he does say he can understand why some people might be turned off by the sheer excess of it. Wood's hotel room looked out at the Sphere, which has an even bigger exterior screen that displays animations and various other content, including, at times, an eye. "This thing's winking at you," says Wood.

An alternative kind of venue is offered by Cosm, which emerged after a merger involving Evans & Sutherland, a company that developed digital projection technology widely used in planetariums and science centres.

Today, Cosm is using its experience in display tech software to bring live sports and visually augmented movie presentations to LED screens, which have largely taken over from projector systems.

"We are very much a software company," says Devin Poolman, chief product and technology officer. Though, he adds, "The LEDs are designed by our team so they are pretty unique for those doubly curved, effectively domed displays."

Cosm has venues in Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta in the US, with two more planned for Cleveland and Detroit.

Poolman says the goal is to have "more than 100 worldwide", however, he will not be drawn on whether the facilities are yet profitable. "We feel very confident in the strength of our business."

It's worth remembering that the idea of entertainment venues making use of dome shapes is far from new. Cinerama constructed dome-shaped cinemas in the US in the 1960s. Imax followed in the subsequent years.

There's something special about more fully illuminating the interior of a dome, says James Lanier, founder and president of Absolute Hollywood, a company that, since the late 1990s, has set up temporary and semi-permanent inflatable domes that house internally projected shows.

Unlike the Las Vegas Sphere, he stresses, visitors are generally free to walk around – or even lie down and look straight up – at the presentation.

He recalls one installation for a royal wedding in the Middle East, where performances by singers and dancers – filmed separately in nearby tents – were beamed into the central dome for guests to enjoy. "It was a very surreal experience," says Lanier.

It may not be for everyone, but dome-based entertainment clearly has the power to captivate some. Danielle Renee is already planning to revisit the Backstreet Boys at the Las Vegas Sphere.

"I actually just got an email this morning [about] their final shows of the summer," she says. "I was looking to see how I could get there again."

Oil briefly falls below $100 and shares jump on Trump Iran war pledge

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2489v97842o, yesterday

Oil prices briefly fell below $100 a barrel and shares opened higher in Europe on Wednesday after President Donald Trump said the US will leave Iran in "two to three weeks" regardless of whether a deal is struck with Tehran.

Brent crude ticked down to $98.65 before inching back up to $101 following Trump's pledge and ahead of a speech this evening when he will "provide an important update on Iran".

In the UK, the FTSE 100 index rose 1.3%. In Germany, the Dax traded 2.1% higher and France's Cac added 1.8%.

Since the US-Israel war with Iran, oil and gas prices have soared after Tehran threatened to attack vessels using the Strait of Hormuz, effectively shutting the key shipping route.

On Wednesday, QatarEnergy said a fuel oil tanker the company leased had been "the subject of a missile attack" in the early hours of the morning.

It said none of the crew members on board had been injured and there is no impact on the environment as a result of this incident.

Qatar's Ministry of Defence said Iran had fired three cruise missiles, two of which were intercepted while the third hit the tanker.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said Iran is "begging to make a deal" but whether it happens or not is "irrelevant" to America's timetable.

Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country has the "necessary will" to put an end to the war but demanded certain guarantees to prevent the recurrence of any future aggression.

Shares had also jumped in Asia. Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed 5.2% higher, while the Kospi in South Korea ended up 8.4%.

Japan and South Korea have been hit particularly hard by the conflict as they are heavily reliant on energy from the Middle East.

Financial markets in both countries swung sharply in recent weeks as investors react to developments in the war.

Oil prices have surged as much as 64% in March - when they reached nearly $120 a barrel - in the biggest monthly gain since 1990 when Iraq's invasion of Kuwait took both countries' oil off the market, resulting in an energy supply shock, said Nicolas Daher from the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The latest spike in prices has been driven by expectations that the conflict will continue until at least the end of April, Daher said.

Oil refiners are also bidding more aggressively for crude as they try to boost production as markets around the world are hit by shortages of jet fuel and diesel, said Ole Hansen from Saxo Bank.

The fighting has continued in the Middle East. Lebanon's capital Beirut was hit on Tuesday by airstrikes, with Israel's military saying it was targeting a senior Hezbollah figures.

Mass robotaxi malfunction halts traffic in Chinese city

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvge91r9j80o, today

A mass robotaxi outage in the Chinese city of Wuhan caused at least a hundred self-driving cars to stop mid-traffic, sparking renewed debate around the safety of driverless vehicles.

Local police said initial findings suggested a "system malfunction" caused multiple vehicles to stop in the middle of the road on Tuesday.

Videos on social media have documented the outage, with one appearing to show it resulting in a highway collision, although police said no injuries had been reported and passengers exited their vehicles safely.

Baidu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the police statement, posted on social media site Weibo, the cause of the incident is still under further investigation.

Baidu operates its Apollo Go driverless taxi service in dozens of cities across the world, mostly in China.

In December 2025, ride-sharing apps Uber and Lyft announced partnerships with the Chinese technology giant to test its Apollo Go cars on UK roads, aiming to start trials in 2026.

However, both still need approval from regulators before they can begin the pilot programmes.

While driverless tech may be safer on average than human drivers, this incident showed it could "still go wrong in completely new ways," said Jack Stilgoe, professor of science and technology policy at University College London.

"If we're going to make good choices about this technology, we need to understand entirely new types of risk," he told BBC News.

The outage is not the first time self-driving cars have faced technical difficulties.

In December 2025, a large power outage in San Francisco led Waymo taxis to stop working around the city, causing huge traffic jams.

Meanwhile in August 2025, an Apollo Go robotaxi carrying a passenger in Chongqing fell into a construction pit.

How English-only condolences undid one of Canada's top CEOs

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv1q9gz39do, yesterday

A fatal collision at LaGuardia Airport last week marked the start of a difficult period for Air Canada, culminating on Monday with its CEO announcing he will soon retire.

Michael Rousseau's departure comes after he received heavy criticism in the aftermath of the incident, which killed two of the airline's pilots.

But the backlash was not due to the collision itself. Rather, it was sparked by Rousseau's condolences to the pilots, which were delivered almost entirely in English.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the video message showed "a lack of compassion", while politicians in French-speaking Quebec urged Rousseau to resign.

So why has an English-only video sparked this controversy in Canada?

From condolences to controversy

The Air Canada plane, which originated in Montreal, was trying to land in New York on the evening of 22 March before it crashed into an emergency vehicle, killing the two pilots and injuring dozens of passengers.

It was the first fatal crash for Air Canada in more than four decades.

A day later, Air Canada shared a four-minute video message from Rousseau on its social media. In it, Rousseau acknowledged that it was a "sombre day" for his organisation. He also offered his condolences to the airline's staff and family of the victims in English, with subtitles in both official languages.

Almost immediately, Canada's official languages commissioner reportedly received dozens of complaints. By that afternoon, a parliamentary committee had unanimously voted to summon the CEO "to come and explain himself".

Quebec politicians accused Rousseau of showing a "gross lack of respect" to the Quebecois family of one of the deceased pilots, Antoine Forest.

And lawmakers also passed a non-binding vote in the province's legislature calling on the CEO to resign.

Canadian author Jack Jedwab wrote in French language newspaper La Presse that Rousseau's lack of French knowledge sends a message to Air Canada employees that "bilingualism is a constraint, not a value".

"He is not suitable to be (the airline's) spokesperson," Jedwab wrote.

Three days after that initial video message caused a storm, the airline released an apology from Rousseau, in which he said he was "deeply saddened" that it had taken attention away from those who are grieving.

He also admitted that after years of lessons, his French language ability remains weak.

A few days later, Air Canada announced that Rousseau, who is 68, will be retiring by September.

An airline spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the CEO "has reached a natural retirement age" and that his decision is not linked to the language issue.

Many, however, questioned the timing.

Welcome to/Bienvenue à Air Canada

Some outside of Canada may wonder why Rousseau's failure to speak French is such a big issue.

The answer lies in Air Canada's history and status as the country's largest national airline, as well as the role bilingualism plays - both culturally and legally - in Canada.

The airline was initially owned and operated by the federal government, making it subject to Canada's Official Languages Act, which ensures Canadians can access public services in both English and French.

Air Canada was privatised in 1988, but the government passed a law requiring it to maintain its bilingual obligations, said François Larocque, research chair in language rights at the University of Ottawa.

"This is because the carrier was viewed as a national symbol, and it carried the Canadian identity everywhere it flies," Larocque told the BBC.

Those who have taken an Air Canada flight would have noticed announcements in both English and French, like "Welcome to Air Canada" followed by "Bienvenue à Air Canada".

Air Canada has run afoul of its bilingualism mandate in the past. In 2019, it was fined after a French-speaking couple complained that some signage on a domestic flight appeared only in English.

Rousseau's rise to CEO was also contentious, as he spoke only English despite having lived in Montreal for years.

Shortly after taking on the role in 2021, his unilingualism made headlines when he struggled to answer a reporter's question in French.

"How can you live in Montreal without speaking French? Is it easy?" the reporter had asked, first in French and then in English.

"If you look at my work schedule, you'd understand why," Rousseau had responded.

Five years later, his inability to improve his French was a final straw for many.

'Nowhere else in the world is like this'

While many in Quebec were angry, some in the rest of Canada openly questioned the backlash.

"Nowhere else in the world is like this," wrote Toronto-based columnist Chris Selley in the National Post last week.

Others accused politicians of feigning outrage to pander to French-speaking voters.

"Two young men died. Be heartbroken, be respectful, but do not exploit this tragedy to advance political popularity," wrote Joanne O'Hara from Oakville, Ontario in a published Globe and Mail letter to the editor.

As a product of both French and British colonies, bilingualism is "intimately tied to the history of Canada" and a part of its continued unity, Larocque said.

"There's very little chance that Quebec would agree to stay in a Canada that does not recognise French as an official language," he said.

The importance of bilingualism is so high that there is an unspoken rule mandating that any Canadian leader running for prime minister speak both official languages, Larocque added.

Carney, an anglophone who grew up in western Canada, notably laboured to improve his French before running for prime minister last year, and his French ability was the subject of some scrutiny.

Other officials have faced backlash for not speaking French, including Canada's Governor General Mary Simon, who is the first indigenous woman to hold the role.

Air Canada has said that it had launched an external search for potential CEO candidates in January. A number of qualifications will be considered, the airline said, including "the ability to communicate in French".

Peppa Pig and Transformers owner Hasbro hit by cyber-attack

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx24e1nryn9o, today

The toy and entertainment giant, Hasbro - which owns brands including Peppa Pig, Transformers and Monopoly - has been hacked.

Hasbro confirmed "identified unauthorized access to the Company's network" in a filing made to the US government.

Parts of the its website and those of its brands were showing an error message on Wednesday afternoon, with the company warning the cyber-attack could delay product deliveries.

Other Hasbro lines include Play-Doh, Power Rangers, Nerf and Dungeons & Dragons.

In its filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Hasbro said the breach was discovered on 28 March.

It is not known if the cyber-criminals are still in the company's systems or if they have contacted Hasbro, nor if customer data has been compromised.

"While this is an unfortunate incident, Hasbro's business operations remain open," a Hasbro spokesperson told BBC News.

They added: "We have taken swift action to protect our systems and data," including taking some systems offline.

In its SEC filing, Hasbro said it had put measures in place so it could continue taking and shipping orders, but these could be in place "for several weeks" and "may result in some delays".

Hasbro has become owner of some of the world's most recognisable toy brands in its 103-year history.

Around Easter 2025, a number of retail businesses in the UK fell victim to cyber-attacks, including M&S, Co-op and Harrods.

Later in the year, Jaguar Land Rover was attacked, in what became the costliest cyber event in UK history.

A breach of Japanese beer giant Asahi forced the company back to pen and paper to cope, while the fashion house behind Gucci and Balenciaga was also targeted in September.

Asia's migrant workers debate if Gulf jobs are worth deadly risk of Iran war

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0kr8lrpekmo, yesterday

All Norma Tactacon can do is pray as the sirens blare.

The 49-year-old, who works in the Middle East as a domestic worker, is thousands of miles away from her home in the Philippines, where her husband and three children live.

Stuck in Qatar, which is caught in the crossfire of the US and Israel's war on Iran, her only hope is that she makes it home to her family.

"I get scared and nervous every time I see pictures and videos of missiles in the air," she tells the BBC. "I need to be alive to be there for my family. I'm all that they have."

As wealthy Gulf states turned into targets of Iranian strikes because of the US military bases they host, expats left in large numbers, while tourists and travellers have stayed away.

But it has been especially hard for the millions of migrants whose futures have now turned uncertain. From domestic help to construction workers, they have long supported these economies to lift their families back home from poverty.

Tactacon had hoped to pay for her 23-year-old son to graduate from a police academy and for her two daughters, aged 22 and 24, to become nurses, a springboard for high-paying jobs overseas.

That's why she spent a good part of the last two decades working as a maid in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

What is still keeping her there is her salary. Filipino domestic workers in the Middle East earn a minimum wage of $500 (£370) a month, roughly four to five times more than what they would make in a similar job back home.

"I hope the world will be peaceful again and things go back to the way they were. I pray that the war will stop," says Tactacon in Qatar.

But the war is making her reconsider. She might return home and start a small business with her husband. She has reason to be worried.

One of the first victims of the conflict was 32-year-old Filipina Mary Ann Veolasquez, who worked as a caregiver in Israel.

The Israeli embassy in Manila said she was injured while leading her patient to safety, after a ballistic missile struck her apartment in Tel Aviv.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the region hosts 24 million migrant workers, making it the world's top destination for overseas labour. Most of them come from Asia - India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Indonesia. Many of these workers take low paid or precarious jobs, and have little access to things like healthcare, the ILO says.

At least 12 South Asian migrant workers have died so far as a result of the conflict, according to reports.

The war's mounting fatalities include Dibas Shrestha, a 29-year-old Nepali who worked as a security guard in Abu Dhabi. He died in an Iranian strike on 1 March.

"I tried to convince him to move back to Nepal, but he said he liked his job in Abu Dhabi, and that he had a good life," his uncle Ramesh told the BBC.

"We have many relatives who've moved to the Gulf for work, so we were very worried for all of them,"

When the war started, Shrestha assured his family it was safe. In a post on Facebook, he wrote that watching the news had made him "concerned" but he also felt, "The news sometimes presents exaggerated or misleading information".

His uncle said Shrestha had been saving up to rebuild his parents' home after it had been damaged in an earthquake in 2015 that killed hundreds.

"He was their only son," Ramesh added. "So kind, and very smart."

More than 120kms away, in Dubai, debris from an intercepted missile killed Ahmad Ali, a 55-year-old water tank supplier from Bangladesh.

His son, Abdul Haque, said he joined his father to work in the UAE but returned to Bangladesh before the war started. His father continued sending money home - $500 to $600 every month, which is a huge sum in the poor South Asia nation.

Ahmad died during Ramadan, and his son was told it happened in the evening, just as people were breaking their fast.

"He really liked the people in Dubai, he said they were welcoming, that it was a great place to live," Abdul told the BBC.

"I don't even think he knew the war was going on. He didn't read the news and didn't have a smartphone."

Abdul's his view of Dubai and the region has changed: "It's not safe now, nobody wants to lose a father."

Governments in Asia have been scrambling to bring migrant workers home.

But the threat of missile strikes has disrupted travel to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. So people seeking to leave have had to take longer routes home.

The last repatriation flight saw 234 Filipino workers from Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain travel up to eight hours by land to Saudi Arabia, where 109 others were waiting to join them on a Philippine Airlines flight.

Close to 2,000 Filipino workers and their dependents were flown back to Manila as of 23 March, according to the government.

The Middle East is home to roughly half of the more than two million Filipinos working overseas, and their remittances account for 10% of the economy.

Remittances are just as crucial for Bangladesh - most of its 14 million migrant workers are in the Middle East.

Close to 500 Bangladeshi workers have been repatriated since the conflict started, and the government in Dhaka has arranged for at least two more flights home, departing from Bahrain.

For some leaving is not an option.

Su Su from Myanmar found a safe home in Dubai when she left behind a country gripped by a bloody civil war that has dragged on since 2021.

The 31-year-old, who works as an operations specialist for a real estate company, has been in Dubai for two years.

She says her current work-from-home set-up reminds her of Covid lockdowns - except when she hears the sirens. Then she needs to stay away from her window.

"I have an emergency bag prepared in case I have to evacuate... This is just a habit I got from Myanmar."

And yet, she says, "The feeling here is more calm. I believe at the end of the day, we will be fine".

Additional reporting by BBC Burmese and BBC Indonesian

Warning Iran war 'shock' could push up mortgages for 1.3m homeowners

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c895pqepwv2o, yesterday

About 1.3 million UK homeowners may face higher mortgage payments by the end of 2028 as a result of the war in the Middle East, the Bank of England has said.

The Bank's latest report into the risks facing the economy found borrowing costs were likely to rise as the result of the "shock" to the global economy.

A total of 5.2 million households now face increases in mortgage costs in two and a half years' time, compared to the 3.9 million expected when forecasts were made before the conflict.

However, the report said the scale of those increases would "remain modest" compared with those in recent years, such as after the mini-budget in 2022.

Since the US-Israel attacks on Iran began a month ago, oil and gas prices have increased sharply and the cost of government borrowing has risen.

The Bank's Financial Policy Committee warns this could affect growth and may push up inflation, saying that the UK economic outlook had "deteriorated" as a result.

It also said this would increase pressure on UK households and businesses, particularly if higher energy and mortgage costs were "sustained".

However, the Bank said the financial system, including the banks, had been "resilient so far" with the markets absorbing some "very large moves" since the conflict began.

The committee said it believed the UK banking system would be able to support households and businesses "even if economic and financial conditions were to be substantially worse than expected".

Before the conflict, interest rates set by the Bank of England - which underpin borrowing rates for homebuyers - had fallen over the course of last year and had been expected to fall further this year.

However, the prospect of higher prices, pushed up by rising energy costs, means interest rates could remain on hold at their current 3.75% or even be raised again as the Bank aims to head off higher inflation.

Mortgage rates have already risen over the last month as lenders adjust to the change in expectations.

Some of the cheapest mortgage deals have been withdrawn.

The average rate on a two-year fixed deal on 1 April is 5.84%, according to financial information service Moneyfacts. For a five-year deal, the average is 5.75%.

The Bank of England said the total number of mortgage products available in the UK had fallen from around 8,500 to 7,000, but that was still higher than during previous times of economic pressure, including the 2022 gilt market stress after the Liz Truss Budget and the initial Covid 19 lockdown, it said.

Typical increases in mortgage payments would remain "modest in comparison to those experienced in recent years, as most mortgagors were already on higher rates" the Bank said.

One of the UK's largest mortgage lenders, Nationwide, warned on Tuesday that house prices would be affected by the conflict.

The impact of higher energy and borrowing costs would be to make it harder to afford to buy a house, Nationwide said, reducing activity in the housing market.

Claude Code users hitting usage limits 'way faster than expected'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8l2q5yq51o, today

Anthropic says it is looking to resolve an issue which is blocking users of its AI coding tool.

Claude Code, the AI-powered helper for writing computer code, has become popular in recent months.

The company announced on Reddit it was investigating an issue where usage limits were being hit faster than expected.

Customers buy tokens to use AI services - but the amount of tokens needed for each task is sometimes opaque.

Anthropic said fixing this was the "top priority" for the team.

Claude users commented under the post on Reddit, with one user saying they hit the token limit "much later" on their free account compared to their $100 (£75) a month paid account.

Another user, talking about bugs that can form in the code created, commented "One session in a loop can drain your daily budget in minutes".

And another comment stated that the impact wasn't just on Claude Code, saying "A simple one sentence reply to a conversation just took me from 59% usage to 100%. How??"

Just last week, Anthropic introduced peak-hour throttling of its services on Claude, meaning that tokens will get consumed more quickly when demand for the service is higher.

Software developers can use Claude Code and other similar applications as part of their daily workflow to help with specific tasks. Any issues with the service can disrupt their work.

A Claude Pro subscription costs users $20 a month. Increasing tiers for higher usage can cost $100 or even $200 per month. The company also offers business pricing for larger organisations.

Anthropic recently accidentally released part of its internal source code for Claude Code due to "human error".

An internal file with 500,000 lines of code was released on GitHub, a popular platform for developers.

An Anthropic spokesperson said the release was caused by "human error, not a security breach," and that "no sensitive customer data or credentials were exposed or involved".

Claude Code's source code was already partially known, as it had previously been reverse-engineered by independent developers. An earlier version of the source code had also been leaked in February 2025.

Anthropic is currently in a legal battle with the US government over how its tools can be used by the Department of Defense.

Minimum wage rises to £12.71 an hour as firms warn of impact

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36r7jk6093o, today

Around 2.7 million people are set to receive a pay rise this week as the national minimum wage goes up by 50p to £12.71 for over 21s.

Workers aged 18-20 will see an 85p rise to £10.85, and under-18s and apprentices will get 45p more to £8 an hour.

Young workers welcomed the rise, but some expressed concern about fewer job opportunities, while businesses said higher wage bills will force them to increase prices or cut staff.

The Low Pay Commission, the government agency which recommended the increases, said previous minimum wage rises for over-21s had "not had a significant negative impact on jobs".

Ifunanya Ezechukwu, 25, said the rise was a "step in the right direction".

"Especially with the cost of living being really bad, people need more money so they can actually afford the basics," she told BBC Newsbeat.

She doesn't think employers paying staff more will necessarily translate to fewer jobs.

"I feel like they're probably just going to up the prices of their services, so I don't think there'll be less job opportunities," she says.

"I just feel like some things might get more expensive, which is unfortunate, and then the cycle just continues."

Alex McCarthy, a university student who works part-time in a pub, says he is feeling "very, very happy" about the rise.

But the 18-year-old says it probably won't be enough for some of his friends, who are working while living at university but are still struggling to do weekly shops and are having to borrow money off their parents.

Amelia Evans, 18, believes the rise is necessary because "everything is going up in price". But she is concerned it will limit her job opportunities.

"So far this year I think I've done maybe 20 applications, and haven't got any. I feel like it's going to impact me even more now."

Spencer Bowman is the managing director of of Mettricks, a chain of four coffee shops in Southampton. He says he would normally be "thrilled" to pay staff more, but "the cost increases have got to be sustainable".

"There's nothing that I'd want more than to ensure that my team can earn a really fair amount of money for a fair day's work. And it's been one of my long-term ambitions to see hospitality workers, my employees, paid far more."

But Spencer says his business is being squeezed from every angle – as well as minimum wage, he has had increases in business rates, national insurance, and statutory sick pay. He also expects energy bills to go up because of the war in the Middle East.

"We're running on a minimum number of staff on shift. We can't run on fewer people," he says.

"If something doesn't give somewhere, we will be closing sites.

"It doesn't make any sense. Revenue is up. Our customer numbers are up. But our costs everywhere have hit a point where we're not financially sustainable and if that continues, there's only one outcome for that."

The minimum wage increases are on top of a 6.7% rise for over-21s and a 16.3% rise for 18 to 20-year-olds respectively last year, when there was also a rise in employers' National Insurance contributions.

Spencer is among hospitality industry voices calling on the government to reduce their rates of VAT to offset the rises in the costs of running their businesses.

Ministers are considering slowing down plans to pay adults of all ages the same minimum wage.

Labour committed in their election manifesto to remove "discretionary age bands" and increase the wages of 18 to 20-year-olds so they are paid the same as those over 21.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said wages were going up "for the lowest paid" but said the government "must go further to bear down on costs".

Lord Richard Harrington, the former Conservative MP who is now chairman of Make UK, the representative body of UK manufacturing - told BBC Radio 4's Today: "I don't think any of our members want to exploit working people and pay them a wage they can't live on."

He added that businesses "want to take on young people, they want to take on apprentices, but it's a lot of money [to pay] for an 18-year-old who probably isn't fully trained".

But Business Secretary Peter Kyle defended the decision to raise the rate as a choice he had to make, despite it being "difficult times" for businesses, saying: "I am not going to progress our country and have it moving forward on the back of screwing down on low-paid workers.

"I'm going to take them with us and invest in them and make sure they can enjoy and look forward to a life that gets better year after year."

Additional reporting by Georgia Levy-Collins, Lizzy Bella, and Jemma Crew

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US gas price tops $4 for first time since 2022

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8d47vzz13o, yesterday

The average price of gas at the pump has topped $4 in the US for the first time in nearly four years as the Iran war continues to push up fuel prices.

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.02, more than a dollar higher than when the war began, according to the AAA motoring organisation. The price of diesel is also around $1.70 higher.

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway, for the past month has meant the production and transportation of energy across the Middle East has slowed or stopped entirely.

The cost of crude oil, a vital ingredient in gas and diesel, has surged as a result.

US President Donald Trump made lower prices at the pump a key part of his election platform during the 2024 presidential campaign.

The president has described the current rise as a temporary disruption that should have little major impact.

But analysts are increasingly warning that high gas prices could cause households to dial back spending, increasing the risks of economic damage.

"If the conflict is contained soon, the hit to confidence may be temporary," analysts at Moody's Ratings Agency wrote in a recent note. "But a prolonged crisis could prompt more precautionary saving and further discretionary spending cuts."

Before the conflict began on 28 February, gas in the US averaged about $2.98 a gallon.

Diesel, which is key to goods transport, was about $3.76. The average price is now $5.45, a rise expected to feed into higher food costs.

In addition to high crude oil prices, last week the AAA also pointed to high demand for gas from spring break season as another factor in rising pump prices.

The $4.02 price is the highest since August 2022. As it is a national average, drivers in some states will have already been paying more than $4 a gallon.

Average prices are still below the record highs of $5.01 for gas and $5.81 for diesel, set in June 2022 in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

But the increase in prices could have a bigger impact on household budgets this time, warned Christopher Hodge, chief economist for the US at Natixis CIB.

"Consumers are in a much weaker position now than they were in 2022," he said, noting that job and wage growth were stronger then and many households had built up savings during the pandemic.

Oil prices are on track for the biggest one-month rise on record, with the global Brent crude benchmark trading near $120 a barrel. The US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, is also above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022.

If oil rises to $140 a barrel for a prolonged period, it could trigger an economic downturn, Matthew Martin, senior US economist at Oxford Economics, wrote in a report last week.

"The duration of the war is the key variable: the longer it persists, the more likely something breaks," he said.

Higher wholesale energy prices often show up first at the fuel pump and this is being seen, not just in the US but around the world.

In the UK, average petrol prices have risen by 14% and diesel by 27% since the war began.

Some countries, such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, have introduced fuel rationing, and last week Slovenia became the first EU country to do so.

In Australia, fuel sales tax has been halved for three months to help motorists with high fuel prices, while two states are offering temporary free public transport to incentivise people not to drive.

Thousands lose their jobs in deep cuts at tech giant Oracle

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm296jzzl9yo, yesterday

Tech giant Oracle made "significant" job cuts on Tuesday, according to senior employees posting online.

Michael Shepherd, a senior manager, was not affected by the job cuts but wrote on LinkedIn that "senior engineers, architects, operations leaders, program managers, and technical specialists" had been let go.

Some 10,000 people are believed to have lost their jobs so far, one employee told the BBC on Tuesday, citing a drop in the number of staff active on Oracle's internal messaging system Slack.

Oracle declined to comment when contacted by BBC News.

The company has been spending heavily on AI but it's not known if these cuts are related to that investment.

Oracle has been using AI tools internally and executives have previously said it enabled fewer employees to do more work.

Shepherd wrote that the "significant reduction in force" was not based on employee performance.

"The individuals affected were not let go because of anything they did or didn't do," he added.

His was one of dozens of such posts describing the layoffs.

Former Oracle employee Kendall Levin said on LinkedIn her role was "eliminated as part of the company's mass reduction in force".

Several others described receiving early morning emails informing them they were no longer employed and would receive one month of severance pay.

Oracle is one of the largest tech companies in the world and it offers software and cloud computing infrastructure to other companies.

Larry Ellison, one of the richest people in the world, is Oracle's co-founder, chairman, and chief technology officer.

Talk inside Oracle of a significant layoff began earlier this year.

Claims similar to those of Oracle's executives about companies being able to use AI tools to do more work with fewer employees have come from tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg of Meta and Jack Dorsey of Block.

Both executives have also overseen layoffs at their companies already this year.

However, such leaders in the tech industry have been conducting mass layoffs every year for the last several years. Previous rounds of cuts have not been blamed on AI.

Other tech companies that have cut jobs this year include Amazon, Pinterest and Epic Games.

Stargate Initiative

The job cuts at Oracle come as it has invested heavily in AI, spending both on its own infrastructure and on partnerships with other companies like OpenAI.

It plans to spend at least $50bn (£37.8bn) on infrastructure this year, and it has also raised $50bn in debt in order to "meet demand" for even more AI infrastructure.

Oracle is also part of the Stargate initiative, alongside OpenAI, Softbank and MGX, an AI investment fund backed by US President Donald Trump.

Stargate is a $500bn project to build up data centre capacity in the US, which backers say is needed for planned increases in AI processing and power requirements over the next several years.

"Investing in AI infrastructure is capital-intensive, but our operating model is optimized to ensure profitability," Clayton Magouyrk, Oracle's co-chief executive, said earlier this month.

"It's unprecedented to scale a capital-intensive business so quickly."

Korean Air takes emergency action as fuel prices soar

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yvg42kr21o, 2 days ago

Korean Air says it is moving into emergency management mode to buffer the impact of surging jet fuel costs as the global economy is rocked by the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran.

A spokesperson for the national flag carrier said on Tuesday that it will implement "internal cost-reduction measures" to manage its finances to ensure the firm's "stability amidst rising fuel prices and global economic uncertainty".

It is the latest Asian airline to announce measures to deal with the economic impact of the Iran war.

The cost of crude oil has surged by more than 50% since the conflict began on 28 February, while global jet fuel prices have more than doubled.

Airlines have adopted similar emergency protocols to protect their businesses during crises like the Covid-19 pandemic, said Tan Chi Siang from consultancy PwC Singapore.

Asian carriers, in particular, are dealing with a "double shock" of rising global oil prices and a regional jet fuel shortage that has forced them to take action, he added.

South Korea

South Korea is especially vulnerable to energy supply disruptions from the Middle East as it is heavily reliant on oil from the Gulf.

In recent days, several of the country's carriers - including Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Busan Air - have entered emergency management mode.

The measures are typically internal, such as slowing upgrades or other investments, but some airlines may reduce the number of flights to cut costs, Tan said.

Korean Air employees were first notified about the emergency measures in a memo that has been seen by the BBC.

Vice Chairman Woo Ki-hong told staff members the airline is preparing for "a surge in fuel expenses".

It will cut costs through measures based on the price of oil, Woo wrote, adding that the moves are "not merely a one-time" initiative but a chance to "strengthen our structural foundation".

Mainland China and Hong Kong

Despite being a major energy producer, China is the world's biggest importer of oil, making its aviation industry susceptible to global energy shocks.

China Eastern Airlines, one of the country's largest state-owned carriers, warned on Monday that global disruptions could weigh on its operations this year.

The airline said trade conditions and "geopolitical conflicts or wars will have a relatively significant impact" on the aviation sector, which could affect its performance.

Many Chinese airlines have raised their fuel surcharges on flights since the Iran war started.

Authorities have also reportedly ordered China's oil refineries to stop exporting fuel in a bid to keep domestic prices under control.

In Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific said that a fuel surcharge has been included on all flights, with many of its fares rising sharply.

Japan

Japan is an international transport hub, as well as being a major manufacturer of plane parts.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has said it will not be raising fuel surcharges for tickets issued in April and May as prices were set before the Iran war.

The immediate impact of rising energy costs is "limited" for now due to the existing surcharges and measures that the airline has taken to secure fuel prices in advance, a spokesperson for ANA said.

Meanwhile, Japan Airlines said it had taken no specific actions yet regarding fuel shortages.

Some prices of flights, such as trips between Japan and Europe, have risen due to an increase in demand after the closure of the carrier's Middle East routes, Japan Airlines said.

India

India's aviation industry has been hit hard by the cancellation of flights to the Middle East, the biggest market for its international airlines.

But there is still demand for flights into the Middle East, with carriers like Air India making daily updates on newly-scheduled flights to the region.

India's aviation authority said last week that it expected the country's airlines to fly roughly 10% fewer domestic flights between March and October this year.

On 23 March, the government temporarily removed fare caps, giving airlines the freedom to raise prices as the cost of fuel jumps.

India's airlines were already having to deal with being banned from Pakistan's airspace for the last year due to tensions between the two countries.

Singapore

Singapore Airlines and its budget carrier Scoot have put up fares in response to the steep rise in jet fuel prices, a spokesperson told the BBC.

Fuel costs are the airline group's single biggest expense and accounted for around 30% of its spending in recent months, the spokesperson added.

The price adjustments "defray" but do not fully cover the increase in costs, the spokesperson said.

Singapore's civil aviation authority also said it is postponing a green jet fuel levy which was due to kick in from April 2026, due to the impact of the Iran war.

The levy is meant to contribute to Singapore's purchases of sustainable aviation fuel, which is made from renewable sources as well as waste including used cooking oil and animal fat.

The aviation sector is a key part of Singapore's economy, making up around 5% of its gross domestic product (GDP).

What are other airlines doing?

On 24 March, the Philippines became the world's first country to declare a state of national energy emergency in response to the Iran war.

President Ferdinand Marcos also said that grounding planes due to a shortage of fuel is a "distinct possibility" after some of the country's airlines were told that they cannot refuel their jets abroad.

Earlier this month, Vietnam's aviation agency warned that it could face jet fuel shortages as early as April because suppliers are delaying deliveries.

Vietnam Airlines has suspended several domestic flights.

The South East Asian country imports almost 90% of its oil from the Middle East.

Smaller carriers hit hardest

Experts have said larger airlines will generally have more options to deal with the impact of the energy crunch.

They are able to redeploy their jets to capitalise on the gap left by Gulf-based airlines which have planes stranded in the Middle East, said Bryan Terry from Alton Aviation Consultancy.

Singapore Airlines has added more flights to London, while Australia's Qantas Airways has increased the number of trips to Europe. Both are routes flown by Gulf carriers.

Major airlines are also able shift their long-haul jets to routes with stronger demand and customers who are willing to pay higher prices, Terry said.

Qantas said it is moving larger aircraft that it typically uses for US flights to routes to Europe, which has seen an uptick in demand in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, smaller carriers like Qantas' budget carrier Jetstar are cutting back some flights.

The rise in fuel prices will be toughest for smaller airlines, especially those that fly older jets that are less energy efficient, Terry said.

"They are navigating a crisis with fewer levers to pull."

How the US could try to seize Iran's Kharg Island

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c937gd1vq7xo, 3 days ago

US President Donald Trump has indicated that he may send troops to seize control of Iran's key oil export terminal at Kharg Island in the northern Gulf. So what's behind this, how would it work and what are the risks?

Kharg Island has long been Iran's chief outlet for its oil exports. The island sits offshore with waters deep enough to load product onto tankers known as Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), which can hold around two million barrels. Around 90% of Iran's oil exports pass through Kharg.

During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s it was frequently bombed by the Iraqi Air Force and on 13 March this year the US struck what it said were 90 military targets on the island. It however spared the oil infrastructure.

If the US does decide to invade Kharg Island then it would most likely be a temporary measure intended to put pressure on Iran by cutting off its fuel exports until it relinquished its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's busiest oil shipping lanes - and conceded to Washington's demands.

Given the resilience and defiance of the Iranian regime it is highly questionable whether this would work.

The speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has warned that his country's forces would "rain down fire" on any invading US forces. Iran is believed to have reinforced its defences on the island, including with surface-to-air missile batteries.

Iran has also accused the US of duplicity by proposing peace talks at the same time as dispatching troops to the region. These forces are made up of nearly 5,000 US Marines and around 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division.

This has prompted widespread speculation that either or both could be used to seize and hold Kharg.

In theory, the paratroopers could make an airborne assault, probably at night, to seize key positions on this small island, which measures just 20 sq km (7.7 sq miles).

The US Marines would deploy from ships equipped with Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and Landing Craft Air Cushioned (LCAC) for making amphibious landings. But first those ships would have to run the gauntlet of getting through the Iranian-controlled Strait of Hormuz and then sailing all the way up the Gulf past any number of hidden Iranian drone and missile launch sites.

Any landing, by air or sea, would expect to be met with anti-personnel mines and swarms of drones. Such is the awesome fighting power of these Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) that the US force would almost certainly prevail, but it could come at the expense of a severe number of casualties.

The US then has the problem of holding the ground, for an indeterminate period, while subject to bombardment from the Iranian mainland.

A comparable scenario would be Ukraine's Snake Island in the Black Sea, which Russia seized early on after its full-scale invasion in February 2022, only to be driven off it by constant harassing fire from the Ukrainian mainland.

Any lengthy US occupation of Iranian territory would also be unpopular back home in the US, including with some of President Trump's supporters who elected him partly on a promise to never again get embroiled in these sorts of conflicts.

Finally, it is worth noting that there has been so much noise made about a possible US ground assault on Kharg that it could be part of some deception plan.

There is no doubting its strategic value to Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

But there are other islands in the Gulf that could also be in America's sights. These include Larak Island, just offshore from the key port of Bandar Abbas, and sitting right on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is currently making all tanker traffic pass by this island for checking and reportedly forcing vessels to pay $2m (£1.5m) to cross.

Then there is Qeshm, the largest island in the Gulf and 75 times bigger than Kharg, where Iran is suspected of housing underground missile and drone sites.

And there are three islands, Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, whose ownership is disputed between Iran and the UAE but all are occupied by Iran.

Taken together with other Iranian islands, these Gulf islands form a protective shield for Iran that can threaten shipping and give it a geographical advantage that goes a long way to offset America's superior military power.

Then, there is the possibility that none of the above happens.

At the same time as sending more troops to the region and signalling the possibility of a ground operation, Trump said again on Monday that the US is in "serious discussions" with Iran, which could "end our military operations".

As we move into the fifth week of the war, Trump's public statements give little clue as to what his next big move will be.

But a "deal", which many suspect President Trump is more desperate for than the Iranians, will require bridging the currently enormous gap between the US and Iranian positions.

Oil nears highest price since start of Iran war

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17vrd0pj95o, yesterday

The global benchmark Brent crude oil price briefly hit $119 (£90) per barrel on Tuesday, close to its highest since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran.

Responding to the US-Israel air strikes which began on 28 February, Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for ships carrying oil.

Wholesale oil prices have surged since and car fuel prices have jumped to their highest in years.

Countries are responding differently to rising oil prices, with Australia making bus travel free while Egypt asks shops, restaurants, and cafes to close early to cut energy use.

The global benchmark oil price is a contract to buy a barrel Brent crude one month from now. Its price pushes up the price of car fuel in turn, as oil is a key ingredient.

In the US, petrol prices at the pump topped $4 a gallon for the first time in nearly four years, according to the AAA motoring organisation.

In the UK, petrol has hit 152.8p a litre, its highest in two years and around 20p more than the start of the war, according to the RAC motoring organisation.

The average diesel price rose to 182.77p, its highest level since December 2022 and 40p more than at the start of the war.

RAC's head of policy Simon Williams said the price of petrol could stabilise "if the cost of oil doesn't increase further, although diesel still looks likely to rise".

Average energy bills in the UK are also forecast to rise an average of £288 a year from July for a typical dual-fuel household.

Last shipment of jet fuel

Airlines meanwhile have also been affected, as the price of jet fuel surges.

The last shipment of jet fuel in transit from the Middle East to the UK is due to arrive this week, according to data firm Vortexa.

The shipment, first reported by the Financial Times, is due to arrive on Thursday or Friday.

"In 2025 there were an average of eight cargoes en route from the Middle East to the UK at any one time, so having none en route is quite unusual," said Mick Strautmann, market analyst at Vortexa.

A UK government spokesperson said jet fuel shipments are continuing to arrive in the country.

"The UK receives imports of jet fuel from India, USA and the Netherlands as well as smaller amounts from a range of other countries," the spokesperson added.

However, Strautmann said while India has historically been a jet fuel supplier to the UK, "they are prioritising exports to Southeast Asia at the moment given very high prices and shorter distances".

"There have been some loads from West Africa, the US and to a smaller extent Netherlands and France heading to the UK, but overall volumes do not make up for the loss from the Middle East," he said.

George Shaw, senior insight analyst at Kpler, said the shipment arriving this week was loaded at a refinery in the Red Sea and did not pass the Strait of Hormuz.

"The last of the vessels that loaded jet fuel and passed the Strait of Hormuz will discharge into Europe this week," he said.

Among European airlines, Air France-KLM has said it plans to increase long-haul fares to counter higher fuel costs, while Scandinavian carrier SAS has raised prices and said it will cut 1,000 flights in April.

British Airways owner IAG has said it has no immediate plans to lift prices as it has hedged its fuel costs with contracts to buy fuel at a price fixed before the conflict began.

EasyJet has said ticket prices might rise towards the end of summer when its hedging deals expire.

A spokesperson for Airlines UK said: "UK airlines are currently not seeing disruption to jet fuel supply and continue to engage with fuel suppliers and government to monitor the situation."

Social media firms must better enforce Australia under-16 ban, watchdog says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4181pkxl2o, 2 days ago

The world's biggest social media companies are not doing enough to keep children in Australia off their platforms, the country's internet regulator says, despite a law that came into effect late last year.

The legislation banned users under 16 from 10 platforms, but eSafety says it has "significant concerns" about the compliance of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

Australia's ban - which is being closely watched by countries like the UK - was justified by campaigners and the government as necessary to protect children from harmful content and addictive algorithms.

Firms like Meta and Snap believe the approach is flawed, but say they're doing the best they can to comply.

In its first report since the ban was instigated in December, the regulator said it had identified "a number of poor practices" from the five platforms.

These include:

* Giving children who had declared they were aged under 16 before the ban the chance to show that they were, in fact, over 16

* Enabling under-16s to repeatedly "attempt the same age assurance method"

* Insufficient measures to prevent new under-16s creating accounts

* Not providing effective ways for parents and others to report under-16s who still had access to social media

Limited data has been released since the ban came into force. In January, the regulator said 4.7 million accounts had been restricted or removed in the first month since the law took effect on December 10.

"While social media platforms have taken some initial action, I am concerned through our compliance monitoring that some may not be doing enough to comply with Australian law," Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.

The regulator – which had until now been monitoring the situation – says it will begin enforcing the restrictions and gathering evidence.

"The evidence must establish the platform has not taken reasonable steps to prevent children aged under 16 from having an account," Inman Grant said.

"That means more than simply demonstrating some children do still have accounts. Rather, the evidence must show the platform has not implemented appropriate systems and processes."

The BBC has contacted all of the social media companies for comment.

A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, said that the company is "committed to complying with Australia's social media ban". It also noted that accurate age determination is a "challenge for the whole industry" and argue that "robust age verification and parental approval" at the app store level is the most effective approach to protect young people.

Snap, which developed Snapchat, said it had locked 450,000 accounts and "continue to lock more every day".

While Australia's ban was brought in with huge fanfare, it is widely acknowledged that many under-16s continue to use the 10 platforms covered by the law: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, and streaming platforms Kick and Twitch.

When the BBC visited a school in Sydney last month, the majority of students who used social media before the ban still had access. Some claimed they had not been asked to prove their age, while others said they had got around the age assurance methods.

One pupil claimed that, of 180 girls in her year group, she was aware of only three who had been booted off platforms.

Parents across Australia have widely supported the policy. For many, having the government on their side helps when they are at loggerheads with pre-teens desperate to get onto social media.

But there are plenty of critics, with technology experts and child wellbeing advocates saying children need to be educated on the potential harms on the platforms rather than banned from them.

And many question the ban's enforceability and say it unfairly excludes minority groups such as rural kids, disabled teenagers and those who identify as LGBTQ+ - all of whom are more likely to find their communities online.

On Tuesday, the eSafety commissioner said the reform was "unwinding 20 years of entrenched social media practices".

"Durable, generational change takes time - but these platforms have the capability to comply today," Inman Grant said.

"While the onus is on age-restricted platforms to take reasonable steps to keep children under 16 from having accounts, parents are proving pivotal partners in this cultural reset.

"We have heard from parents who have said the law is empowering them to say no to requests by their kids to have social media accounts.

"Any cultural change that pushes against the powerful interests and revenue potential of entrenched industry players - whether car manufacturers, Big Tobacco or Big Tech. Those players will push back but we continue to push ahead."

Is screen time always bad and how do I manage it?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk1e11ek8vo, 6 days ago

Parents should aim for no more than one hour of screen time per day for children under the age of five, a new report from the Department of Education has recommended.

And for under twos, the advice is to avoid screens except for shared, interactive use.

But for many parents struggling to manage work, household chores, and other siblings - and even their own screen time - this might seem an impossible, unrealistic task.

So, how do you manage screen time, why does it have a bad impact on children, and what steps can you take to mitigate the problem?

What is screen time?

The term "screen time" covers all types of screen use, including computers, tablets, mobile phones, and televisions.

The government has previously said about 98% of children are watching screens on a daily basis by the age of two.

What can I do to manage my children's screen time?

Parents should lead by example, the guidance recommends, as children's brains are "like sponges - they'll copy your screen use habits" and encourages being present with children. Try and put your own phone away as much as possible.

It is difficult to get away from screens in our daily lives, and whilst it is understandable to reach for a device sometimes, it is important to try other activities or stop using screens at all when possible.

Try to keep eating and sleeping free from digital distractions, for example:

* Meal times: Replace screens with background music, chats, drawing, or even a game of "I Spy"

* Bed times: Read bedtime stories together instead. Try to cut screens for the hour before bed, as this can affect sleep

* Avoid background watching, particularly during family time

Another tip is to treat children as conversational partners even when they're babies, Danielle Matthews, a professor of psychology at University of Sheffield, told the BBC. It is a way of getting that valuable interaction with your child without having to make new time.

Whether it is going on a bus trip or just hanging out the washing, talk to them about what you are doing together, she explained.

"Studies suggest it helps to slow the pace down to allow little children to take their turn in the conversation. Responding to them with language that is tuned in to their interests can really help them to learn to talk."

Welcoming the guidance, she said: "Parents have got a lot going on and they just want some help with their everyday life and some information that is evidence-based and helpful".

Parents should be realistic and use their own judgement when deciding on what kind of screen time their children have, but watching together and discussing is clearly better than solo watching, Matthews adds.

Many smartphones, including Apple and Android models, have a suite of tools that may help with reducing screen time - including timers and pin codes to limit the use of certain apps. App and website activity can also be tracked on devices.

The guidance says time limits shouldn't apply in the same way for screen-based assistive technologies used to support children with special educational needs and disabilities.

The NSPCC charity offers some practical tips for parents of young children, including supervising use, checking content beforehand, and talking about safety directly.

What is the impact of too much screen time?

The impact on children's social skills depends on what stage of development they are at, but according to the government report, 90% of brain growth happens before age five.

A large amount of screen time is linked to negative effects on a child, and can affect social, emotional, language and brain development, sleep, eyesight and healthy weight.

Children learn their most crucial skills in the first year of their lives, which makes this period an important time for them to get as much interaction with humans as possible.

Separate "Children of the 2020s" government research published earlier this year showed that children with the highest screen time - around five hours a day - could say significantly fewer words than those at the other end of the scale who watched for around 44 minutes.

Stepping away from the connected world to engage with your children can also be good for your own mental health, Prof Sam Wass from the Institute for the Science of Early Years at the University of East London told the BBC's Today programme.

Evidence shows that slowing down to the pace of a young child, even for a couple of minutes, can help adults regulate too, according to Wass.

But not all screen time is the same. Watching screens with an engaged adult is linked to better cognitive development than solo use, according to the guidance.

"It's all about balance. We know that too much sedentary screen time can have a negative effect on children's development," speech and language therapist Janet Cooper previously told the BBC's Tiny Happy People website.

"Your brain has a built-in 'seeking system'," she explained. "It's activated by the people around you."

"If young children are spoken to one-to-one and people show them interesting things, that develops the seeking system to make them explore and make the most of the world around them," Cooper said.

This "seeking system" is key to our motivation and desire to explore and understand from an early age, and it is learnt by interacting with humans.

Screen time should support, not replace, connection, conversation and play, according to Kate Morton, senior head of commissioning for CBeebies.

She said the new guidance reflected "what many families already know; that it's not about getting it perfect, but about making informed choices that work for them".

Is screen time always bad?

Prof Pasco Fearon, who helped draft the government guidance, said the committee did not want to give the impression that "screens are always terrible".

"Very small or moderate amounts of screen time, particularly for children over two, doesn't seem to be harmful", he said.

Prof Fearon, a professor of developmental psychopathology at UCL, added that there is "some evidence that some forms of content on a screen can be positively helpful" for child development.

He cited the children's programme Sesame Street, which was "explicitly designed to be educational", adding some evidence shows the programme can "improve children's early learning and language [acquisition]".

Prof Fearon, who led the government's "Children of the 2020s" research, pointed out the "need for nuance" and said the guidance was not intended to be a set of hard-and-fast rules. "Every child's needs and dispositions are different," he said.

And for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), "the guidance should be thought about differently", Prof Fearon said.

That's because some children with additional needs can benefit from screen use, for example by "being able to interact with others through digital devices or as a means of calming down".

What content to choose instead

The Department for Education recommends that video content and TV shows for under-fives should be:

* Slow-paced

* Simple

* Repetitive

* Made specifically for their age group

* Should also have a recognisable story structure and message. For example, it may have a beginning, middle and end

Fast-paced content is defined as "over-stimulating social media-style videos" in the government guidance.

Wass says this kind of content creates a fight-or-flight response in a child's brain.

"If stuff is coming at us too fast, something called the fight-or-flight stress system kicks in, where your heart starts beating faster and you start to get a lot of energy released to your muscles," Wass said.

"Programmes like Hey Duggee, Puffin Rock, Bluey and Ranger Hamza's Eco Quest are intentionally calm, easy to follow and repetitive, with clear storytelling and relatable moments that help children make sense of the world around them", Morton said.

Parent-facing content like Cbeebies Bedtime stories also encourage "interaction, imagination and shared viewing between children and their loved ones around them", she added.

The guidance is the first evidence-backed, practical advice issued by the government, but ministers say it will be kept under review as more evidence emerges.

"This is still quite an unknown area in lots of respects and we've taken a precautionary approach," Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said.

Visit Cbeebies Parenting for more information.

For more advice around screen time check out the Best Start in Life website here.

Additional reporting by Anna Lamche.

Austria becomes latest to propose social media ban for children

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyv70de9exo, 6 days ago

Austria has announced plans to ban social media for children aged under 14, becoming the latest country to consider introducing restrictions for children online.

It follows lengthy negotiations within the conservative-led three-party coalition government, but it is not yet clear how or when the ban will be implemented.

Announcing the plans, Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler of the Social Democrats said the government could not stand by and watch as social media made children "addicted and also often ill".

He said it was the responsibility of politicians to protect children and argued that the issue should be treated no different to alcohol or tobacco: "There must be clear rules in the digital world too."

In future, said Babler, children under 14 would be protected from algorithms that were addictive.

"Other information providers have clear rules to protect young people from harmful content." These, he said, should now be implemented in the digital space.

Austria is the latest among a growing number of countries to consider restricting social media access for children, citing concerns about potentially harmful content made available to them on the platforms.

In a landmark case in the US on Wednesday, a jury found two social media giants had intentionally built addictive algorithms that harmed young people's mental health.

Social media companies point to under-13s being disallowed from joining their platforms - though questions remain about how strictly this is enforced - and versions of their sites with parental controls when challenged on questions of harm.

Australia introduced a ban for under-16s in December, becoming the first nation to do so.

France's lower house approved a ban for under-15s in January. In a post on X French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Austria for "joining the movement".

The UK government has launched a consultation on banning social media for under-16s, while Denmark, Greece, Spain and Ireland are also considering similar moves: Spain and Ireland for under-16s, and Denmark and Greece for under-15s.

Austrian Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr, from the liberal Neos party, stressed the "harmful" nature of social media, adding: "People need to learn how to use it responsibly."

The state secretary for digitalisation, Alexander Pröll, from the conservative ÖVP, said that a draft bill codifying the ban would be presented by the end of June.

The bill is expected to contain technical details of an agreed mechanism to verify people's ages when accessing social media platforms. Babler said Austria could use an EU system if it was ready, but that it would pursue a national plan if not.

The general secretary of the far-right opposition Freedom Party, Christian Hafenecker, condemned the plans as "a direct attack on young people's freedom of expression and freedom of information".

However, Austrian political analyst Thomas Hofer said the proposed ban seemed to be proving popular.

"The government is trying to evoke the feeling that, in turbulent times, they have at least something under control," he told the BBC.

"Such a ban is very popular, also among parents. So, it's one of the easy points that they can make across party lines.

"In most other fields, the governmental parties are on the defence, though, be it the economy, the budget deficit or rising prices."

The coalition government's proposed social media ban has been agreed alongside controversial reforms to secondary schools, which include more lessons on democracy and artificial intelligence, and a cut in the number of Latin lessons.

AI videos of sexualised black women removed from TikTok after BBC investigation

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c070e283k8vo, 11 days ago

TikTok has banned 20 accounts after the BBC highlighted the use of AI-generated black female influencers to drive users to sites promoting sexually explicit content.

They are part of a growing trend of accounts on Instagram and TikTok that has been criticised as racist, exploitative and misleading because of racial tropes and language used.

The BBC and researchers from the independent AI publication Riddance found dozens of accounts on the two platforms featuring highly sexualised black female digital characters or avatars.

The images and videos were generated by AI but not labelled as such, in apparent breach of the platforms' guidelines.

Nearly all the accounts were on Instagram and about a third also had versions on TikTok. Instagram's parent company Meta told the BBC it was investigating, but did not say it had taken any action.

The avatars are often shown dressed in skimpy swimwear or other revealing clothing and portrayed with exaggerated body shapes.

Some have exceptionally dark skin tones that have been digitally manipulated, giving them an artificial appearance.

Account names include terms such as "black", "noir", "dark" and "ebony". Several include comments about white males in their posts, such as "loves white men" and "why I need a white guy in my life". Many of the accounts follow or like each other.

The BBC, working in collaboration with analysts Jeremy Carrasco and Angel Nulani from Riddance, has identified 60 such accounts, mainly on Instagram, that have carried links, or chains of links, to paid-for sexually explicit content on third-party sites. The sites labelled the imagery as AI-generated, but the Instagram accounts did not.

The research also identified many more accounts on both Instagram and TikTok with similar AI-generated avatars that did not link to paid content.

'I was angry'

One of the accounts shut down by TikTok - though still operating on Instagram at the time of publication - has caused further anger by stealing videos from real people.

It is presented as the account of a striking AI-generated character and had amassed three million followers within a few weeks of its creation in December.

But it has modified and posted videos from a genuine content creator, Riya Ulan, a model based in Malaysia.

The avatar's face, which has an exceptionally dark, artificially created skin tone, is overlaid on to Riya's body, and Riya's movements, clothing and backdrop are replicated.

"I was angry," Riya told the BBC. "Of course my videos are all out there… It doesn't mean that you can just take it and steal it and post it as your own."

One of the manipulated videos reached over 35 millions views on TikTok and 173 million on Instagram, about 47 times the views on Riya's original post.

While the three videos that clearly match Riya's content are not sexual, other videos on the AI account using the same digitally created character show it in revealing clothing or performing provocative actions. A chain of links from the account leads to paid-for adult content.

"I'm not sure if I'm more concerned about them taking my video to promote their explicit content or [that] people actually believe in that," she says.

It is becoming harder for users to tell whether content is real and "people keep on falling for these AI models", she adds.

Many viewers appear to treat the avatars as real, despite their unrealistic features. In posts or Instagram stories, some of the accounts deny using AI, including the one that took Riya's content.

Riya says she reported the account to both platforms multiple times but, at the time, the content was not removed. TikTok banned it after the BBC approached it for comment.

'Unrealistic depictions'

"I believe these accounts are racist because their existence perpetuates a long history of the exploitation of black people," says Nulani, one of the researchers.

"Their use of caricatures, race-play terminology and unrealistic depictions of black women prove they're not concerned with our safety or wellbeing, but our ability to be capitalised as part of the online porn machine," she adds.

Carrasco, who critiques AI trends and techniques on his social media accounts, says "the new thing is the quantity of shameless, racist depictions of extremely black people".

While "that fetish" may have existed in the past, AI "gives it new purchase", he says. He explains that AI makes it easier to remove undertones in images and videos in order to create dark skin tones that are not natural, and to create effects that would previously have required animation or skin painting.

Also, he says, there are no social consequences for an avatar: "There's no shame… that's something AI uniquely exploits."

Houda Fonone, a Moroccan model and content creator who advocates for more authentic representations of black women, says the trend is about "erasure".

"Silky hair, extremely thin bodies and impossibly flawless skin… it's as if black beauty can only be accepted when 'refined'."

She says this risks reinforcing stereotypes while "our stories and real-life experiences are replaced by an artificial image".

The BBC sent Meta and TikTok examples of the accounts we identified, and asked for their responses.

Two days later, a TikTok spokesperson told the BBC the company had "removed content and banned accounts which breach our rules".

Within a few days, 20 accounts had been labelled "banned" on the app.

"TikTok prohibits AI generated content of individuals used without their permission, we have zero tolerance for content which promotes off-platform sexual services," the spokesperson said.

The company says it prohibits and removes AI-generated content that is harmful or misleading, and requires users to label realistic AI-generated content. It said it had also applied correct labelling to a number of videos.

Meta said it was investigating the content brought to its attention.

It says it wants users to know when they are looking at posts that have been made with AI, and that it has policies in place for the labelling of AI-generated content. Nine Instagram accounts the BBC has tracked appear to no longer exist.

Neither platform gave details about its response to Riya's initial reports.

Guy Ritchie series filmed at Wales cathedral

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yw25p89z0o, today

A new TV series directed by Guy Ritchie was filmed across Wales, including a "dramatic scene" at one of the country's best-known religious buildings.

Young Sherlock, a re-imagined origin story of Sir Arthur Conan's Doyle famous detective, had scenes filmed over several days at Llandaff Cathedral, which was transformed into the Victorian area for the series.

Other filming locations included Monmouth, Margam Park in Port Talbot and Merthyr Mawr, Bridgend.

The Dean of Llandaff, Jason Bray, said they were "thrilled" to share the cathedral with a "worldwide audience".

"It's a really atmospheric place, one of Wales' greatest buildings, fusing ancient and modern architecture," said Bray.

The filming, which took place in January 2025, saw the cathedral closed for four days to the public.

A spokesperson for the cathedral said they had been approached by a location manager with the opportunity to be part of "the largest production filmed in Wales".

The cathedral, on the outskirts of Cardiff, accommodated a crew of "close to 100 people" and a significant amount of work was done to "transform" it into the Victorian area.

There was "a real buzz around Llandaff" during the filming, the spokesperson said, adding that a "dramatic scene" was filmed there that is featured in episode three.

Set in 19th Century England, France and Turkey, much of the filming of the series took place in Wales, as well as Oxford and south-west England.

Merthyr Mawr estate in Bridgend was used as the Holmes' English estate, with filming also taking place in the market town of Monmouth and at Margam Park, near Port Talbot.

Bannau Brycheiniog, also known as the Brecon Beacons, provided the backdrop for a Chinese village in a flashback scene.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin plays the famous detective in his younger years, while Colin Firth plays Sir Bucephalus Hodge, the dean of Oxford University, where Holmes is a porter.

The eight-episode series is Ritchie's second time bringing the detective to life on-screen, after directing the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr.

Priest creates viral fictional parish of kindness

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr1zjrg5jko, yesterday

A priest says he is "stunned" by the reaction to a satirical fictional village, which has gained the attention of thousands of people all over the world.

Reverend Canon Tom Kennar, rector of St Faith's Church in Havant is writing satirical posts on Facebook about the goings on in the fictional parish of St Faithful's in the village of Havnot.

Described as a gentle parody of church life he told BBC Radio Solent he has gained followers and messages from "all around the world", including Australia and New Zealand.

He says the characters are inspired by people he has met over the years, with the concept based around being "kind and accepting".

The idea of St Faithful's in Havnot stemmed from the church leader's decision to watch less television and to do something creative over Christmas, he told BBC Solent.

Reverend Canon Kennar started to write down characters inspired by people he has worked with over the last 60 years of being part of churches.

"I've been around in churches for more years than I care to contest... and you meet a lot of people along the way in this world and some of them stick with you... and you think, yeah, that person would have something interesting to say on this topic or that.

"They won't recognise themselves by name certainly, but if they recognise certain characteristics then I hope they feel seen."

His fictional parish, portrayed through a Facebook page called 'St Faithful's, Havnot', soon gained traction and now has 11,000 followers.

Reverend Canon Kennar said Havnot is a "happy little place".

"It's a bit unlike most of our lives in that it's a nice settled little village where everybody knows everybody else… where everybody is accepted however different they might be from what we consider normal."

With Easter approaching and busy schedule, the reverend works on the project in the little spare time he has and manages to write a story or two a day.

"Havnot is not about being cruel to anybody at all, it's quite the opposite, its about being kind and being accepting and realising that not all of us think the same," he said.

"And sometimes life is just funny and has to be dealt with with humour rather than allowing ourselves to get too worked up about things."

Uber Eats delivery robots vandalised in Sheffield

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn53x5x33wno, yesterday

New robotic food delivery equipment being used in a Sheffield suburb has been vandalised with spray paint.

A vertical pole with an orange flag on one of the robots - designed to make it visible as it travels the streets of Meersbrook making deliveries for the food-ordering app Uber Eats - was bent to the ground.

A charging station alongside a scout hut has also been defaced and traffic cones were placed behind the robots to prevent them from moving.

Starship Technologies, which operates the equipment, said: "It's a shame to see a few people spoiling things for everyone else and damaging a new service for local people."

Views about the delivery bots from people living in Meersbrook ranged from "sinister" to "harmless enough".

Louisa Farrett lives near the robot's docking station.

"We can't deny that technology is going to be taking over soon," she said.

"It's also a bit sinister, walking up the road and seeing one coming towards you."

Recalling an encounter with one of the robots she said: "I'd got my shopping in my hands. It swerved me at the last minute."

Each of the bots is equipped with cameras and a suite of sensors.

The vehicles are fully autonomous and have been designed to navigate paths and busy roads safely, often using pedestrian crossings.

Local business owner Adam Dolling said he had serious concerns about the equipment aboard the delivery vehicles.

"I think they're sinister because of the amount of cameras on them," he said.

"The robots are owned by a private company. Who knows what they are doing with that data."

Commenting on data concerns, a spokesperson for Starship Technologies said: "Starship takes measures to obfuscate any identifiable human features, has a strict policy on data retention and complies fully with GDPR.

"No recordings or images are shared with Uber."

An Uber Eats spokesperson said: "Autonomous deliveries launching in Sheffield is a testament to the city's position at the forefront of British engineering.

"Starship robots have made almost ten million deliveries globally and have been operating to the highest safety standards since 2018.

"We are investigating this feedback and we are committed to working with the community to address any concerns as the robots continue to serve local restaurants and customers."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North

What could six fictional voters teach us about how social media really works?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j68jp6l4vo, 2 days ago

For the next five weeks, I'm going to have several new phones.

That's because I'll be exploring the online worlds of six fictional voters.

I want to see how things play out online as we approach a landmark Senedd election.

So I'll be scrolling the social media feeds of Lauren, Paul, Claire, Rohan, Siân and David, six fictional voters I've created based on data and analysis from the National Centre for Social Research.

I'm calling them undercover voters, a phrase coined by BBC social media investigations correspondent Marianna Spring, who originally came up with this idea and used it in experiments for the Americast podcast and the 2024 UK General Election.

The profiles can't represent every Welsh voter, and charting what they see isn't a scientific exercise, but it will give us a glimpse into the types of content people are being shown.

Who are the undercover voters?

From now until 7 May, you'll likely see politicians knocking on doors and attending debates to try and win votes, but you might also notice parties, campaigners and voters fighting it out online too.

Social media algorithms are sophisticated, and what's on your feed can vary wildly from someone else's; a lot of the content is targeted based on your interests and online profile.

That's why I've got help from these six made-up people.

Each of them broadly represents a different group of voters with different beliefs and political views, and they're all based in different parts of Wales.

I'll be keeping track of what they're all seeing on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and X.

Why are we doing this?

In Wales, 52% of adults use social media as a source of news, according to Ofcom's 2025 News Consumption Survey.

It also found that, despite BBC One being the single top news source, Facebook was a close second and Instagram and YouTube were also in the top 10.

TikTok, X and Whatsapp were also in the mix, above some traditional TV channels and newspapers.

But apps like these aren't single sources of news.

They represent a whole mix of content from news outlets, influencers, commentators, everyday people, party political groups and more.

This can be thought-provoking or entertaining, and often holds power to account in the same way mainstream journalists do.

But it can be difficult to know what is real, and Artificial Intellegence (AI) is now in the mix too. Last month I investigated and found examples of political deepfakes being circulated on Facebook.

So we've chosen some of the most-used platforms and will see how their offerings differ for each of our voters with their various opinions, lifestyles and locations.

How will it work?

The six voters are based on research by the National Centre for Social Research (Natcen).

Natcen came up with six categories of Welsh voter, with the aim of representing a broad spread of opinions and beliefs across the electorate.

This included, but was not limited to, an indication of how old each of them might be, what their beliefs are, and what sort of job they might do.

I took these and added more depth to each profile to make them more human - adding details of their lives and interests. Their images are created using AI.

I also placed each in a different Welsh constituency based on Natcen's recommendations.

Then I created accounts for them on the main social media platforms, and fed in details of their general interests outside of politics.

They don't have any friends or followers and don't post anything but they interact with whatever comes up on their feed by liking posts, watching videos and following pages.

You'll see these fictional voters' faces popping up over the next few weeks as part of BBC Wales' election coverage, as I see what makes it onto their feeds.

I don't know what I'll see but I'll be keeping a close eye out for anything that sheds light on how they would be experiencing the run-up to this Senedd election.

BBC Wales Your Voice Live: Ask the Leader wants you to be in the audience and put your questions to the leaders of Wales' parties.

Click here to put your questions to the leaders of the Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats in Haverfordwest on 8 April.

Click here to put your questions to the leaders of Welsh Labour, Reform UK and the Wales Green Party in Llandudno on 15 April.

Highland cows moved over viral TikTok visitor surge

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw8vz1jze0o, 2 days ago

A herd of highland cows has been removed from a nature reserve after warnings to visitors drawn in by a social media-driven surge in interest were ignored, a wildlife trust has said.

Earlier this month, Kent Wildlife Trust urged visitors to Hothfield Heathlands nature reserve, in Ashford, Kent, to keep their distance from the cows after a viral TikTok video led to people "actively approaching the animals".

But interest in the animals "has exploded" and people have been continuing to get too close to them, with a spokesperson for the trust saying the pressure on the cows "has become too much".

In a social media post, the trust said it had "made the decision to remove the cows" to an undisclosed location "at least for the time being".

Ian Rickards, Kent Wildlife Trust area manager, said: "The constant pressure will be affecting the animals' ability to behave naturally.

"Also, the effect of hundreds of people walking off paths across sensitive habitats will be damaging the wildlife the site is designated for."

Highland cows have reportedly become one of the internet's favourite farm animals, known for their oversized horns and fringe of fur.

More than 300,000 videos on TikTok have been tagged with a hashtag related to the animals.

At Hothfield Heathlands, the highland cows had been used as working livestock animals to graze on the grass and help to manage the reserve.

Visitors to the reserve had been advised to keep at least 10m (33ft) away from the cows, but the trust said these warnings had been repeatedly ignored.

Videos on TikTok appear to show visitors standing and filming within touching distance of the animals.

When under pressure from visitors, the cows can become distressed or react out of fear, a trust spokesperson said.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

'I haven't played Wordle since the day I sold it' says game's Welsh creator

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2k3vz48qq7o, 3 days ago

The creator of the game Wordle has created another word puzzle despite struggling after the success of his first.

Josh Wardle from Monmouthshire created Wordle for his girlfriend to play during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The game was sold to The New York Times in February 2022.

Wardle told The Sunday Times: "I haven't played since the day I sold it."

Wardle, 43, created the puzzle game, originally called "Mr Bugs' Wordy Nugz" in 2020 to entertain himself and girlfriend Palak Shah during the pandemic. The name later changed to Wordle, a play on his surname.

When asked if he thought he'd create another word puzzle game, he previously said: "Why would I do that to myself?"

Despite this, Wardle and a team of collaborators recently launched Parseword, a wordplay game inspired by Wardle's attempts to get to grips with cryptic crossword puzzles.

Much like Wordle, the player gets to solve one cryptic crossword clue a day, the game becomes progressively harder as the week goes on.

Wardle said: "I remember looking at clues and feeling utterly flummoxed. Like it was completely impenetrable.

"They've become my favourite format, because hidden under all this complexity is this amazingly elegant puzzle."

Wardle said he wants to help "folks who haven't been able to break into cryptic crosswords, to teach them the rules".

"I love language, this tool we all have access to, we use every day," he said.

"I think I'm just trying to make games that I would want to play."

The original Wordle game involves guessing a five letter word in six guesses. When the player puts in the first word, the tiles will turn green if the letter is in the correct spot, yellow if the letter is in the word but not in the right spot and grey if its not included at all.

Parseword and Wordle can only be played once a day and players have the option of sharing their score with friends, family or on social media.

After the success of Wordle, other games with similar concepts started to emerge and Countdown's Susie Dent expressed a love for Wordle on breakfast television.

Wordle even helped to end a 17-hour hostage ordeal and became the most Googled word of 2022.

So with all the success, why did Wardle sell the iconic game? He told The Sunday Times that viral fame was "dizzying".

"People would send me messages that Wordle had reinvigorated their family group chat. At the same time, that level of scrutiny and pressure was deeply stressful," said Wardle.

The game was never created to make Wardle any money, it was subscription and ad free, the point was to make something fun - but the puzzle game ended up making Wardle a "low" seven-figure sum when he sold it.

Google Maps shows non-existent Clean Air Zone alert

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn53xezyx5do, 3 days ago

Motorists planning to drive into Greater Manchester have reported receiving Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charge warnings on Google Maps - four years after proposals to introduce a restricted area in the city region were scrapped.

After searching for their destination, Google Maps users are given information about a CAZ that has never existed.

The alert warns drivers that restrictions are in place all day, every day for taxi and private hire vehicles, with non-compliant vehicles subject to a daily £10 charge. It also contains a link to an article, published in 2021, providing more details about how the scheme works.

The BBC understands Google is aware of the issue and is rolling out a fix.

In 2015, the UK's Supreme Court ordered ministers to take immediate action to cut air pollution.

Greater Manchester's response was drawn up in 2019, shortly after a government report proposed the introduction, from 2023, of a daily charge for users of high-polluting buses, lorries and taxis.

While some cities - including Birmingham and London - did introduce a charge, there was considerable dissent in Greater Manchester.

Plans to introduce a fee were first suspended and then scrapped by the city region's mayor, Andy Burnham.

In December 2023, he unveiled an alternative plan to improve air quality, namely by investing in cleaner transport options.

This was accepted by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who indicated the decision on whether to introduce CAZ restrictions was a matter for "local leaders, based on what's best for their local areas".

Currently, however, the Google Maps warning reads: "Restrictions are active from Monday to Sunday (00:00-24:00).

"Taxi and private hire vehicles with a petrol engine that doesn't meet at least the EURO 4 standard or vehicles with a diesel engine that doesn't meet at least the EURO 6 standard need to pay up to £10 per day to enter."

A ringfenced area, highlighting Greater Manchester in blue, displays the proposed CAZ charging zone to Google Maps users.

The warning also contains a link to an article first published by Manchester World in 2021 - updated in 2022 - entitled "Seven things you need to know about Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone".

The article contains information about CAZ proposals going "back to the drawing board" - and lists vehicles which could be affected by the proposed plans.

Manchester World has been contacted for comment.

The alert - which also displays a time of "24:00" that does not exist - is only displayed to users setting a route on Google Maps with a starting point outside Greater Manchester.

No such warning appears when using other navigation apps such as Apple Maps or Waze.

'Weird and confusing'

Commuter Nick, 26, from Liverpool, said he first noticed the alert when setting off on his usual route to work from Liverpool to Salford on Sunday, 29 March.

Nick told BBC Radio Manchester he is a regular user of Google Maps - and travels into Greater Manchester frequently - but had not received this alert before Sunday.

"I thought it was weird when I noticed it - it had never come up before," said Nick. "I did a little bit of googling and couldn't find any record of it."

Thankfully Nick said he was aware of the CZA proposals in Manchester having been pulled - meaning he immediately knew the alert was bogus.

But when the message appeared again on his Monday morning commute - on 30 March - he said he became concerned about those Google Maps' users who were not aware that the warning message was inaccurate.

"There will be loads of people commuting in, and this might confuse everyone and catch out a bunch of people who think they might get charged'."

A spokesperson for Transport for Greater Manchester said: "Greater Manchester is taking an investment-led approach to cleaning up the air.

“We have been made aware of an incorrect alert about a Clean Air Zone on Google Maps.

“We have reported this to Google who have confirmed that it will now be corrected."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Kris Jenner's image spreads in Chinese social media good luck trend

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rx57zgz52o, 3 days ago

Social media users in China are reportedly sharing images of US reality TV star Kris Jenner as part of a trend wishing for luck and fortune on platforms such as Weibo and RedNote.

Hundreds of thousands of posts have been shared on Chinese social media in the past three days as users hope for prosperity for themselves, often humorously, including changing their profile pictures to Jenner.

Jenner, mother of Kim, Khloé, Kourtney and Rob Kardashian, as well as Kendall and Kylie Jenner, appears in reality TV shows which follow the family in everyday life.

As the so-called "momager" behind the family's media empire, Jenner is thought to have a net worth of hundreds of millions of dollars.

TikTok creator Marcelo Wang, who teaches viewers how to say popular phrases and slang in Mandarin, alerted many to the "super random" trend in a post on Friday.

He told viewers the trend had grown "because Kris Jenner is one of the hardest working businesswomen in the US, and Chinese people really respect hard work".

"Cosplaying Kris Jenner is like a Gen Z funny way to manifest success," he added.

Jenner herself took to the comments of a video posted by Wang on Sunday, writing "you're ALL doing amazing, sweetie!!!!" - referencing her well-known, much-memed quote from an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

Regional reporting of the trend has included screenshots from social media sites including RedNote - known as Xiaohongshu and used by millions of people in China - showing edited images of Jenner in a range of workwear, from "lawyer Kris" to "teacher Kris".

Business Insider estimates 99,000 posts using Jenner have been posted on the platform and viewed 52.9m times.

Last year it was estimated RedNote had a user base of around 300m, including an exodus of people from TikTok, which was under threat of a ban in the US at the time.

The phenomenon has also spread to Douyin, China's version of TikTok, both in videos using Jenner's image, as well as videos explaining the use of Jenner's image and which have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times in the past two days.

Although the trend has yet to spread to western social media in large numbers, it has appeared on X. One person claimed they passed an exam thanks to having used Jenner's picture on their profile.

Sophie Turner injury halts filming on Tomb Raider TV show

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9vlj9kl19o, 3 days ago

Filming on the new Tomb Raider series has been paused after actress Sophie Turner sustained an injury, the show's bosses have confirmed.

The Game of Thrones star plays heroine Lara Croft - a globe-trotting archaeologist - in the upcoming video game adaptation.

A Prime Video spokesperson confirmed Turner had recently suffered a "minor injury", although didn't confirm if it happened on or off-set.

"As a precaution, production has briefly paused to allow her time to recover. We look forward to resuming production as soon as possible," they said.

The streamer did not confirm how long the pause would last, nor did it give further details on the nature of the injury.

Turner has been spotted recording action scenes on location since she was confirmed as the new Lara Croft last year.

The 30-year-old previously told SiriusXM host Julia Cunningham she'd discovered she had "a perpetual back problem" during a gruelling, months-long training regime in the run-up to the show.

Turner previously said she had "massive shoes to fill" when taking on the role, which has been filled by Oscar winners Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander in the past.

Turner, who grew up in Warwickshire, shot to fame as Sansa Stark in HBO's fantasy epic Game of Thrones, and went on to appear as Jean Grey in the X-Men films.

Tomb Raider will also star Alien actress Sigourney Weaver, the White Lotus's Jason Isaacs and Celebrity Traitors contestant and Bridget Jones star Celia Imrie.

Fleabag writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge is behind the script for the show, based on the hit video game series first released in 1996.

At a time when female characters in games were rare, Lara became a sensation, featuring on magazine covers and becoming an icon for players worldwide.

The series was eventually rebooted in 2013, with Lara given a more grounded look and more emphasis placed on her characterisation.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

Diner gets Facebook account back after Meta ban

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gx9mey3deo, 3 days ago

A restaurant in Derbyshire has had its Facebook page restored after the owners said it was taken down by Meta.

The 1950s American Diner, in Swadlincote, lost access to its Facebook account - which has 32,000 followers - on 4 March for allegedly breaching Meta's rules on "fraud, scams and deceptive practices".

Owner Cody Chetwynd appealed for help, and South Derbyshire MP Samantha Niblett helped recover the account on Thursday after meeting with Meta.

Meta did not respond to the BBC's inquiries for a comment, but told a committee of MPs it "invested in the right systems" but "it does not always work perfectly".

Chetwynd said the past 20 days had felt like a "huge black cloud", and getting the page back was "the biggest victory".

Chetwynd, who reopened the diner with her husband, Luke, on 17 August 2023, said she struggled to solve the issue without "being able to contact a real person".

"The only 'support', and I use that term extremely loosely, was Meta AI Assist," she said.

"I spent hours trying every avenue, but there was no way to contact a real person.

"I was going over all our posts to try and figure out what could've possibly been flagged as fraud or a scam."

As Meta run both Instragram and Facebook, the restaurant owner paid £26 to become "Meta Verified" on its Instagram, which has 8,000 followers, to try and get her Facebook account back.

Meta Verified is a paid subscription service for Facebook and Instagram that verifies user authenticity and "enhanced support".

'No warning'

Chetwynd said that when she tried to contact Instagram support, she got the message she had "exceeded [her] support chat limit", even though she had "not used it once".

The loss of her Facebook page had a significant impact on trade, with customer numbers dropping by "43.5% over two weeks".

"For a small independent business with overheads to pay, it is detrimental," she said.

"I can't even describe how defeated I felt.

"Our biggest advertising platform was taken away with no warning."

Chetwynd said a friend who owned a balloon business also had her Facebook account taken down for the same "fraud, scams and deceptive practice breach".

"There's so many other businesses out there being failed by Meta and its ridiculous AI systems", said Chetwynd.

Niblett said she was "deeply concerned" when she saw Chetwynd's post about the restaurant's page being taken down.

"It shouldn't take an MP intervening in a very public way at a very senior level in Meta to get action", said Niblett.

"I still had to chase, and was advised 'it can take some time', with no suggestion of timescale.

"Whilst I am delighted 1950s American Diner had their page reinstated two days later, this doesn't solve the issue for so many others who, without rhyme or reason, have their pages taken down, unable to speak to a human.

"Deleting the pages of businesses in this way is one example of where tech and AI is negatively impacting our economy but, more even more importantly, people down."

'A real challenge'

At the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee on Tuesday, Niblett raised the case with Rebecca Stimson, Meta's UK Public Policy Director.

Niblett said: "Can you imagine the flip side, if we said to a social media platform, 'we are just going to switch your platform off because you have violated community standards', with no explanation?"

Stimson said: "It's a real challenge. I know how people can get very frustrated because we totally recognise the direct impact that would have on a small business.

"We do try and invest in the right systems to try and respond as quickly as possible and give people some additional context.

"It does not always work perfectly, and I accept that."

Committee chair Chi Onwurah said the response was "absolutely unacceptable".

Listen to BBC Radio Derby on Sounds and follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.

Megan Thee Stallion taken to hospital during Moulin Rouge performance

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86e1403793o, today

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion was taken to hospital part-way through her performance of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, in New York on Tuesday night.

"I thought I was gonna faint on stage, I really tried to push through my performance but I just couldn't," she wrote on social media the next day.

"I've been pushing myself past my limits lately, running on empty, and my body finally said enough. It honestly scared me."

Megan, 31, says she will return to the Broadway stage on Thursday to resume her role as Zidler, the show's eccentric master of ceremonies.

"I'll be right back on that stage Thursday, stronger, clearer, and ready to give you 100% the way you deserve," she said addressing her fans.

Earlier, her representatives told US media that she was taken to a New York hospital after she "started feeling very ill".

"Doctors ultimately identified extreme exhaustion, dehydration, vasoconstriction and low metabolic levels as the cause of her symptoms" they said. "Megan has since been treated, discharged and is now resting."

"Megan is incredibly grateful for the prayers and well-wishes from her supporters" the representatives added.

Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, premiered in her highly anticipated Broadway debut as Zidler on 24 March.

She is scheduled to play the leading role until 17 May, the Moulin Rouge website says. Ahead of her premiere, she expressed excitement for briefly substituting concerts with theatre performances.

Megan Thee Stallion is best-known for hits including Savage, WAP and Body.

In 2021, she won three Grammy awards for Best Rap Song, Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance. The following year she was nominated for Album of the Year.

Harold Zidler was first played by Danny Burstein in the original Broadway cast of Moulin Rouge, and won a coveted Tony award in 2020 for it. More recently, celebrity drag artist Bob the Drag Queen played Zidler in the musical for eight weeks earlier this year.

The BBC has contacted Moulin Rouge! The Musical for comment.

Taylor Swift pays homage to Elizabeth Taylor with surprise music video

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg0743ve3do, yesterday

Taylor Swift has surprised fans by releasing a new music video for her song Elizabeth Taylor, assembled from hours of footage of the late screen goddess.

Swift does not appear in the video, instead compiling a "supercut" of scenes from Elizabeth Taylor's films, alongside archive clips and newsreels showing the actress being hounded by paparazzi.

The clips include shots from films such as Cleopatra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and the cult classic Boom!, in which Taylor plays a six-times-divorcee who is visited by the angel of death.

Swift previously spoke of her admiration for the star, saying: "Role models are pretty hard to come by, but I would say she is one of mine."

Born in London in 1932, Taylor was one of the 20th Century's biggest movie stars, noted for her unique beauty and her portrayals of volatile and strong-willed characters.

At one time the highest-paid actress in the world, she also garnered attention for her tangled love life.

Speaking to the Elvis Duran show last year, Swift explained how she was inspired to write about Taylor on her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl.

"She is always someone that I've looked up to as being this very glamorous, very beloved, but for some reason a polarising figure [and] I found myself in that place, too.

"She was under a microscope so, so intense and she handled it with humour and she got along with her life," she added in a separate interview with Amazon Music.

"She continued to make incredible art and so this is a love song kind of through the lens of the motif of what she had to go through in her life and sort of the parallels that I feel in my own life."

Lyrics in the song include clear references to Taylor's life. It opens in Portofino, the Italian town where the actor Richard Burton first proposed to her - and where she spent four of her eight honeymoons.

The lyric, "I'll cry my eyes violet", refers to the star's famously entrancing eyes; and the line "what could you possibly get for the girl who has everything" namechecks one of her films.

Swift received permission from the estate of Taylor, who died in 2011 at the age of 73, to release the song and to use her likeness in the music video.

Royalties earned when the video is streamed will go to the actress's estate, which oversees her archive and the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation.

"My family loves the song, and grandma would have loved it, too," said Taylor's grandson, Quinn Tivey, when the song came out last year. "I wish she could have heard it."

He continued: "Taylor Swift not only made a beautiful homage to Elizabeth Taylor, but it feels like she is addressing her directly while invoking her legacy in a way that is dimensional, confessional, honest, and fun.

"It dances across the trappings of fame and the rollercoaster of falling in love and has so many heartfelt references, from the iconic perfume White Diamonds to her jewellery and, of course, her love of love."

At the end of the video, some eagle-eyed fans spotted that, although the song was first released in October 2025, the credits read "©2024 Taylor Swift" - confirming that she wrote the track while on the road with her blockbuster Eras tour.

As with Swift's recent video for Opalite - which starred Graham Norton and Lewis Capaldi - the promotional clip for Elizabeth Taylor is initially exclusive to Spotify and Apple Music, and will not be uploaded to YouTube until Thursday.

Industry analysts have speculated that the decision not to upload it to YouTube is due to a change in the US chart rules, which means songs streamed on the site no longer count towards the Top 100.

The BBC has asked Swift's team for clarification but has yet to receive a response.

The release comes 24 hours after Swift was sued by a writer, who says the singer infringed her trademark.

In a lawsuit filed on Monday in California federal court, Maren Wade, who writes a column in the Las Vegas Weekly called Confessions of a Showgirl, alleged that Swift had "eroded" the value of her trademark by releasing an album with a similar title.

"A solo performer who spent 12 years building a brand shouldn't have to watch it disappear because someone bigger came along," Wade said.

Swift and her label Universal Music Group, which is also named as a defendant, are yet to comment on the lawsuit.

BBC announces editor of Radio 4's Today programme

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr1qwn2178o, today

Rebecca Keating, who has worked on some of the BBC's most high profile news shows, has been named as the new editor of the Radio 4 Today programme.

Keating has worked at the BBC for nearly 20 years, and is currently the assistant editor on The World at One, PM, Broadcasting House and The World This Weekend on Radio 4.

She has also previously held senior roles on news and current affairs programmes including the news at Six and Ten on BBC One and Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

In a statement, Keating said: "When I first joined Today as an output editor nearly 10 years ago, I could not have imagined being given the immense privilege of leading the programme."

She added: "In a fractured landscape, where what is true is increasingly harder to ascertain, Today's role in holding power to account and hosting the debates shaping our society is more important than ever."

Today remains the BBC's flagship radio news programme, with the most recent Rajar figures stating 5.61m listeners tuned in during the last three months of 2025.

Keating, who joined the BBC from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, has covered some of the biggest news stories for BBC outlets - including the death of Queen Elizabeth II, general elections and conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran.

"I look forward to working with Amol, Anna, Emma, Justin and Nick, along with the programme's clever and incredibly diligent production team, to ensure Today thrives in the next phase of its evolution," she added.

John McAndrew, the corporation's director of live and daily news, said he hoped her appointment can bring "new audiences across all platforms, while preserving its [Today's] unique heritage and special place in listeners' lives".

Keating will replace Owenna Griffiths, who was in the role for more than five years.

Scott Mills confirms he was investigated by police in first statement since sacking

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gv7yj71llo, today

Presenter Scott Mills has confirmed he was investigated over a sexual offence, in his first statement since he was sacked from the BBC over allegations relating to his personal conduct.

In a statement, Mills said the announcement of his sacking had led "to the publication of rumour and speculation". The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in 2016 before closing it in 2019 after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) deemed there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.

"Since the investigation related to an allegation that dates back nearly 30 years and the police investigation was closed seven years ago, I hope that the public and the media will understand and respect my wish not to make any further public comment on this matter," the former BBC Radio 2 presenter said.

The allegations, first published in the Mirror, are reported to have happened between 1997 and 2000, police said, when Mills would have been in his mid-twenties.

On Monday, it was announced that the former Radio 1 presenter had been sacked by the BBC over allegations related to his personal conduct. The BBC has not given any further details over the allegations and it is not clear what, if any, role the police investigation played in his sacking.

The 53-year-old said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon: "An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018.

"As the police have stated, a file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined that the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges."

He added: "I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have reached out to me with kindness, my former colleagues, and my beloved listeners, who I greatly miss."

Earlier on Wednesday, the BBC confirmed it knew about the sexual offences investigation in 2017.

But in a statement, a spokesperson added that the Radio 2 presenter was sacked after "new information" about his conduct came to light in recent weeks.

The statement from the BBC came after mounting pressure on the broadcaster to explain what led to the Radio 2 DJ's sudden departure.

It said it was "doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC" at the time.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Carol Kirkwood: Why the time is right for me to retire - and what's next

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn53yrl4y9vo, today

At 2:45am, much of the country is fast asleep - but for nearly three decades that's when Carol Kirkwood's day has begun.

Now, after leaving the BBC this week, the early alarm is the first thing she's ready to leave behind - it's "well and truly going in the bin".

It marks the end of an era, not just for Kirkwood, but for millions of viewers who have watched her present the weather forecast.

She has been the main weather presenter on BBC Breakfast since 2010, having started her BBC presenting career on the news channel.

Reflecting on her 28 years at the corporation, she tells us the biggest privilege was presenting the weather out in the field because "you meet members of the public who are always so lovely and kind to me".

Although it's "impossible to pinpoint one standout moment", reporting from events such as the Wimbledon tennis championships and Chelsea Flower Show were some of her highlights.

"I've reported from so many beautiful places and visited a lot of the country that I might not otherwise have seen," she adds.

Kirkwood announced she would be retiring back in February, but now her final few days at the BBC have arrived it's been "really surreal and emotional" to say goodbye.

Last week, while she was reporting on the weather at the Tower of London, she was given a special gold poppy that "is incredibly rare and hardly anyone has one".

"I was so surprised by the kindness they showed me," she says. Earlier this week she was "left in tears" after RHS Garden Wisley renamed its weather station in honour of her.

"The thing is you just go to work to do your job - you don't realise how appreciated you are," she says.

"You don't expect people to come and tell you how good you are because you're just doing your job.

"It's fabulous but it makes it even harder to leave."

But the 63-year-old, from Morar on Scotland's west coast, will miss her colleagues above all else.

"I love the weather and I'm fascinated by it but it's undoubtedly the people that make a job and it's so sad saying goodbye to them because I've known so many of them for decades. I know we'll stay in touch but it won't be the same."

On the flip side, without the 2:45am alarm, she "cannot wait to sit in the garden in the summer in the evening or go to the theatre without worrying about the lack of sleep I would get".

In a glittering career, Kirkwood has also reported for The One Show and competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, reaching week eight with her partner Pasha Kovalev.

She has repeatedly been named best TV weather presenter at the TV and Radio Industries Club Awards.

'I should get on with my retirement'

In 2023, Kirkwood married police officer Steve Randall and one of the main reasons she chose to retire was to spend more time with him.

She'd been considering it for about six months and discussing it regularly with Steve and she explains that they kept coming back to the simple question: what are we waiting for?

"I'm not getting any younger, I'm newly married and we've had some losses in our lives recently."

She didn't elaborate on what losses she had experienced but says it helped her realise "I should get on with my retirement and that's what I'm going to do".

She's most excited to go travelling and has already planned trips to France and Italy.

"The freedom of being able to get in the car, drive and go anywhere we want for as long as we want is really appealing," she adds.

She and Steve love walking and she feels acutely aware she'll be "turning 64 in May and we want to do this while we're fit and healthy".

As for her other hobbies, her sixth romance novel is out in October and she has committed to writing at least two more books after that. She also says she'd love to learn the guitar and get a couple of cats.

When Kirkwood began forecasting in the 1990s, the job looked very different.

"We had little symbols of a sun and a cloud that would cover a whole area and that would be it," she explains. "Now we have 3D graphics that move across the area which is a lot clearer and easier to understand."

The weather has changed in almost three decades, too. "We used to have four definitive seasons and now they are such a muddle because of climate change."

She might be a pro at presenting the weather but it wasn't quite her dream job growing up, as she admits: "Not in a million years did I think I'd be doing this."

"When I was a child I wrote to Blue Peter producer Biddy Baxter because I wanted to be a presenter on the show as they always looked like they were having such good fun."

Her advice to anyone looking to pursue a similar career to her is to "always follow your dreams and put yourself out there".

"If you followed your dreams and they don't come true then at least you know you would have tried," she says.

Kirkwood's dreams did come true and now her dream retirement "can finally begin".

BBC knew about Scott Mills sexual offences investigation in 2017

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwywvrye76lo, today

The BBC knew about a police investigation into DJ Scott Mills in 2017, the corporation has confirmed.

But the Radio 2 presenter was sacked after "new information" about his conduct came to light in recent weeks, the BBC said.

Mills was previously questioned by police over historical allegations of serious sexual offences, but no charges were brought after prosecutors decided in 2019 there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the case.

Mills has not yet responded to repeated requests for comment.

On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police told BBC News that the teenage boy at the centre of the sexual offences investigation was under the age of 16.

BBC News understands that the director general at the time of the investigation, Tony Hall, did not know about the allegations.

The BBC's statement on Wednesday came after mounting pressure on the broadcaster to explain what led to the Radio 2 DJ's sudden departure.

In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: "Scott Mills had a long career across the BBC, he was hugely popular and we know the news this week has come as a shock and surprise to many.

"We also recognise there's been much speculation in the media and online since Monday. We hope people understand that there is a limit to what we can say because we have to be mindful of the rights of those involved.

"What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March."

The spokesperson added: "Separately, we can confirm the BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made. We are doing more work to understand the detail of what was known by the BBC at this time."

The statement concluded that the BBC has made "a significant commitment to improve its culture, processes and standards".

"Last year, following an independent culture review, we set out the behavioural expectations for everyone who works with or for the BBC and we were clear action would be taken if these were not met."

On Monday, it was announced that the former Radio 1 presenter had been sacked by the BBC over allegations related to his personal conduct.

At the time, the BBC did not give any further details over the allegations and it is not clear what, if any, role the police investigation played in his sacking.

The 53-year-old was questioned in 2018 over historical allegations of serious sexual offences. But the investigation, which began in 2016, was closed in 2019 after the Crown Prosecution Service deemed there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.

The allegations, first published on Monday by the Mirror, relate to the period between 1997 and 2000, police said, when Mills would have been in his mid-twenties.

On Tuesday, the BBC apologised for not looking into a separate allegation of "inappropriate communications" involving Mills, first reported in the Telegraph, raised by a freelance journalist last year.

The BBC said: "We received a press query in 2025 which included limited information. This should have been followed up and we should have asked further questions. We apologise for this and will look into why this did not happen."

Mills's last Radio 2 breakfast show appearance was on Tuesday 24 March, when he signed off by saying: "Back tomorrow."

DJ Gary Davies started the show the following day by saying he was "in for Scott Mills", and has been covering the breakfast show since.

Davies and Radio 2's overnight presenter OJ Borg will cover the show over the next week, as speculation begins to mount over who will replace Mills.

Mills joined Radio 2's weekday schedule in 2022 when he replaced Steve Wright as the host of the afternoon show. He was promoted to breakfast in January 2025.

Prior to his work on Radio 2, Mills was a mainstay on Radio 1 - which he joined in 1998 - for decades.

He competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, and more recently provided TV commentary for BBC One on the semi-finals of Eurovision with Rylan Clark.

In 2024, Mills and his husband Sam won the BBC competition series Celebrity Race Across The World. Mills was last seen on TV in March on a Traitors skit during Comic Relief.

Call the Midwife praised by one of the nuns who inspired it

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwykjex4v9do, today

After a dramatic end to the 15th series of Call the Midwife and with work beginning on a prequel to the TV drama, one of the nuns who inspired the series has been praising its attention to detail.

The 15th series came to an end last month, with the temporary closure of Nonnatus House while its inhabitants "discern our next steps".

Exploring the lives and work of a group of midwives in London's East End, the show features the fictional Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus - which is based on the real life Anglican community of St John the Divine, which in 1976 moved to the West Midlands.

Sister Margaret-Angela, who started out as a midwife in Poplar, said acting as a consultant for the programme was an experience she "never expected to have".

"They've done a very good job" she enthused. "They're very careful to get the details right - that's been most impressive."

Sister Margaret-Angela, said she had vivid memories of life in the East End, where she started out working for the church before realising her true calling.

She said she lived near the sisters of St John the Divine and used to see them cycling around on their district rounds.

One day she asked one of the sisters to go with her to visit an elderly lady.

"It was squalid, it was really squalid" she remembered. "You had to suck a peppermint to go into the house, a really strong peppermint.

"In the middle of this I suddenly saw myself in a blue habit".

In 1976, the community decided to move the location of its mother house to the Midlands.

Sister Margaret-Angela described their then Reverend Mother disappearing for a day to look at a house in Alum Rock.

"We said 'oh no, not Birmingham'," she laughed. "But once we were here it just felt right".

Call the Midwife's links to the West Midlands do not end there.

The TV series was originally based on a book of the same name, by Jennifer Worth, who worked as a midwife with the sisters in Poplar and is played by Jessica Raine in seasons one to three.

In a 2007 interview with BBC CWR, before her death in 2011, Worth revealed that, at the age of 17, she had also worked as a nurse at the old Workhouse Hospital in Coventry and also the Warwick Infirmary.

Medical historian Dr John Wilmot explained she was probably referring to Gulson Hospital, now closed, and Warwick Hospital, and that she may have held the training position of a nursing cadet.

Working in healthcare in the 1950s was "in some ways very different", he said. "Much more hierarchical, strict uniforms; the ward sister's word was law."

Sister Margaret-Angela remembered Worth who, she said, had a beautiful singing voice.

"She had a delightful husband" she recalled. "When she wrote the book, she dictated it to him and he typed it all".

Since Call the Midwife took off on TV, she said their production team had been in touch "constantly".

"They would ring up or email and say 'what do we do here' and 'what do you wear there','" she smiled.

Three of the sisters have been to visit the Call the Midwife set, she remembered, including one occasion "down on the edge of Surrey" when she met actor Miriam Margolyes.

"She said 'do I call you Sister Margaret or Margaret?' and I said 'you can call me Margaret' and she said 'well in that case you can call me Miriam'," she chuckled.

The community of St John the Divine is dwindling now but Sister Margaret-Angela saw their involvement in Call the Midwife as something that would endure.

"We've bought all the DVDs so it'll be in our archives" she said. "It's part of the community history now".

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Water leak forces BBC Look East off air

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c747njme8gyo, today

A water leak at the BBC's regional TV studio in Norfolk has forced BBC Look East's bulletins off air.

Morning regional TV services will come from the BBC London studio until further notice, while listeners to BBC Radio Norfolk initially received output from BBC Radio Suffolk.

The leak only affected the part of The Forum building that houses the BBC.

Greeting listeners, Suffolk presenter Wayne Bavin said: "If you're listening in Norfolk this isn't an April Fool - they've had a little bit of a problem at the Forum where BBC Radio Norfolk is based. They've had a flood."

BBC Radio Norfolk broadcast its own output at 08:00 BST, presenting from its sister station in Ipswich.

Normal service resumed from the Forum at 10:00.

Look East's lunchtime bulletin was also broadcast from the Norwich studio.

A BBC spokesperson said: "There was a water leak in a small area of the office, radio programming has now resumed with Look East regional TV news returning later today."

BBC Look East covers Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Suffolk.

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Five towns vie for culture award millions

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cge0g9jglxpo, yesterday

Five Devon towns have put in their bids for the first UK Town of Culture title, with £3m up for grabs to boost festivals, venues and community projects.

A shortlist for the UK Town of Culture competition will be announced in the spring, with each shortlisted community receiving £60,000 to help deliver full bids, with a winner announced early in 2027.

Ashburton and Buckfastleigh have joined forces for a joint bid that leans on a packed year-round arts scene, while Ilfracombe believes its dramatic history and striking modern art gives it a powerful story.

In Barnstaple, community energy is driving the bid, Sidmouth is pitching its mix of coastal beauty and festival culture, while Teignmouth hopes its creative identity and musical roots will help it stand out.

Charmaine Lovett, from the Ilfracombe bid, said the seaside town had a "huge amount of history", including shipwrecks and smugglers and battles at sea and lighthouses.

"We have got loads of things that have gone on here, and we would really love to celebrate that and really share that story," she said.

The town is also where the controversial Damien Hirst sculpture Verity towers over the harbour area.

On the south coast in Sidmouth, Hilary Nelson, from the town's bid, said: "We are really blessed with our location and we have the Unesco World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast here, but we are also really fortunate to have a thriving cultural scene including the annual folk festival."

Peter Buffery of the Barnstaple bid, said the town had "loads going on for it".

"It has got arts organisations and community groups and it has recently had investment that has developed a new performing arts venue and new studios and workshop spaces," he said.

Sam Lock, from Teignmouth, said it should win "because it is already a really strong cultural identity shaped by its people and its heritage and its creativity".

"What this opportunity will give us is a chance to build on it, make it more accessible and involve more people across the whole town," he said.

Andy Williamson, from the Ashburton and Buckfastleigh bid, said: "We already are the UK town of culture. Everything that is happening here in Ashburton and Buckfastleigh, basically it is culture going on here all the time."

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Carol Kirkwood bids emotional farewell to BBC Breakfast

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxdk4z717jo, yesterday

Weather presenter Carol Kirkwood said it had been a "privilege and honour" to have been welcomed into viewers' homes for 28 years, as she bade an emotional farewell to BBC Breakfast.

The broadcaster announced in January that she would be leaving the BBC One show, saying she wanted to travel and spend more time with her husband Steve.

She was showered with well wishes from viewers, colleagues and celebrities throughout her final programme on Wednesday, with presenter Sally Nugent telling Kirkwood she had "changed the way that weather is reported in television".

Discussing what she would do next, Kirkwood said: "For once I don't have a detailed forecast, but I do know this – it's time for a new chapter."

In a heartfelt goodbye speech as she closed the programme, Kirkwood told viewers: "Thank you for trusting me, be it telling you about heatwaves or snow, to the everyday question of 'do I need to take a brolly?'

"To my colleagues past and present, both in front and behind the camera, I owe you all so much. You've been my team, my safety net, and, very often, my family.

"We've shared breaking news, long shifts, plenty of laughter, bad hair days, and the occasional moment of pure chaos. And do you know what? I wouldn't change a second of it."

Kirkwood said she was looking forward to spending "a bit more time with Steve, and perhaps the luxury of watching the weather instead of presenting it".

Becoming emotional, she signed off by telling viewers: "Thank you for letting me be part of your lives."

In a video tribute, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer congratulated Kirkwood on a "truly remarkable career".

"You've been a staple every morning for us in relation to the weather, with your professionalism, your warmth, and that sunny disposition you have," he said.

Before delivering her final forecast, Kirkwood was greeted on set by guide dog Flash, who memorably pulled her over when she was reporting live from the Chelsea Flower Show in 2021.

And she was later seen on video meeting another 10 Downing Street resident, Larry the Cat.

Her Breakfast colleagues past and present then came together on set to present her with a Little Miss Sunshine framed picture, a cake and a standing ovation.

She was joined on the red sofa at the end by her husband Steve, who joked that the "the first thing to go" in their new lives, going forward, would be his wife's 02:30 AM alarm clock.

Earlier in the programme, Kirkwood told Nugent and co-presenter Jon Kay: "I've been on this programme for 28 years, and it's been amazing, absolutely amazing. And I've had so many privileged moments.

"I've been honoured to be on this programme for so long, meet our viewers, all these things. And it is a new chapter, so Steve and I are going to set off into the sunset."

The broadcaster and author, who also competed on Strictly in 2015, said reporting from Wimbledon and Royal Ascot had been among her career standouts, as well as the poppies at the Tower of London.

"When you go to an event with Carol, it is a little bit like going to an event with The Queen," Nugent reflected.

It was a misty start to Kirkwood's final day as her Breakfast presenting colleagues read out messages and shared memories from viewers expressing their appreciation.

They also played out a compilation of her on-air highlights mixed with video messages from viewers and stars, including fellow broadcasters Zoe Ball, Chris Evans, Paul Merton, Sue Barker and Clare Balding; as well as Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, rock star Bryan Adams and Line Of Duty actress Vicky McClure.

Early on in the show, Kirkwood beamed as she left her weather station to join Nugent and Kay on the sofa in a white dress. "I might just stay now that I'm on the sofa," she joked.

"Thank you everyone for all these beautiful messages," she said. "I hope I can get a copy of them."

Nugent noted: "I don't think we've ever had more messages about anything else." Kay similarly confirmed there had been "thousands" of messages from viewers about Kirkwood, which Nugent said talked "about you and everything you have meant to them over the last years".

The Breakfast presenter went on to tell the outgoing Kirkwood that while she and her colleagues had been "so lucky to have you here with us, we forget all the people at home who are your friends too".

Kirkwood replied saying that meeting viewers down the years, while out and about filming, had been "so special".

"When I go on outside broadcasts, our viewers come up and chat and I love that," she said.

"I love finding out how they're getting on, how their day's going, and we just chit-chat about anything."

She added: "And sometimes I think, 'I'm on in two minutes!' and leg it over to the camera. But it's so lovely to meet our audience."

It was "so lovely that anybody would bother to come up and chew the cud with you for a while", she said.

The weather presenter began her BBC career as a production secretary and production assistant on Breakfast.

After stints on BBC radio, she left the broadcaster to go and work in recruitment and then consultancy, but later returned and trained with the Met Office, joining the the corporation's Weather Centre in 1998.

Kirkwood, who is from Morar in Scotland, confirmed on her last show that she had been told by viewers that, with her "Highland lilt", she had helped to "send babies to sleep".

"As long as I'm not sending the audience to sleep," she smiled.

Arts festival for 'newest and most exciting work'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2d82422r4o, yesterday

A new arts festival will focus on work‑in‑progress performances and innovation.

In the Works, taking place in Ipswich from 11–27 May, was revealed at the town's County Library on Tuesday night.

Supporters include New Wolsey Theatre, Brighten the Corners, Eastern Angles, SPILL, King Street Cinema, and Suffolk Community Libraries. It comes as Ipswich bids to be the UK's City of Culture 2029.

"Audiences deserve the chance to experience the newest and most exciting work being made right now... by coming together we can make a bold statement about what we can achieve here," said Douglas Rintoul, chief executive and artistic director of New Wolsey Theatre and chair of We Are Ipswich.

There will be more than 30 events across eight venues celebrating "bold new work, fresh voices, and next‑generation creativity".

Shows will include work from theatre makers and filmmakers, musicians, comedians and writers.

There will be a mix of premieres, works‑in‑progress, experiments, and one‑off events.

Melissa Matthews, cultural programmes manager for Suffolk Community Libraries, said: "This big moment of social action let's us utilise libraries as that gateway into culture, really raising awareness of those high quality experiences and actually show what opportunities are out there.

"There's this gorgeous ecosystem that's starting to build in Ipswich, something that's going to be really transformative for the town."

What can you see?

SPILL will stage Transactionland, an unusual high-street retail emporium hosted by artist-turned-shopkeeper Rachael Clerke. It is a response to a collective fear of talking about the economy.

King Street Cinema will show a mix of storytelling from across the UK and beyond, including Drawn From Life, a vivid collection of animated shorts that celebrate everyday lives alongside Our Land, a timely documentary exploring the UK's Right to Roam movement.

Brighten the Corners gigs will include Styrofoam Winos, a music‑led evening of folk‑infused songs and personal stories, and ICHI fusing poetry, beat‑driven music and theatrical presence in a hybrid performance.

Eastern Angles continues its commitment to championing homegrown talent and premiering new writing through its popular Play, Pizza, Pint Night programme, serving audiences work from the Eastern Angles Playwrights Club and Emma Zadow's play Marsh Kin.

Ipswich County Library will host an intimate series of gigs curated by the Creative Communities young producers' programme, Booked, featuring emerging local musicians and writers-in-residence from the Bound/Unbound poetry collective, all within the atmospheric setting of the historic library.

Gifted Melon injects a burst of comedy energy into the festival with stand‑up nights upstairs at The Thomas Wolsey Pub.

New Wolsey Theatre features Edinburgh Fringe hits, daring new voices, and the latest play by award winning Ipswich writer Martha Loader.

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ELO's electric cello donated to city conservatoire

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62493exz77o, yesterday

A silver electric cello that toured with Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) in the 1970s has been donated to a Birmingham music institution by one of the band's former members.

Melvyn Gale, who played cello for the band from 1975 to 1980, gifted the string instrument which he said was just "sitting in a cupboard at home" to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC).

He was inspired to donate the piece after watching RBC students perform a tribute concert to the group's keyboardist Richard Tandy, who died at the age of 76 in 2024.

"There was no such thing as an electric cello when ELO was performing, so we made one," Gale explained.

The ELO cellist, drummer Bev Bevan and violinist Mik Kaminski visited the RBC on 18 March, where they watched current students perform.

"After watching the Richard Tandy tribute concert, I thought the RBC students were so brilliant, and I remembered I had the cello sitting in a cupboard at home," Gale said.

"The Richard Tandy production suite is brilliant. The facilities here are so much more diverse than what I had when I was studying music, and I hope it'll inspire future musicians to be enthusiastic and passionate about what they create."

Tandy was born in Birmingham and joined ELO after the release of the rock group's first album in 1972.

A scholarship at the RBC and a production suite containing some of his instruments, music equipment and memorabilia donated by his family has been set up in his memory.

RBC principal, Stephen Maddock, said the cello was a symbol of ELO's "pioneering creativity" and their fusion of classical and pop genres.

"It's wonderful to see Richard's generous gift of instruments and memorabilia, inspiring other music icons to do the same," he added.

"They are creating an archive that will benefit future generations of students and fans."

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Kanye West to return to UK for Wireless Festival

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgxrkw352no, yesterday

US rapper Kanye West has been announced as the headliner for all three nights of this year's Wireless Festival.

The controversial star last performed in the UK when he headlined Glastonbury in 2015.

His return to the Wireless stage in London follows years of widespread criticism for antisemitic comments, which he later publicly apologised for.

The announcement comes days after the 48-year-old, now known as Ye, released his twelfth studio album Bully.

Festival organisers say "Ye's UK comeback will be an extraordinary chapter in Wireless's story".

Running from 10 to 12 July, the rapper is set to perform tracks from across his discography when he takes to the stage at Finsbury Park.

The set list is expected to range from his 2004 debut The College Dropout, to later albums like 2007's Graduation and 2016's The Life of Pablo.

No other acts have been announced on the 2026 line-up yet.

Ye has sparked significant controversy for his antisemitic remarks in recent years.

In 2025, he was blocked from entering Australia after he released a song glorifying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Earlier that year, he declared himself a Nazi and retracted an apology for earlier comments.

In 2022, sportswear giant Adidas announced it was ending its partnership with West over his antisemitism.

In November, Ye held a meeting with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto where he reportedly apologised for his past antisemitic comments.

Then in January, Ye took out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal where he shared details about his bipolar type-1 diagnosis, which he had previously dismissed.

Within the letter, titled "To Those I've Hurt", he said as a result of the disorder he had "lost touch with reality" and gravitated towards "the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika" and sold t-shirts with the sign on it.

He added that it led him to say and do things he regrets and insisted he is "not a Nazi or an antisemite".

His new album Bully was delayed numerous times, and at one stage was due to be released a few days after the advert was published.

'Completely unacceptable'

Singer and actor Benjamin Haim-Isaac, who describes himself as a "very active" member of the Jewish community, says it has been "really horrific" to see someone offered such a large platform after saying "something so awful".

"It really makes you question whether the people who are organising this festival actually support the Jewish community", the 24-year-old, from London, tells BBC Newsbeat.

Haim-Isaac, who says he used to love some of Ye's hit songs like American Boy, says he struggles with the rapper's public apology as he has gone back on his word in the past.

While he says he does not support "cancel culture", he is troubled by how recently Ye said "such horrific things".

"And it wasn't just every now and again, a few antisemitic tropes. This man was a raging, raging antisemite," he says.

"I think it's really worrying when someone with that big of a platform says things like that."

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism told Newsbeat Ye's past antisemitic comments have had a "huge impact" and it was "disappointing" to see venues invite him back so quickly following his most recent apology.

"If he remains on the right path and makes more effort to make amends, that is well and good, but if he returns to his old ways these venues will have much to answer for," they added.

The Community Security Trust, a charity which provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, said booking Ye as a headliner was "completely unacceptable".

"There is little confidence that he will not repeat his appalling views in future," a spokesperson said.

"Antisemitism causes real harm to Jewish communities and decisions like this risk signalling that anti-Jewish racism is welcome in the music industry."

Ye has slowly been returning to main stages, headlining 2024's Rolling Loud in California with US rapper Ty Dolla $ign and performing live in China, South Korea and Mexico over the past two years.

Last year, Canadian rapper Drake headlined all three days of Wireless Festival, with each night focused on a different era of his extensive back catalogue.

But fans were left disappointed after the 39-year-old's performance on the final day ended after 40 minutes, when the previous night ran for 90 minutes.

There was also mixed reaction from fans when the 2025 Wireless line-up was announced, due to its lack of UK artists.

Burna Boy, Vybz Kartel, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Summer Walker performed alongside Drake last year.

About 50,000 rap, R&B and hip-hop fans head to the event each day.

A spokesperson for Haringey Council, which manages Finsbury Park, told BBC Newsbeat that organisers Festival Republic would need to meet several conditions.

They said this included "ensuring performing acts do not offend or denigrate any race or religion".

"We'll be seeking assurances from Festival Republic that they'll be reminding all artists of this condition prior to them performing this summer," they added.

BBC Newsbeat has approached the Wireless organisers for comment on criticism following Ye being announced as a headliner.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

'Respectful' BBC drama on murder of Sarah Everard to air

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cql72rqr73ko, yesterday

The BBC has announced a "respectful" two-part factual drama on the murder of Sarah Everard.

Everard was abducted, raped and killed by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in south London on 3 March 2021.

He tricked her into thinking she could be arrested for breaking Covid lockdown rules as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham.

The currently untitled series will examine the circumstances that allowed a sex offender to become, and remain, a police officer.

'Sensitivity and care'

In 2023, Couzens admitted three counts of indecent exposure, one of which he committed four days before killing Everard.

He is serving a whole-life sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of the 33-year-old.

The series will be made by award-winning writer Jeff Pope who has also produced other dramas based on real-life crime including Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes and Little Boy Blue, about the 2007 murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Liverpool.

Pope said the key question asked by his drama is how Couzens was still a serving officer "after committing numerous sexual offences over a long period of time".

The drama will "explore how, over many years and across his career in different police forces, significant evidence of sexual offending was repeatedly dismissed and poor vetting and a lack of training and motivation meant vital evidence against him was never collected," according to the BBC.

It will also consider the "impact these failings have had on public confidence in policing, particularly in light of the epidemic of violence against women and girls".

Everard's murder sparked a national outcry and spurred on many women to share their experiences of feeling unsafe on the streets.

The BBC says the show will be "handled with sensitivity and respect" and the production team are in contact with Everard's family.

Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, says: "Drama has a unique ability to sensitively and respectfully tackle real life subjects and this series will explore the impact of this horrific crime, the misogyny and failings from within the Met Police and what lessons can be learnt".

She adds that Pope will "treat this with the utmost care, helping to ensure that the issues that led to Sarah Everard's murder remain in the public consciousness for years to come, whilst continuing to hold the police to account."

Wonder Stuff singer's bro swaps market for UK tour

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgj0l3q2xlzo, 2 days ago

The brother of The Wonder Stuff's front man is leaving his market stall to go back on tour with the band which is celebrating its 40th year.

Russ Hunt, brother of Miles, is departing White Rabbit Records at Shrewsbury Market Hall after a 10-year stint so he can once more serve as a guitar technician, this time for the band's anniversary shows.

He bought the stall in September 2015 from former owner Dave Lamont, after being made redundant from a corporate IT job he had for 17 years.

"We are sorry to see Russ go and White Rabbit Records leave, but for Russ this is an exciting opportunity and he will be in his element," said a market hall spokesperson.

Hunt said: "It's been an interesting 10 years - I've got to know some good people, but the best bit has been sitting in my own little empire every day talking about music."

Ultimately, however, going back to the band - which formed in Stourbridge - proved too much of a draw.

"Miles phoned me up and asked did I fancy it, and I said 'yeah'," Hunt explained.

"Providing everything is going well it's a huge giggle. Some of those people I have known for over 40 years. It's like getting on a bus with your mates with a load of beer and playing music."

The band announced the anniversary tour earlier this year.

The group had disbanded following a headline set at the Phoenix Festival in 1994 although reformed in 2000 to play five sold-out nights at London's Forum Theatre.

Venues on the latest tour include The Halls in Wolverhampton.

Russ Hunt has been involved in music all his adult life, from performing in numerous bands to working as a concert technician or band promotor.

His uncle Bill Hunt played in the Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard.

Shrewsbury Market Hall said Hunt was there for The Wonder Stuff's first gig in 1986 and had worked with them more or less up until 2019.

He said he would miss the market traders and customers, many of whom have taken to social media to express their gratitude for his service.

One called him "a true legend", with another remembering him getting up on stage during a Wonder Stuff gig and filling in for his brother on guitar.

"I will still be around, popping into Shrewsbury, and I will do the occasional DJ gig at a couple of pubs in town," Hunt promised.

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Eurovision Song Contest launches first-ever Asia edition

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2rwq53zxyo, 2 days ago

Known for its glitzy stage costumes and sometimes outlandish performances, the Eurovision Song Contest is now launching its first ever Asia edition.

Broadcasters from 10 countries in the region, including South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines, have confirmed that they will be taking part. According to the contest's website, which lists the participating countries, there are "more to follow".

These countries will first host their own national selections before the grand final in Bangkok which will be broadcast live on 14 November.

First held in 1956, Eurovision has grown into the world's longest running international music competition.

With 2026 marking its 70th anniversary, it felt "especially meaningful to open this next chapter with Asia, a region rich in culture, creativity and talent", explained Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest at the EBU, in a statement.

The idea of an Asian version of Eurovision, conspicuously not named "Asiavision", has already generated some excitement on social media, with people rooting for their home countries to win the contest.

"Philippines will win every year," read an X post, while another questions why major Asian markets such as China and Japan are not yet a part of the competition.

'A celebration of original pop music'

This is not the first time Eurovision has tried to expand beyond its core competition.

In 2022, it held the American Song Contest, which saw representatives from all 50 US states. However this stateside edition, hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson, suffered from poor viewership and was not renewed for a second year.

It seems organisers hope an Asian contest will be more successful. After all, this is a region which really loves its music.

Rising incomes, thriving social media and young people who adore K-pop and karaoke have all given Asia's music business a boost over the years. Global music labels have also been investing in the continent, while there has also been a growing number of collaborations between Asian artistes and Western names.

The region's most celebrated pop culture export is undoubtedly K-pop, which is taking the world by storm after having dominated Asian markets for decades.

But that is far from the only offering.

In Thailand there's the T-Wind, the homegrown parallel to K-Wave. And of course, there's Bollywood, although India has not confirmed its participation in Eurovision Asia.

As of now, the 10 participating countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

As a rule, the songs performed at Eurovision must be original and lead vocals sung live. Performers are then voted on by music experts and fans.

It's unclear if the same rules will apply for the Asia edition, but the event's website states that "every vote will count" and promises that the contest will be "a celebration of original pop music".

Entrants to this year's contest will no doubt be aware that Eurovision has supercharged the careers of some of the world's most famous acts, from Swedish pop group Abba to Canadian singer Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988.

And despite its age, Eurovision remains a hugely popular annual event. Around 163 million people tuned in to last year's contest, which offered songs ranging from ebullient bangers to soulful ballads.

But the contest has also become a site of international political tensions.

A number of countries are boycotting the contest this year, set to take place in Vienna in May, over Israel's participation.

Russia has been banned from entering the contest since 2022, following its invasion of Ukraine. As a result, Moscow relaunched its own international song contest, known as Intervision.

Since the 2000s, there have been multiple attempts to create an Asian version of the iconic contest, but none of those previous efforts bore fruit.

In a statement published by EBU, Chuwit Sirivajjakul, a senior official at the Thailand Tourism Authority, said he thought the host city of Eurovision Asia should "of course" be Bangkok.

"Because this city has always been a place where cultures come together, where music fills the air, and where celebration is part of everyday life," he said.

The Asia edition of the contest is organised by the European Broadcasting Union alongside Los Angeles-based entertainment company Voxovation and the Thailand-based S2O Productions.

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Marazion enters bid to be first UK Town of Culture

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c07085524deo, 2 days ago

A town in west Cornwall that organisers say is one of the smallest in the country has entered the race to become the first UK Town of Culture in 2028.

Marazion, which overlooks Mounts Bay and is linked to St Michael's Mount, has submitted its application to hold the year-long celebration, alongside five other Cornish towns.

The government has invited bids to win a £3m prize to stage a year of cultural activities and support the creative sector locally.

Mayor of Marazion John Nicholas said it was the town's "smallness that allows us to be proper prepared and create a 2028 that will go down in history as one of the greatest events Cornwall, and perhaps Britain, has ever held".

'Gurt load of culture'

Nicholas added: "Amazingly talented people, extraordinary history, beautiful views, experience of delivering first class events and already steeped in a gurt [great] load of local culture.

"That is why Marazion is applying, and deserves to win, the UK Town of Culture competition."

The town, which has a population of 1,483, submitted its Celebration of Land and Sea Town of Culture bid to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on Tuesday, the closing date for applications.

Those behind the bid said the town planned to bring "unique innovation through sea-based culture embracing the thriving fishing, sailing, gig rowing and kite surfing that make the Mounts Bay area so special".

Newquay, Helston, Falmouth, Redruth and Penzance have also submitted bids.

The strongest bids will progress to a shortlist, with each shortlisted town receiving £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition.

Three finalists - one small, one medium and one large town - will be chosen.

The two runners-up will each receive £250,000 to deliver elements of their bid, from refreshed community infrastructure to music festivals.

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Theatre's £15m revamp to begin next year

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly61xwn67zo, 2 days ago

Work to transform a much-loved theatre which has been closed for three years is set to begin early next year.

Somerset Council secured planning permission in February for Yeovil's Octagon Theatre's regeneration, and work is due to begin in January 2027.

Council chiefs have said the building is on schedule to reopen between 2028 and 2029. The scheme will cost about £15m and it is hoped a government grant will cover about £10m.

Chris Hall, the council's executive director for community, place and economy, said he had "as much confidence" as he can have that the money will come through.

"There have been numerous chances for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to pull out, through numerous changes of department, changes of government, they have had many opportunities to extract this project, and that's not happened," he said.

Procurement for a contractor will start in April this year, and the council expects the DCMS to approve the business case for the money in summer.

About £3.75m will come from Yeovil Town Council, who will run the theatre after it reopens, and £1.25m has come from a ticket levy and fundraising.

But council chiefs said the funding will not be enough to cover solar panels or heat pumps.

Councillor Andy Kendall told a scrutiny committee meeting: "Even though it's closed at the moment with the doors locked, we're still paying £3,000 a month just to have it sat there doing nothing, and we know when it's open, it's averaging £9,000 to £10,000 a month."

Hall said the panels would push the budget beyond the £15m limit, and savings would have to be made elsewhere.

Additional reporting from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

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Six-year-old girl's drawing is on Big Issue cover

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74v3p8wq3xo, 3 days ago

A drawing by a six-year-old girl has been chosen to appear on the cover of the Easter edition of the Big Issue magazine.

April, from Northampton, won a competition based on the theme peace which was judged by the illustrator of The Gruffalo, Axel Scheffler.

Her picture is of a smiling child asleep in a bed with the words "peace is a safe bed to sleep in".

Her father, Nick, said: "It was only after I saw what she'd drawn that I explained how the Big Issue helps people who might not have a safe place to sleep, or a bed to sleep in at all, and that her picture might actually hold greater meaning."

"April's drawing was simple - someone in bed, smiling, eyes closed.

"That's what peace means to her," he told the Big Issue.

When he told April the magazine supported people who were experiencing homelessness, she said: "It must be scary for people who don't have a safe bed or have to live outside.

"I know I am lucky to have a safe bed to sleep in."

Scheffler pored over hundreds of entries before choosing April's.

"I was impressed by the entries and many had a really good feeling for design," he said.

"In such troubled times in the world, it was great to see the younger generation thinking about and expressing the importance of peace, kindness and having a safe place to sleep."

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Blackpool's Monet shows 'culture can thrive in unexpected places'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62ljry644ro, 3 days ago

The display of a masterpiece by the Impressionist painter Claude Monet in Blackpool "shows that world-class culture can thrive in places people might not expect", the council's leader has said.

The 1872 artwork The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil is now open to free viewings at the town's Grundy Art Gallery, where crowds attended a launch event on Friday.

Speaking at the venue, Blackpool Council leader Lynn Williams said: "It's about opening up access, inspiring pride in our town, and giving residents and visitors the opportunity to experience something truly special on their doorstep."

Every local school will be invited to view the work by the prolific French artist, who died in 1926.

The painting shows a riverside scene near the town of Argenteuil, where Monet moved in 1871.

It will be on display until 13 June as part of a tour organised by The National Gallery in London.

Per Rumberg, who heads its curatorial department, said "art speaks differently in different places", adding: "The National Gallery's collection belongs to everyone, everywhere."

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Planet Parade art trail to launch in city centre

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75k736dp6po, 3 days ago

An arts and science trail designed to turn Leicester into a "walkable solar system" is due to begin.

More than 250 school children and local artists have created planets to be installed at venues across the city centre as part of Planet Parade.

The free trail, which runs from 30 March to 31 May, is a partnership between the National Space Centre and BID Leicester, with support from DMUEngagement community challenge fund.

Officials from the project said it aimed to encourage the exploration of the city through art, science and creativity.

Participants can follow the trail using the My Leicester App, or pick up paper maps available at each location.

Locations include the National Space Centre, which hosts the Sun, Jewry Wall and Roman Baths, where Venus is located, while Jupiter can be found at the Haymarket Shopping Centre.

A launch event today will see a parade at 16:30 BST from Leicester Cathedral to Haymarket Shopping Centre, followed by performances and activities by young dancers and musicians from the Moving Together and Pedestrian groups.

Chas Bishop, chief executive of the National Space Centre, said the initiative was a "fantastic celebration of creativity and collaboration".

"It's been inspiring to see so many young people working alongside artists to explore space in imaginative ways," he said.

Simon Jenner, director of BID Leicester, added: "This is a brilliant example of how we can bring the city together through creativity.

"Planet Parade will encourage families to explore Leicester, support local venues and discover the incredible work being created by young people and artists across the city."

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Thieves steal Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse paintings in three-minute Italian heist

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4vw2xmpzzo, 4 days ago

Paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth millions of euros were stolen in a heist on a museum near the Italian city of Parma, police say.

Four masked men entered the Magnani Rocca Foundation villa on 22 March, police said, making off with Les Poissons by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Still Life with Cherries by Paul Cézanne and Odalisque on the Terrace by Henri Matisse.

The gang was in and out in three minutes, Italian media outlets have reported, and was only interrupted by the museum's alarm system, preventing them from stealing more.

The institution is the latest to be subject to a heist, following the brazen daylight robbery of priceless jewels from the Louvre in Paris last October.

The thieves involved in the robbery forced their way through the main door to the Villa dei Capolavori, nestled in the Parma countryside, and nabbed the paintings from the French Room on the building's first floor, Italian media outlets have reported.

The foundation was quoted as saying the gang appeared "structured and organised", and seemed to have intended on stealing more were it not for the private collection's alarms going off and police being called.

The criminals escaped by climbing over a fence, according to regional public broadcaster TGR, which first reported the theft.

It estimated the stolen paintings had a combined worth of €9m (£7.8m), with Les Poissons alone worth €6m - making it one of the most significant art thefts in Italy in recent years.

Renoir was one of the leading painters in the Impressionist movement, and completed the oil-on-canvas Les Poissons around 1917.

The Cézanne, completed around 1890, is one of several cherry-based still-lifes the post-Impressionist painter produced - though this one is rare because it employs watercolour, which he only embraced during the final years of his life, according to the foundation.

Odalisque on the Terrace, painted by Matisse in 1922, depicts two figures - one reclining in the sun while another holds a violin.

The theft is now being investigated by Italy's Carabinieri and the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Bologna. News of the heist was only made public on Sunday.

The Magnani Rocca Foundation was established following the death of Luigi Magnani, a composer and art collector, in 1984 in his family home.

Charity forced to sell off artwork 'to survive'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87w84yjpg9o, 4 days ago

A charity which helps artists across the north of England is selling off its collection of work as it battles to stay open.

The New Light Art collection began in 2010 through donations and grants and includes more than 80 pieces by northern artists.

CEO of New Light Rebekah Tadd said selling the works would give it "breathing space to survive", otherwise it would be closing in "a matter of months" after a drop in funding.

The collection is just one arm of the charity and the money, raised through an auction in Newcastle, will allow it to continue to promote northern art within communities.

New Light was established to address the lack of opportunity for northern artists.

Its patron of 15 years stepped down in 2025 leading to funding issues, which mean the cost of logistics, administration, insurance and storage of the collection became difficult.

Tadd said the charity still had a "very exciting" programme of events for 2026 and 2027 but was actively seeking other funding options to stay open.

Until now, the New Light Collection has been taken out of the gallery setting and loaned to public bodies and charities, such as schools and hospitals.

Work includes that by the late Norman Ackroyd, Anne Desmet and Mark Demsteader.

The collection also features work from Nat Quinn, who studied at Northumbria University and who was the first winner of the New Light Art Prize in 2011, as well as work from fellow graduate Erin Ward.

Durham artist Anja Percival also has prints included in the sale.

"It's a very sad moment," Tadd said. "But the collection has been such a source of joy and solace to people that we are so proud of what we've managed to achieve with it and so grateful to the artists that have donated work to achieve it."

Tadd said there had been a long process of talking to the artists in the collection about the decision.

"They know it's our last chance and it will give us breathing space to be able to get the funding that we desperately need," she said.

"Without that funding we will be closing within a matter of months."

Tadd said the charity was determined to carry out its usual work in giving people access to contemporary art.

"It's all very well having it on Instagram but people need to be able to experience it first hand," she said.

"We really hope that we can continue to carry on and champion northern artists."

The sale of the New Light Art collection will take place at the Anderson & Garland Auctioneers in Newcastle on Thursday.

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The nine year island mystery of the artist who disappeared

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn78gx51m32o, 4 days ago

It began as a film about a maverick artist who'd established a winter arts festival on the tiny Scottish island of Papa Westray.

But it became a much stranger, sadder story which almost a decade later is told on screen in The Artist Who Disappeared.

Filmmaker David Kew arrived on the island in February 2017 to document the Papay Gyro Nights festival, set up seven years before by his friend Sergei Ivanov and his partner Tszman Chan.

Based on an island tradition, last celebrated in 1914, it marked the first full moon of February with light, art and torchlit processions.

Sergei, a Russian immigrant, and Tszman Chan, from Hong Kong had not only revived the tradition, but persuaded artists from across the world to come to the most north westerly of the Orkney islands.

"It is an island on the edge of the world," said David.

"Sergei used to joke that it was easier to get to Hong Kong from London than it is to go from London to Papa Westray. It involves three planes and if it's too stormy or too wild you just have to wait and sometimes you couldn't get off at all."

Despite the challenge, the festival drew artists from Japan, Hong Kong, America and across Europe.

Sergei had made a name for himself since arriving in London in the early 1990s, staging exhibitions in Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, India and the UK.

Many of his works can be found in private collections in those countries and also in the USA, Canada and Australia.

It was the sale of one of those works which allowed him and Tszman to set up home on Papay – the exact proceeds matching the cost of the small farmstead they wanted on the tiny island which is just four miles long and one mile wide.

It was there they welcomed their daughter Snaedis and established their international festival.

All which makes his disappearance on 3 April 2017 so perplexing.

"You can't just disappear from Papa Westray," says Huw Williams, a BBC reporter, who took up a post at Radio Orkney in March 2017.

"It's an island off an island. So going anywhere means ferries or flights from tiny terminals where the crews know all the regular passengers well. If he'd gone from the island like that he would have been noticed."

Police Scotland launched an appeal and an air and sea search was undertaken. The population of Papay – some 75 souls – joined the search, including David Kew who was three months into his film shoot.

"I thought I would find some clue to unpack this. It's a small island, but it swallows you up."

He also had to consider what to do with the film project.

"It was such a complete shock to everybody and I thought we can't really carry on with this film. We have to stop but Tszman his partner said, no it's even more important now."

The film looks at possible reasons for Sergei's disappearance. Storyteller Tom Muir talks about his interest in sea caves.

"I had seen some of the photographs on Facebook, and I was saying he should be careful because if the sea cuts you off you're in trouble and the first thing that I thought of when he disappeared was those bloody caves."

Others talk of his fascination with the "music" of the island – a rumbling vibration which is also mentioned in Amy Liptrott's memoir The Outrun, and features in the climactic scenes of the film version starring Saoirse Ronan.

A post on social media on the day he disappeared said "10 years of island life…the sea is rising and I'm losing the appetite for farmed salmon."

"The film ends up exploring the nature of friendship and how much you can ever know somebody," says David.

"The statistics around people disappearing in the UK are quite shocking - hundreds of thousands of people who are reported missing every year with two or three thousand permanently recorded as missing and never seen again by their friends and family."

Sergei shares his name with a Russian footballer and a former Minister of Defence as well as a 19th century Russian artist.

Originally from Kazakhstan, he came to the UK in 1992, leaving his wife and two children behind. His children Pavel and Katya are included in the film. Pavel says he's proud of his father adding "everyone disappears in the end."

Katya says his family have found the grieving process difficult but believes her father would have been happy with the way he left – "like a weird old black and white movie".

Although Sergei is still listed as a missing person on the Police Scotland website, the absence of proof of life such as social media or bank account activity meant Tszman Chan – who has since moved away from the island with their teenage daughter Snaedis – has been able to have him "presumed dead" under Scots law.

As well as giving them closure, it allowed them to mark the moment with an art project which featured flags from the many artists from around the world who had worked with them on Papay.

And the film which David Kew never planned to make has also become a legacy of the artist and the art he made on the edge of the world.

The film will be screened in London next week, but he's already shown it twice in Orkney, including for the community of Papa Westray.

"I was very keen to show the film to the residents on the island first," he says.

"And they all turned out but the film finished and there was just silence and nobody spoke."

He was about to abandon a Q+A session afterwards when the first comment came.

"They were just thinking," he says.

"It brought up a lot of things for people. Things said or left unsaid. And then we started talking about the film, but also about Sergei and the island and their relationship."

"It was a cathartic moment for the islanders. Testament not just to Sergei and Tszman, but to the island itself and what it takes to live on an island like that."

'I won't hide my keloid scars anymore - they are part of me'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9m830l7l2o, 4 days ago

A woman said she hid the raised scars she developed after surgery "for so long" and feared leaving her home because she was afraid how others would react.

Ada Osigwe, from Manchester, started getting the keloid scars, which are caused by excessive collagen, after a thyroid operation she had when she was a teenager.

The beauty therapist told BBC North West Tonight she was concerned about how people might react to the scars and "it affected my confidence quite massively".

Ada said she was "always living in hope" they could be removed but has now learnt to accept "they're a part of me now".

The NHS says they cannot be removed and can cause joint pains. They are also are more common among under-30s, people of Asian and African origin and pregnant women.

Osigwe had been concerned previously about other people's reactions to her scars.

"So automatically before I leave the house, there's almost like a build-up of how I'm going to be - just so that I can be prepared in case people stare, ask questions or say anything regarding the scars.

"So it just really made me within myself."

'Self-acceptance'

She says she now feels ready to share her experience after feeling like she was the "only one who that had this".

"I'd not really seen many people (with the condition). It's only now that I'm coming out about it that I'm seeing more and more people.

"I feel like I'm building a little bit of a community which is nice - a lot more people are coming forward saying they've got keloid scars.

"There was a comment that I got on one of my posts and it was 'Keep it up, I need somebody to relate to'.

"And that's when it dawned on me, that probably why I hid it for so long was because I didn't have that person to relate to and maybe I'm the person now that people can."

A portrait of her, showing her keloid scars, has been entered for a competition by the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

"It's breathtaking. It's overwhelming and it's real if that makes sense."

She hopes the artwork and her experience will promote "self-acceptance, being kind and just giving yourself grace really".

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Sculpture made of man who fought knifeman with tusk

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxd2k9ex4no, 4 days ago

A man who brandished a narwhal tusk to fend off a knifeman said the unveiling of his sculpture had made him "be honest about the things I've gone through" in the aftermath of the 2019 attack.

Former civil servant Darryn Frost, from Northampton, fought off Usman Khan at Fishmongers' Hall in London after he killed Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones at a prisoner rehabilitation conference.

Sculptor Nick Elphick was asked by BBC Extraordinary Portraits host Bill Bailey to create an artwork to honour Frost's bravery.

Frost said the sculpture represented "more than just my story, it's an international story - that incident affected us all, and we lost Jack and Saskia".

The sculpture, using a mix of materials, shows Frost with a pained expression, a weight on his shoulder and holding a separate and broken narwhal tusk - with the piece unveiled to his family on the BBC One programme.

"I did love the idea of the separation with the tusk because I don't want that to define me," Frost told BBC Breakfast.

"It was an important incident, but I've done so many other things since then.

"It's kind of the sculpture of me that I hide from everyone... I never let anyone know what I was going through.

"I don't want other people to suffer through my suffering... it made me have to be honest," he said of the sculpture.

He has suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since the attack and said his memory and health had been badly affected.

Frost, who was attending the conference for work, tackled Khan with two ex-offenders - John Crilly, who used a fire extinguisher on the attacker, and Steven Gallant, who helped confront him until police arrived on London Bridge.

The trio were among those awarded gallantry medals by the late Queen.

Frost and Gallant have gone on to set up a social enterprise, called Own Merit in Northampton, which provides homes to people leaving prison.

It was named in memory of Cambridge graduate and charity volunteer Merritt, 25.

Frost said of the art project: "If we can share the struggles of prison leavers, and we can share some more of the story around this, it was worth doing."

In the episode, Elphick said he wanted the piece to enable Frost to "let go" and told how the pair had formed a "close relationship", with the sculptor sharing his own personal struggles.

Elphick said he worked 15-hour days for three months and wanted the sculpture to reflect a "human being with emotions".

It incorporates a traditional Japanese art form, called kintsugi, where objects are repaired with gold, silver or platinum strands to highlight breaks and repairs.

The sculptor said: "Darryn found it quite embarrassing and doesn't want to be portrayed as a hero but the fact is, he is a hero.

"I think it's important to be able to show the people that love [Frost] that he's been in pain and still is.

"Also, I wanted it to show what he's doing now today with his charity and helping others, and he's made his life more valuable from something that was so tragic."

Elphick added the sculpture was called Empathetic Protection, as Frost had "so much empathy he was willing to give his life for others... and it's an honour for me as an artist to try and freeze that in time".

The sculpture is to be put on display at the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art in Conwy, Wales, before going on show at the BBC Extraordinary Portraits exhibition in Bradford.

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Duke of Edinburgh becomes patron of theatre group

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ex1k7q9nwo, 4 days ago

A theatre group founder said it was "incredible and extraordinary" to welcome The Duke of Edinburgh as a patron.

Prince Edward pledged to help champion access to cultural activities in his new role at Viva Arts and Community Group in Soham, Cambridgeshire.

The charity runs The Viva Theatre, which was officially opened by the prince in 2023 and operates inside a former biscuit mill.

Founder Dan Schumann said: "It's a wonderful stamp of approval after all of the work."

The announcement was made to mark World Theatre Day on Friday.

Schumann, who established the group in 1997, said he had stayed in touch with Prince Edward since 2023.

The patronage came after Schumann sent the palace a letter offering him the role.

"To get that kind of endorsement for a tiny little charity tucked away in Soham is incredible and extraordinary, and we're so honoured," the founder said.

"It's an endorsement like no other. It's the highest possible endorsement, in my view.

"For Viva, it's terribly exciting to have that high-level association."

'Extraordinary impact'

As patron, Prince Edward will lend his support to Viva's mission to enrich lives through the arts.

It puts on regular shows with local actors and runs youth classes.

Julie Spence, the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, said its work was having an "extraordinary impact" on the community.

"The Duke of Edinburgh's patronage is a wonderful recognition of the important work Viva is doing," she said.

"I know it will inspire the organisation to continue growing and reaching even more people in the years ahead."

The royal household was contacted for comment.

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How Constable inspires today's landscape artists

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7058jdd1xdo, 4 days ago

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of one of Britain's most important landscape artists, John Constable.

To commemorate the Suffolk-born artist, a year-long programme of exhibitions has begun and later this year his most famous piece, The Hay Wain, will go on display in the county for the first time.

Constable struggled with recognition and sold very few pieces during his life due to it not being considered fashionable to paint scenes depicting rural life in Flatford and the surrounding area on the River Stour valley on the Suffolk/Essex border.

Since then appreciation for artist has grown and grown. But what do today's artists make of Constable? How influential is he and what can his work teach us?

'Quintessentially English'

Paul Bailey, 53, originally grew up in Brentwood in Essex with family ties to Suffolk and other links to Norfolk.

Working as an abstract landscape artist, he says Constable is still "very influential" to many people today.

"He is probably the most famous landscape painter out of the UK," he adds.

Bailey also believes Constable's work, especially The Hay Wain, is "quintessentially English" which has captured people's imaginations across the world.

The simplicity in the landscape in many of Constable's works has also drawn people in, he notes.

"It's capturing the light; the light is very special.

"East Anglia, because it's relatively flat you don't get enclosed by mountains and stuff like that, so the sky plays such an important part and as you're painting a very kind of potentially uninteresting landscape, capturing the light is so important and the drama of the sky as well."

Suffolk artist Maggi Hambling has also spoken of the influence of Constable on her sea paintings.

'Excited me'

Eden Mullane, 29, an artist from Norwich, says she was exposed to Constable's work from school which "stuck out" to her.

She says like Constable, she was drawn to places she had personal connections with, and she has explored her Jamaican cultural roots in her work.

"Some of his work is quite large scale and he does these panoramic views.

"My first painting that really started my career was a vista and just seeing that he had the confidence to depict places and have so many different elements on such a big scale, that always excited me."

Mullane added that Constable had given contemporary artists the freedom to interpret nature in their own way and explore different styles.

'Laid the foundations'

Wendy Brooke-Smith, 67, lives in Great Oakley, near Harwich in Essex, and creates contemporary landscape pieces.

Some of her work has focused on Flatford, exploring the area in similar ways to Constable, but with a modern take.

She says it is Constable's eye for "everyday moments" that she has connected most with in his pieces.

"He really sees the picture, what it was like to be there and to experience that natural English landscape on that particular day."

She adds: "Obviously art has gone down so many directions since then, but I think he's laid the foundations for contemporary landscape painting."

'Relevant to the now'

Artist Nat Young, 86, from West Bergolt in Essex, said Constable had been one of his favourite artists when growing up and he still appreciated his work today, describing him as a "fantastic painter".

"He paints the moment, he paints the now and it's timeless.

"Although the people in [the paintings] are 250-years-old, they're just moments in the countryside which on a personal level I can relate to and keep looking at.

"You can feel the weather, you can feel it all and that's the best compliment."

Young believed Constable was still influential today, particularly his later work which he said became "abstract".

"Some of his work, particularly his sea paintings, you can almost imagine he could have painted that yesterday. They're that relevant to the now."

'Radical'

Sarah Milne is an artist based out of Cuckoo Farm Studio in north Colchester who will have one piece of her work displayed as part of the third and final Constable 250 exhibition from October.

She says it is an honour to have been asked to get involved and describes Constable as "radical" for his time.

"Landscape painting was definitely in the lower rankings of genres in his time, so he was quite new.

"We all think of him as a bit chocolate-boxy now, but certainly at the time he wasn't.

"His method of walking and drawing is something that many of us follow on today. It's certainly how I work.

"I walk with a drawing book and come back to the studio and make a painting, that's more or less how he worked."

She adds that Constable taught her that if you "love the landscape, it shows in your work".

Constable was born in 1776 in East Bergholt, as the eldest son of a wealthy mill owner.

In 1799 he decided to pursue his passion for art as a vocation and throughout his career produced many works.

The Hay Wain was created in 1821 and is an oil painting of an idyllic scene in Flatford with a horse and cart in the River Stour and Willy Lott's Cottage on the bank.

Constable painted it in his London studio and it was actually called Landscape Noon by the artist, before his close friend later renamed it to The Hay Wain.

It was sent to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1821, but it failed to sell before it later was sent to France and the French king gave it a gold medal.

In 1886 the piece was then sent to the National Gallery in London.

Constable died in 1837 in London aged 60.

Colchester and Ipswich Museums is holding three key exhibitions at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich exploring the life and work of Constable.

The first began on Saturday, titled Constable: A Cast of Characters, running until 14 June.

From 11 July The Hay Wain, loaned from the National Gallery, goes on public display alongside other pieces of his work such as Dedham Vale until 4 October.

From 24 October to 28 February, the final exhibition will explore Constable's legacy through the years and his relevance today.

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Pupil art sessions 'bring joy' to hospice

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gx92jedw2o, 5 days ago

A group of Kent students have joined forces with a local hospice to share art sessions with people living with life-limiting conditions.

Pupils from years 11 to 13 at Sevenoaks School help to make ceramics and creative clay items in workshops run by the Hospice in the Weald in Pembury.

Nicola King, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 31, said the sessions meant "everything".

"I love coming to this session," she said. "It's creative, I don't have the use of both of my arms so being creative is very difficult for me."

Fellow participant Sarah Reeve, who has limited mobility with her hands, said these sessions had given her an "injection of creativity".

"You can explain what you want to do and then it's as much your creation as anything," she explained.

Andrew, 18, said: "Usually when we look at art I think we only look at the final product but in a way I think we often ignore this experience of making things together."

According to year 11 pupil Sofiia, the sessions are a really unifying experience.

She said: "Some of these people we've met throughout this journey, and they're only here for a certain period of time, but we get so close to them throughout art and I feel like art is the kind of thing that really, really brings us together."

These sessions are part of free Living Well activities at the Pembury hospice, which plans to mark 10 years since the programme started by auctioning a piece of art made by participants.

The hospice needs to raise £9m every year for a range of projects, including the ongoing refurbishment to create a new in-patient ward and Living Well area.

Steph Hall, head of Living Well, said: "You don't have to be at the very end of your life to access our services.

"The thing we ask everyone that comes here is what is most important to you, what matters most to you?

"And it's through doing these things through different mediums like art and creative arts that they can actually find some joy."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

Volunteers wanted to stitch Jersey Bayeux Tapestry

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy01pl170jjo, 5 days ago

Volunteers are wanted to take part in a community project to create a Jersey version of the Bayeux Tapestry.

The Jersey Version would be 7m (22.96 ft) long in total, compared to the original in France which is 70m (229.65 ft) long and was created during the 11th Century to tell the story of William's conquest of England.

Jersey Heritage said they were launching the project as part of celebrations for the 2027 Year of the Normans to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror.

William became Duke of Normandy in 1035 and the Channel Islands were part of the Duchy when he won the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and seized the throne as King William I of England.

When Norman territories were lost to France in 1204 during the reign of King John, the islands swore allegiance to the English Crown and were rewarded with a high level of independence.

As a result, strong connections between the islands and Normandy have continued into the modern period.

Melissa Rodrigues, Jersey Heritage outreach curator and leader of the project, said: "We hope it brings together people from across Jersey to connect with our medieval history."

Jersey Heritage said people taking part would be asked to learn the medieval stitches that were used to create the Bayeux Tapestry and then use them during workshops to complete the Jersey panels.

The original Bayeux Tapestry is set to return to the UK after more than 900 years on loan due to a historic agreement to be signed between the French and British governments.

It is due to be on display at the British Museum in London from September to July 2027 while its current home, the Bayeux Museum, is being renovated.

Rodrigues added: "Any level of stitching skill is welcome, from those who are accomplished to people who have never stitched before but would like to learn something new."

Two expert embroiderers from Bayeux are set to visit Jersey in April to demonstrate and share knowledge.

The Jersey tapestry, supported by the Government of Jersey creative island partnership, would be made up of nine panels, the same as the original.

Each panel would measure 61cm (2ft) by 80cm (2.62ft) and overall it would measure 7m (22.96 ft) total.

The borders of each panel are due to feature mythical creatures designed by primary schoolchildren and stitched by pupils from secondary schools.

Jersey Heritage said the Jersey tapestry would closely replicate the style of the original work using wool and linen and would eventually go on display at Jersey Museum.

'Strengthen our understanding'

The stories on the panels, which feature Jersey's native language of Jèrriais, were researched and initially drawn by Vic Tanner Davy, Jersey Heritage's Head of Programmes, with help from historian Jean Treleven.

The panels were then designed and coloured by local artist Jo Preston.

Jersey Heritage said stories of women were central to the Jersey interpretation, including Emma of Normandy, Eleanor and Margaret of Provence, and everyday women living in Jersey from 933-1259.

Davy said: "While researching the Bayeux Tapestry, we discovered that it features only three women in the whole 70m.

"Where were the women in 1066? What were they doing while their men were immortalised in cloth?

"We hope our Jersey version will strengthen our understanding of the role played by women in Jersey's medieval heritage while also sharing the significance to the island of the events of 1066."

Alderney's version

In 2013 a team of embroiderers in Alderney completed worked on their version of the Bayeux Tapestry ending.

When the original was "rediscovered" by scholars in the 18th Century, historians believed the final segment had been lost so 418 people were involved in making their own version.

It was the same height as the original and 3m (10ft) long, with four panels showing events following the Battle of Hastings, culminating in William's coronation.

It was on display at Bayeux Museum during July and August 2014.

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Fish and chip sculpture added to Beryl Cook trail

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd5nq23wnlo, 5 days ago

A life-sized sculpture of two people tucking into fish and chips is one of two new artworks to be added to the Beryl Cook trail in Plymouth.

The sculpture called Hips and Chips of two people eating the British seaside staple is based on characters from the internationally renowned Plymouth artist's paintings.

It is being created at TR2, the Theatre Royal Plymouth's production and learning centre, and is due to be installed at the bench next to The Belvedere Victorian summer house on Plymouth Hoe in the next few weeks.

Plymouth City Council cabinet members heard that this was one of two new sculptures being added to the four that are already dotted around the city.

The trail coincides with the largest ever exhibition of Beryl Cook's work, being hosted by The Box to mark 100 years since her birth.

Thousands of people have visited the exhibition, which runs until the end of May, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Council cabinet member for culture Jemima Laing said an extension of planning permission was being sought so the sculptures could stay in place until at least 2029.

The Jolly Sailor sculpture is on a bench outside The Dolphin Pub in The Barbican and the Cheerful Shopper is outside Plymouth Market.

The Bowls Player has been placed next to the Hoe public bowling green and Ruby Venezuela stands near the former Lockyer Tavern, which is now The Bank pub.

All of the characters are from Cook's paintings and situated in the places where she painted them.

The artist was known for her vibrant and humorous work depicting larger than life characters in everyday social situations.

Laing said she and council leader Tudor Evans had been to visit the "brilliant" TR2 team hard at work on the new sculptures.

"We were particularly taken by extra large fish and chips that is going to be sitting in the box," she said.

More than 1,000 people have scanned the QR code to follow the sculpture trail and six pieces of content on the Box channels have had more than 500,000 views on Facebook and Instagram.

"It's by far the most far reaching content we have had on our channels this year," she said.

"Plymouth is the home of Beryl Cook and the feedback has been brilliant."

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'We came from San Francisco for the Manx railway'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0e7pwgj454o, today

A family from the United States said their trip to the Isle of Man had been inspired by their love of heritage railways.

Pawan Adhikari and his 11-year-old son travelled from San Francisco to be among the passengers on the island's first horse tram trip of the season.

First launched in 1876, the historic trams now operate as part of the government's heritage railway offering.

Pawan said his son was "really into steam trains" and they had decided to take the opportunity to "go to less travelled places" during their spring break.

While the journey had originally been planned around the steam railway, the father and son said they had loved seeing the rest of the island.

His son said: "A few months ago I did some research and then [my dad] brought it up that we should go there and I definitely agreed."

A local couple were also on board the horse tram for its first journey of 2026.

John and Jenny Williamson said they had deliberately chosen to be there on the service's opening day.

He said: "It was absolutely deliberate because we support the horse trams – we have over the years."

John described the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway as "international heritage".

"This is the only horse tramway in the world still operating to its original route or - as it is at the moment - part of its original route," he said.

He added that restoring the line fully to the Sea Terminal would help visitors arriving by ferry or cruise ships connect directly with the historic transport link.

"People visiting the island, if only for the day, can step straight onto a horse tram and come round the bay," he said.

The journey also brought back childhood memories for his wife Jenny, who recalled her first trip when she was nine.

"It was in about 1956 and I stepped off the ferry straight onto a horse tram," she recalled.

She said it was "something that you can't forget".

Another railway enthusiast was Harry Colville from Birmingham, who has visited the island for more than 50 years.

Harry's first visit was in 1967 and he said he still had the original ticket from his first ride on a horse tram, which at the time cost four old pennies.

"The first time, I was 11, it was my first proper holiday and I came on it with my dad," he said.

Harry said it was the island's heritage and atmosphere that had drawn him back time and again.

"I love the heritage transport, I love the history of the island and the slow pace of life and it just struck a chord with me," he said.

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Congestion expected as Easter weekend approaches

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz90kx1y387o, today

As the Easter weekend approaches, people across the West Midlands will be among millions heading off on getaways.

The AA estimated that 21.7m journeys across the UK had been planned for Thursday.

There are no planned road closures on main routes in the region such as the M6, M54, M5 and M42, however it is expected that the M6 through Birmingham will be a congestion hotspot.

National Highways said it would lift 1,500 miles of roadworks from its network of motorways and major A roads in England between Thursday and Easter Monday to ease journeys.

The expected rush of activity on the roads comes as petrol prices are soaring.

The RAC said the average price of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts on Wednesday was 184.2p, up 29% since the war started on 28 February.

Average petrol prices have reached 153.7p per litre, a rise of 16% over the same period.

Meanwhile, there have been no changes to West Midlands Railway or Transport for Wales services across the Easter weekend in the region.

Birmingham Airport said it was expecting more than 750,000 passengers across the two-week break.

"Customers are reminded that liquids can be carried in hand luggage, electrical items too, and both do not need to be removed during the security search process," said Al Titterington, terminal operations director.

"Our teams are on hand to welcome those jetting off during the holiday period."

Holidaymakers travelling to the European Union have been warned to expect delays on arrival, as countries ramp up the deployment of a new border system.

The EU's Entry Exit System involves people from third-party countries such as the UK having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU.

Speaking to BBC Radio WM, Cathy Adams, travel news features editor for the Times and Sunday Times, said there was "nothing you can do in advance".

"There's no need to get to the airport any earlier, you don't need to prepare anything, there's no app you need to download - you just have to be prepared for a bit of a queue," she said.

"We just don't know where the queues are going to be, and it all depends on how well airports are resourced."

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Electric plane could take to Scottish skies 'very soon'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17vrvn15ppo, today

Electric planes could be serving communities in the north and north east of Scotland within "a couple of years", according to the firm looking to bring the technology into service.

Bristow Helicopters is working with BETA Technologies on the project and said areas like Aberdeen and the Highlands and Islands were good locations for testing.

The aircraft, called ALIA, is currently touring Scotland and has taken in destinations like Aberdeen, Dundee, Kirkwall and Glasgow so far.

Work is also ongoing with Royal Mail and Loganair to test its capabilities.

When the aircraft was in Aberdeen this week, Bristow's Simon Meakins said while the US-Israel war with Iran was increasing fuel costs that was not a driving factor in why they were working on the technology.

"We have been in this project for five years," he said.

"To be able to use electricity rather than burning fossil fuels has carbon advantages but also there is a significant cost variation.

"It is more efficient to charge an electric aircraft than it is to burn fossil fuels so there are some really good economic reasons for doing it as well."

The aircraft has a "useable range" of about 100 miles (160km).

Bristow hopes the plane can be brought into service "within the next couple of years" and that the aircraft could be flying in the region "very soon".

Meakins told BBC Scotland News the technology was being brought in using a "pragmatic and staged manner" but it is hoped it could eventually be used for passenger flights.

Bristow provides offshore helicopter services from Aberdeen and also hopes the technology could benefit the oil and gas industry in the future.

Meakins said: "This particular aircraft is what I call a conventional take-off and landing, so it needs a runway, but BETA are building a vertical take-off and landing version of it."

He said they could look at using that alongside their helicopters in due course.

In recent days, the plane has been on show around Scotland at industry events with pilot Brian Jenkins describing it as "awesome to fly".

"We are out here to show people that electric aviation is real and it actually does work," he said.

"It is a new technology and sometimes people are a little wary of new technology, but we have data to back it up, we have flights to back it up.

"It is so much more reliable and safer than actually the planes that they are flying around in today."

Drop in visitor spend blamed on travel disruption

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwydnx09933o, today

Visitors to Jersey spent £24m less last year than in 2024 due to travel disruption, the government has said.

In a progress report on the success of its £20m scheme to support businesses with the transition to the living wage, the government said the total visitor spend for 2025 was £37m below its annual target.

The report said visitor spending failed to meet the target due to "connectivity disruption" linked to the appointment of Jersey's new ferry provider.

Elsewhere, the report found the government had met or exceeded its targets related to boosting business productivity and competitiveness.

The report said: "Visitor spending was affected by low levels of UK consumer confidence and a delay to ferry tickets going on sale.

"This was due to a legal challenge made against the government's award to a new ferry operator contract."

In 2024, the government awarded a 20-year contract to Danish firm DFDS to provide the island's passenger and freight ferry services.

This decision was delayed due to the breakdown of a joint Jersey and Guernsey tender process and was unsuccessfully challenged by French ferry firm Brittany Ferries.

Key areas of success related to business productivity were highlighted in the report including:

* 183 local businesses received grant funding in 2025.

* For every £100 of grant funding, there was £140 of private investment.

* 431 apprentices were registered in Jersey in 2025, within the annual target of 400 to 450.

The government also identified key measures of success for increased business competitiveness. These were largely related to tourism, such as:

* Investment in the Bergerac TV series influencing 9% of visitors travelling to the island (42,000 people).

* The average length of visitor stay increased to 4.6 nights in 2025, which was 12% above target.

The report added that it had supported 247 low-income workers without five years' residency with one-off payments.

These payments totalled £72k, significantly below the maximum allocated spend of £300k.

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Plans to turn old Inverness hospital building into a hotel approved

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj402g5kq0qo, today

Plans to convert a historic Georgian hospital building in Inverness into a hotel have been approved by councillors.

The Royal Northern Infirmary by the River Ness was most recently used as offices by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) but has been lying empty for the last two years.

Developer C J Hospitality applied for planning permission to convert the B listed building into a hotel.

It would have 45 bedrooms as well as a reception area, a bar, guest lounge and kitchen facilities.

Highland Council's south planning applications committee considered the plans on Wednesday.

Inverness West Lib Dem councillor Alex Graham raised concerns that a lack of associated parking spaces could lead to visitors using private residents' spaces nearby.

He said it was "quite difficult" to find grounds to refuse the application but wanted reassurance the general public would not be "troubled" by the change of use.

The local authority's planning officers explained that, due to the hotel's close proximity to the city centre, it was not anticipated a large number of cars would be used by visitors to access the hotel.

Badenoch and Strathspey Independent councillor Bill Lobban put forward the proposal to grant the application, saying it was a "sensible use of a long-term empty building".

Respect building's character

A design statement submitted earlier to Highland Council on behalf of C J Hospitality said the high quality refurbishment plans would retain and respect the character of the building while providing a long term sustainable use.

It said the intention was to get the hotel up and running "as soon as possible".

The Royal Northern Infirmary was completed around 1804 - financed by public subscription.

Some of those donations came from people who had made their money from slaves who worked on Caribbean sugar plantations.

Most recently the former hospital served as the headquarters for UHI which moved out in 2023.

Additional reporting by local democracy reported Olivia Andrews.

'God squad' waives animal protections to expand oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cre19zrg5dxo, yesterday

A US federal panel has voted to exempt oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from a decades-old law to protect endangered species.

A vote by a committee known as the "God Squad" - because of its ability to influence the future of certain species - followed a request by Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defence.

Speaking on Tuesday, Hegseth said "recent hostile action" by the Iranian government illustrated why securing more domestic oil production was important for the country's national security.

Environmental groups tried to sue to stop the vote, claiming it could push some species like the Rice's Whale into extinction - only 51 remain in the wild.

The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973 to protect the most at risk animals and plants in the US from the impacts of development. It includes measures such as banning activities in certain areas where species could be harmed or killed, like dam construction.

But the Endangered Species Committee has the power to bypass the law in the interest of national security or when there are no other alternatives to a project.

A few weeks ago, Hegseth wrote to the committee asking for an exemption for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf. He said although the request was made before the war with Iran started, it illustrated why securing national oil supplies was so important.

"The Strait of Hormuz is the world's busiest oil route and recent hostile action by the Iranian terror regime highlights yet again why robust domestic oil production is a national security imperative," he told the committee on Tuesday.

Iran effectively closed off the Strait, one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels, after the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February. The average price of gas at the pump has now topped $4 in the US for the first time in nearly four years.

On Tuesday, the 'God squad' voted unanimously to approve the exemption - only the third time in it's 53-year history.

The decision was met with strong condemnation from environmental groups who said it will likely drive the Rice's Whale to extinction. The whale is only known to live in the Gulf of Mexico, and its population dropped by more than 20% to only a few following the Deepwater Horizon spill, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

"Americans overwhelmingly oppose sacrificing endangered whales and other marine life so the fossil fuel industry can get richer," said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at environmental charity Centre for Biological Diversity.

The Gulf of Mexico is home to at least 19 other threatened and endangered species including various types of turtles, the giant manta ray and mountainous star coral.

Speaking at the meeting Hegseth said that litigation by environmental groups had hampered oil and gas activity, and instead this exemption would allow the "integration of oil and gas production with responsible endangered species protection".

In 2025, the National Marine Fisheries Service concluded oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico would lead to the Rice's whale's extinction and recommended precautionary measures such as reducing vessel speeds.

These measures will no longer apply.

Andrea Wood, spokesperson for the trade body American Petroleum Institute, said: "Our industry has a long track record of protecting wildlife while developing offshore energy responsibly."

She added that there needed to be balance between "science-based protections while meeting growing energy demand".

But environmental groups already said they will take further legal action to prevent the exemption going ahead.

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Battery storage unit approved despite fire concerns

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cje4718jy57o, today

Plans for a controversial battery energy storage unit have been approved by a council, despite concerns about fire risk.

A majority of councillors agreed to allow the development on the outskirts of Wicken in East Cambridgeshire, although committee vice chair, Mark Goldsack, described the decision as "a very difficult one".

A meeting of East Cambridgeshire Council's planning committee heard from local residents and parish councillors, who had concerns about how long it would take to bring any possible fire under control.

The developers say the plans meet current fire regulations. The unit would have a lifespan of 35 years.

The battery storage units will be built close to nearby solar farms and will store energy at off-peak times, which can then be used when there is more demand on the National Grid.

Representatives for GSC Church Road Wicken Limited said the area's rural setting made it a good location for the project.

However local residents have raised concerns about the impact on wildlife and what would happen in the event of a fire.

Lucius Vellacott, the Conservative district councillor for Soham South, urged the committee to refuse the application because of the visual "impact on the landscape".

He argued that it was not an "appropriate use of land" and said residents had concerns about how the toxicity of any potential fire at the site would be dealt with.

The committee also heard from Martin Blunden from Greenfire Solutions, who carried out a report for the council.

He said the chances of a fire starting at the site was "one in 156 years for the first three years of operation". This then reduces to one in 312 years after the third year of operation.

He also said that any fire would be allowed to burn, with water being stored nearby used to stop it spreading.

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Project to bring rare butterfly back to Yorkshire

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly081kmrnlo, today

A rare wetland plant is making a return to East Yorkshire to support the nationally scarce swallowtail butterfly.

Milk parsley, which grows in marshy habitats, was once widespread around Hornsea Mere, but has declined sharply in recent decades.

If the planting project succeeds, conservationists hope it could help bring the swallowtail – the UK's largest native butterfly – back to the area for the first time in more than a century.

John Barnard, a wetland specialist, said: "There are historical records of swallowtails right across East Yorkshire. So bringing milk parsley back basically puts things in place for where they originally lived."

According to The Wildlife Trusts, swallowtails are one of the most localised butterflies in the UK.

They are confined to the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, where they attract visitors from across the UK between late May and mid-July.

Milk parsley is their key food plant and formed part of East Yorkshire's natural fen landscape until large-scale drainage in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The conservation programme is a partnership between the Wassand Estate, which overlooks the mere, and Yorkshire Water's Tophill Low Nature Reserve.

Barnard, from Tophill Low, began collecting seed from the handful of milk parsley plants still found at Hornsea Mere in 2024.

He then grew a fresh batch of plants genetically true to those that once surrounded the mere.

"They struggled in the past because in the 1700s, when the Dutch came over and started draining all of East Yorkshire, the wetlands dried out and the plant largely died off," John said.

Staff and volunteers from the Wassand Estate are now establishing the nursery-grown plants at the mere.

Hornsea Mere is surrounded by reedbeds, marshes, grassland and mature woodland, and is protected as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area because of its importance for rare and migratory birds.

Conservationists say restoring milk parsley is a crucial first step in bringing back the swallowtail, because without it the butterflies cannot breed.

The plant is also being established elsewhere across the River Hull catchment, creating the wider network of wetland habitat that the swallowtail will eventually need.

Conner Peters, from Groundwork Yorkshire, which is restoring the mere, said any attempt to reintroduce the butterfly would take time.

He added: "Potentially, in five years, that's the earliest point we think a reintroduction would be possible, because we're still in the early doors of creating these plant populations."

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Bristol Airport submits controversial expansion plan

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3r3wzr2q09o, 6 days ago

Bristol Airport has submitted expansion plans as it aims to accommodate an extra three million passengers a year.

The application, submitted to North Somerset Council, includes expanding the runway, with lights going onto Felton Common to enable long haul flights.

The airport has previously been granted permission to expand from 10 million to 12 million passengers per year despite local campaigns against the plans, and this latest application would increase capacity again to 15 million.

Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) described the expansion plans as "wrong at every level", and has called for them to be paused until better public transport and greener aviation fuel is available.

Dave Lees, chief executive of Bristol Airport, said its proposals would "deliver what customers have told us they want to see" and that they were "very aware of the impact" adding that the airport would invest in quieter aircraft technology to reduce noise.

What are the plans?

Currently 10.8 million people use Bristol Airport, but the expansion would allow this to rise to 15 million, which it expects to reach in the late 2030s.

New long haul flight destinations would include North America and the Middle East, and the cap on night flights would also increase from 4,000 per year to 5,000.

Bristol Airport said the £500m investment would create 1,000 on-site jobs, as well as another 36,000 jobs in the wider region.

The plans include a larger terminal with more shops and restaurants, a bigger immigration hall and baggage handling facilities, additional car parking and public transport improvements.

About 3,000 residents have already fed back on the plans during a public consultation in 2024, but will have another chance to have their say when the planning application is published.

Lees, the airport's chief executive said: "Our proposals deliver what customers have told us they want to see at their local airport - opportunities to visit places further afield and for businesses to expand into new international markets.

"The current government really understands the role which airports such as Bristol can bring to their local communities, driving economic growth that is so important to the future of our country.

"It is also about connecting family and friends – something that's important for the West of England where 30% of people now have close family members living abroad."

Residents 'in uproar'

Landing lights and fencing would be installed on Felton Common, which has prompted the creation of the Save Felton Common (SFC) campaign group.

Julie Main, vice chair of the new group, said residents were in "uproar".

"This is a very old common that is used heavily by everyone in the local area. It's a nature reserve with loads of fauna, flora, and skylarks - we really we want to protect this for our future.

"It's David and Goliath," she said, urging local people and politicians to "realise how important this is".

Campaigner Ben Moss said: "It's madness that it's happening again. Nothing has changed since their last application in terms of reliance on untested technology and transport systems that don't exist.

"They aren't even at capacity with what they were given permission for before. It has to stop."

Moss added: "The climate crisis unfolding right in front of us. We've had the wettest winters and the hottest summers - we have to make a change."

Stephen Clarke of BAAN said: "We said it before the last expansion, and we will say it again; Bristol Airport is simply big enough."

The application is expected to be published on the council's website within the next two weeks, offering people a chance to have their say before a decision is made later in the year.

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Two women, two different continents - but they've the same problem with their farms

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd5n2g406do, 7 days ago

Jackline Mugoboka farms a small area in rural Rwanda. Louise Skelly is a sheep farmer in County Down.

Very different worlds, but both are experiencing the effects of climate change.

The two women have met and exchanged stories of extreme weather, along with the similarities and differences between farming in Rwanda and Northern Ireland.

Mugoboka grows bananas, beans and tomatoes on her one-hectare (2.5 acre) farm in Rwanda.

Women make up 90% of Rwanda's farmers

Although tiny by Northern Ireland standards, it is more than twice the size of the average Rwandan farm.

The country is still recovering from catastrophic floods and landslides in 2023.

Mugoboka, who visited farms on both sides of the Irish border during a visit to the island, said climate change was having a "profound" effect on the women who make up almost 90% of Rwanda's farmers.

"This has given them a workload - they are the ones that go for firewood, fetching water, doing all the farming work.

"So with this climate change crisis, it's really profound to them.

"They are losing everything."

A shared experience

Mugoboka works with the Irish charity Trocaire and spent a day at a farm in Shanaghan Hill, near Katesbridge on the River Bann.

It is where Skelly has lived for 44 years. She rears sheep, and lambing season is just about to get under way.

Skelly said finding out that women in other parts of the world were facing extremes like having their homes and crops washed away was "a big lesson" for her.

She has seen the impact of increasingly extreme weather on her farm over time.

"In the last 10 years, we've had more extremes of floods than we've ever had, and that's the thing that's most striking about it.

"So there's a lot of debate about climate change, but I can only tell you what I know.

"And it's pretty obvious to me that we are experiencing more extremes in our weather from the point of view of trying to run this farm."

Mugoboka, who works with Rwandan farmers to help them become more sustainable in the face of climate change, said she was "surprised" to hear that flooding has been an issue for farms in Northern Ireland.

"Learning that you've had flooding, I realised that no one is immune from climate shocks - only that maybe you have different coping strategies as we are just limited on that," she said.

"That's the only difference.

"Otherwise, we are all having these issues of climate change."

She added that Africa produces "just 4%" of greenhouse gas emissions, but is bearing the brunt because it does not "have the resources to be able to do adaptation and mitigation strategies" to ease the impacts.

Disease challenges

Both women agreed that a changing climate was causing diseases that added to the challenges of farming.

Mugoboka said farmers were dealing with outbreaks "out of nowhere".

Skelly said she was considering vaccinating her ewes and lambs against bluetongue virus - a disease spread by biting midges that had previously been confined to Africa.

But the disease was confirmed to have reached Northern Ireland in November.

Plumes of midges carrying the infection are thought to have travelled up the eastern Irish seaboard from England, where there have been almost 300 cases of the disease since July.

NI has 'amazing future'

Skelly showed Mugoboka the tree planting she has been doing to reduce the impact of flooding and to provide shade to her animals during hotter, drier summers.

Native trees like alder, spruce and rowan are interspersed with hawthorn shrubs.

Bird boxes to support local wildlife are set among the branches.

Mugoboka described meeting Skelly and seeing the work put into protecting the environment one her farm as "life-changing".

Skelly said both women, particularly as mothers, would not be farmers if they were not hopeful.

"I think Northern Ireland has an amazing future in family farms."

Ministers confirm heat pump targets as climate plan unveiled

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jky42l3gwo, 9 days ago

The Scottish government has confirmed that it intends to wait 10 years before significantly ramping up the installation of heat pumps.

Its targets for replacing gas and oil-fired boilers are contained in its newly-published climate change plan for the next 15 years.

The timescale on heat pumps was criticised last month by the independent Climate Change Committee, which said it was too slow and carried "significant risk".

Ministers say heating will be decarbonised by 2045 and that their plan will create jobs, lower bills and leave people less exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices - but figures show that the bulk of reductions to heating emissions will still be delivered after 2035.

Campaigners say 110,000 heat pumps will need to be installed over the next five years to keep Scotland's climate targets on track but that proposals set out in the climate change plan fall short.

Annual targets replaced

The climate change plan was drawn up after the Scottish government replaced its annual targets for reducing planet warming greenhouse gas emissions with five-yearly carbon budgets.

This brings Scotland into line with how other UK governments measure emissions, allows for annual fluctuations such as higher gas demand for home heating during colder winters.

The Scottish government says its climate change plan will bring £42.3bn in financial benefits and cost savings between now and 2040.

Actions include phasing out the need for petrol and diesel cars by 2030, delivering 18,000 hectares of new woodland annually and increasing peatland restoration.

The announcement came after the UK government confirmed that developers in England will be required to install solar panels and heat pumps in all new homes.

It also said plug-in panels that homeowners can self-install on balconies would be available in supermarkets in the coming months.

These small versions of the green tech are already deployed across Europe but are not currently sold in the UK due to safety regulations.

In Scotland, the installation of gas and oil-based heating in new build homes was banned two years ago.

The New Build Heat Standard requires "climate-friendly" heating systems to be installed, which can include wood burners as well as heat pumps or district heating.

Scotland is already ahead of the rest of the UK on the roll out of heat pumps, with an 18% increase in installations between 2023 and 2024.

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said the climate change plan was "a routemap to realising economic and social gains for people across Scotland as part of a fair and just transition.

"It highlights the potential of growth areas ranging from renewables to heat networks to the circular economy, and sets out our commitment to increase investment in areas that will simultaneously decarbonise Scotland and improve our lives."

Environmental campaigners have called for faster action and urged all political parties to set out their climate commitments.

Scottish Greens net zero spokesperson Patrick Harvie said it was "extraordinary" that the government had "made no meaningful change to any actual climate policy, after the draft plan was widely dismissed as lacklustre".

However, Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Douglas Lumsden described it as "another uncosted SNP plan which will make hard-pressed Scots poorer".

Scottish Labour's net zero and energy spokeswoman Sarah Boyack said: "It is crucial that the next Scottish government has strong leadership and focuses on delivery."

Heat pumps for all new homes and plug-in solar in green tech drive

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjw7klkjm2o, 9 days ago

Developers will be required to install solar panels and heat pumps in all new homes in England as part of updated planning requirements published by the government.

It also said plug-in panels that homeowners can self-install on balconies would be available in supermarkets in the coming months.

These small versions of the green tech are already deployed across Europe but are not currently sold in the UK due to safety regulations.

Announcing the raft of measures to ramp up solar, the energy secretary said the Iran war had shown clean power was "essential".

The move has been welcomed by some energy companies but developers have raised concerns about the scale of solar required.

For the last decade, successive governments have been trying to develop the Future Homes Standard - an update to the way that new homes have to be designed in England.

The guidance published on Tuesday means that from 2028, no new homes will be on the gas network - and will instead be on a heat network or get a heat pump - and they must have solar panels on their roofs covering an area equivalent to 40% of the ground floor space.

"The Iran war has once again shown our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don't control," said Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

The announced changes have been welcomed by the energy industry and those working in green technology for providing certainty that heat pumps and solar panels are worth investing in.

"It's going to give clarity to the UK market, installers, builders, manufacturers, that there's a significant market that's there," said Garry Felgate, CEO of MCS Foundation, which certifies installers of low carbon heating systems.

The changes in building requirements are estimated to add an additional £10,000 onto the cost of the home for developers, but over the long term will likely bring down the cost of energy bills for customers.

The savings could be significantly increased where homes have batteries, but the government opted not to include those as a requirement.

Hannah McCarthy, head of partnerships for new homes at Octopus Energy, told the BBC: "Decarbonising the new housing stock is a fantastic step - batteries would take that a step further."

Although the Home Builders Federation (HBF) said the additional cost that developers now face from the changes was "not welcome at any time", it said the industry had been given a lot of forewarning.

But Neil Jefferson, CEO of HBF, said the size of the solar panels mandated for each home was unexpected.

"The government has really pushed the number of solar panels that are required on rooftops right to the limit, we think 60% of homes can't actually reach that standard," he said.

There are exemptions to the requirement, such as when the design does not give enough space for the solar panels.

But Jefferson said: "Each home will have to be looked at individually.

"There are some challenges within the process [and] we don't want bottlenecks."

The government has a target to build 1.5m homes by 2029 - but in December the housing secretary, Steve Reed, told the BBC there would need to be a surge in building after rates of construction appeared to drop.

Both the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party welcomed the move to ensure all new homes have solar panels. But Dr Ellie Chowns, from the Green Party, added that it was "utterly ridiculous" to wait until 2028 before implementing the changes.

In Scotland, gas and oil-based heating in new build homes was banned two years ago. Housebuilders are now required to install what it classifies as 'climate-friendly' heating systems which can include wood burners as well as heat pumps or district heating.

On Tuesday, the Conservatives said policy should be focused on securing domestic energy supply to lower consumer bills, calling on the government to issue licences for new oil and gas fields in the North Sea and to scrap green subsidies.

This was echoed by Richard Tice, Reform shadow business secretary, who called on the government to scrap its 'net zero' policies

"All these measures will cost the taxpayer vast sums," he said.

Speaking on R4 Today programme, the Energy Minister Michael Shanks said he did not accept that drilling more in the North Sea was the answer to lowering energy bills.

"For 60 years [the North Sea] has been a hugely important asset powering the country, but for the last 20 years it has been in decline.

"The North Sea will remain hugely important...but our long term future doesn't lie in fossil fuels," he said.

As well as changes to requirements for new-builds, the government wants to make it easier for those in existing homes in the UK, particularly those in flats, to access renewable energy.

The government said it was working with major retailers like Lidl and Amazon to make plug-in solar available on the high street.

These DIY solar panels do not have upfront installation costs and are designed for balconies and small garden spaces.

They have been successful in Germany, where it is estimated that more than 1.5m homes have them.

But currently the panels are not sold in the UK as they do not meet safety regulations for electrical installations. The government said it was working to review and update these in the coming months.

Mark Coles, head of technical regulations at the IET, said that because of the UK's ageing housing stock and "poorly maintained electrical installations" introducing plug-in solar could pose risks to homeowners.

"Before purchasing any off-the-shelf generation product, householders should have their electrical installation checked by a competent electrician. What may be safe in one home may pose a significant risk in another," he said.

What are heat pumps and how much do they cost?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xgdv9e007o, 9 days ago

Developers will have to install heat pumps and solar panels in all new homes in England under new building regulations.

It follows the government's Warm Homes Plan, which promised £15bn to help UK households pay for green technologies as part of efforts to cut fossil fuel use and drive down energy bills.

Heating homes accounts for about a fifth of the UK's planet-warming emissions, so switching from gas and oil to heat pumps is seen as a key way to help meet net zero targets.

How do heat pumps work?

Heat pumps run on electricity instead of gas, and are more efficient than traditional boilers. They warm buildings by absorbing and amplifying heat from the air, ground, or water.

Air source heat pumps - the most common type - suck in outdoor air and pass it over tubes containing refrigerant fluids. The heat from the outdoor air causes the refrigerants to evaporate into a gas. Compressing the gas increases the temperature, and this heat is passed round the home.

The system consists of a box measuring about 1m x 1m x 0.4m (or 3ft x 3ft x 1.3ft) which stands outside the property, as well as a heat pump unit and hot water cylinder inside the property.

The indoor unit is about the size of a gas boiler, while the size of the cylinder depends on the property.

Ground source heat pumps are more efficient than air-source models.

However, they are typically more expensive and less commonly used, as they require either a deep bore hole or a large horizontal system dug into the ground.

How much do heat pumps cost and what funding is available?

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides a grant of £7,500 towards the cost of an air source or ground source heat pump for homeowners in England and Wales. The scheme has been extended to 2029/30.

Households typically spend an additional £5,000 on top of the grant, which the UK's spending watchdog warned is too high for many.

The grant can be used for existing homes and non-domestic buildings. The property must have an eligible Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) - a measure of how your property is performing - issued in the last 10 years.

Properties no longer need to have existing loft or cavity wall insulation to qualify for the grant, which can save around £2,500 in upfront costs.

The Home Builders Federation estimates that implementing the new planning rules for properties in England will add around £10,000 to the overall cost.

For low-income households and those in social housing, the government is providing an extra £5bn for the Social Housing Fund and the Warm Homes Local Grant.

The Warm Homes Local Grant funds insulation, solar panels and air source heat pumps for some private owners or renters via local authorities in England. Properties must have an EPC rating of between D and G.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate schemes to help make homes more efficient.

Can heat pumps cut bills?

While the upfront costs remain substantial, heat pumps could become cheaper to run than gas boilers, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which advises the UK government on cutting emissions.

Savings depend on energy prices and how efficiently the heat pump works.

Electric heat pumps use much less energy than gas boilers, but electricity typically costs more than gas.

At the moment the cost of electricity is primarily driven by gas prices in the UK and around the world, but the government expects this to change as renewable energy sources continue to expand.

Households which also install solar panels can potentially save more by generating their own energy rather than rely on the grid.

The innovation charity Nesta estimates that the average home with a heat pump and solar panels could cut its annual energy bill by nearly £1,000.

Are heat pumps noisy?

Previously, homeowners needed planning permission to install a heat pump within 1m (3ft) of a neighbour's property, because of concerns over noise.

The rule was dropped to encourage uptake.

Newer devices are also quieter, and must be below 42db, which is similar to the level of noise produced by a fridge.

Rules specifying the size and number of heat pumps which households can install have also been relaxed.

How many heat pumps have been installed in the UK?

Fewer heat pumps are installed in the UK than gas boilers.

Installation rates are also lower than in other major European countries, like France, Germany and Italy.

But sales are increasing. Nearly 125,000 heat pumps were sold in 2025, more than double the number in 2023, according to the Heat Pump Association.

However, the CCC says this number needs to rise to nearly 450,000 a year by 2030 and 1.5 million by 2035 to help meet climate targets.

It says around half of UK homes need to have heat pumps by 2040.

Significantly more trained heat pump installers are needed to achieve this.

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UN issues new climate warning as El Niño looms

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c203rdxkezwo, 10 days ago

The Earth's climate is further out of balance than at any time in recorded history, the UN's weather agency has warned.

The World Meteorological Organization says that our planet is gaining much more heat energy than it can release, driven by emissions of warming gases such as carbon dioxide.

This record "energy imbalance" heated the ocean to new heights last year and continued to melt our planet's ice caps.

And scientists fear that a natural warming phase called El Niño – expected to begin later this year - could soon bring further heat records.

In response to the report, UN Secretary General António Guterres reiterated his call for countries to move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy to "deliver climate security, energy security and national security".

"Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red," he warned, in a typically punchy video address.

The last 11 years were the Earth's 11 warmest years in records stretching back to 1850, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says.

In 2025, global average air temperatures were about 1.43C above those of "pre-industrial" times - before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels.

A temporary cooling from the natural La Niña weather pattern meant that 2025 was not quite as hot as 2024, which was boosted by the opposite El Niño phase.

But last year was still one of the three warmest years since records began. Many scientists now believe that warming is accelerating, although they say temperatures are broadly within the range of long-term predictions.

And the WMO points to a wealth of other evidence showing that the climate is changing faster than we have ever seen before.

Perhaps the most comprehensive measure is the amount of extra heat energy being taken up by the Earth.

This "energy imbalance" ultimately drives climate change and reached a new high last year, the WMO says.

While scientists are still working out exactly why the Earth has accumulated so much extra heat over the past decade or so, they have no doubt that heat-trapping greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) are the root cause of the imbalance.

Levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are at their highest for at least two million years, the WMO says, due to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.

Some of the extra energy trapped by these gases warms the atmosphere and the land, as well as melting the planet's ice.

The world's glaciers had one of their five worst years on record in 2024/25, according to provisional data, while sea ice at both poles was at or near record lows throughout most of 2025.

But more than 90% of the Earth's extra energy heats the oceans, which in turn harms marine life, drives more intense storms and contributes to sea-level rise.

The heat stored in the upper 2km (1.2 miles) of the global ocean reached a new high last year, the WMO says. Over the past two decades, it has been warming more than twice as quickly as during the late 20th Century.

"Human activities are increasingly disrupting the natural equilibrium and we will live with these consequences for hundreds and thousands of years," said Prof Celeste Saulo, secretary general of the WMO.

The report points to the impacts of rising temperatures today, which are helping to intensify many types of extreme weather and aiding the spread of diseases such as dengue.

The south-west US is currently in the midst of a record-breaking early-season heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40C in places over recent days – about 10-15C above average.

Rapid analysis by scientists at the World Weather Attribution group on Friday found that intensity of heat would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change.

Researchers are also closely watching the Pacific Ocean, with long-term forecasts strongly suggesting that a warming El Niño phase could form in the second half of 2026.

An El Niño - on top of the background human-caused warming trend - could push temperatures to new heights into 2027.

"If we transition to El Niño we will see an increase in global temperature again, and potentially to new records" said Dr John Kennedy of the WMO.

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Hottest March temperature in US history recorded in Arizona

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj40xgv5vpdo, 13 days ago

A desert community in Arizona has broken the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in March in the US.

Temperatures reached 43C (110F) in the area, located just outside Martinez Lake in the Yuma Desert on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The record-breaking temperature was part of an unusually intense heatwave that blanketed much of the US southwest this week during the final days of winter.

The previous March temperature record of 42C had been around for more than 60 years and was first set in Rio Grande, Texas, in 1964.

Records for earlier-than-usual high temperatures were broken in multiple states by the heatwave, including in California, Arizona and Nevada.

A town near North Shore, California, matched the previous March record this week, hitting 42C on 18 March, according to the NWS.

Phoenix also recorded its hottest March day ever on Thursday, climbing to 40C, past the previous record of 39C which was set on Wednesday.

Las Vegas reached 35C, surpassing the previous record of 34C on Wednesday.

"Extreme early-season heat coupled with high tourism rates will make this heat very dangerous," the Las Vegas, Nevada NWS office warned earlier this week.

Typically, the average first 40C degree day of the year does not occur until the end of May, the NWS said.

But those norms were shattered this week.

The intense heat was the result of a strong, slow-moving high-pressure system (often called a heat dome) trapping hot air over the region, pushing temperatures -6 to -1C above normal.

Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

King opens world's longest coastal path around England

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0dxexdd8xo, 14 days ago

King Charles has inaugurated a new footpath stretching around the entire coast of England.

At 2,689 miles long, it is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world, according to Natural England, the government body which created it.

Its name is quite a trek too - King Charles III England Coast Path - but for the first time it creates a continuous trail, allowing walkers to explore England's shoreline step by step.

Along the way, it passes through some of the country's most beautiful and varied landscapes, from salt marshes and sandy beaches to cliffs, dunes and historic coastal towns.

Among the highlights is the iconic chalk downland of the Seven Sisters in East Sussex, which also forms part of a newly designated National Nature Reserve being announced by Natural England.

The King inaugurated the coastal path and the new nature reserve at a reception hosted by the South Downs National Park Authority.

He later walked a section of the newly completed path at Seven Sisters, joined by Natural England Chair Tony Juniper and Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds.

Juniper said the path "is a testament to how public enjoyment, conservation, heritage, history and community can come together, helping make life better for millions of people."

Much of the new coastal route already existed, but more than 1,000 miles of new paths have been created, and many other sections upgraded. Paths have been resurfaced, stiles removed, boardwalks built and bridges installed.

The project was initiated during Gordon Brown's government, and it has taken 18 years and seven prime ministers to get to this stage.

About 80% of the route is now open and most of the rest of the path is due to be completed by the end of the year.

"It is brilliant - the best thing I'll do in my working life," says Neil Constable, who led the project for Natural England.

For him, the length of the path isn't really the point. What makes it so special, he says, is that you can walk to the coast anywhere in England, turn left or right, and walk beside the sea for as long as you like.

Creating the route required new legislation – the Marine and Coastal Access Act, passed in 2009 – as well as years of careful planning and extensive work along the shoreline to establish a clear and continuous footpath.

Natural England says that in many places, new rights of access have opened land that was previously off-limits to the public - including beaches, dunes and cliff-tops between the path and the sea.

It says accessibility for those with reduced mobility has been improved so that more people can enjoy sections of the trail.

Gaps in the existing network of footpaths have been filled with a focus on bringing the route closer to the water and connecting stretches of coastline that had never been joined by a single walking trail.

But in a few places, walkers must briefly leave the trail. In north-west England, for example, a ferry across the Mersey is needed to follow the route.

One stretch in south Devon is particularly challenging. At the River Erme, there is no bridge or ferry, and the land further upstream is privately owned and inaccessible. Walkers must therefore roll up their trousers and wade across the river within an hour either side of low tide.

"It's all part of the experience," says Constable.

The path has been designed with the heavier rains and rising seas that climate change is expected to bring in mind.

For the first time in English law there is provision for the route to be moved inland – "rolled back", Natural England calls it - if the coastline erodes or shifts.

This allows the trail to adapt to the changing shoreline and aims to ensure that the coastal walk remains continuous and practical for generations to come.

Recent weeks have shown how dynamic the route can be. A large section of the path on the cliffs outside Charmouth in Dorset was lost in early February after heavy winter rains caused a landslip.

"The path was closed and a diversion was put in place," explains Lorna Sherriff, who heads up the team that manages the South West Coast Path – the longest and hilliest section of the new trail.

The diversion added an extra mile and a half and - worse still - took walkers along roads. Sherriff says her team quickly arranged a 15-metre rollback with the landowner, and within weeks the path was open again.

"Without this rollback provision in place that would have taken us months," she says.

The Ramblers charity has been campaigning for greater access to England's coastline since the end of World War II. Jack Cornish, director of England for the Ramblers, describes the new path as "transformational".

"It creates a band of access land from the trail to the high water mark, so that means you can leave the trail to go and roam the beaches," Cornish says. "You can picnic - and on an island nation you can really enjoy our coast for the first time."

The route also raises the possibility of a continuous coastal walk around the entire island of Britain.

The new English coast path links with the Wales Coast Path - an 870-mile route encircling the Welsh coastline. It was completed in 2012 and was the first path in the world to follow an entire national coastline.

There is no single official coastal trail in Scotland, though much of the shoreline is accessible thanks to Scotland's "right to roam" law passed more than 20 years ago. Estimates of its mainland coastline vary depending on how it is measured, but it is often put at around 5,500 miles.

Taken together, a continuous coastal walk around Britain would therefore total some 9,000 miles. At an average of 15 miles a day, it would take almost two years to complete, assuming no rest days.

If you want to walk some – maybe even all – of the King Charles III England Coast Path, you can access route maps at the National Trails website.

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Updated plan aims to boost NI's resilience to climate change

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgqgq11409lo, 14 days ago

An updated plan to boost Northern Ireland's resilience to climate change has been approved by the executive.

The Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme (NICCAP3) contains 280 actions across nature, food, infrastructure, communities and business, from 2024-2029.

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) Minister Andrew Muir said the plan was created through "positive collaboration" across all government departments.

This is the third Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme.

Climate change adaptation means taking action to adjust to those effects of climate change already being felt, and projected future impacts.

It is different to mitigation - action that reduces or limits emissions of greenhouse gases.

Producing an adaptation plan is an obligation under the UK's Climate Change Act 2008 - the world's first legally-binding national framework for greenhouse gas reductions.

Each version covers a five year period, the first of which was published in 2014.

This plan includes actions for a range of stakeholders across the public and private sector including Translink, NI Water, local councils, academia, the community and voluntary sector and businesses.

It also includes a new Peatlands Strategy, city draining plans for Londonderry and Belfast, a Sustainable Agriculture Programme and a new Food Strategy Framework.

Muir said: "We are already experiencing firsthand the impacts of climate change through the frequent and severe storms we are witnessing and more frequent and extreme flooding events."

He said Northern Ireland had seen new climate sensitive animal diseases arriving and more intense wildfires, all of which were "impacting upon our communities, businesses and environment".

'It's very difficult'

Farmers like Stephen Murdoch are already adapting.

He grows cauliflowers, broccoli, leeks and brussel sprouts around Comber in County Down.

Murdoch said he has noticed the climate changing.

"Working outside all my life, I would say we tend to get weather in 10 week periods now," he said.

"It doesn't matter which time of year, it's either unseasonably wet or unseasonably dry."

Murdoch said due to this he has had no choice but to adapt.

"In an ideal world, we aim for about 200 crates of cauliflowers harvested every day.

"But since just after Christmas, we're down perhaps averaging 50, maybe 100 every day."

Murdoch uses a harvesting rig for leeks, but this year, because rain has forced dirt between the leaves, they are being gathered by hand into which affects his planning and costs.

"It's very difficult. You know, vegetable farmers, we do not get any help at all really.

"The cattle men, if they lose cattle with TB, they get compensated.

"If we get a spell where we can't get spraying for disease, if we lose an entire field, vegetable growers don't get anything - we just have to deal with it."

This according to Murdoch is accounted for financially every year.

'You can't depend on the weather'

Peter Gallagher has been farming for more than two decades in County Fermanagh.

He describes his 150 acres near Boho as "a marginal-type hill farm" - vulnerable to environmental impacts like flooding.

"We are definitely seeing that you cannot depend on the weather behaving as you would normally have expected it to be - it seems to be a lot wetter nearly all of the time and also a lot milder.

"We have grass growing at times of the year we wouldn't usually have had grass growing.

"But we have grass then that is very, very hard to utilise because the ground just gets that wet at unpredictable times."

He is also a High Nature Value farm adviser for conservation charity Ulster Wildlife.

Gallagher has moved to a regenerative approach to grass-growing for his 70-strong suckler herd.

Grass grows longer in fields that are resting up to two months between being grazed.

It may lead to lower quality grass, but it means wet weather doesn't affect the ground as much.

"While it would be nice to grow lovely, high-powered green grass, if we get a really wet week or fortnight in the month of July, we're really looking at housing cattle here and all that grass going to waste."

Hay meadows are highly valuable for farmers as a crop and as a support for pollinators.

But the weather is making it harder to cut or "win" them at the appropriate times.

"You're ideally looking to cut those mid-late July into August, but you can't be sure that you're going to have the weather to actually win it in good quality hay."

With land quality across Northern Ireland varying, Gallagher believes a "one size fits all" policy approach can make life harder.

Farmers' climate change challenges

Deputy president of the Ulster Farmers' Union, John McLenaghan, said a changing climate was "compressing" an already-busy seasonal schedule.

"The slurry spreading is now catching up with the ploughing, which is catching up with the seeding, and all of that is just making those pressures more and more and more and more difficult for our farmers."

But he said there was a need for "more efficient and more productive" agriculture, with a growing global population to feed.

"No matter what the adversity is, farmers remain optimistic and that's important.

"We believe there is a real boom time ahead for agriculture and for farming.

"Northern Ireland has the potential to be at the centre of that."

'We go for all humanity' - emotional moment as Artemis II blasts off

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz90yp7w104o, today

Nasa's Artemis II mission thundered away from Florida's coast, taking its four crew members on their historic journey to circle the Moon.

There was a deep rumbling as a sheet of brilliant white flame suddenly erupted, momentarily engulfing the whole launch pad as the mightiest rocket Nasa has ever built rose into the sky.

Nasa's Space Launch System (SLS) majestically crept upwards - slow at first, then gathering pace, riding on two blinding pillars of flame that crackled and roared with increasing volume until the rumbling was almost deafening, a sound we could feel in our bodies as we watched on in amazement, three miles (4.8km) away from the launch pad.

There were small cheers from those in the know as the rocket past the moment of maximum danger - one minute and 10 seconds into the launch. This is where the pressure hits the rocket the hardest, and when engineers know that even a small structural weakness can be disastrous.

There was no weakness, and SLS arced out over the Atlantic like a fiery white angel, leaving a white smoky trail as the sound subsided and the spacecraft disappeared from view, shrinking to a single bright star as it chased the Moon.

Afterwards, there was a giddy euphoria among staff at the Kennedy Space Center.

One person told me they felt quite emotional and another said they wanted to cry – no doubt a release of tension built up over the past few months when Artemis II came close to launch, but ended up being scrubbed for various reasons.

Tonight, though, Nasa employees were laughing and clapping - this is the moment that they have spent years working towards. There is still work to do, but for now they are bathing in the moment of triumph.

In the hour before take-off there were issues which threatened the launch.

They concerned the launch abort system, which enables Nasa engineers to eject the astronauts and blow up the rocket if there is a malfunction.

The countdown clock was held at 10 minutes while engineers resolved the problem. They worked quickly, but it was an agonising wait to see if the launch could still go ahead.

Then came the staccato rhythm of the calls by each engineer responsible for the rocket's critical systems: "booster, go", "GNC, go", "range, go" – each reply, a tiny release of tension and a build-up of expectation.

"Artemis II, this is launch director," said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the first woman to hold the position at Nasa.

"You are go for launch," she told the crew. "We go for all humanity", Commander Reid Wiseman responded.

Cheesy words in normal circumstances, but that was the moment our spines began to tingle and we knew we were about to witness history.

The Kennedy Space Center was built to send astronauts to the Moon, but that hasn't happened since 1972 when Apollo 17 blasted off. Today, the centre was back in business, doing what it was made for.

The press corps headed outside, where clouds that had threatened to cancel the launch had evaporated.

As the countdown clock restarted, the atmosphere turned to electric anticipation.

The four RS 25 engines and twin solid rocket boosters lit up, driving more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust into the Florida evening sky.

"God Speed Artemis II" Blackwell-Thompson said in another echo from the past. The same words were used in a launch from here in 1962 to send John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, on his way.

I have been lucky enough to see launches of the Space Shuttle to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Center. Those launches are almost as impressive in flight, surging into space with an enormous bang and rising at the speed of a bullet.

But the SLS launch was not only more beautiful, it meant much more: a moment full of emotion for all those who saw it, perhaps because it reminded us of what humanity can do when it comes together, or perhaps because we may be entering a new era of space travel.

In the 1990s, I had the opportunity to speak to Neil Armstrong, who, in 1969, became the first person to ever walk on the moon.

Our discussion came at a time when the dream of human space travel seemed to be over. I asked him whatever happened to that dream? He smiled and said "the reality may have faded but the dream is still there and it will come back in time".

Today was the day the dream returned.

The personal items the Artemis II crew are taking to the Moon

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdj7e11pw10o, 2 days ago

Four astronauts are about to become the most closely watched crew since Apollo.

They will be the first in more than 50 years to orbit the moon, testing the path back for the next generation.

The crew includes three Nasa astronauts - Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch - along with Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.

Not only are they accomplished pilots, engineers and scientists, they are also spouses and parents balancing a heroic adventure against the risks they and their loved ones will face.

Here's what we know about them.

Reid Wiseman - Commander

Reid Wiseman is a US Navy test pilot turned astronaut, who spent six months on the International Space Station in 2014 as a flight engineer on Expedition 40. Wiseman says he has a lifelong love of flying, but on the ground he's afraid of heights.

He will command Artemis II in what is the second flight of the Orion spacecraft, and the first to carry people around the Moon in more than 50 years.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Wiseman lost his wife to cancer in 2020 and has raised their two teenage daughters alone. He describes being a single parent as his "greatest challenge and the most rewarding phase" of his life.

He has not shielded his children from the realities of risk, however. While out on a walk with them, he said: "Here's where the will is, here's where the trust documents are, and if anything happens to me, here's what's going to happen to you… That's part of this life."

He says he wishes more families had that conversation – because "you never know what the next day is going to bring".

Although he carries the title of commander, he is careful not to make Artemis II sound like his mission alone.

"When I look at Victor, Christina and Jeremy, they want to go do this mission, they are keenly driven, they are humble to a fault. It is so cool to be around them," he says, hoping that in decades to come their flight will be seen as a "tiny step" towards people living on the Moon and, eventually, walking on Mars.

For the personal item Nasa allows astronauts to take up with them, Wiseman plans to take a small notepad so that he can jot down his thoughts during the mission.

Christina Koch - Mission specialist

Christina Koch is an engineer and physicist who became an astronaut in 2013 and went on to set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, spending 328 days aboard the International Space Station in 2019. During that mission she also took part in the first all-female spacewalk.

Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and raised in North Carolina, she will become the first woman to travel to the Moon.

Her journey to Artemis II began with a photograph. As a child she kept a poster of the Earth rising above the lunar surface – Bill Anders' famous Earthrise picture from Apollo 8 – on her bedroom wall, and decided she wanted to become an astronaut when she learnt that a human, not an automatic camera, had squeezed the shutter.

"The fact that it was a human behind that lens made that picture so much more profound and changed the way we thought of our own home," she says. "The Moon was not just a symbol for thinking about our place in the Universe, it is a beacon for science and understanding where we came from."

Koch has spent more than 25 years around Apollo veterans through a scholarship foundation and Nasa remembrance events, and says that what the former astronauts have really taught her is camaraderie.

Koch is taking handwritten notes from people close to her for her personal item, which she has described as a "tactile connection" to loved ones back on Earth.

At home, spaceflight is a running conversation with her husband. She says he's inquisitive about "what the big milestones are, what the risky parts are, when he can sigh a sigh of relief, when he needs to be glued to the TV".

One of the more prosaic preparations has been to persuade him that Artemis is not like her ISS mission - there will be no casual phone calls from orbit, no quick check-ins to locate a missing item in a cupboard. "He's not going to be able to ring me and ask where something is in the house," she laughs. "He's going to have to find it."

Jeremy Hansen - Mission specialist

Jeremy Hansen is a former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot and physicist who joined the Canadian Space Agency in 2009. Although he has never flown in space before, he has played a key role in training new astronauts at Nasa's Johnson Space Centre, becoming the first Canadian to lead that work.

He is married with three children and enjoys sailing, rock climbing and mountain biking.

Like Koch, Hansen traces his fascination with space back to Apollo 8. Growing up in rural Canada, he turned his treehouse into an imaginary spaceship after seeing a photograph of Buzz Aldrin standing on the lunar surface.

The risks the Apollo astronauts took has shaped how he talks to his own family about Artemis II. Over the Christmas holidays they watched footage of the uncrewed Artemis I launch together so he could warn them that, when the main engines light, it can briefly look and sound like the rocket is exploding – and reassure them that this is normal.

He has told them, too, that when they hear engineers on the loop discussing "worst case scenarios" or unusual sensor readings, it will often sound scarier than it is; it is simply how teams probe the edges of safety on a first crewed flight.

If all goes to plan, Hansen will become the first non-American to travel to the Moon – a milestone he sees as a sign of how far international cooperation in space has come since Apollo. "The Artemis missions have set such an ambitious goal for humanity that… nations around the globe are coming together," he says.

Hansen will carry four Moon-shaped pendants for his wife and three children, engraved with the phrase "Moon and back" and set with their birthstones. The Canadian will also be taking maple syrup and maple cookies on his lunar voyage.

Victor J Glover - Pilot

Victor Glover is a former US Navy fighter pilot and test pilot who was selected as a Nasa astronaut in 2013. He served as pilot of Nasa's SpaceX Crew 1 mission and spent nearly six months on the International Space Station as part of Expedition 64. Born in Pomona, California, he is married with four children and is set to become the first black person to travel to the Moon.

Those who know him say he is the most charismatic of the quartet and the most sharply dressed, with designer brown leather boots that somehow look good even with an orange flight suit. His call sign, "IKE", is reputedly short for "I Know Everything", a nod to his three master's degrees in flight test engineering, systems engineering and military operational art and science.

At a red carpet event in 2023, in New York, he looked every inch the modern astronaut celebrity, alongside his wife Dionna.

Preparing for Artemis II, Glover has been working through original Gemini and Apollo journal papers from the 1960s, hunting for engineering and piloting lessons that might still apply. Between the graphs and equations, he says, you glimpse the people behind the missions; what their families were going through, what they knew and did not yet know as they pushed into the unknown.

"Pushing ourselves to explore is core to who we are," he says. "It is part of being human… We go out to explore, to learn where we are, why we are, understanding the big questions about our place in the universe."

Glover has said he will take with him a Bible, his wedding rings and family heirlooms, along with a collection of inspirational quotations compiled by Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart.

In a Nasa video, each of the astronauts distil the mission into a single phrase. "We are ready," says Koch; "We are going," adds Hansen; "To the Moon," says Glover. Wiseman, completes the sentence: "For all humanity!"

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'A million things could go wrong' - why seizing Iran's uranium would be so risky for the US

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglv5v4yvpo, yesterday

US troops storming a secretive, underground nuclear facility to seize Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium may sound far-fetched, but it is an option President Donald Trump is reportedly considering to achieve his main objective in the war: preventing the regime from developing nuclear weapons.

Such an operation would be extremely challenging and fraught with danger, according to military experts and former US defence officials who spoke to the BBC. They said it would require the deployment of ground troops and could take several days or even weeks to complete.

Removing the uranium stockpile would be one of the "most complicated special operations in history," said Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East.

The scenario is just one of several military actions that Trump could take in Iran.

Others include the US taking control of Kharg Island in an effort to pressure Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The administration may also be using the threat of new military operations to pressure Iran to the negotiating table.

In a telephone interview with the BBC's US partner CBS News on Tuesday, President Trump declined to say whether it would be possible to declare victory in the war without removing or destroying Iran's enriched uranium.

But he appeared to play down the significance of the stockpile, pointing to the damage caused in US-Israeli strikes last June. "That's so deeply buried it's gonna be very hard for anybody," Trump said. "It's down there deep. So… it's pretty safe. But, you know, we'll make a determination."

His remarks came after the Wall Street Journal reported that the US was considering an operation to extract the material. The White House said Trump was yet to make a final decision.

An operation targeting Iran's stockpile would face several major logistical challenges, experts said.

At the start of the war, Iran possessed approximately 440kg of uranium enriched to 60%, according to senior US officials. The material can be fairly quickly enriched to the 90% threshold needed for weapons-grade uranium.

Iran also has roughly 1,000kg of uranium enriched to 20%, and 8,500kg that are enriched to the 3.6% threshold accepted for medical research.

Most of the highly enriched uranium that can be easily turned into material for bombs or missiles is believed to be stored at Isfahan. The facility is one of three underground nuclear sites in Iran that were targeted in US-Israeli airstrikes last year.

But it is unclear how much of the highly enriched uranium is stored at other locations.

A military operation to retrieve the material would be easier if the US knew exactly where the stockpile was, said Jason Campbell, a former senior US defence official in the Obama and Trump administrations.

"The ideal scenario is that you know exactly where it is," Campbell said. "If it's been dispersed to four different sites, then you're talking about a whole different" level of complexity.

In addition to Isfahan, some highly enriched uranium could also be stored at Fordo and Natanz, the other two enrichment facilities that were targeted in Operation Midnight Hammer last year.

Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said last month that the majority of Iran's highly enriched uranium is stored at Isfahan, with some additional material at Natanz. But Grossi said more detailed information wasn't available because inspectors haven't visited the sites since being evacuated from Iran after the US-Israeli air campaign in 2025.

"There are many questions that we will only elucidate when we are able to go back," Grossi told reporters.

Gaining access to the highly enriched uranium presents another set of challenges, assuming the US knows where it is.

There are signs that Iran fortified an underground complex near one of its nuclear facilities before this year's US-Israeli strikes. At Isfahan, for example, satellite imagery from February indicated all entrances to its tunnel complex appeared to be sealed off with earth, which would make any operation more difficult.

Since the start of the war, the US and Israel have been able to use air strikes alone to decimate Iran's navy, degrade its ballistic missiles and damage its industrial base. But unlike those other military objectives, experts said that securing Iran's enriched uranium could not be done without using ground forces.

The US could use elements of the 82nd Airborne Division - which were deployed to the Middle East - to secure the areas surrounding Isfahan and Natanz. Special operations forces that are trained to handle nuclear material would then be sent in to retrieve the enriched uranium. The uranium itself is in gaseous form and is believed to be stored in large metal containers.

Satellite imagery shows that the entrances to Isfahan and Natanz were badly damaged by US airstrikes. US forces would likely need heavy machinery to dig through rubble in order to locate the enriched uranium, which is believed to be stored in tunnels buried deep underground - all while facing potential counterattacks from Iran.

"You've first got to excavate the site and detect [the enriched uranium] while likely being under near constant threat," Campbell said.

It is an open question how Iran might respond, or how much of a threat it might pose to US ground troops targeting the country's main nuclear facilities.

The US and Israel have been degrading "Iranian defence capabilities to enable this type of operation if it was necessary," said Alex Plitsas, a former US defence official and nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. Nevertheless, he said it would still be a "high risk" operation.

US ground troops would be isolated at Isfahan, which is located approximately 300 miles (482km) inland and is Iran's third largest city. "It makes [medical evacuations] difficult given the distances. It makes [US troops] vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire coming in and out, as well as attacks while they're" at the nuclear facility," Plitsas said.

While the operation could take multiple forms, experts said it would likely involve the seizure of an airfield or landing zone from which US forces could operate - and then remove the enriched uranium from Iran once they have retrieved it.

The 82nd Airborne Division, which is trained to secure airfields and other infrastructure, could be used along with other US forces to stage an operating base for the mission, military experts said. Once the uranium is secured, the US would then face the question of removing it from the country or diluting it on site.

Senior administration officials said at the start of the war that the US might consider diluting Iran's highly enriched uranium on site, rather than removing it from the country. But that would be a large, complex and time-consuming operation, said Jonathan Ruhe, an expert on Iran's nuclear programme at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, a conservative think tank in Washington DC.

Seizing and taking the uranium out of Iran is faster and would allow the US to dilute the material in the United States, Ruhe said. The operation would be deeply risky no matter how it is done, he added.

"You've got basically a half ton of what's effectively weapons grade uranium that you've got to extricate," Ruhe said.

"And there are a million things that could go wrong."

After sex abuse claims, activists and lawmakers rethink Cesar Chavez Day

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm17m2gzl2o, 2 days ago

Farm work is personal for many people in the state of California, where nearly three-quarters of America's fruits and nuts are grown.

That's why, when sexual abuse allegations against famed farmworker union activist Cesar Chavez came to light in March, it sent shockwaves throughout the state.

"As the daughter and granddaughter of farmworkers, this is deeply personal," state senator Suzette Martinez Valladares said during a meeting to discuss removing Chavez's name from streets, parks and schools - as well as renaming Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day.

"The legacy of farmworkers belongs to families like mine across California - not to any one individual," Valladares said, while she and other lawmakers shared stories of how their families worked in the fields picking crops under the hot sun.

As a prominent labour organiser, Chavez helped lead a major strike against Delano grape growers in the 1960s, which sparked boycotts across the country, in order to gain better wages and conditions for workers. His mantra, "si, se puede" - which means "yes, we can" in Spanish - has been adopted by activists and politicians who came after him, and was even used by Barack Obama's presidential campaign during his first run for office.

In 1994, Chavez was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton, and in 2014 President Barack Obama declared 31 March to be Cesar Chavez Day.

But his legacy today has taken a sharp turn, after civil rights leader Dolores Huerta - who helped Chavez co-found the National Farm Workers Association - went public in the New York Times alleging he raped her decades ago.

The newspaper's investigation also included testimony from two other women, who were the daughters of farmworkers, who said he molested them when they were underage in the 1970s.

Huerta, 95, said she kept quiet about the sexual assault because she feared it would have hurt the farmworkers movement if she spoke up. Huerta is also a revered and beloved figure in the farmworkers movement with many schools and streets named in her honour - although not nearly as many as Cesar Chavez.

In a sign of how deep the wounds are after these claims came to light, California lawmakers barely uttered his name when they voted unanimously last week to rename the state holiday "Farmworkers Day". Similar votes are happening across the United States, where Chavez's name is emblazoned on dozens of schools, streets and other public buildings nationwide. Chavez statues have already begun to be removed and murals vandalised.

But those who once counted Chavez as a hero say they cannot let these revelations stop them from celebrating the accomplishments of the wider labour movement.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was "devastated" by the allegations against Chavez and her memory of him was now "painful".

But she recognised his importance as a figure in the movement.

"It was because of people like Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King and other leaders that I made a commitment as a child that I wanted to spend my life fighting for justice," she said.

In the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, artist MisterAlek transformed a Cesar Chavez mural he painted in 2021 and replaced it with a painting of Delores Huerta.

"After learning about all the new allegations and all the new stuff that came out, I felt somewhat responsible of changing the mural because it's my art piece, right, I created it," MisterAlek told a local ABC News affiliate.

The new mural of Huerta "illustrates the type of person that she was," he added. "It was someone that was at the rallies doing activism and speaking loud for people defending our rights."

But some artists don't want to remove their memorials to the union leader completely.

"I'd love to bring this mural into the 21st Century," said artist JD "Zender" Estrada.

He painted a mural in 1994 in the Boyle Heights neighbourhood of Los Angeles, when the street was first named Cesar Chavez Avenue. It depicts Chavez carrying four farmworkers.

Estrada disagrees with calls to completely remove Chavez from murals, and thinks they should be renovated and updated rather than "whitewashed".

The muralist thinks Chavez can remain on murals but be less prominent as long as the community agrees. Zender also thinks the murals could better reflect the role of farmworkers from the Philippines and other countries in the labour movement.

"I'm very sympathetic to the victims of what happened," Zender said. "But we have to preserve and conserve murals. They are important in Los Angeles."

Zender said he was commissioned to paint the mural by the Chavez Foundation and by the City Council in an attempt to educate people in Los Angeles because so few of them at the time knew who Cesar Chavez was. There was a more famous boxer with same name, he recalls.

"And this is Hollywood," Zender said. "We love an icon."

Nasa Apollo missions: Stories of the last Moon men

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g9yde95yyo, today

They were the pioneers of space exploration - the 24 Nasa astronauts who travelled to the Moon in the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s.

Not since the end of 1972 has a human set foot on the lunar surface.

But with the launch of Artemis II the race to return to the Moon is heating up once again.

China is aiming to put people on the lunar surface by the end of the decade, having successfully landed a probe on the far side of the Moon in June 2024, and India also harbours ambitions.

However, with a crewed landing not expected before May 2028 at the earliest, with Artemis IV, the fact remains that the number of people who can say they have ventured beyond Earth's orbit and returned safely is dwindling.

Who are the five remaining Moon men and what are their stories?

Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11)

On 21 July 1969, former fighter pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin left his lunar landing craft and became the second person to step on the surface of the Moon. Almost 20 minutes beforehand, his commander, Neil Armstrong, had been the first.

Aldrin's first words were: "Beautiful view".

"Isn't that something?" asked Armstrong."Magnificent sight out here."

"Magnificent desolation," replied Aldrin.

The fact that he was second never sat comfortably with him. His crewmate Michael Collins said Aldrin "resented not being first on the Moon more than he appreciated being second".

But Aldrin was still proud of his achievement; many years later, when confronted by a man claiming Apollo 11 was an elaborate lie, the 72-year-old Aldrin punched him on the jaw.

And following Neil Armstrong's death in 2012, Aldrin said: "I know I am joined by many millions of others from around the world in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew."

Despite struggles in later life, he never lost his thirst for adventure and joined expeditions to both the North and South Poles, the latter at the age of 86.

While embracing his celebrity, he has remained an advocate for the space programme, especially the need to explore Mars.

"I don't think we should just go there and come back - we did that with Apollo," he says.

And his name has become known to new generations as the inspiration for Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story series of films. In January 2023, at the age of 93, he married for a fourth time..

Charles Duke (Apollo 16)

There are only four people still alive who have walked on the Moon - Charlie Duke is one of them. He did it aged 36, making him the youngest person to set foot on the lunar surface.

In a later BBC interview, he spoke of a "spectacular terrain".

"The beauty of it… the sharp contrast between the blackness of space and the horizon of the Moon… I'll never forget it. It was so dramatic."

But he had already played another significant role in Nasa's exploration of the Moon. After Apollo 11 touched down in 1969, it was Duke - in mission control as the Capsule Communicator, or Capcom - who was waiting nervously on the other end of the line when Neil Armstrong said: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

In his distinctive southern drawl, Duke replied: "Roger, Tranquility. We copy you on the ground, you've got a bunch of guys about to turn blue, we're breathing again."

"I really meant it, I was holding my breath the last minute or so," he later told the BBC.

In 2022, Duke told the BBC he was excited about Nasa's Artemis mission - but warned that it wouldn't be easy for the new generation of astronauts.

"They've picked near the South Pole for the landing, because if there's any ice on the Moon, it would be down in that region. So that's gonna be difficult - because it's really rough down there. But we'll pull it off."

Charlie Duke now lives outside San Antonio, Texas, with Dorothy, to whom he has been married for 60 years.

Fred Haise (Apollo 13)

Fred Haise was part of the crew of Apollo 13 that narrowly avoided disaster in 1970 after an on-board explosion caused the mission to be aborted when the craft was more than 200,000 miles (321,000km) from Earth.

The whole world watched nervously as Nasa attempted to return the damaged spacecraft and its crew safely. Once back, Haise and his crewmates James Lovell and Jack Swigert became celebrities, to their apparent surprise.

"I feel like maybe I missed something while I was up there," he told talk show host Johnny Carson when the crew appeared on The Tonight Show.

Haise never made it to the Moon. Although scheduled to be commander of Apollo 19, that mission was cancelled because of budget cuts, as were all other flights after Apollo 17.

He later served as a test pilot on the prototype space shuttle, Enterprise.

Like many of his fellow Apollo alumni, after leaving Nasa, Haise continued to work in the aerospace industry until his retirement.

Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17)

Unlike most other astronauts of the time, Schmitt had not served as a pilot in the US forces.

A geologist and academic, he initially instructed Nasa astronauts on what to look for during their geological lunar field trips before becoming a scientist-astronaut himself in 1965.

Schmitt was part of the last crewed mission to the Moon, Apollo 17, and along with commander Eugene Cernan, one of the last two men to set foot on the lunar surface, in December 1972.

After leaving Nasa in 1975, he was elected to the US Senate from his home state of New Mexico, but only served one term. Since then he has worked as a consultant in various industries as well as continuing in academia.

He is also known for speaking out against the scientific consensus on climate change.

David Scott (Apollo 15)

David Scott, the commander of Apollo 15, is one of just four men alive who have walked on the Moon - but he was also one of the first to drive on it too.

In 1971, Scott and crewmate James Irwin tested out the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), "Man's First Wheels on the Moon" as it was called. Travelling at speeds up to 8 mph (12 km/h) the LRV allowed astronauts to travel large distances from the lunar lander much quicker than they could walk.

"On a first mission you never know whether it's going to work," he later recalled. "The greatest thrill was to get it out, turn it on, and it actually worked."

After returning from the Moon, Scott worked in various management roles within Nasa, before joining the private sector.

He has also acted as consultant on several film and television projects, including Apollo 13 and the HBO miniseries From The Earth To The Moon.

What will the next generation of lunar adventurers accomplish?

Over 1,800 killed since junta seized power in Burkina Faso, rights group says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgr639007zo, today

More than 1,800 civilians have been killed in Burkina Faso since Ibrahim Traoré seized power three years ago in acts amounting to "war crimes and crimes against humanity", a new report says.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says about 1,837 civilians, including dozens of children, were killed in 57 incidents between January 2023 and August 2025.

It attributes most of the killings - 1,255 - to the military and allied militias, with the rest blamed on Islamist militants.

HRW finds President Traoré and six senior military commanders "may be liable as a matter of command responsibility for grave abuses and should be investigated". It also says five jihadist leaders may be culpable.

The Burkinabé authorities have not yet commented on the report but have dismissed previous accusations that their forces have killed civilians.

One of the reasons the military gave for seizing power was to tackle the jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda who have been waging an insurgency in Burkina Faso and neighbouring countries for over a decade and control huge parts of the country.

The report is based on analysis of open-source information, including photos, videos and satellite imagery, and interviews with witnesses and survivors.

"All sides are responsible for the war crimes of willful killing, attacks on civilians and civilian objects, pillage and looting, and forced displacement," the report says.

It accuses the junta of committing "horrific abuses" and failing to hold perpetrators to account while blocking reporting to hide the suffering of civilians caught in the violence.

"The scale of atrocities taking place in Burkina Faso is mind-boggling, as is the lack of global attention to this crisis," says Philippe Bolopion, HRW's executive director.

The report cites one of the deadliest incidents in December 2023 in which it says the military and allied militias killed more than 400 civilians in the northern town of Djibo.

A 35-year-old woman told the rights group that her two daughters died on the spot and bullets injured her and her nine-month-old son.

"Make sure no-one is breathing before heading out," she recounted a militia member as saying.

Survivors described the killings as brutal and said they continue to suffer deep psychological trauma.

"Many survivors described the killings as 'butchery' and said they were left with deep psychological wounds," the report notes.

Since the military government seized power, authorities have been accused of carrying out brutal campaigns increasingly targeting civilians in response to attacks by al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM, the biggest jihadist group in the country.

Civilians described to HRW a feeling of being "caught between a rock and a hard place", threatened with death by JNIM while also being targeted by government forces.

The rights group says JNIM has used widespread threats and violence to dominate and punish communities and has targeted civilians refusing to submit to its authority, whom it accuses of supporting the government.

In August 2024, JNIM attackers "shot dead at least 133 people and injured more than 200 in fewer than two hours", it says.

HRW is now urging the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary investigation into the alleged crimes committed by all the parties since September 2022.

It has also called on Burkina Faso's partners and donors to impose sanctions and to refrain from cooperating with the country's army.

Traoré seized power in September 2022 after overthrowing Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had taken over only nine months earlier.

Despite his authoritarian reputation, 37-year-old Traoré has gained a huge following across the continent for his pan-Africanist vision and criticism of Western influence.

Burkina Faso, like its neighbours Mali and Niger which are also under military rule, has moved away from working with Western countries, especially France, in its fight against the Islamist groups. All three have instead turned towards Russia for military assistance, however the violence has continued unabated.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Nigeria warns its citizens in South Africa to be cautious after march turns violent

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyxnwvdzn6o, yesterday

Nigeria's high commission in South Africa has urged its citizens there to be cautious following an anti-illegal immigration protest in Eastern Cape province that turned violent.

On Monday, activists were holding a peaceful march in the port city of KuGompo (formerly East London). But disorder erupted after a protester said he was attacked by a foreigner, prompting demonstrators to damage several vehicles and shops.

The trouble came amid tension over the recent installation of a Nigerian community leader in the city, who has a traditional title that can be translated as "king of the Igbo people in East London".

Some South Africans in the local area saw this as an attempt to grab political power.

Traditional leader Xhanti Sigcawu, who was present at Monday's march, told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika the installation ceremony had left local chiefs feeling "undermined" as the area was the "territory of the Xhosas".

South Africa is home to about 2.4 million migrants, just less than 4% of the population, according to official figures.

Most come from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which have a history of providing migrant labour to their wealthy neighbour. A smaller number come from Nigeria.

Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa which has been accompanied by occasional outbursts of deadly violence, and anti-migrant sentiment has become a key political talking-point.

The South African authorities, including KuGompo mayor Princess Faku , condemned Monday's trouble, which saw 10 vehicles set alight and local and foreign-owned shops looted.

"We supported the march because it is part of the efforts of defending our sovereignty but cannot condone violence. Violence doesn't solve problems… it's very sad that such an important march was turned into violence and chaos," Faku, who belongs to the African National Congress, said.

No arrests have been made.

The Nigerian high commission urged its citizens to limit movement and avoid public gatherings while tensions remain high.

The protest was organised by various civil society groups and political parties.

A fortnight ago, Solomon Ogbonna Eziko was recognised as the "Eze Ndi Igbo East London" by members of the local diaspora.

Installing an "Eze Ndi Igbo" is a common practice among Igbos living away from home.

The Igbo people, prominent in Nigeria's south-east, are one of the country's largest ethnic groups and are prominent in the diaspora.

While members of the Igbo community in KuGompo have recognised Eziko as their leader, his title is ceremonial and has no political meaning or cultural significance outside his community. Within the grouping, he is recognised as a mediator in minor disputes and is invited to local ceremonies.

A leader of South Africa's Igbo community, Dr ABC Okokoh, confirmed this, explaining to national broadcaster SABC that the ceremony recognising Eziko was a "private event".

"We are not here to establish a kingdom [or] a king because there are laws in this country that must be respected," he said.

He apologised for the "consequences that played out" as a result of the event.

Some South African cultural experts condemned the installation of Eziko as unlawful and a violation of customary protocols.

The Eastern Cape's cooperative governance department, which oversees traditional affairs in the province, distanced itself from the event and called for the respect of the country's laws.

During a picket by civil society groups in Pretoria on Tuesday of Nigeria's high commission, a diplomat also apologised to South Africans for the developments that followed Eziko's recognition.

Additional reporting by Adline Okere and Chimezie Ucheagbo

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

South African army arrive in crime hotspots to help tackle gangs

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2e78yk09no, today

South Africa's army has officially been deployed to several parts of the country to help overwhelmed police clamp down on violent crimes, including illicit mining and gangs.

President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year announced the deployment of 2,200 soldiers to five of the country's nine provinces hardest hit by criminal activities.

Authorities say the deployment, set to run for a year, is aimed at restoring order to crime-ridden areas, but critics warn that using the military in civilian policing rarely delivers lasting results.

Illicit mining and gang violence are major problems in South Africa, which has one of the world's highest murder rates.

An initial group of soldiers was deployed to several parts of Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, in March.

The second, and main cohort, will help with operations in the Eastern Cape, Free State, North West and Western Cape provinces from 1 April for a year.

The BBC spoke to several residents in a Johannesburg suburb, Eldorado Park, a few weeks after soldiers arrived in the area. It is one of the three Johannesburg suburbs targeted in the initial military deployment due to the high levels of gang violence there.

Some of those interviewed expressed scepticism about the soldiers' presence in their neighbourhood.

Leola Davies, a 74-year-old pensioner, described Eldorado Park as a "hell-hole to live in".

"Sodom and Gomorra have nothing on this place. I stay indoors all day because I just don't want to be the next victim. Things are getting worse," she said.

Elviena le Roux, a mother of three, told the BBC she doesn't believe having the military in the area will help, saying it will only "make the violence worse".

Ronald Rabie, 56, said that while seeing the army patrolling the streets makes some difference, as it creates a safer environment for families, this peace is short-lived.

"Once they leave, things return to chaos – they need to be here permanently," the father of three said.

This is not the first time Ramaphosa has deployed troops to help bring down the country's high crime levels.

In 2023, over 3,000 soldiers were roped in to help tackle illicit mining across the country for six months.

In July 2021, the army was also deployed to help quell the deadly riots that had hit the country after the arrest of former South African President Jacob Zuma.

Security experts have repeatedly warned that the military is trained for combat - not for the kind of community-based policing needed to build trust.

And there is also history to contend with. The racist apartheid regime used the military to enforce their rule - a legacy that still shapes how some South Africans view soldiers on their streets today.

Criminologist Guy Lamb echoed this, telling the BBC that soldiers are "not designed to engage in policing" but rather to engage in combat and use maximum force.

"There's danger that they will escalate situations or respond very aggressively in... tense situations," he said.

He cited their conduct during the Covid-19 pandemic as an example. The army's deployment during that period, meant to help enforce the curfew and other restrictions, drew sharp criticism as reports came out of soldiers using excessive force, unlawfully detaining and harassing civilians.

Authorities have expressed optimism that the soldiers' presence will make a difference this time around but Lamb is not completely convinced.

He said that without "a dedicated plan... to try and address why crime is so violent in these sort of places", there was a strong likelihood it would flare up again once the soldiers leave.

"So we're likely to see this happening into the foreseeable future, because this plan of addressing what are the root causes of crime [in these] areas is not in place."

Additional reporting by Khanyisile Ngcobo

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

DR Congo declares national holiday after reaching World Cup for first time in 52 years

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm296yv05eeo, today

Authorities in the Democratic Republic Congo have declared Wednesday a public holiday after the national football team qualified for their first World Cup in 52 years.

The Leopards reached the finals on Tuesday when Axel Tuanzebe's extra-time goal gave them a 1-0 win over Jamaica in the play-off.

DR Congo's ministry of labour and employment said that as a result of the "historic" victory, the nation could have the day off work to "celebrate in unity, fervour and national pride".

The central African nation has only played in the World Cup once before - in 1974 when the country was named Zaire.

Tuesday's match was an intense affair, with former Manchester United player Tuanzebe only breaking the deadlock in the 100th minute.

On Tuesday, elated football fans celebrated into the night in the capital, Kinshasa.

One supporter told the BBC: "Whatever we may be feeling at the moment, amidst pain and war and occupation, this victory makes us proud... I feel so emotional and happy."

DR Congo has been battered by decades of conflict. The fighting escalated early last year when the M23 rebel group captured swathes of territory in the country's east.

In Kinshasa's neighbourhood of Kingabwa, footbal fans took to the streets chanting "Christiano Ronaldo is next".

DR Congo's first match will be against Ronaldo's Portugal in the US city of Houston on 17 June.

They will also play Colombia and Uzbekistan in the group stages.

DR Congo are the 10th African nation to reach this year's expanded World Cup finals, hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

Additional reporting from Emery Makumeno in Kinshasa

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Senegal president signs tough new anti-LGBT law doubling jail terms

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyjzdjned0o, yesterday

Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has signed a new law doubling to 10 years the maximum prison term for sexual acts by same-sex couples.

The new law also criminalises the "promotion" of homosexuality, which includes any public representation and financial support by individuals or organisations, and provides for three to seven years in prison for those found guilty.

The legislation was a campaign promise of President Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and was approved by parliament last month.

UN rights chief Volker Türk has described it as "deeply worrying", saying that the anti-LGBT legislation "flies in the face of sacrosanct human rights".

The UN official and rights groups had urged the president not to sign it into law, but the government dismissed the international criticism, arguing that the measures reflected the views of Senegalese people.

It was taken to parliament after a wave of arrests over alleged same‑sex relationships, which were already banned under Senegalese law.

In February, 12 men, including two public figures and a journalist, were arrested and charged with "acts against nature".

Campaign group Human Rights Watch has recently noted a rise in "hostility toward LGBT people", adding that MPs had twice – in 2022 and 2024 - unsuccessfully sought to raise jail terms and penalties against same-sex relationships.

The new law was passed by an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly on 11 March, with 135 MPs voting in favour, none against and three abstaining.

Several other African countries have also introduced tough new laws against the LGBTQ+ community in recent years.

‎In September last year, Burkina Faso's transitional parliament approved a bill banning homosexual acts, following its neighbour Mali in 2024.

In 2023, Uganda voted in some of the world's harshest anti-homosexual legislation, meaning that people engaging in same-sex relationships can be sentenced to death in certain circumstances.

Ghana is also planning to re-introduce an anti-homosexual bill that activists say threatens basic human rights, safety and freedom.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

One ant for $220: The new frontier of wildlife trafficking

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4g44zv37qo, 4 days ago

The ants are flying in Kenya at the moment.

During this rainy season, swarms can be seen leaving the thousands of anthills in and around Gilgil, a quiet agricultural town in Kenya's Rift Valley that has emerged as the centre of a booming illegal trade.

The mating ritual sees winged males leave the nest to impregnate queens, who also take flight at this time. This makes it the perfect time to chase down queen ants to sell on to smugglers who are at the heart of a growing global black market, that taps into the pet craze for keeping ants in transparent enclosures designed to observe the insects as they busily build a colony.

It is the giant African harvester ant queens, which are large and coloured red, that are most prized by international ant collectors – one can fetch up to £170 ($220) on the black market, which tends to operate online.

A single fertilised queen is able to create a whole colony and can live for decades – and can be easily posted as scanners do not tend to detect organic material.

"At first, I did not even know it was illegal," a man, who asked not to be named, told the BBC about how he had once acted as a broker, linking foreign buyers with local collection networks.

Also known as Messor cephalotes, these ants are native to East Africa and known for their distinctive seed-gathering behaviour making them popular with ant collectors.

"A friend told me a foreigner was paying good money for queen ants - the big red ones which are easily seen around here," the former broker said.

"You look for the mounds near open fields, usually early morning before the heat. The foreigners never came to the fields themselves - they would wait in town, in a guest house or a car, and we would bring the ants to them packed in small tubes or syringes they supplied us with."

The scale of the illicit trade in Kenya became apparent last year when 5,000 giant harvester ant queens - mainly collected around Gilgil - were found alive at a guest house in Naivasha, a nearby lakeside town popular with tourists.

The suspects - from Belgium, Vietnam and Kenya - had packed the test tubes and syringes with moist cotton wool, which would enable each ant to survive for two months, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

The plan was to take them to Europe and Asia and put them up for sale.

This trade in ants has caught scientists and the authorities by surprise.

The East African nation is more accustomed to high-profile wildlife crimes involving elephant tusks and rhino horns.

UK-based retailer Ants R Us describes the giant African harvester ant as "many people's dream species" - though the queens are currently out of stock, with the site explaining that it is very hard for retailers to source them.

"Even I, as an entomologist, have been surprised at the extent of the apparent trade," Dino Martins, a biologist based in Kenya, where there are around 600 kinds of ants, told the BBC.

However, he can understand the fascination with East Africa's harvester, with colonies created by a "foundress queen", who can grow up to 25mm (0.98 inches) and who produces eggs throughout her life.

"They are one of the most enigmatic species of ants - they form large colonies, engage in interesting behaviours and are easy to keep. They are not aggressive."

During the swarming he says the queens mate with several males.

"Then that is it for the males - their job is done… most are eaten by predators or die," the entomologist says, going on to explain how the queen then scurries away to dig a small burrow and begin laying eggs to start her empire.

Her workers and soldier ants, those that protect the nest, are all female and will eventually number in the hundreds of thousands.

"Nests can live for over 50 years, perhaps even up to 70 years. I personally know of nests near Nairobi that are at least 40 years old as I've been visiting them for that long," said Martins.

This means the queens live that long too - because as soon as she dies, the colony collapses and any surviving workers will look for another nest.

Kenyans who have had to deal with ants raiding their crops or invading their houses know this well - and to get rid of a colony someone is sent in to locate the queen, often hidden deep in one of the tunnels or chambers of an ant mound.

The former broker said ants could also be harvested by gently disturbing the mound and collecting them as they tried to escape.

"It was only when I saw the arrests on the news that I realised what I had been part of - and I immediately quit," he said.

Those arrested were convicted on charges of biopiracy and ordered to pay fines or serve 12 months in jail - they opted to pay the $7,700 fee and the foreign nationals left the country.

Two weeks ago, a Chinese national - be the alleged mastermind behind last year's ring and who is said to have escaped using a different passport, was arrested at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with another 2,000 queen ants packed in test tubes and tissue rolls.

For Zhengyang Wang, who was part of a team of researchers who published a report on the ant trade in 2023 focusing on China, this is a worry and could "wreak havoc" with local ecosystems.

"Initially, we were very excited when we learnt that many people have taken up keeping ants," Wang, assistant professor at Sichuan University, told the BBC.

"A colony of pet ants are often kept in a formicarium, which is basically a transparent plastic box so that keepers can observe colonies at work, digging tunnels, collecting food, and guarding their queen. I'd say it's quite charming and… can be a good way of educating people about insects and their behaviour.

"But then we realised, wait, isn't keeping invasive species incredibly dangerous?"

Monitoring online sales - of more than 58,000 colonies - in China over six months, the researchers found that more than a quarter of the traded species were not native to China - despite it being illegal to import them.

"If the trade volume of invasive ants continues to grow, it's only a matter of time before a few escape from their formicaria and become established in the wild," said Wang.

The study he worked on, published in the journal Biological Conservation, explained what could happen in the case of giant African harvester, one of the most traded species in China: "For example, Messor cephalotes, an East African native, is among the largest seed harvesters in the world and could potentially disrupt predominantly grain-based agriculture in south-eastern China."

The environmental consequences are also a concern in Kenya.

"Harvester ants are both keystone species and ecosystem engineers. They harvest seeds of grasses, and other plants and in so doing also help to disperse the seeds," said Martins, adding that the insects "create a more healthy and dynamic grassland".

Mukonyi Watai, a senior scientist at Kenya's Wildlife Research and Training Institute, shares these fears.

"Unsustainable harvesting - particularly the removal of queen ants - can lead to colony collapse, disrupting ecosystems and threatening biodiversity," he told the BBC.

It is possible to collect ants legally in Kenya - in line with various international treaties - with a special permit, which would require the buyer to sign a benefit-sharing agreement with the local community involved to split any profits.

But, according to the KWS, so far none have been applied for - with the paperwork also requiring details of how many ants are being collected and their destination.

Some conservationists are now calling for greater trade protections for all ant species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), the global wildlife trade treaty.

"The reality is that no ant species is currently listed under Cites," Sérgio Henriques, a researcher into the global ant trade, told the BBC.

"Without international treaties monitoring these movements, the scale of the trade remains largely invisible to policy makers and the global community," he said.

But for the KWS the real problem is more immediate - how to monitor and clamp down on "under-reported" insect trafficking, with the agency suggesting better surveillance equipment at airports and others border points would be a good start.

Martins agrees: "It is likely only a fraction of the actual ants being traded that are being detected, so one can only guess at the scale for now."

Journalist Charles Onyango-Obbo argues that Kenya is overlooking a significant global revenue opportunity.

"The ants are not finite items like gold or diamonds. They are biological assets that can be bred and farmed, and their production can be scaled up to thousand a day. Yet we treat them like stolen artefacts," he recently wrote in Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper.

In fact, Kenya's cabinet did approve policy guidelines last year aimed at commercialising the wildlife economy, including the ant trade.

"The guidelines seek to promote sustainable use trade of wild species such as ants to generate jobs, wealth and community livelihoods across all the counties," said Watai.

With careful monitoring in place, it could be that future farmers around Gilgil will have special formicaria on their land expanding the yields from their fields and orchards - full of vegetables and fruits - to include lucrative queen ants.

But the debate over the dangers of exporting ants to hobby collectors in different parts of the world is yet to be settled.

Additional reporting by Osmond Chia in Singapore

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

'The gravest crime against humanity': What does the UN vote on slavery mean?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rxqng5pyno, 5 days ago

The United Nations General Assembly this week overwhelmingly backed a resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade "the gravest crime against humanity".

Welcoming the vote, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the wealth of many Western nations was "built on stolen lives and stolen labour".

Noting the "barbaric punishments that maintained control - from shackles and iron collars to flogging and sexual violence", he said it "was not simply forced labour".

"It was a machinery of mass exploitation and deliberate dehumanisation of men, women and children. The wounds run deep and often go unrecognised."

The resolution, backed by African and Caribbean countries, is not legally binding but analysts say it sends a powerful message.

"It is already a huge and significant step in political terms to have this debate at the UN, even when it has a more symbolic value," Almaz Teffera, a senior researcher on racism at Human Rights Watch, told the BBC.

She says it could increase the chance of progress on discussions about reparations, or some form of compensation.

The resolution was adopted by 123 votes to three, while 52 countries abstained, including the United Kingdom and EU member states.

The United States, Argentina and Israel voted against it.

Dr Erieka Bennett, who leads the Ghana-based Diaspora African Forum, told the BBC the vote had a personal meaning for the descendants of people who were enslaved, like her.

''It means that I'm acknowledged, it means that my ancestor finally rests. For me personally as an African American I'm overwhelmed - until you've been a part of what happened, it's very difficult to understand what this really means."

Countries affected by slavery have been asking for reparations for more than a century. But the debate has intensified in recent years, particularly after some nations and businesses which historically profited from African slave labour formally apologised and announced measures of atonement.

What is the case for reparations?

From the 15th to 19th Centuries, around 12-15 million African men, women and children were captured and trafficked to the Americas to work as slaves.

They were sent to colonies controlled by European countries, such as Spain, Portugal, France and the UK. Two million people are believed to have died aboard the infamous slave ships.

The effects of centuries of exploitation are still felt to this day.

In Brazil, the largest recipient of enslaved Africans - 4.9 million, mostly while it was a Portuguese colony - black people are twice as likely to live in poverty as whites, according to the country's official statistics body (IBGE).

Reparations are intended to work as a restitution – an apology and repayment to black people whose ancestors were forced into slavery. The motion, proposed by Ghana, urges UN member states to consider apologising for the slave trade and contributing to a reparations fund.

Dr Esther Xosei, a British scholar, activist and leading figure in the global reparations movement, welcomed the vote but doubts it will make much difference on its own.

"It is good victory [for the reparations movement], but let's remember this is only a declaration of intent," she told the BBC.

Xosei added that while it was "encouraging to see African nations taking centre stage in these discussions", she highlighted the importance of grassroots action.

"Hearts and minds will not be won at the UN."

"The real battle will be fought on the streets, where people are still misinformed about the history of slavery and its enduring effects on the lives of Africans and African descendants."

Is there a historical precedent for reparations?

Yes - the most famous reparations case involves Germany. Since 1952, the European nation has paid more than $80bn (£60bn) to Jewish victims of the Nazi regime, including payments to Israel.

But so far, no country has ever paid reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans or affected African, Caribbean and Latin American nations.

Most of the reparations paid by governments came in the form of compensation to slave owners in the 19th Century, rather than to those who had been enslaved.

That includes the UK - in the 1830s, following the abolition of slavery, the country paid owners the equivalent of more than $21bn (£16bn) in today's money.

Even nations that have formally apologised for their role in slavery, such as the Netherlands in 2022, have ruled out direct financial reparations to descendants of enslaved people. The Dutch government instead established a $230m fund for "social initiatives and projects to address the legacy of slavery".

"The most important thing to understand is that nobody is trying to change the past, but to address its consequences in the present," explained Dr Celeste Martinez, a researcher who specialises in Spanish colonialism in Africa.

"Slavery legacies still endure today in the shape of racism and inequality. Recognising the past is crucial if we want fairer and more democratic societies."

What are the arguments against reparations?

Opposition to reparations takes place on different levels.

One of the main arguments is that those alive today should not be held liable for the crimes of their ancestors.

Some also argue that the passage of time complicates matters in terms of identifying the descendants of the victims. Previous cases – such as payments to Holocaust victims – were resolved while many survivors, or their close relatives, were still alive.

There is also a legal debate. The US has historically refused to recognise a right to reparations because slavery was legal, and even regulated by several countries, between the 15th and 19th Centuries.

The UK, which was one of the major slaving nations before going on to lead the fight to abolish the trade, has also repeatedly ruled out paying reparations. In November 2024, the then Foreign Secretary David Lammy said during a visit to Nigeria that the concept of reparations for former colonies affected by slavery "is not about the transfer of cash".

But it's telling that even Barack Obama, America's first black president, did not publicly pursue, propose, or endorse any reparations policy during his two terms in office. In a 2016 interview with writer and activist Ta-Nehisi Coates just weeks before leaving office, Obama revealed his belief that the country's political system made reparations practically unworkable.

Critics have also voiced concern about the classification of African enslavement as "the gravest crime against humanity". Deputy US ambassador to the UN Dan Negrea said at the General Assembly that Washington strongly opposed what he called an attempt to create a hierarchy for violations.

"The assertion that some crimes against humanity are less severe than others objectively diminishes the suffering of countless victims and survivors of other atrocities throughout history," he argued.

What could the UN decision change?

The UN itself had already publicly supported reparatory justice. In a September 2025 statement, its High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, went further, saying that such justice must include "reparations in various forms".

However, the UN General Assembly, where all 193 member countries get one vote, had never voted or passed a resolution along these lines.

The general assembly cannot force countries to pay reparations, but it can give the cause political legitimacy and bolster the case of those arguing for reparations.

"Grassroots movements and pressure from international bodies like the UN are the reasons why many countries, some more timidly and some more decisively, have started discussing reparation policies," said Martinez, the researcher into Spanish colonialism.

How much money are we talking about?

One of the most discussed aspects of these repairs is who should pay the bill - and how much. The UN resolution does not specify an amount.

Calls have been made for companies, institutions and families who owned slaves to pay compensation. But in most proposals, responsibility stops at the government level. In 2013, Caricom – a bloc of 15 Caribbean nations – issued its 10-point Plan for Reparatory Justice.

The proposals went from cancelling foreign debts to investing in tackling illiteracy and public health. In 2023, the bloc presented a study saying the 15 Caribbean nations were owed at least $33 trillion (£25tr) from former colonial powers.

"The state is always guilty, because it created the environment in which individuals, institutions and businesses participated in slavery and colonialism," said Verene Shepherd, a professor at the University of the West Indies and vice-chair of the Caricom Reparations Commission.

In the same year, Patrick Robinson, a leading judge at the International Court of Justice came up with an even bigger figure - $107tr collectively owed by 31 countries, including nations like Brazil and the US, which benefitted from slave labour after becoming independent from Portugal and the UK.

These are astronomical figures that any country in the world would struggle to pay - the entire US federal budget for 2025 was $7.1tr.

Legal expert Luke Moffett, a lecturer at Queen's University Belfast, believes such massive payments are simply not enforceable.

"Legally, it is a huge mountain that cannot be climbed, but that doesn't mean that the parties involved shouldn't sit down and negotiate," he said.

"People, however, shouldn't expect trillions of dollars. It is also likely that these discussions could take decades to reach any kind of settlement.

And if any money is paid, it is far from clear who the beneficiaries should be.

What about apologies?

Caricom's campaign does not only focus on finances. One of the bloc's main complaints is that most countries which benefitted financially from slavery have not issued official apologies.

"The healing process for the victims and their descendants requires that European governments issue sincere formal apologies," said Shepherd from the University of the West Indies.

"Some have instead issued statements of regret. These statements [imply] that the victims and their descendants do not deserve apologies."

Sara Hamood, from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that such acknowledgment is a crucial part of any restorative justice process.

"The financial side is just part of it. We have repeatedly said that no country has fully reckoned with the legacy of slavery or comprehensively accounted for the impacts on the lives of people from African descent," she argued.

"Formal apologies, truth-telling and education are all part of a wide range of measures."

So why won't countries apologise? One of the simplest answers is that apologies can sometimes act as a declaration of legal responsibility for which there could be a financial cost.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who in 2007 said he was sorry for Britain's role in the slave traffic, suggested to the BBC in 2024 that it was wrong for states to apologise for historic wrongs.

"You can go back over history, and you end up in a completely absurd position," he said.

"The most important thing we can do for countries that have been marked by colonialism is to help them now."

Education as reparation

Campaigners also highlight the role that education could play in reparation efforts.

This ranges from investments in the educational infrastructure of countries historically affected by slavery to discussions about how the history of slavery is taught in countries who played a role in the transatlantic slave trade.

"People in countries like Britain are still misinformed about the role slavery played in the dehumanisation of my ancestors," Dr Xosei said.

Teffera from Human Rights Watch fears that the importance of education as part of reparations discussions gets diluted by the inevitable focus on compensation payments.

"Yes, it can be about money. And, you know, in many cases, it probably should be about money, because other forms of reparations cannot do justice to address the harm. But reparations are so much more," she said.

Teffera added that nations who took part in the slave trade were still reluctant to confront their history and that a proper reckoning is a crucial part of restorative justice.

"It is important to create a remembrance culture that doesn't just doesn't cherry-pick certain chapters of a country's history."

Additional reporting by Thomas Naadi in Ghana

Women secretly filmed, then ridiculed and abused online

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5141zyllno, 6 days ago

On Valentine's Day, Joy Kalekye says she received a call from a friend who sounded really worried. He told her to check social media because someone had posted a video of her.

The clip shows Kalekye, then a 19-year-old student, standing on her own by the side of a busy road in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, looking down at her phone. Whoever is filming walks towards her, and says: "Hi, I like how you look."

It was an encounter Kalekye had forgotten all about.

"I realised, oh, it's this Russian guy that I met last year," she told the BBC World Service. After watching the video, she understood that he had been recording her.

Kalekye features in one of several videos posted online, showing a man approaching women in Kenya and Ghana, who don't appear to know they are being filmed.

He touches their hair, holds their hands, asks for their number, and to meet up with him later.

The women are victims of a global trend where men with hidden cameras film interactions without their consent and publish the videos online, sometimes amassing millions of views.

Some of the creators of the videos earn money by posting them on social media platforms, or profit by selling guides which claim to help men approach women.

There has been outrage among activists and politicians in both Kenya and Ghana, calling for the man, who says in the videos he is from Russia, to be arrested.

But online, the women have also been blamed, ridiculed and abused.

"It's like being a celebrity, but not in such a good way," says Kalekye.

This public reaction, says Brenda Yambo, legal counsel at the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya), reinforces harmful gender stereotypes and shifts the blame to the victims.

Instead of focusing on the wrongdoing - the non-consensual recording and distribution of the clips - society scrutinises the woman's behaviour, she says.

"They will talk about her choices, her morality, her dress code," she says, explaining that this increases the harm caused to women and discourages victims from coming forward.

After the man approached her in March last year, Kalekye turned down his invitation to meet up.

But it was only this year that her video and others went viral. Kenyan and Ghanaian social media accounts re-uploaded clips, some including explicit captions in local languages in an apparent effort to drive traffic to their profiles.

Kelvin Karume, 22, who is currently unemployed and says he is trying to build an online presence as a content creator in Nairobi, says he found the videos on a Russian YouTube channel.

He recalls posting one of the videos to his own TikTok page one Sunday, just before going to church. Then he switched off his phone.

"For me it felt okay to post the videos because people were looking for them and I had downloaded them," Karume told the BBC World Service.

In two hours, he says it got about a million views and about 3,000 comments.

After Karume and others had shared the video of Kalekye, as she was walking outside her house, she says a man called out "enda umeze dawa". In Swahili, this implies she needs to take anti-retroviral medication, which is used to treat HIV.

"He said: 'Uta kufa wewe' [you're going to die]. It was so depressing. And then he was shouting, people are looking at me," she says.

Karume says he removed the video of Kalekye because she left a comment underneath it and also took down another woman's video after she asked him to. He told the BBC it was not OK "exposing them like that" with the videos going viral.

Despite this, two other videos of women filmed without their consent are still up on his channel.

Karume said he did not believe there was a need to delete them because no-one had complained and the videos did not get as much attention as the other two.

As more social media accounts reuploaded the videos, Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) issued a statement, warning that resharing the non-consensual videos constitutes secondary victimisation and could lead to criminal prosecution.

Ghanaian authorities named the man responsible for filming the videos as 36-year-old Vladislav Liulkov, released his passport photo and said they want to bring him back to Ghana to face charges under their cybersecurity laws, alleging he recorded private encounters without consent and monetised the content online. His whereabouts are unknown.

None of the videos we reviewed reveal the man's face so it's hard to tell if Liulkov is the one who approached Kalekye.

We geolocated three of the recordings of the women to the Sarit Centre and TRM Mall in Nairobi, and others to Nyali Mall in the coastal city of Mombasa.

In Ghana, some women were approached near the Accra Mall in the capital.

The voice in all these videos is very similar and while his face is not visible, his arm appears in shot and the man is wearing what appears to be a blue Casio watch.

In some clips, both hands are clearly free, suggesting he is not holding a camera.

A woman in Ghana, who asked to remain anonymous, told BBC Pidgin she was approached in January but says she rejected the offer to follow him.

She is not aware of any recording of this particular encounter online, but believes it was the same man in the viral videos.

"I feel bad seeing those images. It gives me flashbacks. That could have been me," she says.

We found profiles on a Russian dating site with photographs resembling Liulkov, including one where the man is wearing what looks like a blue watch very similar to the man who recorded the videos.

There is also a picture that was posted in April 2025, of him wearing what appears to be Meta's Ray Ban branded smart glasses and a hat traditionally found on the East African coast. He is standing outside a mosque in Mtwapa, a town outside Mombasa.

Russian media reported that the videos were posted by social media channels using a handle combining the words for male genitals and glory in Russian.

There is also a website under this pseudonym, which have all now been removed. On an archived version of the website, its owner sells a personalised guide to approaching women, priced at 250 rubles (about $3; £2.30).

Compilations of similar style videos have circulated with this account name as the watermark, including some that appear to be from other parts of the world.

In one, a man with a similar accent and a blue watch speaks to two women in Cuba.

Contacted by the BBC, Liulkov said he was not behind any social media handles or websites being referenced in the media and denied having approached women in Kenya, Ghana or Cuba using smart glasses, or posting intimate videos on paid or other public channels.

To the Russian-language media outlet based in Poland Vot Tak, he admitted having met women in Kenya and Ghana but denied having filmed them.

A significant portion of the online commentary focused on the behaviour of the Kenyan and Ghanaian women, mocking them and using misogynistic slurs and insisting they were not victims at all.

Kalekye says she is talking about her ordeal publicly to counter what has been said about her.

She says she considered locking herself away but thought: "I'm strong. I don't have to stay here because of just something someone said."

She believes the negative reaction was self-righteous because the recordings captured an everyday occurrence and says people should stop judging.

"They don't know how that small negative comment, that you can write down without caring, can affect someone's life."

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Rationing power and diluting petrol - how African countries are coping with effects of Iran war

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq8wkq1n9epo, 3 days ago

Countries across Africa have taken measures such as diluting petrol and restricting electricity consumption to cope with the fuel crisis triggered by the US and Israel's war in Iran.

South Sudan has started to ration electricity in its capital, Juba, while Mauritius has imposed restrictions to reduce wastage especially in high-power consumption areas.

As governments look for alternative sources of fuel - and people fear rising prices - suppliers in Ethiopia have been ordered to prioritise specific sectors, while Zimbabwe is increasing the ethanol content in its petrol.

However, some nations such as Nigeria and South Africa could potentially benefit from new business as a result of the conflict.

South Sudan has some of East Africa's largest oil reserves, but the majority is exported, while it imports the refined product needed for fuel. According to the International Energy Agency, South Sudan generates 96% of its electricity from oil.

The power rationing comes on top of the intermittent cuts that have been ongoing since May last year due to maintenance operations.

On Wednesday, Juba's main electricity distributor, Jedco, said parts of the city would start experiencing daily power cuts on a rotational basis.

"Due to the ongoing Iran-US conflict... Jedco must proactively manage its available energy reserves... we are prioritising a strategic rationing of power," it said.

Ereneo Mogga, an electrical engineer who lives in one of the worst affected parts of Juba, told the BBC that power often goes off at 16:00 and doesn't come back on until 04:00 the next day.

"This paralyses most businesses," he said, adding that some of those who can afford it are switching to solar power.

"It is very expensive though, but it costs less in terms of consumption."

The island nation of Mauritius is heavily dependent on oil imports for generating its electricity, with a shortage reportedly triggering an energy emergency.

According to the government, a shipment of oil that had been due to arrive over the weekend did not materialise, leaving the country with only 21 days of stock.

Energy Minister Patrick Assirvaden said on Monday that the government had obtained alternative fuel supplies from Singapore that were due to arrive on 1 April and more later in the month, but at a higher cost.

With governments scrambling to find alternative sources of fuel, Zimbabwe has said it will increase the amount of ethanol it uses in its petrol, from 5% to 20%.

It has also announced plans to scrap some taxes on fuel imports to reduce fuel prices, which have risen 40% in less than a month.

One street vendor in the capital, Harare said the prices of everything had shot up since the war in Iran began.

Nicole Mazarura, who sells soft drinks from a push cart, told the BBC she can't raise the price of the drinks so she has to bear the loss, while her transport costs had doubled, depending on the time of day and where she orders her products from.

"If transport costs go back to where they were, I can survive," she said.

In Ethiopia, authorities have ordered fuel supply companies to prioritise security institutions, major government projects, key industries and the manufacture of essential goods.

The Ethiopian Oil and Energy Authority's measures announced last week saw petrol stations prioritising public transport, as well as restrictions to conserve fuel.

Authorities in the Tigray region, where there are fears of a return to civil war, have announced a complete suspension of fuel supplies.

In Kenya, 20% of petrol stations are reportedly experiencing supply shortages.

An association representing petroleum outlets in the country has cited high demand for fuel because of panic buying, with stock levels running low.

Vivo Energy Kenya, which distributes Shell products and services in Kenya, said on Thursday that increased demand had resulted in "temporary stock-outs" at some of its service stations. It said it was monitoring the situation and was working to ensure there was fuel in the affected sites.

Kenya's energy ministry on Wednesday denied that there was a shortage of fuel, accusing retailers of hoarding the commodity in anticipation of higher prices.

The minister, Opiyo Wandayi, also urged Kenyans not to engage in panic buying.

The country's booming floriculture industry has also been hit by problems with shipping due to the war in Iran, as well as a decline in demand in the Middle East.

The Kenya Flower Council on Tuesday said there had been a loss of more that $4.2m (£3.15) over the last three weeks, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

One manager at a flower farm south of Nairobi, told AP they used to export 450,000 stems a day, but are now "discarding almost 50%".

Meanwhile, the Kenya Ports Authority has prioritised the export of perishable products such as tea, flowers and avocados for maritime routes, which have become longer due to diversions, according to the Daily Nation news site.

Neighbouring Uganda has assured citizens that the government is taking measures to ensure there is enough fuel, amid reports of shortages. The government has warned fuel distributors against increasing prices.

In South Africa, officials have said that the country has sufficient supplies but warn that a prolonged conflict could affect availability and prices in the coming months.

"South Africa's fuel supply remains stable in the immediate term, and there is no basis for panic buying," an official government statement said on Thursday.

There have been reports of fuel stations around the country rationing the amount of diesel that customers can buy, even though prices have already sharply increased.

South Africa's Competition Commission has warned the owners of fuel stations against excessively raising prices, saying they risked "being prosecuted".

However, some ports and marine services in southern and eastern Africa could benefit from tankers and containers avoiding the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, and sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.

"The new longer routes are going to put increasing pressure on many of the offshore port areas in southern Africa – Walvis Bay, Cape Town, Durban, Maputo, Dar es Salaam," says Senior Researcher, Institute for Security Studies, Timothy Walker.

"Ships will potentially be looking to stop there and resupply themselves, pick up new food supplies or new crew," he told the BBC.

And Africa's second largest oil producer, Nigeria could benefit from higher oil prices. It has offered to pump more oil to help meet global demand.

But even if the government and oil companies earn more revenue, "ordinary people may not feel the benefit immediately because if international petrol prices rise, transport costs increase everywhere," Dumebi Oluwole, a lead economist from Lagos who specialises in oil, told the BBC.

Additional reporting by Michael Teferi, Nichola Mandil and Marco Oriunto

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Inside the alleged Russian operation to trigger anti-government protests in Angola

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mklzkz41jo, 9 days ago

Two Russians have gone on trial in Angola accused of stirring up anti-government protests, conducting a campaign of disinformation, and attempting to interfere in next year's presidential election.

Arrested last August, political consultant Igor Ratchin and translator Lev Lakshtanov are facing 11 charges, including terrorism, espionage and influence peddling.

The BBC has obtained a copy of the indictment that includes charges relating to an alleged operation aimed at changing the political course of Angola.

The Russians' lawyers challenge the indictment on the grounds that it lacks "concrete and objective facts".

According to the prosecution, the Russians acted on behalf of Africa Politology, a shadowy network of operatives and intelligence officers in Africa that emerged from the now-defunct Wagner Group, whose founder Yevgeny Prigozhin died in 2023 in a plane crash.

Political operatives linked to Wagner have been active across Africa for more than a decade, in particular in the Central African Republic, Mali, and Madagascar.

The Russians' defence team says they are not connected to Africa Politology or the Wagner Group, were not acting on behalf of the Russian state, and were instead cooperating to create a cultural "Russian House" in Luanda.

Angola is a top African oil producer and diamond exporter. Its natural resources and strategic position make it a country of continued interest for Moscow. But while ties date back to the Cold War, Angola has been gradually drifting away from Russia's sphere of influence.

Russian diamond mining company Alrosa and bank VTB were forced to leave Angola due to international sanctions imposed because of the Ukraine war.

Angolan President João Lourenço has pivoted towards the West, and has not met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin since 2019.

The Russian operatives in Africa were breaking new ground by moving into Angola, it is claimed.

"This is indicative of Russian anxiety of the direction of travel of Angola under the Lourenço administration," says Alex Vines, Africa programme director at think-tank European Council on Foreign Relations.

"There's clearly an element of Russian disinformation to try and build up more sympathy towards the Russian Federation."

Alongside the Russians, two Angolans will also face trial for their alleged part in the Russian-linked influence operation.

The prosecution alleges the Russians hired sports journalist Amor Carlos Tomé and political activist Francisco Oliveira to conduct their activities in the country.

They are facing nine and five charges respectively, including terrorism, espionage, and influence peddling.

The legal team representing the Angolan defendants say there isn't sufficient evidence against them and that "the accusation is based on mere conjecture".

Prosecutors say the first team of Russian operatives arrived in Angola's capital, Luanda, in 2024 under the pretext of opening a Russian cultural centre, a project that never materialised.

Among the initial arrivals was Maxim Shugalei, a prominent Wagner-linked political operative sanctioned by the European Union (EU) for overseeing disinformation campaigns, whose activities in Africa were turned into a film trilogy, seemingly sponsored by Prigozhin.

He travelled to Angola with his long-term translator, Samer Suaifan. The BBC has contacted both men.

While Suaifan has acknowledged being acquainted with the defendants, Shugalei has denied knowing them.

According to the indictment, during 2024-2025 the defendants made multiple payments to local journalists and experts to disseminate propaganda and disinformation in local media with the goal of "provoking political change". The payments add up to over $24,000 (£17,900).

Angolan authorities see this work as part of a broader influence operation intended to undermine trust in Western partners and discredit President Lourenço's foreign policy.

One insider, who previously worked with Prigozhin on African projects, criticised these efforts as amateurish.

"This year [2025] they handed the whole African topic over to some complete idiots. It feels like they were just picked up at the Sadovod market [a street market in Moscow]. And right before New Year they really wanted publications in Angolan media. But I told them all to go to hell," a political strategist told the BBC, without revealing who the employers were.

The prosecution cites some publications as evidence of the disinformation campaign carried out by the two Russian men.

A January 2025 post on a Facebook page that imitated recognised local news site Angola 24 Horas, calling itself a satirical page, warned that Angola could be drawn into the Ukraine war.

In December 2024 a post on the same page criticised the Lobito Corridor, a Western-backed rail project, which moves minerals from central Africa to Angola's ports.

The post claimed foreign firms gain near-total access to Angola's minerals. The BBC contacted the satirical page Angola 24 Horas but did not receive a response.

The post about the Lobito Corridor appeared on news website Lil Pasta News a day later. Another article published by the website speculated whether the country had "signed a pact with the Devil" by joining the project.

Lil Pasta News told the BBC that the articles in question were not written by its team but received through an intermediary. The team said that it had no contact with the author and was not paid for the publication.

The lawyers representing the Russian defendants argue that there is no evidence to suggest that Ratchin commissioned any of the articles.

Angolan prosecutors portray the group as a small but effective network. Ratchin was allegedly at its centre.

He had previously worked on several regional election campaigns in Russia that, as he claimed himself in a video seen by the BBC, ended in victories for his candidates.

Lakshtanov has worked as a translator in Angola since the Soviet era. Prosecutors believe he played a supporting role in the operation, acting primarily as a translator.

The local connection was supposedly provided by Francisco "Buka Tanda" Oliveira, a youth leader for Angola's main opposition party, Unita, who speaks Russian after having studied chemical engineering in Russia between 2015 and 2019.

The prosecution claims he was tasked with introducing Angolan politicians to the defendants.

"He [Oliveira] doesn't know this organisation [Politology] and any activity related to this organisation. All he knows is that they wanted to create Russian culture house," says defence lawyer Pedro Cangombe.

Tomé, a sports journalist at Angolan state TV channel TPA, is accused of gathering information on the country's political landscape and potential presidential candidates, as well as helping to produce and publish content linked to the alleged influence operation.

The defence for Tomé argues that "none of the subjective or objective elements" of crimes are "minimally" demonstrated in the indictment.

The indictment names six more Russian members of the network who allegedly rotated in and out of Angola at various times in 2024 and 2025.

Angolan authorities also claim in the indictment that Lakshtanov and Ratchin met several senior political figures from both the ruling MPLA party and Unita, offering support and funding for campaign activities.

Most notably, the prosecution alleges they held a meeting with MPLA heavyweight General Higino Carneiro and Unita's leader Adalberto Costa Junior.

Both are regarded as potential presidential candidates for next year's election.

Prosecutors claim the Russians offered Carneiro up to $15m (£11m) in campaign support, alongside security assistance, strategic advice, and intelligence gathering.

There was no evidence about this alleged offer in the indictment we have seen.

"I don't know whether such a meeting took place," says Elizeu Nguiniti, the lawyer representing Ratchin and Lakshtanov.

Unita representative Jonas Mulato told the BBC that allegations linking the party's leader to foreign influence operation are false and it had become "increasingly evident" that judicial proceedings were being used for political purposes.

The BBC requested a comment from Carneiro but did not receive a response.

Agitators or scapegoats?

Last July, Angola saw the deadliest protests since the end of a civil war between Unita and the MPLA in 2002.

What started as a peaceful taxi drivers' strike in Luanda quickly grew into nationwide unrest that turned violent.

Protesters were met with what activists describe as "excessive" police force.

According to official figures, at least 29 people died and more than 1,200 were arrested.

The prosecution alleges the defendants orchestrated the protests, pointing to notes about the demonstrations found on their mobile phones and photos taken by Ratchin.

In legal papers seen by the BBC, Ratchin's lawyers say he took the images for safety reasons, so he would have evidence if he were attacked. The BBC hasn't seen the photos or the notes.

Many Angolan journalists and activists strongly contest the idea that the protests weren't organic, and say Angolan authorities might be using the Russians as scapegoats.

The World Bank estimates that almost 40% of Angolans could be living below the international poverty line of $3 per day.

"People were protesting because of their living conditions, not because someone from another country told them to," says Sheila Nhancale, Angola researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The indictment itself has been criticised. It contains misspellings and apparent factual errors.

For example, prosecutors say the Russian operation began on 9 October 2024 with the arrival of Maxim Shugalei and others, but Shugalei was arrested in Chad on 19 September 2024 and returned to Moscow in 16 November 2024.

The BBC has requested clarification from the Angolan prosecution about this and other inconsistencies, but received no response.

Rui Verde, a legal expert and a research associate at the UK-based University of Oxford's African Studies Centre, says the key challenge for the prosecution will be to show that the acts listed in the indictment form a deliberate pattern, a kind of intentional roadmap to subversion.

According to several sources, the Russians could be sent back to their homeland if convicted.

But Russian authorities do not seem in a hurry to offer help.

A source close to the Russian diplomatic community told the BBC that "the logic is simple: these people were not carrying out official state tasks, they were just contractors. Russia's position in the country is already weak, so there's no point making things worse".

"Let these remnants of Prigozhin's operation sort it out themselves," the source said.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Caf general secretary steps down amid Afcon final fallout

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2w8d1q70vo, 4 days ago

The general secretary of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) says he has decided to "step down", an announcement that comes amid a chaotic time for football on the continent.

Veron Mosengo-Omba said in a statement he was retiring, but his departure coincides with the fallout over decisions to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title and postpone the women's tournament at the last minute.

These incidents have left Caf, the governing body for African football, battling a crisis of confidence.

Mosengo-Omba alluded to controversies faced during his tenure in his statement on Sunday.

"I have decided to step down from my position as Secretary General of CAF to devote myself to more personal projects," wrote Mosengo-Omba, deputy to Caf president Patrice Motsepe.

"Now that I have been able to dispel the suspicions that some people have gone to great lengths to cast on me, I can retire with peace of mind and without constraint, leaving the CAF more prosperous than ever."

The 66-year-old has been criticised for staying on as general secretary past the organisation's mandatory retirement age of 63.

He has also been accused by some employees of creating a toxic atmosphere in the workplace, although an investigation after staff complaints cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Mosengo-Omba, who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo but also holds Swiss nationality, was appointed general secretary in March 2021.

According to news agency Reuters, Caf's competitions director, Samson Adamu, will take over as acting general secretary.

The governing body is awaiting a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) on Senegal's appeal against being stripped of the Afcon title.

Senegal is challenging Caf's appeals body for overturning their 1-0 win over hosts Morocco in January's Afcon final.

During the game, Senegal's players left the field in protest when, with the score at 0-0, hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.

When they returned after a delay of about 17 minutes, Morocco subsequently failed to score the spot-kick and Senegal netted an extra-time winner.

Following an appeal by the Moroccan FA (FRMF), Caf later ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match and Morocco were awarded a 3-0 victory.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

More than 70 miners killed in South Sudan as government and opposition trade blame

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y8gl5dre9o, yesterday

At least 74 mine workers have been killed by gunmen in an area south-west of the capital, Juba, with government and opposition officials trading accusations over who was behind the deaths.

The violence occurred over the weekend in mineral-rich Jebel Iraq, which is controlled by the army.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), the party of suspended First-Vice President Riek Machar, condemned the killings, accusing government forces of being responsible.

Paulino Lukudu Obede, acting governor of Central Equatoria state, which includes Jebel Iraq, said the government was "shocked and outraged" by the "brutal and barbaric killing of innocent civilians by rebel forces".

Obede did not say which group had carried out the attacks.

He said the government was taking concrete measures to bring the perpetrators to justice and prevent any future violence.

Speaking on the national broadcaster later on Monday night, Deputy Information Minister David Yau Yau accused the SPLM-IO of being behind the killings.

There are several rebel groups fighting South Sudan's government in various places, including the National Salvation Front that is active in Central Equatoria. Neither the group nor the SPLM-IO have claimed responsibility for the attack.

The SPLM-IO were the first to issue a statement condemning the killings, describing them as "regrettable, barbaric and unacceptable".

Machar's spokesperson Puok Both Baluang alleged that national army forces were responsible for the killings, saying Jebel Iraq was an area under their exclusive control. The national army has not commented on these allegations.

Baluang called on UN bodies to launch a thorough investigation into the "Jebel Iraq massacre" and "other war crimes" committed in other parts of the country.

Machar has been under house arrest in Juba since March last year, and faces trial for crimes including murder, treason and crimes against humanity, which he denies.

Vice-President James Wani Igga condemned the attack, calling it a "heinous massacre" and describing the victims as the "backbone of our local economy".

He said the government would not allow unknown gunmen to continue terrorising civilians without consequence.

He called for a formal inquiry to determine the "identity and motives" of the assailants.

South Sudan is rich in key minerals including gold and the government has awarded several contracts to various mining companies.

Illegal mining is also widespread in parts of the country, including in the Equatoria region, where artisanal miners often operate without government approval.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

48-hour curfew imposed after attack on bar in Nigerian city

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg4q9n573do, yesterday

A 48-hour curfew has been imposed in parts of the central Nigerian city of Jos, after gunmen opened fire at an open-air bar, leading to deadly revenge attacks, local reports say.

The police have confirmed that 26 people were killed. It is not clear how many died in the initial attack and how many during the retaliation.

Announcing the curfew, Plateau state governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang said an investigation had been opened and those responsible for the killings would be brought to justice.

The state has long been considered one of the most volatile parts of Nigeria.

Paul Mancha, chairperson of the youth council in Plateau state, suggested that the true number of casualties could be even higher.

"People were here in the evening and unfortunately, wicked terrorists came and attacked our people,'' he told Reuters news agency. "We have counted scores of people who are now dead and then so many others are also in the hospital receiving treatment."

In a statement announcing the curfew, the Plateau state governor condemned the killings as "barbaric and unprovoked," and said security agencies had been directed to pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.

Local residents said threats had been posted on social media before the attack.

The curfew, which began at midnight local time, is due to remain in force until 1 April. Residents have been ordered to stay indoors as security personnel intensify patrols and maintain a visible presence across the affected areas.

Security forces were deployed swiftly after the shooting, with troops and other personnel moving to secure the area and restore calm.

Nigeria's main Christian body has described the attack as "horrific". In a statement, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said the attackers moved into the area in large numbers, wearing uniforms resembling those of Nigeria's security forces, before opening fire on civilians.

"Innocent Nigerians… men, women and children were hunted and killed in cold blood," the statement said, adding that the killings were "not just tragic, they are unacceptable".

The president of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the incident highlighted deepening insecurity in parts of the country, even on days regarded as sacred by religious communities.

"A nation cannot keep bleeding like this and expect to move forward. We owe the dead justice. We owe the living protection," he said.

Plateau state lies in central Nigeria, where there is often violence between different communities, especially mainly Muslim herders and largely Christian farmers over access to land and water points.

Nigeria faces multiple security challenges across different regions - from an Islamist insurgency in the north-east to banditry and kidnappings in the north-west and central areas.

Security watchers say these overlapping pressures have stretched security resources and complicated response efforts.

Sunday's attack highlights the persistent fragility of local security arrangements and the ease with which violence can disrupt daily life.

While authorities insist the situation is under control, the imposition of a curfew underscores the seriousness of the threat and the urgency of preventing further escalation.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

'My six-year-old has nosebleeds': Chiang Mai air pollution sparks health fears

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0le03ne05ro, yesterday

Tirayut Wongsantisuk and his wife moved to Chiang Mai in the 2010s, drawn by the hilly region's cool air and lush greenery.

But worsening air quality in the Thai city, especially during this time of the year, have prompted them to consider relocating for the sake of their children.

Two of their daughters have experienced frequent nosebleeds. "I've been thinking, maybe we really should move during this time... because if something bad happens to our child, we'll feel terrible forever," Tirayut , 41, told the BBC.

Smoke from raging fires have choked parts of northern Thailand this past week, with Chiang Mai ranking among the world's most polluted cities, according to monitoring group IQAir.

A thick blanket of haze hovered over the horizon when BBC Thai visited Tirayut and other families in Chiang Mai, covering what once were mountainous views. There was a persistent burning smell in the air.

Satellite data showed a record number of 4,750 hotspots across Thailand on Tuesday, mostly in forested areas.

As of Wednesday morning, Chiang Mai's PM2.5 level, which refers to the concentration of tiny, hazardous particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres, was classified as "very unhealthy".

The months of November to March mark peak fire season in the region as farmers burn off fields before new seeds are sown. In addition to these are wildfires that break out naturally because of dry conditions in forests and farmlands.

Photographs on local media show mountains engulfed by flames, with some residents likening the blazes to "volcanoes erupting", according to local news outlet Khaosod.

Earlier this week, authorities ordered the closure of parks with high fire risk and warned that anyone found entering those areas to start fires would be arrested immediately.

In Thailand, those convicted of illegal forest burning face up to 20 years in prison and a 2m baht ($61,100; £46,200) fine.

Exposure to haze can cause various health issues, from itchy eyes and nose bleeds to heart attacks.

Tirayut says his oldest daughter, six, "had nosebleeds, a rash, and an allergic reaction in her eyes, to the point where her eyelids were swollen".

Benjamas Jaiparkan has sent her children to the neighbouring Phayao province, where the air quality is better, to temporarily live with relatives. But the 35-year-old is thinking of leaving Chiang Mai permanently.

Benjamas, a public school teacher, is especially worried about her four-year-old son, who started getting nosebleeds last year.

"I feel so sorry for him because I don't know how much more his lungs can take," she said.

Over the years, activists and residents in Thailand have filed lawsuits to demand government action against pollution.

In July 2023, about 1,700 people in Chiang Mai brought a case against former Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and two state agencies for failing to exercise their authority to reduce pollution in the north, which they say was shortening each of their lives by about five years.

In January 2024, a Chiang Mai court ordered the government to come up with an emergency plan to improve air quality within 90 days.

Hazardous haze has also been choking people elsewhere in South East Asia, with the most number of hotspots flaring up across Malaysia and Indonesia in seven years.

Stanford University wins battle to keep diaries of Mao Zedong's secretary

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxry0nyq5xo, yesterday

A court in California has ruled that Stanford University can keep the diaries of a former secretary to Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China.

Li Rui, a top official known for his criticism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in his later years, had meticulously kept diaries which are now deemed valuable historical records.

Li's daughter began donating his diaries to Stanford when he was still alive, saying this was per her father's wishes. But following his death, his widow sued for the documents to be returned to Beijing.

Stanford framed the case as a fight against Chinese government censorship, arguing it was the rightful owner of the diaries and that they would be banned if returned.

On Tuesday, the court ruled the donation made to the Hoover Institution at Stanford was "lawful and in accordance with Li's wishes".

It found that Li Rui had believed that "the CCP was likely to secrete, censor, redact or destroy" his papers, and he had given them to his daughter "for the purpose of removing them from China and donating them" to Hoover so that they could be made available to the public.

The court decision "ensures one of the most valuable firsthand accounts on the history of modern China will be freely available for study", said Condoleezza Rice, the former US Secretary of State who is the Hoover Institution's current director.

The papers include diaries which Li kept from 1938 to 2019 covering much of the CCP's rule, as well as correspondence, minutes from meetings, notes about his work, poetry and photographs.

Most famously, the diaries include his eyewitness account of the Tiananmen Massacre, which he saw from a balcony overlooking the square and labelled as "Black Weekend" in English in his records. It is a highly sensitive issue that is rarely discussed in China.

His account describes soldiers shooting at the demonstrators gathered at the square, armoured vehicles crushing barricades put up by the protesters, and soldiers shooting at buildings around the square including the one he was in.

A prominent CCP figure known for his reformist views, Li was both venerated as a party elder and also shunned for his unsparing, sharp-tongued criticism of leaders, including President Xi Jinping. His writings were censored and his books banned in China.

His daughter, Li Nanyang, began donating his papers to Stanford in 2014 when he was still alive.

In a 2019 interview with BBC Chinese after his death, she said this fulfilled her father's wishes.

That year Li Rui's second wife, Zhang Yuzhen, filed a lawsuit against Li Nanyang - her stepdaughter - in China.

Zhang argued that Li Rui wanted her to decide which of his documents would be made public and they were wrongfully given to Stanford.

She also said that since the publicly accessible diaries contained "deeply personal and private affairs" of her life with Li, their display caused her "personal embarrassment and emotional distress".

A Beijing court ruled in her favour and ordered the diaries to be handed over to her.

The trial that began in California in 2024 was for a separate lawsuit launched by Stanford against Zhang in the US, where the university asked to be declared as the lawful owner of Li Rui's papers.

The California court ruled that the Beijing court order could not be enforced in the US.

It also said that the Chinese lawsuit was not actually initiated by Zhang and it was launched against her will, noting that Zhang had released a statement saying she personally did not wish to sue Li Nanyang.

The court concluded that the Chinese lawsuit was likely paid for by the CCP. Zhang later died during the trial proceedings.

On Tuesday, Stanford's lawyers said that Li Rui was "very clear in his diaries and conversations that he intended for his historic documents to be preserved and maintained" by the Hoover Institution.

"We are very pleased with the court's decision, that Mr Li's wishes will be honoured and that these important materials will remain with Hoover and Stanford and accessible to all who are interested."

The BBC has contacted the US lawyers who were acting for Zhang for comment.

China is trying to play peacemaker in the Iran war - will it work?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cze0kz7gr84o, yesterday

As the war in the Middle East enters its second month, choking the world's energy supply and sending oil prices soaring, China is trying to step in as a peacemaker.

It comes as President Donald Trump says US military action in Iran could end in "two to three weeks", but there is no clear sense yet of how that will happen or what comes after.

China joins Pakistan, which has emerged as an unlikely mediator in the US-Israel war against Iran. Officials in Beijing and Islamabad have presented a five-point plan with the aim of bringing about a ceasefire and re-opening the vital Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan, which has been a US ally in the past, seems to have won over Trump to mediate this conflict.

Beijing, however, is entering the fray as a rival to Washington, ahead of crucial trade talks between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Trump next month.

China's backing on this is "very important," says Zhu Yongbiao, a Middle East expert and director of the Centre for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University.

"Morally, politically and diplomatically, China is providing comprehensive support with the hope that Pakistan can play a more distinctive role."

It is also a turnaround for Beijing, whose official response to the war has so far been quite muted. So why is China stepping in now?

The peace plan was drafted after Pakistan's foreign minister flew to Beijing to ask for Chinese support for the country's efforts to negotiate an end to this conflict.

His efforts appear to have worked. China's Foreign Ministry said the two were making "new efforts towards advocating for peace." The joint statement agreed that dialogue and diplomacy were "the only viable option to resolve conflicts", and it called for waterways, including the blockaded strait, to be protected.

It's not just about oil, although that will be a concern. China, the biggest importer of crude oil in the world, has enough stockpiled to get it through the next few months.

Beijing will likely have decided to play the role of peacemaker because the war in Iran jeopardises something Xi covets: stability. China needs a stable global economy as it is heavily reliant on selling goods around the world as it tries to revive an ailing domestic economy.

"If the rest of the world begins to slow down economically because of an energy shock, that's going to be tough for China's factories and exporters," says Matt Pottinger, Chairman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracy's China Program.

"That's why I think when I see China's foreign minister just this week advising Iran that we need to find a way to end this war, I think there's some sincerity there. I think that Beijing is a little bit worried about where this could lead if it turns into a real energy shock that is protracted."

There are already fears that China's industrial heartland, which serves as the factory of the world, will be impacted in the long term if this crisis continues.

Paying a higher price for oil affects the whole supply chain, from the plastics needed to make toys and games, to the raw materials for modern synthetic fabrics, to the hundreds of components that go into phones, electric cars and semiconductors.

The US trade war with China during Trump's first term led many business owners across the country to look for new markets around the world.

As a result, China's exports to the Middle East grew nearly twice as fast as its exports to the rest of the world last year. The region has become the fastest growing market for electric cars, and China is also the largest investor in desalination in the Middle East, where potable water is scarce.

The Power Construction Corporation of China has projects in Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Oman and Iraq.

As a result of its economic ties, China has cultivated relationships across the region with both US allies, such as Saudi Arabia, and foes, such as Iran.

Tehran and Beijing have a partnership dating back decades. China is Iran's leading trade partner and it buys around 80% of Iranian oil.

The Chinese government has played the role of peacemaker in the Middle East before, with limited success.

In 2023 it brokered a deal between bitter rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have long stood on opposing sides in proxy wars in the Middle East. They severed ties in 2016 when Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shia Muslim scholar, triggering protests in Iran with crowds attacking its embassy in Tehran.

After China took up the mantel as mediator, the two sides agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations. This was in China's interest. Beijing will have hoped that better diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran would reduce the likelihood for regional tensions.

A year later, Beijing played host to the leaders of 14 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas. The talks resulted in a national unity government for the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

The declaration was more an expression of intent rather than a comprehensive agreement, but once again, it highlighted the role China can play in the region, and its interest in stability in the Middle East.

China's partnerships across the world come with no security guarantees or military backing.

For Beijing, its economy comes first - and it is this economic interdependence with countries across the region which gives it leverage and helps it project some influence.

"China is cautious about being drawn into broader conflicts," says Zhu. "Its priority, both domestically and in foreign policy, is economic development. There is a broad consensus that China shouldn't recklessly get involved in a war."

But this approach has its limits. China doesn't have the military capabilities in the region to step in even if it wished to do so.

The US has bases in each of the Gulf states. China's closest base is in Djibouti in East Africa and was only established in 2017. It is a logistics hub for anti-piracy operations rather than a base for projecting power.

During the Israel-Iran war in 2025, China stayed on the sidelines and offered minimal support revealing the limitations of its role as a partner.

As for this latest peace plan, both the US and Iran have yet to respond, but pushing forward this initiative allows Xi to play the role of neutral broker and peacemaker - and once again stand in contrast to the leader of the other major superpower, the US.

Beijing's credibility to portray itself as a pragmatic international player comes with plenty of caveats. Its alignment with Russia has consistently sparked questions about its neutrality. Its increasing control of Hong Kong and its repeated threats to take self-governed Taiwan by force if required are still huge concerns.

And China's authoritarian leaders avoid any discussion about human rights, and never condemn regimes for rights abuses or misuse of power. All of this makes it President Xi an unlikely spokesperson for a global rules-based order.

But China is a powerful global player driven by strategic interests. It has shown it has some influence in the Middle East, and it certainly has ambitions to gain more leverage in the future.

Iran war economic shocks will last 'months', says Australia's PM

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg4nre8nl9o, yesterday

Australia's Prime Minister has warned the economic shock from the war involving Iran will "be with us for months", as he delivered a rare televised address to the nation.

Speaking on Wednesday, Anthony Albanese said the conflict had driven the biggest spike in petrol and diesel prices in history, and households were already feeling the strain.

"Australia is not an active participant in this war. But all Australians are paying higher prices because of it," he added.

Addresses of this kind have been used at moments of international importance, last seen in the country during the Covid pandemic and before that the 2008 financial crisis.

Australia is among a host of nations that have seen fuel prices increase sharply since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The near-total blockade of international shipping in the vital waterway - through which around 20% of the world's oil and natural gas flows - has led governments around the world to begin implementing measures to conserve fuel.

Albanese has previously sought to reassure motorists following reports of panic-buying and petrol stations running dry.

During the address, he acknowledged that the "months ahead may not be easy", and said that no government could fully shield Australians from the global pressures.

The Australian government has announced a series of temporary measures aimed at easing immediate cost pressures, including halving fuel excise - a sales tax - and scrapping road user charges for heavy vehicles for three months.

Officials are also seeking to shore up domestic supply and increase fuel imports through regional partners as part of a newly agreed National Fuel Security Plan.

Alongside government action, Albanese urged Australians to limit unnecessary usage of fuel, including switching to public transport where possible to preserve supplies for essential industries.

"You should go about your business and your life, as normal", he said.

"Enjoy your Easter. If you're hitting the road, don't take more fuel than you need - just fill up like you normally would. Think of others in your community, in the bush and in critical industries.

"And over coming weeks, if you can switch to catching the train or bus or tram to work, do so".

The address ended on a note of unity and said the country will "deal with these global challenges, the Australian way".

"Working together - and looking after each other. As we always have".

Divorced couples in Japan can now share custody of their children

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77m16n6dm0o, yesterday

Divorced couples in Japan are now allowed to share custody of their children, after a landmark revision to Japan's Civil Code took effect on Wednesday.

Before the amendment was approved by parliament in 2024, Japan was the only G7 country that did not recognise the legal concept of joint custody.

Custody was typically granted to one parent - in most cases the mother - who had power to cut off the other parent's access to their children.

Domestic and international criticism has been mounting against the sole custody system in Japan, which critics say led many divorcees to become estranged from their children after losing custody of them.

Previously, divorcing couples in Japan were free to decide custody and visitation arrangements. But if they went to court over it, custody would only be awarded to one parent.

Under the new law, a family court can decide whether to grant sole or joint custody to divorcing couples.

Parents who divorced under the old system are also now eligible to have their custody arrangement reviewed by the family court.

The Civil Code revision also mandates child support payments after divorce, allowing the parent living with the child to claim 20,000 yen (£95; $125) from their ex-spouse every month.

Some are hopeful that the changes will help prevent cases of parental abduction, which have come into the spotlight in recent years - especially after allegations made by foreigners with Japanese ex-spouses.

In 2023, Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara was accused by her Taiwanese ex-husband of abducting their son. He said she had cut off contact with him and refused to bring their son back to Taiwan. The pair later came to a settlement.

During the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, a French father who was based in Japan staged a hunger strike, calling attention to what he said was the kidnapping of his children by his ex-wife.

While some see the joint custody bill as a way to solve such controversies, not everyone is supportive of the revision. Some previously told BBC that they feared joint custody would force women to maintain ties with husbands even in cases of domestic violence.

Under the new law, the court will grant sole custody to divorcing couples if it finds instances of domestic violence or abuse.

'A succulent Chinese meal' - iconic Australian quote immortalised in national film archive

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3exvk1207ko, 2 days ago

A famously theatrical monologue, given by a man as police arrested him at a Chinese restaurant in Australia, has officially been preserved by the country's National Film and Sound Archive.

The 1991 clip of Jack Karlson's arrest in Brisbane became an internet sensation when it was rediscovered in 2009.

"What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal" Karlson – born Cecil George Edwards – dramatically shouted, while resisting the officers.

"Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest" and "get your hand off my penis" were among his other, now immortalised, phrases that have been officially recognised by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) for their cultural significance.

The moment, now known as Democracy Manifest, became one of the most viral videos in Australia's history, and inspired thousands of memes, musical remixes, merchandise and even an orchestral piece.

Describing his protest as "dramatic, indignant and unexpectedly articulate", NFSA said that "Karlson's words became shorthand for irreverent Australian humour".

"The recording demonstrates how voice and performance can transform an everyday news event into a lasting piece of cultural folklore," it wrote.

Jack Karlson died from prostate cancer in 2024, aged 82.

Months earlier, he had reunited with one of the policemen in the video, Stoll Watt, to announce an upcoming documentary into his obscure and eccentric life.

Although he was a convicted criminal and had reportedly broken out of jail three times, Karlson had always maintained that the 1991 incident was a case of mistaken identity.

There are two main schools of thought on this, the NFSA says - one that he had been confused for a Hungarian chess player known for dine-and-dash attempts in Australia at the time.

"They thought I was some international gangster," he said during one interview.

The other theory is that credit card company American Express had reported him to the police for using stolen credit cards, the national archive writes.

NFSA releases its Sounds of Australia "capsule" every year, to recognise recordings that have had lasting impacts and shaped cultural moments.

Its 2026 capsule also includes Missy Higgins' 2004 hit Scar, celebrated for a chorus that "defined a generation of Australian pop"; and the beeping of the country's pedestrian crossings, which had "reshaped how Australians move through cities and suburbs".

You can see the full list here.

Fugitive Dezi Freeman shot dead by Australian police after seven months in hiding

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93e4gxn22wo, 3 days ago

Australian police have shot and killed Dezi Freeman after the double-murderer spent seven months on the run.

A well-known conspiracy theorist, Freeman, 56, gunned down two police officers on his property in the small Victorian town of Porepunkah last August, before fleeing into dense bushland and evading extensive searches.

Victoria Police say a man was shot dead after an hours-long stand-off at a rural property in the state's north-east on Monday morning. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the man was believed to be Freeman, but formal identification was still under way.

"Today, an evil man is dead," said Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan. "It's over."

Police said they had surrounded a building - described as a cross between a shipping container and a long caravan - on a rural property around 05:30 local time (18:30 GMT on Sunday).

After three hours and multiple police pleas, a man believed to be Freeman came outside and was shot dead.

Details are still being confirmed, Bush told reporters, but he believed Freeman emerged wrapped in a blanket and armed with a gun, possibly taken from one of the slain officers back in August.

"Our ultimate goal was to arrest the person," Bush said. "There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully but he did not."

No officers were hurt during the operation, police said, which will be investigated, as is standard in police shootings.

The squad sent to Freeman's property on 26 August was there to search it over an investigation into sex offences, when two senior constables - Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart - were killed by Freeman.

Their families were the first to be told about Freeman's death, Bush said, adding that it would take 24 to 48 hours to confirm the identity of the body.

"Should [his identity] be confirmed... this brings closure to what was a tragic and terrible event."

Investigators believe Freeman was helped while he was on the run and detectives will now focus on working out who may have aided him, Bush added.

"It would be very difficult for him to get to where he was... without assistance," Bush said. "If anyone was complicit, they will be held accountable."

The Police Association of Victoria said in a statement on Monday that Freeman's death was a "step forward" - but not quite "closure".

"It doesn't lessen the trauma, give back the futures that were callously stolen or lessen the collective fear and grief that this tragic event has instilled in police and the wider public."

Freeman, whose real name was Desmond Filby, was a self-described "sovereign citizen", part of an anti-government movement that rejects authority and laws.

Locals in Porepunkah - an alpine tourist town beneath Mount Buffalo - said he had lived on his property with his wife and two children.

After the double murder, police shut down the area, offered a A$1m (£525,000; $709,000) reward, and spent months scouring steep and rocky terrain riddled with caves and mineshafts for Freeman - who had extensive bush survival skills.

Last month, police renewed their search and brought in cadaver dogs, saying they "strongly" believed Freeman was dead.

Bush said on Monday that there was "a lot to suggest that Freeman had taken his own life", but officers had kept an open mind. He would not reveal what led police to his location.

A history of conflict with authority

Freeman was no stranger to run-ins with the authorities, his sovereign citizen beliefs well documented in online posts, videos and court documents.

Locals in the town of Porepunkah have told media Freeman's extremist views hardened during the Covid-19 pandemic, amid government rules that were particularly strict in his state of Victoria.

He called police "terrorist thugs", tried to arrest a magistrate during court proceedings and made headlines in 2021 with an attempt to have then-Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews tried for treason - a case which was thrown out.

Police had expected that their search last August would not be a straightforward interaction. After a risk assessment, they opted not to request specialist police support though, instead sending 10 officers to Freeman's property.

Among them was Neal Thompson, a local detective from a nearby town who was on the brink of retirement. He was selected for the job because he had previously dealt with Freeman and was thought to have built a rapport with him, The Age newspaper reported at the time.

Within minutes of arriving at the property, he was shot dead, alongside Vadim De Waart.

Thompson's partner - also a police officer - said the AFL fan and adventure lover was the "best husband she'd never had".

Family and friends remembered De Waart, originally from Belgium, as the kind of person who was always happy, who was always smiling and trying to make others laugh.

Their deaths revived questions about how Australia deals with growing sects of anti-government conspiracy theorists - who federal police have described as a group with an "underlying capacity to inspire violence".

A trio with similar anti-authority and pseudo-law beliefs ambushed and killed two officers - also gunning down a bystander - at a rural property in Queensland in 2022.

Helen Haines, the local MP for Porepunkah, said a dark cloud had hung over the town since last August and Freeman's death "draws this prolonged and devastating incident to a close".

A close friend of Thompson also welcomed the news of Freeman's death.

"It's a good day," John Bird told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, adding that it ultimately "doesn't change much" but brought some closure.

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Oil rises and Asia shares slide as Iran war enters fifth week

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz905eyjznno, 3 days ago

Global oil prices jumped and stocks fell sharply on Monday in Asia after the US-Israel war with Iran entered its fifth week.

The price of Brent crude rose overnight by more than 3% to above $115 (£86.77) a barrel. It later eased slightly to around $113 but is still on track for its biggest monthly gain on record.

Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 2.8%, and the Kospi in South Korea closed almost 3% lower.

It comes after Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen joined the conflict by striking Israel over the weekend and Iran threatened to expand retaliatory strikes against universities and the homes of US and Israeli officials.

US President Donald Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday that he could "take the oil in Iran" and possibly seize its major fuel hub of Kharg Island.

When asked about Iranian defence on the island he said: "I don't think they have any defence. We could take it very easily."

Trump compared the potential move to Venezuela where the US plans to control the oil industry "indefinitely" after the seizure in January of then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Also over the weekend, Iran's parliament speaker warned that his country's forces were "waiting for American soldiers" as a further 3,500 US troops arrived in the Middle East.

Global energy markets have been hugely volatile after Tehran retaliated to US and Israeli strikes by threatening to attack ships that try to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

Lars Jensen, a shipping expert and former director at Maersk, warned that, even if the Strait of Hormuz "magically were to open tomorrow", there were still further price rises to come.

"We need to keep in mind that a lot of the oil that was loaded in the Persian gulf prior to this crisis is only now arriving in refineries," he told the BBC.

Overall, Jensen said the impact of the US-Israeli war on Iran could be "substantially larger" than the oil crisis of the 1970s, which sparked economic chaos.

And Jensen, who now runs the shipping consultancy Vespucci Maritime, also warned of the impact of the conflict on food prices.

He added: "You've got 20 to 30% of the seaborne fertiliser in the world originating from the Gulf.

"This will mean rapidly escalating food prices, especially in poorer countries."

Judith McKenzie, a partner at investment firm Downing, said the full impact of the war is yet to make its way through the fuel supply chain to hit consumers.

"Oil shocks don't show up instantly," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"If we can get some resolution in the Gulf this week then, although it's going to take a little bit of time to unwind and we will see inflation, it is fixable."

Around a fifth of the world's oil and gas supply usually passes through the narrow waterway but this has largely come to a standstill, pushing up prices.

Energy markets expert Sean Foley from Macquarie University said he expected oil prices to rise further unless the conflict eases.

The Houthi strikes have raised concerns that the armed group could stop energy shipments passing through Bab al-Mandeb strait near Yemen, Foley said.

A blockade of the waterway could hit a further 10% of world's oil supply, "putting significant strain on global supply chains", Foley said.

Andrew Lipow from consulting firm Lipow Oil Associates said he expected the price of Brent to reach $130 a barrel in the coming weeks as threats against the global energy supply continue.

"My greatest fear is that you have a general economic slowdown around the world... because consumers simply run out of money as they're spending more on energy and, in addition, food," he said.

The price of Brent was at around $72 a barrel on 27 February, the day before the US and Israel struck Iran.

On 18 March, the benchmark oil contract hit $119.50, the highest level since June 2022.

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing nominated as president

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyew40w249o, 3 days ago

Myanmar's military chief Min Aung Hlaing has been nominated for the presidency as parliament convened on Monday, following a general election from which the biggest opposition parties were excluded.

Min Aung Hlaing is certain to be chosen, as he was nominated in parliament alongside two loyalists who are very unlikely contenders for president.

He has been sanctioned by many Western countries for leading a military coup five years ago.

In the ensuing civil war, thousands of people have been killed and millions have been displaced. Large areas of the country remain under the control of armed opposition groups.

The general elections, held between December and January, were touted by the junta as a pathway to peace.

But the vote was widely viewed as a sham, with many popular parties banned from standing and large areas of the country not allowed to participate because of the civil war.

The regime has rejected this criticism, maintaining that the vote was free and fair.

Still, around 90% of the members of Myanmar's new parliament owe their loyalty to Min Aung Hlaing, either as serving officers in the armed forces - which are guaranteed a quarter of the seats - or as elected candidates for the military's own party.

They plan to spend most of this week debating the choice of the next president, but it is now inevitable that the coup leader will get the job.

Min Aung Hlaing is known to have wanted the presidency for a long time.

The prospect of not getting it after the military party's dismal performance in the 2020 election was a big factor behind the coup that ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

But there are trade-offs: the constitution states that Min Aung Hlaing must give up command of the armed forces if he becomes president.

That carries risks. There are known to be senior commanders who are unhappy with his leadership.

He has already chosen a staunch loyalist, General Ye Win Oo to replace him, who has a reputation for brutal treatment of dissidents.

But the risk still remains that once Min Aung Hlaing no longer controls the military, he loses some of his power.

He has also created a new consultative council which he will head, which could give him continued authority over both military and civilian affairs.

What is not in doubt is that the new administration will essentially be just an expanded version of the current military junta, but in civilian clothes.

There has been no indication from Min Aung Hlaing or his deputies that he will change course, and end the violent suppression of those who oppose his seizure of power five years ago.

'Felt close to death': Indian seafarers detained in Iran return home

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgkn9379pqo, yesterday

Eight Indian seafarers who were detained in Iran in December have returned home after weeks of delay caused by the war in the Middle East.

The men were part of an 18-member crew - 16 Indians and one each from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - on a ship seized by Iranian authorities who alleged they were smuggling fuel. The company operating the ship denied this.

Eight crew members returned to India on 10 February. The remaining eight Indians reached home on Sunday after an arduous journey that involved travelling via land to Armenia and then taking a flight via Dubai.

The crew members from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also flew back to their countries from Armenia.

The ship, MT Valiant Roar, operated by Dubai-based Prime Tankers LLC, was seized on 8 December while it was in international waters.

Some of the crew members were taken to a jail in Iran's Bandar Abbas port city, while the others were detained on the vessel.

In January, their families approached a court in India, seeking government intervention, following which India's foreign ministry said it had secured consular access to them.

Eight men returned to India on 10 February, but the others, including five Indians in jail, received their release order only on 27 February.

A day later, the US and Israel began military strikes on Iran, prompting it to retaliate. Flights and border crossings across the region were disrupted.

"The joy of the release order did not last even a few hours," Vijay Kumar, the ship's captain, said as he recalled the ordeal.

Though Iranian authorities returned their passports, the security situation forced the sailors to stay put on the ship in Bandar Abbas.

Kumar said the ship was docked close to an Iranian naval facility, placing them uncomfortably close to potential targets.

"We could only watch helplessly as missiles fell around us through the night," he said.

He added that Iranian authorities had removed key navigation and safety equipment from the ship when they seized it, making it impossible to move to a safer location. BBC News Hindi has contacted Iran's embassy in Delhi for a comment.

On 3 March, the Indian embassy in Tehran evacuated the crew - Kumar said this included the Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi men - from the ship and arranged rooms for them in a hotel in the city.

The BBC has contacted the high commissions of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Delhi for comment.

In Tehran, the situation remained tense.

Ketan Mehta, one of the engineers on the ship, said the threat of missile strikes meant the crew could not sleep in the day or night.

"Every moment felt close to death," said Anil Kumar Singh, the ship's chief engineer.

Crew members said explosions nearby caused the walls of their hotel to shake through the night.

The men said they stayed in the Tehran hotel until the land route out of Iran became accessible. On 15 March, they began travelling towards Iran's border with Armenia, sometimes passing through areas which were being bombed.

They took shelter in Jolfa - an Iranian city located about 60 km (37 miles) from the Armenian border - where they waited for three days before receiving visas.

They crossed into Armenia on 27 March and travelled to the capital, Yerevan, where they spent a night at a hotel. From there, the Indians flew to Dubai and then on to Mumbai city, arriving in the early hours of 29 March.

Masood Alam, one of the crew members, said he was still shaken by the experience.

Alam was due to get married after Eid, which was last week. But the ceremony had to be postponed. His family has now resumed preparations for the wedding and a new date will be fixed soon.

Some crew members alleged they had not been paid for several months and were unsure whether they would return to work with Prime Tankers.

The company's owner Jugwinder Brar has denied the allegations.

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How Pakistan won over Trump to become an unlikely mediator in the Iran war

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy91vrzxn34o, 2 days ago

Pakistan's role as intermediary in this conflict took many by surprise.

But perhaps it shouldn't.

The head of its armed forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is in US President Donald Trump's favour. The US leader frequently refers to him as his "favourite" Field Marshal and has previously spoken about how Munir knows Iran "better than most".

Iran is not only a neighbour of Pakistan, with whom it shares a 900km (559 miles) or so border, but by its own messages also has a "brotherly" relationship with deep cultural and religious ties.

It also has no US air bases.

And unlike many of the usual intermediaries in the Gulf it has not yet been pulled into the conflict.

Crucially, it is willing to wade in - peace between the US and Iran by many accounts would be in its interest.

Still, there have been questions about how a country embroiled in conflict with two of its neighbours - Afghanistan and India - has positioned itself as a bringer of peace.

The country is currently bombing Afghanistan and tensions with India led to a fear of nuclear escalation only last year.

Pakistan has so far walked the tightrope between Iran and the US, passing messages between the two sides, hosting foreign ministers from other concerned Muslim nations and hitting the diplomatic telephones.

But the balancing act is not risk-free.

Much to lose

Pakistan is highly dependent on imported oil, much of it coming through the Strait of Hormuz.

"Pakistan, I'd argue, more than almost any other country outside of the Middle East has a lot of skin in the game here," Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council, told the BBC.

"It has a really compelling interest to do what it can to contribute to de-escalation efforts."

Pakistan's government increased the price of petrol and diesel by around 20% at the start of March and has already introduced measures including a four-day working week for government employees to try to save fuel.

"If the war continues, the economic pressures in Pakistan will increase tremendously," says Farhan Siddiqi, Professor of Political Science at the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi.

There's also a fear about what an escalation could bring.

In September last year, Pakistan signed a defence pact with Saudi Arabia, agreeing that "any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both".

It's led to questions about what Pakistan would do if Saudi Arabia joined the war and invoked the pact.

"The problem for us is that if we are asked to join the war on the Saudi side, our entire Western border will be largely insecure," says Siddiqi.

Pakistan is already in "all-out war" with Afghanistan; it accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring terrorist groups inside its borders, which the Taliban government deny.

When challenged about its apparent contradictory position to diplomacy when applied to its own conflicts, Pakistan has said that it tried years of talks that did not yield the security it needed.

But Siddiqi points out that opening another front is not the only concern were Pakistan to be pulled into the war, adding that there is also the "domestic reputational cost".

In the days after Iran's Supreme Leader was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike, pro-Iran demonstrators took to the streets across Pakistan - several were killed including those who tried to storm the US consulate in Karachi.

"Public sentiment in Pakistan is overwhelmingly pro-Iran," says Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistan ambassador to the US, UK and UN.

"I'm sure that Pakistan's decision makers have been very sensitive to that."

Something to gain

And then there's the issue of Pakistan's global standing.

"Pakistan is very sensitive to criticism that it doesn't have influence on the global stage," said Kugelman. "I don't think that's its main motivation for positioning itself as it has, but it has something to do with this as well."

"This is high-stakes diplomacy, no question about it," adds Lodhi. "It's high-risk and high-reward. If it succeeds, of course, it catapults Pakistan to the top of the global diplomatic game."

And if it doesn't?

Lodhi doesn't think the damage will be too great.

"Pakistan would still have been seen to have made a good faith effort. And if it didn't work, it wasn't because of Pakistan's lack of skills, but because you have a man who's terribly whimsical and completely, completely untrustworthy."

However, Kugelman sees some potential for backlash if after all this speculation of talks, both sides simply resume with even more force.

"Pakistan could be susceptible to allegations that it was naive," he says of that scenario. "[And that it was] brought into an effort to try to negotiate while both sides were trying to create some breathing space to think about their next steps toward escalation."

'Unconventional diplomatic games'

It's unclear how things might play out, but what is clear is that Pakistan has been quick to capitalise its relationship with Trump.

Lodhi points to Pakistan nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize '"in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention" during the Pakistan-India crisis in 2025, and Kabul handing over the man accused of planning the Kabul airport bombing during the withdrawal from Afghanistan to the US.

"Pakistan gave Trump two early wins, which are very important for him. That got the relationship off the ground and brought about this new warmth," said Lodhi.

"It's willing to play unconventional diplomatic games, unlike India," Kugelman adds.

"The fact that Pakistan's senior leaders have gone out of the way to flatter the president, that's really helped their cause in Washington and has made Pakistan a more attractive facilitator and mediator in the eyes of the administration."

But the relationship with America is not Pakistan's only card.

"Pakistan has realized that hedging is the best way to go about in regional diplomacy," said Siddiqi. "The kind of world that we face now is a world where states, especially the middle powers, are more comfortable in engaging with the policy of multi-alignment."

"I think the reason why Pakistan is best positioned to speak to Iran is because it does not carry the perception of being pro-Israeli or even being very pro-American."

Meanwhile, the diplomatic meetings continue.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is on Tuesday travelling to China at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

But there are still big questions for Pakistan; and securing a peace deal is a long shot.

"Let's be fairly clear, the odds of a deal are not that high given how much mistrust there is between the Americans and the Iranians and how maximal the demands are on both the US and the Iranian side," said Kugelman.

"I think that equation is the most difficult one that Pakistan is going to have to think through if its current plans don't work out."

Shock, sadness and relief in town at centre of Australia's seven-month police manhunt

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq59wj31vl4o, 2 days ago

Seven months ago, few outside of the Australian state of Victoria had heard of the town of Porepunkah, with its population of just over 1,000 people.

But the fatal shooting of two police officers by local Dezi Freeman last August, and the manhunt that followed, thrust it into the headlines not just in Australia, but around the world.

That manhunt - one of the largest in Australian police history - ended on Monday, after officers shot Freeman dead following a three-hour stand-off at a property almost two hours' drive north of Porepunkah.

Back in the town where Freeman had lived with his family, few wanted to speak on the record.

Those who did speak to the BBC and other outlets expressed a range of emotions: relief bordering on happiness, hope the town might now start to recover, and anger at what it has gone through already. One resident told the BBC the town had been "ruined" by the media spotlight.

But the overwhelming feeling is sorrow, Marcus Warner said, a long-time search-and-rescue volunteer in the region and its chamber of commerce president.

Victoria's Alpine region is home to a very small, close-knit community, in which both the Freeman family and the slain officers Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart were well-known.

"There was a degree of shock to hear that had happened and it didn't take very long then for a wave of sadness to fall," Warner said of Monday morning's stand-off, which came a month after police said they believed Freeman to be dead.

"To some degree it's a weight lifted off our shoulders. We feel we can breathe again. Obviously there's still a long healing process, emotionally, psychologically, economically - a lot of the financial losses will never be recovered."

In a social media post, Freeman's eldest son Koah said he was struggling to watch some people celebrate his dad's death while his family grieved.

"I am not here to defend my father's actions because I know what he did was wrong," he wrote in a local community noticeboard.

"Just bear in mind that to you [he] was a cop killer, but to me that's still my father who raised me."

"I hope you all realise that I am looking at everything you are saying, and that you all realise how this is making me feel."

Asking people to have some empathy for his family, he said he is now focused on helping them find peace.

The attention of the media, public scrutiny over reported pockets of conspiracy theorists in the town, and repeated police protestations that people in the region must be helping Freeman have created some angst in the community, Warner admits.

But he says they remain united.

"What you read online versus what I hear and see each day in our community are poles apart. There are some people with polarising views, but I would say you could count them on one hand. We're a population of several thousand up here."

He hopes the community's strong ties will help those affected - including Freeman's family - to recover.

"I think we might see people rebuilding their lives in different stages and at different speeds, but hopefully they've got the right help and they talk to each other," he said.

"As a community, I think we'll definitely be there for them."

Alpine Shire Mayor Sarah Nicholas had a similar message: reach out for support.

"Our community has been deeply affected by these recent events, which have had a significant impact on many individuals and families," she said in a statement.

"We will be doing everything we can to continue supporting our community through this difficult time."

Meanwhile, Freeman's former neighbours - named only as Richard and Bianca - told Channel Nine's A Current Affair programme that the 54-year-old's death would mean "less anxious nights" for them.

Even so, they would "have liked it to end a different way", Richard said.

"But he [Dezi] had to account for his actions. It means we can forget about it. It's not a happy story."

In the neighbouring town of Bright - just 6km (3.7 mi) away - business owner Balin Foley hoped the end of the manhunt might now allow the area to rebuild its tourism industry, which had been hit hard.

"That'll take a little bit of time because people are going to remember it for the next couple of years," Foley, 33, told the Herald Sun.

"It was a big event that happened, but I think there's enough good things that happen around the town that will overshadow it eventually."

Further away, friends of the dead officers were remembering the men they had lost - and speaking of their relief that Freeman had been found.

Peter D'Mello, a friend of De Waart, told The Age it was "bittersweet" that Freeman met the same fate as the two officers he killed in the line of duty.

John Bird, a friend of Thompson's, told ABC it brought a "finalisation" to the case.

"It doesn't bring Thommo back or anything like that, but now there's less talk about it," Bird said.

Educated and employed but still struggling: India's middle class under strain

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg5g3pjy06o, 4 days ago

In a darkened control room in Navi Mumbai, 100 operators oversee bots monitoring 30,000 ATMs across India.

Their cameras, sensors and bots do the work that 60,000 security guards once did.

That control room is a small window into something much larger.

Across India, the quiet machinery of automation has been reshaping - and in many cases, eliminating - the jobs that the middle class was built on. And the middle class is only now beginning to reckon with what that means.

As stable incomes come under pressure, many are turning to riskier ways of making money to bridge the gap.

Consider VS, a 27-year-old BTech graduate from a small town near Bhilwara city in western Rajasthan state. He earns 14,000 rupees ($151; £113) a month as a freelance salesperson.

Last year, he lost 1.3m rupees - nearly his entire family's savings - trading Futures and Options (F&O) on the stock market. He is one of nine million Indians doing the same thing - and are collectively losing over $12bn a year. That figure is roughly equal to the federal government's entire annual education budget.

These are not gamblers. They are educated, aspirational people with nowhere else to put their ambitions.

Or consider Rahul Singh, a delivery agent with a food delivery app. Singh explained that he borrowed money not just to finance his home renovation, which is a discretionary spend, but also for "covering essential expenses, such as rent, medical bills and any other unforeseen expenses, which were critical for survival".

VS and Singh come from different layers of India's vast middle class and they are socially and economically different. But their predicament is anything but different.

These are not cautionary tales about individual failure. They are portraits of a class under pressure - the 40 million income taxpayers who earn between 500,000 ($5,283; £3,969) and 10m rupees annually, and who form the productive core of the Indian economy.

Something is going wrong for them, as we discovered while researching our new book, and it is happening on multiple fronts at once.

White-collar job creation - the kind of employment that an engineering or commerce degree was supposed to guarantee - has fallen from 11% growth before 2020 to just 1% today, according to Naukri Jobspeak Index.

The decline didn't begin with AI. Automation had been hollowing out middle-skill work since the early 2000s, quietly eliminating the clerical roles, bookkeeping jobs and sales positions that once absorbed India's graduates.

But AI has dramatically accelerated the disruption. India's IT services sector - the country's largest graduate employer with eight million workers - is in active retrenchment.

The government's own planning body, Niti Aayog, estimates that by 2031, AI could eliminate close to three million IT and customer service jobs. The CEOs of India's most profitable companies speak openly to us about using AI to cut salary bills by a third.

Into this contracting market, eight million new graduates arrive every year.

The results are becoming hard to ignore. At IIT Bombay - one of India's top technology institutes that was once a near-guaranteed passport to prosperity - fresh graduates are leaving with lower salaries than their predecessors.

Across IITs nationally, 8,000 of 21,500 graduates remain unemployed. The IIT degree, long India's most coveted credential, is beginning to look less like a golden ticket and more like a lottery.

Even for those who find work, something has quietly gone wrong with the economics of middle-class life.

Over the past decade, the average middle-class income taxpayer's annual income has grown by around 50,000 rupees - roughly the price of a decent smartphone. In isolation, that sounds like progress. Against the actual cost of living, it is a slow erosion.

Recent research shows a vegetarian thali (an Indian meal comprising several small dishes) now costs 11% more each year, an entry-level car or motorcycle rises by 7 to 8% annually and medical costs climb at 14%.

Our estimate - based on spending patterns for typical middle-class households across rent (10-13%), food (7-9%), healthcare (around 14%) and education (8-10%) - suggests that the true cost of living is doubling roughly every eight years, implying an effective inflation rate of about 9% for this group.

A family that lived comfortably on 1m rupees in 2016 would now need close to 2m a year.

Their salary, in most cases, has barely moved. The middle class is on a treadmill, and every year the belt speeds up.

The debt is real, and it is growing.

The gap between what people earn and what life costs has to be filled somehow. Increasingly, it is being filled with borrowed money. India's non-housing household debt as a share of income now exceeds that of the United States and China.

Nearly half of all Indian families have taken personal loans; 67% of borrowers had their first loan before the age of 30. For those carrying debt, nearly 40% of annual income goes to servicing it.

This borrowing isn't building anything. It is financing holidays, smartphones, school fees and hospital bills - consumption and survival, not investment.

Between 5% to 10% of retail borrowers are caught in what lenders call a debt trap: taking new loans to pay old ones, with no clear exit.

In western Pune city's Hinjewadi tech park, young engineers with degrees and debt queue up each morning for walk-in interviews at BPO firms, hoping to land data entry jobs paying 18,000 rupees a month. This is what the compression looks like at ground level.

The consequences are rippling outward.

FMCG volume growth has dropped from 11% some 14 years ago to 3% today. Car sales are stagnant. Consumer durables growth has collapsed from 11% to 1-2%.

When we speak with the leadership of India's largest consumer companies, there is a particular expression - stunned, a little lost - that keeps appearing. The Indian consumer, they are slowly realising, has stopped spending. Not as a lifestyle choice but because they can't - after a brief, post-Goods and Services Tax (GST)-cut burst of spending that now appears to be fading.

This matters beyond household balance sheets. Consumption accounts for 60% of India's GDP. India's post-1991 growth model was built on a specific and elegant logic: middle-class spending creates demand, demand creates jobs, jobs create more spending. A virtuous cycle, three decades in the making. That cycle has broken.

There is a cruel paradox at the heart of all this.

India now produces more graduates than ever - over eight million a year. And yet, becoming a graduate actively reduces your chances of finding work. The unemployment rate for graduates stands at 29.1%, nine times higher than for those who never attended school. Education, the defining aspiration of the Indian middle class, has stopped delivering on its promise.

Politically, this class has no champion. With 40 million taxpayers among 970 million voters, the middle class is large enough to bear the fiscal burden of the state but too diffuse to command its attention. Politicians court the poor for votes and the wealthy for funding. The middle class pays for both - and waits.

The middle class built the post-economic reforms India. Whether modern India can now sustain its middle class is the question this decade will answer.

Saurabh Mukherjea and Nandita Rajhansa are the authors of "Breakpoint: The Crisis of the Middle Class and the Future of Work".

IndiGo names former British Airways chief Willie Walsh as CEO

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6739j210qo, yesterday

India's largest airline IndiGo has named aviation industry veteran Willie Walsh as its new chief executive, weeks after the resignation of its former CEO.

Walsh will join IndiGo in August after the end of his term as the director general of the International Air Transport Association.

Pieter Elbers resigned as IndiGo's CEO on 10 March with immediate effect, citing personal reasons.

But it was widely seen as being linked to a recent crisis that forced the airline to cancel thousands of flights, the largest disruption in its 20-year history.

In December, the carrier cancelled about 4,500 flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports across India.

IndiGo controls about two-thirds of the country's domestic aviation market, so the inconvenience caused by the disruptions was huge. Thousands of people missed important life events, including funerals and their own weddings, and were left scrambling to make alternate arrangements.

The disruption followed the introduction of new pilot duty and rest regulations in India designed to reduce fatigue among flight crews. The airline later acknowledged it had misjudged how many pilots it would need once the rules came into force.

India's aviation regulator later fined IndiGo about $2.45m (£1.82m) and criticised several senior executives, including Elbers, over the handling of the disruption.

The company's co-founder Rahul Bhatia took charge in the interim after Elbers' resignation and will continue till Walsh joins office.

Walsh has a storied career in the global aviation industry. He became the chief executive of British Airways in 2005 and ended a 15-year-long career with its parent company International Airlines Group in 2020.

He joined Irish carrier Aer Lingus in the late 1970s as a cadet pilot. He gradually worked his way up through the ranks to work in flight operations and was appointed as its chief executive in 2001.

"The aviation landscape is evolving rapidly, and IndiGo is extremely well-positioned to be at the forefront of this change," Walsh said in a statement.

IndiGo chairman Vikram Singh Mehta said Walsh's experience in leading large airline operations and handling complex market conditions made him the right choice to lead the carrier's next phase of growth.

The airline operates a fleet of more than 400 aircraft and runs thousands of domestic flights daily, as well as some international routes. It has also been making a push to expand in the premium international travel space.

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Billion-plus people, three million officials, 33 questions - India begins huge census

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7vqnpqrgy3o, yesterday

Does your house have a concrete roof or a thatched one?

What is your main cereal? Do you have internet access - or just a basic mobile phone? And how many married couples live under your roof?

These are among the 33 questions that more than a billion Indians will be asked as the country launches the world's largest census on Wednesday, marking the first population count in more than 15 years.

The two-phase exercise, billed as the world's most ambitious of its kind, will see more than three million officials spend a year counting every person in India.

India's 16th census - the eighth since independence in 1947 - will also include caste data and is seen as crucial for policy, welfare delivery and political representation in the world's most populous country.

With more than 1.4 billion people, India overtook China in 2023, according to the United Nations Population Fund.

Yet, falling fertility and a median age of 28 mean it remains one of the world's youngest countries, with nearly 70% of its population of working age.

The last census was held in 2011, with the 2021 round delayed by the pandemic and later pushed back further due to administrative and electoral scheduling - the first time the decennial exercise missed its schedule.

The exercise will span 36 states and federally-administered territories, more than 7,000 sub-districts, over 9,700 towns and nearly 640,000 villages, with fieldwork carried out by enumerators and supervisors - typically schoolteachers, government staff and local officials.

For the first time, the census will be conducted digitally, with enumerators using mobile apps to collect and upload data.

Authorities have introduced self-enumeration, letting residents submit details online via a 16-language portal that generates a unique ID for verification by census workers.

There will be two phases of ⁠physical door-to-door surveys.

The first phase, known as the House Listing and Housing Census, will gather information on housing conditions, amenities and household assets.

The second phase - population enumeration - is scheduled for February 2027 and will collect detailed data on demographics, education, migration and fertility.

It will also include caste enumeration, a politically sensitive issue that has long been debated.

The initial rollout will begin in selected regions, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Mizoram and Odisha.

In these areas, self-enumeration will run from 1 to 15 April, followed by a house listing and housing survey between 16 April and 15 May.

From its origins as a rudimentary headcount under colonial rule, India's census questionnaire has steadily expanded in scope, mirroring the state's changing priorities.

The first attempt in 1872 contained 17 questions and was essentially a house register - recording who lived where, along with basic markers such as age, religion, caste and occupation.

By 1881, when the first synchronous nationwide census was conducted, the template had stabilised around identity (name, gender, marital status), social markers (caste, religion, language) and rudimentary education and disability categories.

Over the next decades, questions on language, literacy and occupation were refined, adding secondary work and dependency details.

English proficiency - a colonial preoccupation - was one of 16 questions in the 1901 census.

A shift began with the 1941 census, when its 22-question schedule moved from "who you are" to also "how you live".

Fertility, employment status, economic dependency, migration and job search entered the frame, signalling a growing administrative focus on economic behaviour.

After independence, this widened further: the 1951 and 1961 rounds incorporated nationality, displacement (in the shadow of Partition), land ownership and more work categories.

From the 1970s onwards, the census took on a distinctly socio-economic lens.

Migration histories, duration of residence, fertility patterns and detailed employment classifications became standard.

In more recent decades, especially in 2001 and 2011, the census has tracked the modernising economy: commuting patterns, marginal versus main work, education attendance and increasingly detailed disability and fertility data.

That evolving lens is now extending to how households themselves are defined. In the latest census, a couple in a live-in relationship can be recorded as married if they consider their "relationship as a stable union" - signalling a quiet shift towards recognising changing social realities.

But as the scope of data collection has widened, so too have concerns around how such information might be used.

Some analysts say recent efforts to build databases - including the National Population Register (NPR) - and intensive revisions of electoral rolls have sharpened public anxieties around official counting, often linking it to questions of citizenship and inclusion.

"Although the census has nothing to do with citizenship, this can create anxiety, prompting some families to over-report or list absent migrant members during the census to avoid any perceived exclusion," says KS James, an Indian demographer at Princeton University.

Beyond these concerns, there is a more fundamental problem: India has been making policy without a recent population baseline.

In the absence of a fresh census, it has relied on sample surveys - from consumption expenditure to labour force data - with the statistics ministry working to keep them broadly representative.

For economists like Ashwini Deshpande of Ashoka University, the census is essential to update the basic map of India itself - what counts as rural, urban or increasingly peri-urban.

Much of that classification still rests on 2011 data, even though many areas have since transformed, blurring the lines that underpin policy.

"That has real consequences for India's vast welfare and public spending system," says Deshpande.

If eligibility for schemes is based on faulty or outdated data, the number of beneficiaries can be misjudged, distorting delivery. Programmes like the nationwide rural jobs guarantee, for instance, depend on an accurate sense of which areas are still "rural" - a category that may have shifted significantly over 15 years.

Without current data, millions of urban migrants - often in informal jobs and housing - remain poorly captured in policy design, a gap laid bare during the pandemic.

"This census is crucial - it is the definitive snapshot of India, capturing everything from caste and religion to jobs, education and amenities, and offering the most complete picture of how the population lives," says Deshpande.

China bans storing cremated remains in empty 'bone ash apartments'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm25ynex2zxo, 2 days ago

The Chinese government is set to ban people from storing the cremated remains of their loved ones in empty apartments instead of paying for expensive cemetery plots.

The new law will put an end to "bone ash apartments", which have risen in popularity as spaces in cemeteries remain scarce.

Low property prices in the country mean that for many, it is more affordable to entomb the ashes of relatives in an empty apartment than pay for funeral costs.

The legislation prohibits the use of residential properties "specifically for the placement of ashes" as well as the burial of remains outside of cemeteries and areas where ecological burial is legal.

Bone ash apartments are empty properties which are turned into ritual halls by family members of the deceased. Their loved one's ashes are placed inside and the space turned into an ancestral shrine.

The apartments are often identifiable by closed curtains or sealed-off windows, Chinese media has reported.

Mourners are making the most of low property prices, which have fallen in China in recent years and were down 40% in 2025 from 2021.

Meanwhile, cemetery spaces are limited and only come with a temporary lease which must be renewed every 20 years.

The price for a burial plot in Beijing's Changping Tianshou Cemetery ranges from around 10,000 yuan (£1,095) to 200,000 yuan (£21,917), according to its website. The cheaper options are "eco-friendly burial plots".

A standard tombstone plot starts at about 150,000 yuan (£16,400), with prices rising to 300,000 yuan (£32,841), which the website notes is "relatively high" in Beijing.

The price of funerals is also high. In 2020, funerals cost nearly half of the country's average annual salary, according to a survey by British insurance firm SunLife.

On social media, commentators have pointed out the cost of cemetery plots and queried how the new law will be regulated. One person wrote on Weibo, China's equivalent of X: "Who would resort to this if cemetery plots were affordable?"

Another said: "How will those enforcing these rules know if the apartments are being used just to store ashes? And how will they deal with those cases?"

The ban comes days before the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, where people tidy the graves of loved ones and make ritual offerings.

On Tuesday, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Civil Affairs laid out new requirements for the funeral industry following concerns over high costs.

It said it would introduce new rules to tackle fraud and a lack of transparency in funeral pricing to "reduce the burden of funerals on the masses".

Frosting, sprinkles and layers of fun: Giant cake picnic hits Sydney

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w40dy58vwo, 5 days ago

Welcome to Cake Picnic, Sydney edition.

It's the viral event that's already sold out dates in San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. Tickets in Dubai, London and Mexico City were harder to come by than a double-yolk egg.

And now it's landed on Australian shores, with a Melbourne event earlier this month boasting 1,600 cakes in one sitting.

"I had no idea that I could ever go on tour for cake," laughs Cake Picnic founder Elisa Sunga, part-time hobby baker and full-time Google employee.

"People go on tour for music and whatnot, but for cake?

"It just seems so whimsical and delightful to be able to do that."

The concept is simple.

Two years ago, Sunga - who moved to San Francisco aged 12 from her hometown of Baguio City in the Philippines - posted an online invitation for a small gathering with one request: everyone must bring a cake.

The 35-year-old figured maybe a dozen or so people might turn up and brought seven cakes to make sure everyone would get a taste.

To her amazement, close to 200 people came with more than 180 cakes devoured.

Her simple, sugar-laden summons has since caused ripples of the buttercream variety across the foodie world.

"It feels unreal," Sunga tells the BBC. "I had no idea that thousands of people all over the world would be as excited as I am."

There's plenty of excitement among the 500-plus crowd gathering at Saturday's event in Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden.

As they line up to have their cakes inspected – which must be 20cm (8 inches) wide and 7.5cm (3 inches) high – there are a few bloodshot eyes in the queue.

Among them, Hilary Lindgren, 54, wearing an eye-catching outfit and with a carrot cake in hand, says she and her daughter were baking their cake late into the night.

"It was crazy - a big mess, flour and sugar everywhere, but lots of fun.

"There's just so many negative things happening in the world at the moment that it's nice to do something like this."

From home bakers to professionals, influencers to non-bakers, everyone places their cakes on the tables stretching across the grassy knoll, with Sydney's famed Harbour Bridge as the backdrop.

But the only architectural feats eliciting "oohs" and "aahs" this autumn morning are of the sponge variety, as enthusiasts peruse the gravity-defying gateaux from the city's gourmands.

From a metre-high (3ft) life-sized swan creation to a bouquet of flowers made entirely of cupcakes, the colourful displays rival any cake shop window.

Coffee pecan torte, spiced pear sponge with miso caramel. A Persian baklava dressed with golden shards of filo pastry.

Cake fillings of almond crunch and toasted pecan praline and candied lemon, while jackfruit and palm sugar bring distinct South-East Asian flavours.

There's even a focaccia cake with roasted tomato, pesto and feta icing – a savoury offering Sunga is delighted to see.

"When you're surrounded by thousands of sweet cakes, all you really want is salt," she says.

'I didn't really know what cake was'

Growing up in the Philippines, Sunga confesses her household was a "very savoury one" with desserts limited to sticky rice and fruit.

"I didn't really know what a cake or a doughnut or a brownie was until I started having after-school parties in California," she says. "A lot of the maximalism of cake picnic is potentially rooted in my desire to catch up."

With her working week deep in the world of AI, she says it's refreshing to make something tangible.

"It's almost meditative doing something creative with my hands."

And going to a picnic is about social connection and doing something in real life.

"AI every day can do an increasingly terrifying amount of things, but to this day it can't bake a cake - yet. Cake Picnic forces people to not only come outside, but spend a day on the grass."

Once the cakes have been laid out, pictures snapped, recipes shared and compliments sprinkled, small groups take turns decimating the decadence before them, with five minutes to cut, carve and cram as many morsels of cake into a large pizza box.

One dives straight into a popular matcha-strawberry creation in row three, another tells her friend she's making a beeline for the tres leche.

Eunice Lim, a Sydney-based influencer originally from Singapore, is grabbing a selfie with Sunga while balancing her haul of desserts, piled high in a pizza box.

"It's so vibrant and inclusive," Eunice enthuses. "There's no judgment here – just people and cakes of all shapes and sizes."

Under a nearby fig tree, Marcus Ehrlich, 42, is one of the few men in the crowd, enjoying cake with his wife and keen baker Kelly Ehrlich, 48, who brought a blueberry and blood orange creation to share.

"In a big city, this is the type of thing we should be doing," Marcus says, enjoying samples of pandan and ube cakes.

Tanya Mouchawrab, 37, and her two daughters, Lily, 13, and Ivy, 11, stayed up late the night before making a trio of cakes – lemon, red velvet and rainbow.

"We just love cake," Ivy says, adding it's fun to bake with her mum and sister.

One of the youngest sweet tooths is Matilda, six, who helped her mum Jasmin Gelsana, 36, decorate a store-bought cake, and who happily admits: "I'm a good eater, not a baker".

From light and airy chiffon cakes to rich and buttery creations, Australian-themed cakes are also du jour with a towering koala creation by Reg Leones, 40, mixing Filipino flavours of ube and leche flan that took three days to finish.

"I was up until midnight," says the lawyer, who turns to baking as a release from his day job.

Further along the table, a three-tiered honey cake sits near a wholemeal plum cake with spiced icing, while a Swedish princess cake draws gasps of admiration with its dome of sponge, jam, custard and marzipan.

Associate Professor Lindsay Kelley studies food and technology and says the allure of a cake picnic is in its design.

"Unlike muffins, cupcakes, or biscuits, cakes are designed to be sliced and shared," she says. "When we see a whole cake at parties and events, we understand that everyone around the table gets a slice and we share that experience."

And that shared experience is what drives Sunga as she continues to whip up a frenzy with Cake Picnic.

"When you go to a concert, it's pretty much the same age group," she says, but when you're at cake picnic, it's so varied.

Sunga says her event brings together families, older women that bake together, Gen Z girlfriends that have got out of the group chat, people in college or young women that are exploring creative activities.

"It's just fun to see everyone coming together," she says.

As for juggling a full-time job and her baking, it's her selfish way of wanting to have it all.

"I am very curious about tech and AI, but at the same time, I love being creative and expressing myself and eating cake," Sunga says.

"I want to have my cake and eat it, too."

A right-wing populist party made big poll gains - and it's shaking up Australian politics

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2j4q60wlgo, 8 days ago

Thirty years ago, against the odds, a fish-and-chip shop owner with little political experience won a seat in the Australian parliament.

Since then Pauline Hanson has become as well known for her inflammatory anti-immigration rhetoric as much as her parliamentary stunts, while support for her right-wing populist One Nation party has ebbed and flowed.

But after returning from the political wilderness a decade ago, Hanson's party is now riding a new wave of popularity, driven by voters weary of mainstream political parties that they say don't understand their struggles.

On 21 March, One Nation achieved its first electoral breakthrough outside Hanson's home state of Queensland. In a state election in South Australia, the party won the second highest number of votes - more than 20% - the first time it has done so in Australia where two parties have traditionally been dominant.

Incumbent Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas won a resounding victory in the poll, increasing his majority in the process, but One Nation will get at least three candidates elected, mostly at the expense of the main conservative opposition Liberal Party.

As the Liberals flounder in Australia, and populism takes hold in other parts of the world, analysts have asked whether this election heralds a move by One Nation from the fringes to the centre of political gravity at a national level.

It's a "very ominous sign" for Australia's two major political parties, former Labor strategist and co-director of polling firm Redbridge, Kos Samaras, tells the BBC.

Housing, cost of living dominate

Since its inception, One Nation has been best known for its anti-immigration policies. In Pauline Hanson's first speech to parliament in 1996, she said Australia was "in danger of being swamped by Asians", a speech which also took aim at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and set the tone for her approach to politics.

Two years later One Nation appeared ascendant, picking up 11 seats in Queensland's state election and winning 8.4% of primary votes in the federal election.

But it has never been able to repeat, or build on that initial success, hovering in the low single digits since then and getting only a handful of members into Australia's parliaments.

At last year's federal election however their vote share grew to 6.4%. Recent changes in the political climate, a cost-of-living crisis and infighting among the Liberals and their Nationals coalition partners have given it an opportunity. National opinion polls this year showed it in second place to Labor.

The South Australia poll was the first electoral test for this surge in support and the party attracted many voters frustrated with issues like cost of living.

That's what convinced Brittany - a life-long supporter of the conservative Liberal-National Coalition until now - to switch her vote.

"I'm not against migration. We need it," the 36-year-old aged care worker from Adelaide told the BBC.

Former Labor voter Andrew Sheffield, 68, tells a similar story, suggesting the party he once supported no longer represents working Australians.

"Either buying a house or renting is a ridiculous cost now," Sheffield said. "I have children and grandchildren who have to contend with that."

Facing a popular Labor incumbent and a young, recently selected opposition leader, One Nation campaigned widely, recruiting prominent former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi to lead its ticket, and running candidates in every electorate.

It promised to boost housing supply and cap immigration - though that isn't up to states.

One Nation was never expected to win in South Australia – but as successive federal elections show a long-term trend of voters drifting away from the major parties, its performance was being nervously watched by Labor and the Coalition in Canberra.

The rise of One Nation

"Pauline Hanson was an accident," former prime minister John Howard said in a recent interview with Nine News.

His Liberal Party had originally put Hanson up as a candidate in Queensland, but during the 1996 campaign took her off the ticket for penning an opinion column criticising welfare payments for Aboriginal Australians.

Despite this, Hanson secured one of the biggest swings in the country to win a safe Labor seat.

Within two years, however, she had lost her re-election bid and spent 18 years in political exile, unsuccessfully running in nine state and federal elections until she was elected to the Senate in 2016.

Throughout it all though, she's stayed in the headlines.

In the late 90s she drew attention for a video – Hanson said it was made after she received death threats - in which she announced her assassination, staring at the camera and saying, "If you are seeing me now, it means I have been murdered."

In 2003 Hanson was briefly jailed for electoral fraud. She denied the charges and the conviction was overturned on appeal.

During her time in the Senate a federal court judge has found that she racially vilified a fellow senator - a decision against which she is appealing. And she has twice worn a burka in the chamber to press for a ban on the garment.

This month she was formally censured for saying there were no "good" Muslims.

But Hanson's biographer and filmmaker Dr Anna Broinowski says the One Nation leader has endured as a figurehead of right-wing politics because she paints herself as a "person of the people".

She was the first Australian politician to set up a website and blog in the 1990s, allowing her to reach voters directly, Broinowski notes, and last year the party made its own cartoon feature-length film, featuring music by singer and right-wing commentator Holly Valance.

"She has styled herself as the anti-politician, the underdog, who is just like us, who wants to drain the elite 'Canberra swamp'," she tells the BBC.

Hanson says she's been "ridiculed, bashed around and called racist, xenophobic", but says people have now changed their minds.

"It's not just a protest vote," she told Sky News Australia as the results came in on Saturday night.

"There is a movement and there is an undercurrent, and it is people saying we've had a gutful, we want our country back."

Filling a void for 'abandoned' voters

South Australia historically hasn't been a likely hunting ground for One Nation, Kos Samaras says, because it is largely urbanised, middle class and socially harmonious.

But voters across Australia who feel "abandoned" by politicians they believe do not understand bread-and-butter issues have increasingly been opting for minor parties, including One Nation and the Greens, as well as independents, he says.

For One Nation, this is largely driven by older voters who believe the social contract of "reward for hard work" has broken, according to Samaras.

The party is also filling a void left by a conservative opposition which is grappling with infighting and a failure to appeal to younger voters and women.

Both the federal Liberal and National parties have changed their leaders over the past two months, both at times citing concerns about bleeding support to One Nation.

There have also been high-profile defections, like former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce who left the Nationals last year to join Hanson's party.

The deadly shooting at Bondi Beach in December that targeted a Jewish festival and which authorities say was carried out by Islamic State-inspired gunmen, has further shifted the mood among voters, with analysts saying it has made them more open to Hanson's anti-immigration message.

One Nation's resurgence has made others uneasy - particularly people from multicultural backgrounds; more than half of Australia's population were born overseas or have a parent who was.

Labor supporter Gurpreet Bar, 25, is among those concerned. He says he noticed a change in the political climate in South Australia, and more racism during the campaign.

"When political leaders post comments that target Muslims or people of colour, it risks encouraging racism and creating unnecessary division among everyday Australians," Bar told the BBC.

Can populism succeed in Australia?

Will One Nation be able to cement its gains this time?

Previously it has struggled with selecting candidates, keeping members and navigating Australia's unique voting system.

After its breakthrough at the Queensland election in 1998, all 11 of its elected MPs quit the party within two years. One Nation's co-founder David Oldfield was also expelled following a public fracas with Hanson.

Over the years, more than 60% of the party's elected members have left, mostly due to disputes with Hanson or other key leaders, many of whom launched spectacular attacks on the way out.

Former senator Brian Burston accused Hanson of running a "dictatorship" when he quit in 2018.

"There is a real disconnect between the face of party, which is Pauline, and the way the party is run," says Jennifer Game, a former parliamentary speechwriter for Hanson who helped set up the party in South Australia but who also departed One Nation last year.

Hanson routinely dismisses these criticisms as evidence of political "elitism" and says former members who criticise the party have a vendetta.

But strong resistance from non-One Nation voters means the party is unlikely to become a dominant party in the near future, pollsters like Samaras say.

He also says Australia's voting system tempers the party's success. It uses a preferential voting system, where candidates are ranked from most to least preferred - which experts say protects the country from extreme swings. Voting is also compulsory.

Associate Professor Dr Jill Sheppard, a political scientist at the Australian National University, agrees that the current voting system would need to change to "break the duopoly" of the major parties.

"One Nation does not have the organisational experience, the discipline, or the resources to seriously contest elections at federal and state elections yet," she adds.

While the conservative vote is currently fragmenting, she predicts that the Coalition will eventually win back disaffected voters, even if not by the next federal election in 2028.

But Sheppard says major parties ignore voters' continued drift to minor parties "at their peril".

And Hanson herself isn't deterred. On Saturday night, she said her party was coming for other areas next - like Victoria which is going to an election later this year, and the federal by-election of Farrer in New South Wales in May.

"This is the start of it."

As Islamophobia rises, Australia's Muslims celebrate Eid

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr410ezy312o, 13 days ago

As sunset approached in the south-western Sydney suburb of Lakemba last week, the street outside the Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb Mosque filled with thousands of people - most of whom found a seat at one of many trestle tables covered with white table cloths.

The mosque was hosting a community Iftar: the evening meal that marks the end of daily fasting in Ramadan.

The tables were divided into sections, marked by buffet stations labelled 'women' and 'men', and as the sun went down families brought out boxes of dates to break their fast, offering them around to neighbours and other guests.

Yet despite the family-friendly vibe of this event, a police surveillance trailer parked in the road - complete with 360 cameras on tall poles - spoke to fears among the community. After being on the receiving end of several threats, community leaders requested extra police presence throughout Ramadan. They also employed private security.

"We are going through very challenging times at the moment for the Muslim community and Australia in general," said Gamel Kheir, secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association, who organised the community Iftar.

"If ever there was a need for communities to come together and break bread, I would say this year is more [important] than ever."

Islamophobia is on the rise in Australia. Threats towards Muslims used to average around 2.5 cases a week, according to the Islamophobia Register Australia. But since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, 2023, reported incidents have increased by 636%.

At the same time, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry notes that antisemitic incidents are nearly five times higher than they were before the 7 October attacks.

Last year's Bondi Beach massacre has further exacerbated both fear and hate. The attack, which saw two gunmen carry out Australia's worst shooting in decades at a public Hannukkah celebration in December, was deeply traumatic for Australia and its Jewish community. Some Jewish people claimed such an incident had been a long time coming amid a rising tide of antisemitism.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the massacre - which police said was "driven by Islamic state ideology" - reported incidents of Islamophobia increased by 201%.

Now, the Islamophobia Register Australia says there's an average of 18 cases a week.

"We should be alarmed and very concerned – it's really the tip of the iceberg," said Nora Amath, the executive director of the Islamophobia Register Australia.

"These numbers are an under-representation of the real issue - there are many, many people who do not report for a number of different reasons."

Feelings of frustration and abandonment among Australia's Muslim community were made clear on Friday, when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke came to Lakemba mosque to mark the end of Ramadan.

The politicians were heckled, booed and accused of supporting a genocide by some worshippers, as Kheir read out a statement about Australia's involvement in the Middle East war and its impact on the Muslim community.

Sydney's Islamic heartland

Everyone the BBC spoke to in Lakemba had their own story of an anti-Islamic threat or attack they've faced. This is Sydney's most well-known Muslim neighbourhood. About 61% of the population is Muslim, according to the 2021 census, and its mosque is one of the largest in Australia.

It was the Lebanese migration in the 1960s that helped cement Lakemba's reputation as the centre of Muslim culture in Sydney - but the community has since expanded to include Muslims from many other parts of the world, including South Asia.

Dr Moshiuzzaman Shakil is one of them. The Bangladeshi doctor lives in the area with his wife, and is currently studying for a Masters in public health while being employed as a support worker for disabled clients.

But after the Bondi massacre, he said, one of his clients let him go.

"They [asked] me: 'are you a Muslim?' Yes, I'm a Muslim," he recalled. "After the Bondi attack, some people thought Muslims were terrorists."

In Lakemba, though, Shakil feels safe. With supermarkets selling food from the Middle East and South Asia and restaurants offering dishes like Mandi chicken, a beloved Yemeni dish, many Australian immigrants feel at home here.

It's also a safe space for Australian Muslims, who worry about what happens when they leave what they call their 'comfort zones' - the neighbourhoods around Lakemba.

Multicultural tensions

Officially, Australia likes to characterise itself as a migrant nation, with a government website declaring it "One of the most successful multicultural societies in the world". But the country has often had a difficult history with immigrants.

Until 1973, immigration was influenced by the infamous White Australia policy, which had actively limited the number of non-white immigrants entering Australia in favour of those from European countries. Even since that policy ended, however, issues of immigration, especially involving asylum seekers, have remained divisive.

The 7 October attacks revealed massive cracks in Australia's multicultural ideals. An anti-Israel protest outside the Sydney Opera House on 8 October, where people were reported to have chanted anti-Jewish sentiments, was condemned by the prime minister and is often cited by the Jewish community as a dark day for Australia.

A protest on Sydney Harbour Bridge last year had a huge turnout in support of Palestinians and the wider Middle East.

While the recent focus on antisemitism and Islamophobia has centred around the events of 7 October, 2023 - and more recently Bondi - another date is often talked about as a turning point for race relations in Australia: the race riots of Cronulla in 2005.

A week before the riots began in December 2005, two surf lifesavers had been assaulted in what was said to be an unprovoked attack by a large group of men of "Middle Eastern appearance".

Messages circulated calling for a revenge fight, and a crowd of about 5,000 gathered on the beach before attacking two young men they believed to be of Middle Eastern descent. Many then ran to the nearby train station after hearing that Lebanese passengers were arriving.

"I think this community has been in trauma since the Cronulla riots," said Kheir. "Every time an episode happens now, we sit back and curl into the fetal position thinking, 'oh God, please don't be a Muslim person that just perpetrated that offence'."

'Normalised' racism

The events of the past three years have fuelled anti-Islam sentiment. Last September, the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, released a report on the issue, calling for urgent action.

"The targeting of Australians based on their religious beliefs is not only an attack on them, but it's an attack on our core values," said Prime Minister Albanese in response. "We must stamp out the hate, fear and prejudice that drives Islamophobia and division in our society."

Then, three months later, Jewish people were attacked at Bondi - and the prime minister was criticised for not doing enough on antisemitism either.

Meanwhile, as support for the populist anti-immigration One Nation Party rises, Albanese and the Labor Party find themselves in a tight spot.

In November last year, Pauline Hanson, an Australian senator and leader of One Nation party, wore a burka in parliament to push for a ban on the Muslim garment. She was suspended for a week. Then, earlier this month, she was again censured by the Federal Senate after she made comments questioning whether there were 'good' Muslims.

Community leaders like Kheir say that politicians like Hanson have legitimised racism - and that there's evidence in the numbers of threats his mosque and community face.

"We're talking astronomical figures," he said. "We're talking about women being spat on in the street. We're talking about women whose scarves have been pulled off.

"Our Facebook posts used to have five to 10 comments. [Now] we're getting a thousand plus comments of the most bigoted, vile, racist comments. People feel empowered and emboldened because [politicians] like Pauline Hanson have enabled this sort of racism to be rampant and normal."

Experts say the issue isn't treated seriously enough.

"Imagine [if Hanson] said the same thing for Jews in Australia – that there are no good Jews in Australia," said Dr Zouhir Gabsi, senior lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Deakin University and author of Muslim Perspectives on Islamophobia: From Misconceptions to Reason. "There would be a huge backlash."

Kheir agrees not enough is done to rein in racism.

"The fear that I have is Pauline Hanson and her dog whistling has such an effect on the Labor and Liberal Party that they are too scared to take the defence of the Muslim community, because it's political suicide for them," he said. "So we're left to fend for ourselves."

A cumulative effect

Earlier this month in the Australian city of Ballarat, a man who declared himself "far-right" allegedly threatened children outside a community hall where Muslims were enjoying Iftar. The man proceeded to barge into the hall and hurl racist abuse - but, controversially, was not immediately arrested and has not been charged.

Days later, in the same city, a man racially abused staff at a pharmacy, yelling Islamophobic and racial remarks including "go back to where you came from".

According to Malik, the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, these attacks all have a cumulative effect.

"Each impact reinforces a sense that Muslim identity is not welcome, nor part of Australia's social fabric," he said last week, in a speech to mark UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia. "This has the immense danger of reducing institutional legitimacy and fraying social cohesion."

Back on the streets of Lakemba last week, Kheir was calmly coordinating the mass Iftar, liaising with caterers as they ran back and forth replenishing food such as falafel, fattoush, chicken and rice. Once sunset hit and prayers were called, the queues started building - and the food fast ran out.

Throughout the evening, Kheir remained unfazed by the enormous job he was dealing with.

And he hasn't given up on Australia either.

"'The fair go for all' was the motto for Australia," he said. "Sadly, I believe Australia is going down the path of most Western countries where you're having this identity crisis; where the predominant race back 50, 60 or 100 years ago is trying to reassert itself at the cost of the minorities."

As for the ideal of Australia's proud diversity? It's a concept that is lost on many in the Muslim community.

"Multiculturalism is a politician's word," says Dr Zouhir Gabsi.

"Multiculturalism in Australia is good when you share a meal, but when you apply for a job, you always remain a migrant."

Fuel tax halved and free public transport offered as war pushes up prices in Australia

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c937n0yxggeo, 3 days ago

Two Australian states will offer free public transport to incentivise people not to drive as fuel prices soar due to the war in the Middle East.

Victoria, home to Melbourne, has said it will have free travel throughout April, while Tasmania has said commuters will not need to pay until the end of June. Other state governments have so far declined to follow suit.

It comes as the federal government announced it would halve the nation's fuel excise tax for three months to ease pressure on motorists' wallets.

Australia is among a host of nations that have seen fuel prices increase sharply since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously sought to reassure motorists following reports of panic-buying and petrol stations running dry.

His government said on Monday that the fuel excise, a sales tax, will be lowered by 26.3 cents per litre for petrol and diesel, which should save drivers between about A$10 (£5.18; $6.87) and A$20 a tank.

The excise cut - which comes into effect on Wednesday - will cost the Australian taxpayer A$2.55bn.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan announced on Saturday that trains, trams and buses in the state would be free for all from Tuesday in a bid to drive down pressure on petrol pumps.

"This won't solve every problem, but it's an immediate step to help Victorians right now," she said.

Meanwhile, the government of Tasmania - an island off the Australian mainland - announced people would be able to take its coaches, buses and ferries without charge for the coming few months.

"We know the rising cost of fuel is impacting the family budget, and that's why we have again taken strong and decisive action to protect Tasmanians," its Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.

Tasmania's transport minister also noted that paid-for school buses would be made free, saving those who use them A$20 a week.

But other Australian states have demurred from similar actions.

NSW transport minister John Graham told broadcasters his state was keeping its "powder dry". Graham said that offering free public transport would cost millions of dollars a day - money the government needs to help get the state through the crisis long term.

South Australia said it was expanding the number of senior travel cards while absorbing higher fuel costs, and a spokesperson for Queensland pointed to it introducing a flat 50-cent fare last February in comments to SBS News.

Similarly, Western Australia Premier Roger Cook said his state had already reduced fares. "Rick Astley was top of the charts when fares were this low in Western Australia back in the 80s," he said.

The average price of petrol in Australia had risen to A$2.38 a litre as of last Sunday, up from around A$2.09 when the war began a month ago, according to figures from the Australian Institute of Petroleum.

The Australian government says supply is not an issue - rather, sharp rises in the price of oil on the international market has had a knock-on effect on the price of fuels derived from it.

With only a trickle of cargo ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz without fear of being hit by Iran, there are concerns a prolonged blockage could have a wider impact on the global economy.

These rising costs have already led several other governments to implement fuel-saving measures.

Shops, restaurants and cafes in Egypt were told to close early from Saturday as part of a raft of measures that also included non-essential workers being told to work from home one day a week and increasing public transport fares.

At the same time, the Ethiopian government told state-owned companies and public institutions to place non-essential staff on leave so they would not travel into work.

On Tuesday, the Philippines declared a national emergency, with its government offering subsidies to transport drivers, reducing ferry services and implementing a four-day work week for civil servants.

Two migrants die in Channel crossing attempt

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgldep231lxo, today

Two migrants have died attempting to cross the English Channel, French authorities have said.

Six others were rescued, with one of them taken to hospital requiring urgent care, after migrants got into difficulty boarding a boat near Calais on Wednesday morning.

The French maritime prefecture said the small boat was seen heading towards the beach at Gravelines at around 09:30 local time, where 30 migrants were waiting to board.

It comes a day after the UK and France extended talks over renewing a deal to try and stop small boats trying to the cross the Channel.

Responders pulled eight people onto a rescue boat when they got into difficulty, but two of them died.

A French naval helicopter was also deployed to carry out a search of the area to make sure no one was left in the water, the French authority said.

At least 12 French police officers were present in the beach area at the time.

Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais, said the two people who died had been "lost to our deadly border".

On Tuesday, the UK signed a two-month extension on a £476m deal made with France by the previous government for extra patrols to disrupt migrant smuggling gangs.

The agreement had been due to expire, but talks on renewing the deal were extended by two months to thrash out an agreement.

It means operational contracts will continue to be funded, costing the UK £16.2m.

A Home Office spokesperson claimed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was "driving a hard bargain".

The home secretary is understood to be pushing for the new arrangement to include performance-related clauses that would link funding to the proportion of boats intercepted by the French.

Under the current deal, nearly 700 law enforcement officers are on the ground patrolling beaches, using drones and buggies to stop people getting on boats.

The UK government claims the deal has prevented 42,000 illegal migrants getting on boats, although the overall number making the journey across the Channel has continued to increase.

Over the past three years, crossings in the Channel have increased, with 41,472 people arriving in the UK by small boat in 2025.

Between 1 January and 26 March 2026, a total of 4,441 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France.

This is 33% lower than the number who had reached the UK by this point in 2025, which was 6,642, although weather conditions may have played a part in this, with rougher conditions in the Channel compared with the same period in 2025.

Russian military plane crash kills 29 in occupied Crimea

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly6387xgqxo, yesterday

A Russian military plane has crashed in the occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, killing 29 people on board, the Russian defence ministry has said.

Wreckage of the An-26 aircraft was found on Tuesday after the plane lost contact with authorities during a "routine flight", according to the ministry.

It blamed a "technical failure" and reported no external damage to the aircraft, implying that missiles, drones or birds are not suspected of causing the crash.

Seven crew members and 23 passengers had been on board as it flew over the Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed the crash and said it had opened an inquiry into a flight safety violation.

News agency Tass reported that communication with the plane was lost at about 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, and the wreckage was found following a search and rescue effort.

Ukraine has not commented on the crash.

The An-26 is a Soviet-era aircraft mainly used in a military capacity to transport heavy cargo and smaller numbers of passengers over a short-to-medium distance. It is manufactured by the Ukrainian aerospace company Antonov.

The planes have been used since the late 1960s, and have been involved in several deadly crashes.

Twenty-six people, mostly cadets, were killed when a Ukrainian An-26 came down in Kharkiv in 2020. The following year, 28 people were killed in a crash in the Russian Far East and in 2022, one person was killed in a crash in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.

Fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces has been ongoing in Crimea since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion four years ago.

Ukrainian strikes have largely targeted Russian military bases in the peninsula, which borders the partly Russian-occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly demanded Russia withdraw from Crimea as part of a ceasefire. In November, a US-backed peace plan proposed Kyiv would cede control of Crimea.

Families cram into Greek court for trial into deadliest train crash

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2wq13758no, today

Relatives of the 57 people who died in Greece's worst ever train disaster crowded into a courtroom on Wednesday, demanding justice for the victims.

The trial had already been postponed once because of the chaotic start last week.

Most of the victims of the crash three years ago were students, killed when their intercity service from Athens to Thessaloniki smashed head-on into a goods train on the same line near Tempi in the centre of the country.

Some of the victims are thought to have burnt to death after surviving the initial collision.

Many relatives were unable to get into the courtroom in the central town of Larisa last week, and the situation was little different when it resumed on Wednesday.

Police officers allowed in only participants who were legally scheduled to attend.

Some relatives complained that two rows of seats had been taken up by police, while others said they still could not witness proceedings clearly enough.

Defence lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou appealed for the proceedings to be filmed as access for families had been restricted.

The February 2023 disaster is widely known in Greece as the "Tempi crime" - with many arguing it encapsulates negligence and corruption at the heart of the state.

Thirty-six people are on trial in a case that is expected to hear from 350 witnesses and set to last years.

Among those killed was 20-year-old Anastasia Plakias, a student at the University of Thessaloniki.

She, like so many other victims, was travelling back to lectures in the northern city after spending a public holiday with her family.

In the weeks after the crash, her grieving father Dimitris told the BBC he would always be proud of his daughter who "only had love to give".

He said: "We relatives call it a state assassination of our children, and all the people who were aboard that train… in which European country could this be possible?"

Anastasia had been travelling with her 20-year-old twin cousins, Thomi and Chrysa, who were also killed.

Thirty-three of the defendants face up to life in prison if convicted.

Among those in the dock is a station master who failed - along with everyone else - to spot that the two trains had been travelling towards each other on the same line for 10 minutes.

Other railway officials are also on trial along with two Italian former employees of the trains' parent company, Ferrovie dello Stato.

The Tempi disaster provoked widespread anger and protest across Greece.

The railway network had not made use of EU funding intended to improve safety. The head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, Laura Kovesi, later said the collision could have been avoided if the money had been spent on modernising the signalling system in time.

Trade unions in Greece had warned that some sort of catastrophe on the railway network was waiting to happen.

To the amazement of some, the crash site was bulldozed within days, which experts say destroyed potentially crucial evidence.

This fuelled claims of a cover-up, which authorities have denied.

Despite the public outcry, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was re-elected soon after the disaster and has survived two related no-confidence votes in parliament.

Mitsotakis apologised to the families of the victims in the days after the crash and has asked repeatedly for public patience so that justice can take its course.

To the frustration of many campaigners, no politician is among those on trial.

The case is taking place in a remodelled conference hall that cost hundreds of thousands of euros and Mitsotakis has said it is "among the most functional and modern in Europe".

More than 60,000 pages on evidence is to be presented and 200 lawyers are involved in the case, but proceedings descended into chaos on 23 March when the courtroom became overcrowded.

Survivors of the disaster and family members of the deceased were forced to sit in the seats of the accused, most of whom were absent.

Lawyers argued health and safety regulations were being violated.

Maria Karystianou, who lost her 19-year-old daughter Marthi, said relatives had been "packed like sardines" and the spectacle was "an absolute disgrace".

UK will seek closer ties with EU in light of Iran war, Starmer says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62l6w03lwzo, today

The UK will pursue closer economic ties with the European Union in light of the war in Iran, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The prime minister told a news conference he would use a summit with the EU later this year to seek more cooperation with the bloc on the economy and security.

It comes as relations between the US and the UK have been increasingly strained by the PM's refusal to be drawn further into the war with Iran.

In his speech, Sir Keir warned the conflict would impact the UK but sought to reassure the public the government was taking action to ease the cost of living.

The PM is facing calls from opposition parties to set out now how the government plans to protect people from rising energy costs.

The Conservatives and Reform UK are both calling for VAT to be taken off household energy bills, while arguing the hike in fuel duty scheduled for September should be cancelled.

Plaid Cymru said the government should set out now what support would be available if energy bills rise, while the SNP argues Holyrood should control energy policy.

Sir Keir said: "No matter how fierce this storm we are well-placed to weather it and we have a long-term plan to emerge from it a stronger and more secure nation."

He highlighted a number of measures coming into force from this month aimed at easing the cost of living, including removing some green levies from energy bills and increasing the national living wage.

The prime minister insisted the government had been "ahead of the game" in its focus on the cost of living.

However, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development has warned the UK is facing the biggest hit to economic growth from the war out of major economies.

Asked if he would reassure motorists that the increase in fuel duty would not go ahead, Sir Keir said the rate remained set until September.

He added that support for households would be kept under review but "a lot will depend on how long the conflict goes on" and how quickly the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened.

Meanwhile, the foreign secretary is hosting 35 nations - including European and Gulf counties - on Thursday.

The PM said the meeting would discuss possible measures to make the Strait of Hormuz "accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped".

He added that "this will not be easy" but said it was in the UK's national interest for the strait to reopen.

Iran has effectively blocked the strait - one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels - leading to soaring wholesale oil and gas prices.

A sustained rise in the price of oil is likely to lead to a jump in household energy bills in the UK, when the current cap is reset in July.

The PM and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have made a number of interventions in recent months arguing for a closer trading relationship with the EU.

However, Sir Keir argued that this was more urgent because of the impact of the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

"It is increasingly clear that as the world continues down this volatile path, our long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe and with the European Union," he said.

He added that Brexit "did deep damage to our economy" and "the opportunities to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living.... are simply too big to ignore".

A UK-EU summit is expected this summer, after the two sides struck a deal last May on areas including fishing rights, trade, defence and energy.

Sir Keir said this year's summit "will not just ratify existing commitments made at last year's summit" but would be "more ambitious".

The PM was asked if the UK was heading towards rejoining the EU single market, which enables goods, service and people to move freely between member states, with countries applying many common rules and standards.

"I do think that we should strengthen our cooperation on defence, security, energy, emissions and the economy," he replied.

"I'm ambitious that we can do more in relation to the single market, because I think that's hugely in our economic interests."

However, he said Labour's election manifesto commitment that there would be no return to the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement remained.

Pressed over whether he was choosing Europe over the US, Sir Keir insisted: "I'm not going to choose because I think it's in our interest to have a strong relationship with the US and with Europe."

He argued that closer ties with Europe would strengthen the UK's relationship with the US as well, since successive US presidents had been pushing for Europe to do more on defence and security.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised Sir Keir in recent weeks, following his refusal to allow the US to use UK bases for its initial offensive strikes against Iran.

The UK has since given permission for its bases to be used for defensive action against Iranian missile strikes.

In his latest comments, Trump told the Daily Telegraph he was considering pulling out of the Nato military alliance with European countries after they did not join his war in Iran.

Asked about the remarks, Sir Keir said the UK was "fully committed to Nato", which he described as "the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen".

He added: "Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I'm going to act in the British national interest in the decisions that I make.

"That's why I've been absolutely clear that this is not our war and we're not going to get dragged into it."

Zelensky says allies asked him to scale back attacks on Russian energy

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0e7lrxrelwo, 2 days ago

Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's allies have urged him to scale back attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure amid the ongoing global fuel crisis - but that they would only end if Russia stopped targeting Ukraine's first.

The Ukrainian president told journalists in a WhatsApp voice message that, by launching attacks on Russia's energy system, Ukraine was only responding in kind.

It is unclear which countries he may have been referring to. China and India remain heavily dependent on Russian oil, and the EU on Russian gas.

Zelensky's comments come amid a string of long-range Ukrainian strikes on Russia's energy sector, including the key oil export terminal at the port of Ust-Luga outside St Petersburg.

"We have received messages from some of our partners asking about how our responses against Russia's oil sector - the energy sector - can be reduced," Zelensky said in the voice message.

"If Russia is ready not to strike Ukraine's energy, then we'll respond by not attacking theirs."

In response to surging energy prices triggered by the war in Iran and Tehran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz - a key shipping route - the US recently eased some sanctions it had imposed on Russian oil.

China and India remain the largest buyers of Russian crude oil, though, accounting for 85% of its exports in February, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Meanwhile, the EU is the largest buyer of Russian gas (34%) and LNG (49%).

After relentless Russian attacks on Ukraine's oil refineries, the latter now heavily relies on fuel imports - largely via Poland, Greece, Lithuania and Turkey.

Almost half of Ukraine's gas imports used to come from Hungary, but they were seemingly suspended Budapest accused Kyiv of stalling the repair of a pipeline carrying oil from Russia over it holding up an EU loan

The key targets of Ukraine's deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and the impact they have are a closely guarded secret, meaning there's little clarity there as well.

While strikes on Ukraine's energy have been in the news recently, defence factories have been hit as well.

Zelensky told journalists on Saturday that Ukraine's attacks on the Ust-Luga oil terminal earlier this week had knocked out 60% of the port's capacity.

Further attacks on the terminal took place overnight into Tuesday, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials. Local governor Alexander Drozdenko said there had been some damage and three people were hurt, including two children.

Last week, Zelensky visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan - all of which have been marauded by Iranian aerial attacks.

During the tour, he offered Ukraine's drone technology and expertise, and sought assistance in protecting Ukraine against Russian missile attacks.

While surging global oil prices mean an injection of cash into Russia's war economy, they also threaten Ukraine's ability to fight.

Responding to a BBC question on Saturday, Zelensky said the Ukrainian army had enough fuel for now, but that he had sought to secure more during his tour of the Gulf.

He also said that Ukraine, which successfully beat back Russia's attempts to stop grain exports via the Black Sea, had useful experience of unblocking trade routes when it came to the Strait of Hormuz.

Russian attacks have caused severe damage to Ukraine's energy system, in particular leaving more than a million people without electricity and heating in winter.

Wolf bites woman in shock German attack on busy Hamburg shopping street

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20qxjxe2nno, yesterday

A woman has been bitten by a wolf in a major shopping street in Hamburg, according to German authorities.

The highly unusual attack took place in the bustling Grosse Bergstrasse in Hamburg Altona, near an inner-city Ikea store on Monday evening.

The woman appears to have tried to lead the disoriented animal away from the shopping street. The wolf then bit the woman's face, according to local reports and then ran off.

The woman was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.

It's believed to be the first time a person has been attacked by a wolf since the animals began to reestablish themselves in Germany decades ago.

"There has not been a case like this since the reintroduction began in 1998," a spokeswoman for the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation told German press agency dpa.

The wolf was later spotted late on Monday night in the Binnenalster lake in Hamburg. Police managed to pull it out of the water with a rope.

But the animal put up a fight, and police armed with shields are reported to have spent around an hour trying to catch it.

Matthias Hilge, a spokesperson from Hamburg's Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture, Bukea, told the BBC that there have been several sightings of the wolf in recent days in the west of the city.

He said the wolf was in safety and being given veterinary care. "Bukea will decide on the animal's future arrangements in the near future, following close consultation with experts," he said.

It was only after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 that wolves began returning to Germany after 150 years of absence.

Initially a few animals returned via Poland and today wolves roam the forests of many German states.

Last week, Germany's Upper House, the Bundesrat, approved measures by Parliament to allow wolves to be hunted.

Under the Federal Hunting law, it will now be possible to hunt wolves in order to manage their populations and protect sheep and other livestock.

Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said wolves "must be allowed to stay".

"It is not a question of driving the wolf away again, but of finding viable ways to live peacefully alongside it," he said.

Wolf hunting season is scheduled to run from 1 July to 31 October.

Italian Christmas meal tragedy turns into murder inquiry

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cje470qgl1yo, yesterday

Italian prosecutors have opened a murder investigation following the deaths of a mother and her teenage daughter after a pre-Christmas meal last year.

Sara Di Vita, 15, and her mother Antonella Di Ielsi, 50, fell ill after a lunch in their hometown of Pietracatella, a small municipality 260km (161 miles) south-east of Rome.

Sara's father Gianni - the former mayor of Pietracatella - was also taken to hospital, but he later recovered. The couple's eldest daughter was not there that day.

Doctors initially attributed the symptoms to food poisoning, but the new focus comes after laboratory tests revealed the presence of a deadly poison, ricin, Italian media say - even though police still do not have a suspect.

Doctors are said to have thought the infection originated from either fish or mushrooms and discharged the mother and daughter after they went to hospital.

However, their symptoms quickly worsened and the pair were soon re-admitted.

Dr Vincenzo Cuzzone, head of the intensive care unit at Cardarelli hospital in nearby Campobasso, told Italian media that liver failure occurred first and was followed by multi-organ failure "at truly unparalleled speed".

Di Vita and Di Ielsi's deaths were initially attributed to medical negligence and doctors who discharged them were placed under investigation for manslaughter, Italian media report.

They published the test results carried out at laboratories in Italy and Switzerland.

Ricin, a highly toxic chemical, is a poison found naturally in castor beans.

Ingesting a tiny quantity can cause rapid organ failure and lead to death. There is no known antidote for ricin poisoning.

Devastated Italians reckon with 'third apocalypse' of World Cup failure

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj943rmkkm4o, today

Leaning against a wall near a news-stand in central Rome, Tommaso Silvestri, 65, scans the morning's front pages, their headlines swinging between "apocalypse," "scandal" and "disaster" after Italy's latest footballing collapse.

"We've made a real mess of it," he says, shaking his head. "We had players who couldn't even find the target."

"The golden days of Italian football are well and truly gone."

On Tuesday night in Zenica, four-time World Cup winners Italy failed to qualify for the tournament for a third consecutive time, losing 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina after being reduced to 10 men before halftime.

Since winning the World Cup in 2006, the Azzurri have largely disappointed in international tournaments - with the exception of their surprise victory at the Euros in 2021 against England at Wembley.

"We are what our results say we are," Silvestri said. "When you shoot and can't even hit the goal, you're not going to go far. When it comes to taking the game home, Italy just doesn't get there anymore."

Last night's defeat drew swift and emotional reactions across Italian politics and society.

"Everything has a limit," lamented Ignazio La Russa, president of the Senate and a senior figure in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party.

In a post on X, he wrote: "We're not going to the World Cup. We supported them, we hoped, we even railed against a couple of questionable refereeing decisions... but deep down we feared it. In fact, we knew it."

Gomorrah author and anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano also weighed in, pointing to deeper structural failures in Italian football, from governance to youth development.

"Clubs are corrupt and at the mercy of criminal organisations. True laundering vaults. No investment in young players, no care for second-generation talent. It's easier to buy foreign players than to develop new athletes," he said in a post on Instagram.

Across Italy, a legendary football nation with a rich history of producing world-class talent, many are wondering what went wrong. Giovanni Colli, 71, rolling his eyes while sipping an espresso at a café near the Pantheon, says he feels "betrayed."

"Not going to the World Cup three times in a row, how on earth did it happen? What a huge disappointment. Everyone should resign. Give the young players a chance," he says.

Italy's World Cup heartbreak was crystallised in the tear-streaked face of coach Rino Gattuso, who struggled to hold back his emotions after the national team's defeat.

"We don't deserve this, it's not fair. I'm sorry I couldn't make it happen," Gattuso said, eyes glistening, before retreating to the dressing room.

The legendary 2006 World Cup-winning midfielder was only given the job of coach last June.

Despite the disappointment, Gattuso expressed pride in his players: "I'm proud of my boys and what they gave on the pitch."

The match, decided on penalties after Italy were reduced to 10 men following Alessandro Bastoni's early red card, gave a brief moment of hope to Italians with Moise Kean's goal, only for it to end in dismay.

Gattuso admitted the team's shortcomings: "When you have chances and don't take them, football punishes you."

Reflecting on their elimination, he added: "This hurts. We gave everything we could. It's a real shock."

Sport journalist Elisabetta Esposito of La Gazzetta dello Sport told the BBC that Italian football was facing a difficult period - one that would take time to overcome, during which loyalty to individual clubs was outweighing support for the national team.

"The risk is that this third consecutive failure to qualify will deepen young people's disengagement from the Azzurri," she said.

"The disappointment is profound, but the country is not only disappointed but almost disillusioned. It's as if a new generation no longer knows what it means to cheer for their country."

Reflecting on Tuesday's match, Esposito added: "From a technical standpoint, everything went wrong. The team hasn't worked together enough. Rebuilding will require a long-term strategy, chasing immediate wins with rushed decisions won't succeed."

On a busy street in central Rome, 56-year-old Teresa is walking her dog among tourists and commuters rushing to work.

"Oh, we are not going to the World Cup?" she asks. "I don't know much about football, but that's a bit of disaster, isn't it?"

Huge fires at Russian oil facilities following Ukraine strikes, satellite images show

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qdwpnwzwpo, 2 days ago

Satellite imagery and verified videos show Ukraine has repeatedly struck key Russian oil export infrastructure near the Baltic Sea in the past week, leaving some facilities burning for several days.

BBC Verify has confirmed at least three oil sites in Russia's Leningrad region have been attacked since 23 March, including the ports of and Ust-Luga and Primorsk - and the inland Kirishi oil refinery.

On Tuesday, Ukraine drone forces commander Robert Brovdi said Ust-Luga had been struck again on Monday night "to keep the fire going".

Governor of Leningrad region Alexander Drozdenko said three people, including two children, were injured during the attack in which 38 drones were shot down.

According to analysis by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) 20% of Russia's total oil exports departed from Ust-Luga and 22% from Primorsk.

Recent data shows no ships were loaded with oil in any of Russia's three Baltic ports on 26 and 27 March, which Crea said is the first period of two consecutive days with no such activity since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Satellite images show enormous plumes of smoke rising from burning oil facilities in Primorsk on 24 March, as well as fires at Ust-Luga and extensive damage to Kirishi on 27 March.

BBC Verify's analysis of the pictures indicates:

* Primorsk - at least eight storage tanks destroyed or damaged

* Ust-Luga - at least eight tanks destroyed or damaged

* Kirishi - at least two storage tanks damaged

Nasa's satellite resource FIRMS, used to detect heat signatures on the Earth's surface, indicates Primorsk was still burning as of 02:54 BST on Monday and at Ust-Luga at 12:28 on Monday.

BBC Verify has also confirmed several videos showing the aftermath of attacks on all three facilities in the past week, including clips showing massive smoke plumes rising into the sky from Primorsk.

Brovdi had previously said an operation targeting these three Baltic oil facilities began on 23 March, saying the strikes were aimed at "demilitarising Russia's oil arteries, refining capacity and crude export infrastructure".

Ukraine's military has said the Kirishi refinery is among the three largest oil‑processing plants in Russia, including the production of "fuels that support the armed forces of the aggressor state".

At least 40% of Russia's oil export capacity was halted on 25 March following the first attacks, according to calculations by the Reuters news agency based on market data.

According to Crea's analysis, Russia earned about £7.1bn from oil exports in the final three weeks of March, as prices rose sharply due to disruption caused by the US-Israel war with Iran.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that allies have asked Kyiv to reduce attacks on Russia's energy sector because of the global energy crisis. He added they would only end if Russia stopped targeting Ukraine's energy system.

Alexander Lord, an analyst at UK-based intelligence company Sybelline, said it's "likely that Kyiv is attempting to offset the revenue windfall that Russian oil and gas exporters are otherwise currently enjoying".

But Lord added the longer the war continues, the more likely it becomes that the "US will attempt to pressure Ukraine to stop these targeted strikes, as part of wider efforts to suppress global oil prices".

Additional reporting by Daniele Palumbo and Yaroslava Kiryukhina

Céline Dion announces comeback shows: 'I'm so ready for this'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0708dkm2lko, 3 days ago

Céline Dion has announced her return to the stage, four years after she was diagnosed with an incurable condition that affected her singing voice and her ability to walk.

The star, known for power ballads like My Heart Will Go On and Because You Loved Me, will play a 10-night residency at the 40,000-capacity Paris La Défense Arena in September and October.

The announcement came on the day of her 58th birthday. In a message on her Instagram page, Dion called her comeback "the best gift of my life".

"I'm so ready to do this," she told fans. "I'm feeling good, I'm strong, I'm feeling excited, obviously, [and] of course, a little nervous."

Addressing her medical condition, Dion said: "I'm doing great, managing my health, feeling good. I'm singing again, even doing a little bit of dancing.

"But I have to tell you something very important: Over these last few years, every day that's gone by, I felt your prayers and support, your kindness and love.

She continued: "I am grateful to all of you. I can't wait to see you again."

High demand for tickets

Dion, who is one of the best-selling artists of all time, has not performed her own show since Newark, New Jersey on 8 March, 2020.

Her Courage tour was subsequently cut short by the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, before she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome and forced to cancel all future shows.

For her live return, all the concert dates are separated by several days, presumably to avoid undue strain on her physical health.

Tickets will go on sale from 7 April. Demand is expected to be astronomical, but fans can register interest on her official website from Tuesday, 31 March.

Plans for the comeback were initially leaked by the French-Canadian newspaper La Presse last week.

Soon afterwards, fans spotted posters featuring Dion's lyrics popping up around the French capital.

On Monday night, shortly after 8pm GMT, the Eiffel Tower lit up with the message, "Paris, je suis prête" (Paris, I am ready), and fans were treated to a playlist of songs including I'm Alive, Encore Un Soir and My Heart Will Go On.

Dion also recorded a French version of the video message announcing the tour, which was played over loudspeakers as the Tower was illuminated by purple lights.

Difficulty walking

Dion announced she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) in December 2022.

In an emotional Instagram video, she told fans the condition had affected "every aspect of my daily life".

Affecting an estimated 8,000 people worldwide, SPS is a neurological disease caused by the signals from the nerves to the muscles not working properly.

The condition causes muscle spasms and can affect mobility. For some, it can be debilitating. There is no known cure.

Speaking to the BBC in 2024, Dion said she had first noticed the symptoms when her voice played up on tour.

"It was just feeling a little strange, like a little spasm," she said.

"My voice was struggling, I was starting to push a little bit."

At the time, she felt it was impossible to take time off, and experimented with singing in a lower register to ease the stress on her vocal cords.

"These shows were sold out for a year and a half, going around the globe.

"And I'm going to say to people, 'Excuse me about my spasm? Excuse me about my je ne sais quoi?'"

However, the condition worsened, "sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to," she told NBC News.

"It's like somebody is strangling you. It's like somebody is pushing your larynx [or] pharynx."

However, Dion was determined not to let SPS rule her life.

In 2024, she told French Vogue magazine about the intense efforts she had made to combat the disease.

"The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it's over," she said.

"I've chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team.

"Five days a week I undergo athletic, physical and vocal therapy. I work on my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing, my voice."

The efforts paid off. Dion made an emotional comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics, singing Edith Piaf's classic Hymne à l'Amour from the Eiffel Tower.

That was also the first song played as her comeback shows were announced at the Eiffel Tower.

The Canadian star has long had an affinity for the city.

"I want to love more when I'm in Paris," she told Vogue in 2024. "It makes me love things more."

Céline Dion's concert dates

* Saturday, 12 September

* Wednesday, 16 September

* Saturday, 19 September

* Wednesday, 23 September

* Saturday, 26 September

* Wednesday, 30 September

* Saturday, 3 October

* Wednesday, 7 October

* Saturday, 10 October

* Wednesday, 14 October

All dates take place at La Defense Arena, Paris.

How deepfake porn scandal surrounding TV star rocked Germany

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9vlm4j47e2o, 4 days ago

It is a story that is gripping Germany and has led to one of its best known TV stars tearfully telling thousands of protesters from a stage in Hamburg how she had to wear a bulletproof vest, due to death threats.

A week ago Collien Fernandes, 44, accused her ex-husband of spreading fake, sexualised images of her online, in bombshell allegations first published by German news magazine Der Spiegel.

Her claims have triggered demonstrations, promises to tighten the law and criticism that Chancellor Friedrich Merz has bungled his response.

Fernandes' ex-husband, Christian Ulmen, denies the allegations and has not been charged. He is also taking legal action against the magazine that broke the story.

His high-profile media lawyers, Christian Schertz and Simon Bergmann, have told the BBC that Ulmen has never "produced and/or distributed deepfake videos of Ms Fernandes or any other individuals. Any such claims are false".

They argue that what happened between Fernandes and Ulmen is completely unrelated to the German debate surrounding legal loopholes in criminal law over deepfake pornography.

Ulmen and Fernandes were for years known as a prominent, celebrity couple chalking up extensive TV, presenting, production, writing and acting roles between them.

The pair's status as public figures partly explains why the case has captivated Germany.

But, regardless of the outcome of this case, it has also exposed anger about what campaigners say are glaring gaps in criminal law.

A group of 250 women from politics, business and culture has released 10 "demands" including the clear criminalisation of producing and distributing non-consensual sexualised deepfakes.

The group includes Labour minister Bärbel Bas from the centre-left SPD party, rapper Ikkimel and climate activist Luisa Neubauer.

Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig has announced plans to change the law so that the creation and distribution of pornographic deepfakes would become an explicit offence.

The crime would be punishable by up to two years in prison - according to draft plans seen by German media.

Currently under German law, only the dissemination of such pictures is potentially punishable if it is found to have breached someone's right to their own image.

Fernandes told thousands of protesters gathered in her native Hamburg on Thursday night of the abuse she has experienced since going public with her allegations.

"I'm standing here with a bulletproof vest under police protection… because men want to kill me."

She has claimed that her ex-husband confessed to her on Christmas Day 2024 that he had been spreading fake, sexualised images of her online.

"It was like receiving news of a death," she told Der Spiegel. "I couldn't speak, I couldn't cry."

That has been countered by Ulmen's lawyer Schertz, who says the key points that have been reported about Ulmen are "demonstrably incomplete and incorrect" and subject to legal proceedings.

Fernandes has filed a legal complaint in Spain, where the couple previously lived together, making allegations of threats and abuse.

However, Ulmen's lawyers have rejected her characterisation of the situation and say no "unilateral attribution of blame" has been made towards their client.

The TV presenter told German public broadcaster ARD that she chose to make a complaint in Spain as it has stronger gender-based violence laws than Germany - a country she describes as a "paradise for perpetrators".

There is no dispute that Fernandes has been a victim of AI-generated porn. The material is out there on the internet and her broader claims, about being the victim of online abuse, are not new.

She has previously spoken about this in a 2024 ZDF documentary entitled Deepfake porn: Digital abuse.

In November 2024, Fernandes lodged a criminal complaint in Germany against persons unknown, a month before she alleges that Ulmen confessed.

It has now emerged that an investigation in Germany has been reopened, in the wake of the Spiegel report.

The public prosecutor's office in Itzehoe, a small town near Hamburg, told the BBC that the prior investigation was discontinued last June as there were "no leads" about who may have allegedly created fake accounts in Fernandes' name.

"It should be noted that the presumption of innocence applies in favour of the accused," the prosecutor's office added.

The story is also putting political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has long been accused of being out of touch when it comes to younger, female voters - sometimes referred to by critics as his "woman problem".

When asked about violence against women in parliament on Wednesday, Merz said that there had been an "explosion" of violence in the physical and digital spheres with a "considerable portion" originating from immigrant groups.

The chancellor's remarks did prompt some applause in the Bundestag, among his own MPs in the conservative CDU party as well as from lawmakers in the far-right AfD.

However, others say his remarks were misjudged, including Clara Bünger of the Left party who told German TV: "Whoever points as a reflex to immigration in violence against women, downplays structural violence instead of fighting it."

Government figures show that non-Germans are over-represented as suspects in family and domestic violence cases, although exact nationalities are not specified.

Non-German suspects, in this case, are people who have either foreign nationality, are stateless or their nationality is unclear. Anyone who has both German and another nationality is considered German in these statistics, while a general migration background is not recorded.

Meanwhile, the number of female victims of violence and other crimes, in person and online, has risen to an all-time high in Germany, according to police crime statistics for 2024.

Arrests after €7m worth of cannabis seized

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm25l00klgpo, today

Cannabis with a street value worth €7m (£6.1m) has been seized in the Republic of Ireland.

Gardai (Irish police) carried out a series of planned searches at a property in Athy, in County Kildare, on Wednesday.

Two men in their 30s, one man in his 40s and a woman in her 20s were arrested at the scene.

In a statement, Gardai said the search was part of ongoing investigations under Operation Tara.

The seized drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis.

A senior investigating officer has been appointed and an incident room has been established at Carlow Garda Station.

Operation Tara was launched in July 2021 to target drug trafficking networks involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, sale and supply of controlled drugs.

Cancer charity welcomes return of Dublin-Donegal flight

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglvlzg1q1o, today

The return of an afternoon flight service between County Donegal and Dublin has been welcomed by a cancer charity.

A contract for the government-funded service, awarded to Emerald Airlines in January, had proposed removing the afternoon flight and replacing it with only morning and evening services.

Campaigners had warned that removing the afternoon flight could force cancer patients into costly overnight stays or exhausting alternative journeys if they were unable to access same-day flights due to the timing of medical appointments.

Mary Coyle, from Donegal Cancer Flights and Services, which helps organise flights for cancer patients, welcomed the return of the afternoon service.

The afternoon service will resume between Donegal Airport in Castlefin and Dublin Airport from 1 May, Ireland's Department for Transport has confirmed.

In a statement, the department said Minister Darragh O'Brien "listened to the concerns raised by passengers and stakeholders including Donegal Airport and Donegal Cancer Flights and Services".

The department said the return of the afternoon flight "reflects the importance of the route for regional connectivity".

Officials said this would "help ensure greater accessibility" for passengers needing same-day travel, including those attending medical appointments.

'Not taking this lying down'

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show on Wednesday, Coyle said this "is a hugely significant day in Donegal".

"We are absolutely delighted. We had a very strong campaign and were definitely not taking 'no' for an answer.

"We travelled to Dublin to meet officials and the minister, Darragh O'Brien, and told them we were not going to go away and would fight this until the end.

"We were not asking for more; we were simply asking not to have less."

Coyle said that more than 20,000 people had signed a petition in response to the proposed changes and that the people of Donegal were simply not going to take this lying down.

"We have well over 500 people who use these flights to Dublin," she said.

"These include people with cancer diagnoses, those undergoing treatment and family members travelling with them.

"We also have children with life-limiting or long-term illnesses and people waiting on transplants, so many view that flight as a lifeline."

Coyle said the charity worked closely with oncology departments in a number of hospitals to coordinate appointments, ensuring people from Donegal could secure earlier slots in the day and return home in time for their flights.

She said the return of the afternoon service was down to the "power of people".

Starmer holds off from emergency measures but warns storm is coming

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr9nq94vrwo, today

Even if the US and Israel had not struck Iran just over a month ago, Sir Keir Starmer probably would have been giving a press conference today - and it would have contained much of the same content.

April has long been earmarked in government as a crucial moment for the prime minister to advertise various decisions made previously which take effect either today or next week, for example increases in minimum wage rates and the abolition of the two-child benefit cap.

As the prime minister acknowledged, these are not new announcements. And some of them will continue to be criticised by his political opponents as the wrong priority for limited government resources.

Still, it was striking to see the prime minister today redeploy these announcements as part of an argument for why the UK was well-placed to handle whatever the economic impacts of this conflict turn out to be.

Otherwise, though, this was a prime ministerial address peppered with gloomy language. Sir Keir spoke of a coming "storm", which may well be "fierce".

If the prime minister's message could be summarised in just one sentence, it was his admission that "this will not be easy".

Sir Keir was using that phrase to describe both the general economic impact of the Iran conflict and the particular difficulties in getting the Strait of Hormuz open again.

Indeed, at one point he warned that even if the conflict ends that does not necessarily mean the strait will reopen.

"This will not be easy" would also serve perfectly well as a description of the political impact of this conflict for the prime minister.

It is a simple statement of political fact that no government welcomes an economic shock. Historically - both in the 1970s and over the past few years - incumbent governments across the world have been punished by voters in such moments.

In that political context, the prime minister has made three big calls, all of them on display at today's press conference.

First, while talking up the gravity of the moment, he has decided not to respond with emergency measures.

Other than a package of support for those who use heating oil, the government is warning that any support for household energy bills will not come until the autumn.

The prime minister argues that households are protected, first, by the energy price cap for the next three months, and then by the fact that when the current cap elapses it will be the summer, when energy use is lower.

This is one of the areas where Sir Keir is coming under most criticism from other parties.

To his left, the Greens say he should commit billions to subsidise energy bills from July, while to his right the Conservatives and Reform UK say VAT should be removed from household energy bills now.

The Liberal Democrats want to change how renewable energy projects are funded to reduce bills. Plaid Cymru is calling for more support for households and businesses, while the SNP argues independence would allow Scottish ministers to cut bills by reducing energy costs.

But household bills are just one element of this.

The prime minister has also resisted pressure, including from the Conservatives, Reform, the SNP and the Lib Dems, to introduce emergency measures to reduce fuel prices at the pump.

He insisted again today that the proposed increase in fuel duty in September was under review, but it is hard to find anybody in Westminster who believes this will go ahead. Some Labour MPs privately question why Starmer does not just say so now.

In holding off before taking action, the prime minister is putting himself out of step with some of his allies.

To take just one example, Australia - led by a Labour government from which this government often takes inspiration - has halved its fuel taxes.

On Tuesday, a member of the European Commission urged people to work from home, drive less, drive more slowly and fly less.

The UK government's messaging, while gloomy about the overall situation, is in starkly different place.

The second big call from Sir Keir is to embrace his disagreements with US President Donald Trump.

It's only a couple of months ago that the prime minister was still prioritising sticking close to the president as much as possible in order to protect the UK-US relationship.

That personal relationship has clearly ruptured in a serious way over Sir Keir's decision to resist US demands to play a bigger role in the war.

While insisting that the transatlantic alliance remains strong in terms of security and intelligence cooperation, the prime minister today emphasised, as he has done several times in recent days, that "this is not our war".

The third big call is related and formed a surprisingly prominent part of today's press conference: to use this moment to seek closer ties with the EU.

We already knew that there was going to be a second annual UK-EU summit in a month or two's time, and we already knew that the UK government hoped to use it not only to complete existing negotiations on areas of cooperation but also to seek deeper ties in other areas.

But Sir Keir's decision to emphasise it in today's press conference, called in the context of a spiralling conflict about which the UK and the US profoundly disagree, was deliberate and meaningful.

Having stressed the economic impact of the Iran conflict, the prime minister then stressed the economic dividends he hopes to secure from a closer post-Brexit relationship.

Notably, he said that Labour's 2024 general election manifesto still stood, which is to say the commitments that the UK would neither rejoin the EU's customs union or its single market.

But it feels increasingly like the government wants to get as close as possible to single market membership as it can from outside the bloc.

Of course, former Conservative prime minister Theresa May wanted that once too, but the EU resisted "cherrypicking" - the idea that the UK could have what it saw as the benefits of the single market (economic cooperation through shared regulations) without what it saw as the drawbacks (the free movement of people).

Those questions about economic support, the UK-US relationship and post-Brexit ties with Europe will now be at the heart of British politics as this storm gathers pace.

Russian oil tanker docks in Cuba ending near-total blockade

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyx1lrv0w5o, yesterday

A Russian-owned tanker carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil has docked on the northern coast of Cuba, ending a near-total fuel blockade by the US on the communist-run island.

The tanker's arrival marks the first crude oil shipment to dock in one of Cuba's ports since early January.

It follows an apparent softening in Washington's oil blockade, after President Trump said last weekend that he had "no problem" with countries sending fuel to Cuba.

The country has been hit by a series of nationwide blackouts, and most hospitals have been unable to operate normally, with severe rationing in place.

The Anatoly Kolodkin oil tanker arrived in the port of Matanzas, east of Havana, on Tuesday.

President Trump said on Sunday that he did not object to other nations sending oil to the island because Cubans "have to survive".

Cuba was cut off from oil supplies in January after US forces captured its main regional ally, Venezuela's socialist leader Nicolás Maduro - and Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sent oil to the island.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday: "We allowed this ship to reach Cuba in order to provide humanitarian needs to the Cuban people. These decisions are being made on a case-by-case basis."

However, Washington said there has been no change in policy and the oil blockade remains in place.

While the crude oil is now in Cuba, it still needs to be refined at an ageing refinery in Havana – a process which could take longer than a week.

The island has been feeling the effects of the blockade with most hospitals unable to function normally and schools and government offices being forced to close. Cuba's main economic motor of tourism has also been impacted.

Drivers have been limited to purchasing a maximum of 20 litres at petrol pumps, for which they must join a waiting list via a state-run app. Wait times can last several weeks, and the fuel must be paid for in US dollars.

Analysts have said the Russian oil would buy the Cuban economy only a few weeks. Jorge Piñón, an expert on Cuba's energy sector at the University of Texas at Austin, said the more urgent need is diesel, which could be used for backup power generators or for transportation systems.

Mexico demands answers after another migrant dies in ICE custody

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15dvdx32v0o, 2 days ago

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has vowed to take action after the death of another Mexican national in US immigration custody.

Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano died last week at a detention centre in Adelanto, southern California - the fourth fatality at the facility this year.

He is the 14th migrant to have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody this year. His cause of death has not yet been determined.

Mexico's government is filing a legal brief as part of a class-action lawsuit alleging unconstitutional conditions at the centre. The number of immigrants in ICE custody is among the highest ever, with 68,000 held as of last month.

Ramos-Solano, 52, died on 25 March while being held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, the agency said.

ICE said that Ramos-Solano, who had been convicted of possession of a controlled substance and theft, was in the US illegally.

Life-saving measures, including CPR, were immediately initiated as Ramos-Solano was found "unconscious and unresponsive in his bunk", but he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, according to ICE.

The agency said a medical screening of Ramos-Solano after his arrest in February found he had diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure.

It said he had "received constant medical care while he was in custody, including daily medication to treat his illness".

Ramos-Solano and the three others who died at the Adelanto ICE facility were Mexican nationals, raising this year's nationwide deaths in ICE custody to 14.

Last year, ICE hit a two-decade high when it reported 31 detainee deaths.

This year's death toll appears on track to outpace last year's as President Donald Trump's administration cracks down on illegal immigration.

President Sheinbaum told her daily morning press conference on Monday that Mexico was "going to take greater measures".

"We're going to take several steps to protest the death of yet another Mexican national in the United States," she said.

During a news conference at the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles on Monday, Ramos-Solano's children briefly spoke through tears.

"What happened to my dad was very inhumane," said his daughter, Gloria Ramos. "I think my family and I deserve to know the truth of what happened to my dad."

Vanessa Calva Ruiz, director general for consular protection and strategic planning, told the news conference: "The government of Mexico will exhaust all legal, diplomatic and multilateral avenues to demand justice."

Mexico's government said it supported a class-action lawsuit filed in January against the GEO Group Inc, a private contractor that operates the Adelanto facility.

The legal action alleges detainees at the detention centre face mould, disease, medical neglect and inadequate food and water.

Representatives for the Geo Group did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.

It has previously said its facilities offer round-the-clock medical care and are monitored by the Department of Homeland Security to ensure compliance.

Brazil judge blocks Sugarloaf Mountain zipline

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx29e3wljj2o, today

A judge in Brazil has blocked a project to build a zipline connecting the famous Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro to a nearby hill, Morro da Urca.

The attraction's developer said it would allow visitors to descend from Sugarloaf Mountain at speeds of almost 100km/h (62mph) via four ziplines covering a distance of 755m (0.47 miles).

The project - which started four years ago - had triggered protests from locals and environmentalists, who argued that the construction work was causing irreparable damage to the Unesco World Heritage Site.

The developer is expected to appeal against the decision.

Gricel Osorio Hor-Meyll, one of the activists who had led the campaign against the zipline told AFP news agency that the ruling was "a huge victory".

Those opposed to the attraction argued that in order to build the platforms needed to access the zipline, the rock on top of Sugarloaf Mountain would have to be excavated.

The company which manages the site said that excavation would be kept to a minimum by using areas with existing construction.

The project had the approval of both Rio City Council and the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN).

As part of Tuesday's ruling, the judge ordered that IPHAN and the project's developer pay 30m reals ($5.77m, £4.35m) in damages, stressing the "inestimable value of Sugarloaf Mountain, not only for Brazilians but for people worldwide".

The project has been at the centre of a legal battle for years and construction had been halted on a number of occasions as the company argued its case in court.

In January, construction work restarted after the high court had ruled that stopping would cause more damage than finishing the project at this late stage.

It added that the project was 95% completed.

That decision has now been overturned by Tuesday's ruling.

However, the legal saga is likely to continue with the company behind the project expected to lodge an appeal.

At least 16 killed and thousands displaced by gang attack in rural Haiti

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cql76l4221qo, yesterday

Police are trying to reach a gang-controlled area in central Haiti where at least 16 people have been killed in a series of attacks over the weekend.

While so far only 16 fatalities have been confirmed by police, a local journalist spoke of "around 20 dead", while one human rights group warned that the number of fatalities could be as high as 70.

Local rights activists said the Gran Grif gang, one of Haiti's most feared criminal organisations, was behind the deadly attacks, which they said had caused 6,000 people to flee.

Gang violence has ravaged the Caribbean country for years and the multinational police force sent to contain it has struggled to enter areas where gangs hold sway.

Residents of the rural area of Jean-Denis, near the town of Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite, said that a first attack took place in the early hours of Sunday.

They told Haitian news site Le Nouvelliste that gang members had "arrived from all directions", setting houses alight and shooting at those fleeing from the flames.

Survivors described finding bodies strewn on the road the next morning.

A second deadly attack reportedly occurred on Monday.

So far, 16 bodies have been taken to nearby morgues but with gang members still roaming the area, many locals are too afraid to collect the remains of those killed.

The ombudsman's office said at least another 19 people had sustained bullet wounds, adding that the continued presence of gang members was making it difficult to verify the number of victims.

Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, director of the Haiti Observatory at the non-governmental organisation Global Initiative, told the BBC the attack seemed to have been highly co-ordinated with roads reportedly blocked to prevent police from intervening.

As often in such large-scale attacks, it was preceded by warnings and criticism has been mounting over the authorities' failure to act on these advance signals, Le Cour Grandmaison says.

The attack is believed to have been led by a commander known as "Ti Kenken".

Formerly a leading figure in a vigilante group founded to protect locals from gangs, he switched sides and joined Gran Grif, the Haiti expert explains.

Le Cour Grandmaison warns that "Ti Kenken's" alleged role in the attack raises critical concerns.

"Vigilante brigades are often viewed as essential partners for holding territory and supporting the police - but what happens when allegiances shift?" he asks.

For Le Cour Grandmaison, there is not only a risk of escalating violence in which civilians are increasingly trapped or even targeted directly, but also a danger of further fragmentation where leaders like "Ti Kenken" move fluidly between roles such as vigilante, criminal and police ally.

This is not the first time residents of Artibonite - a mainly agricultural region - have been the targets of gang violence.

In October 2024, members of Gran Grif went on a deadly rampage in Pont-Sondé, accusing residents of the small town of siding with a rival gang.

The death toll in that attack rose to over 100 as more and more bodies were retrieved in its aftermath.

Gran Grif, the gang locals say was behind both the 2024 killings and this weekend's attacks in Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite, was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States in May of last year.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the time that Gran Grif, along with the Viv Ansanm coalition of gangs, were "the primary source of instability and violence in Haiti".

Rubio added that Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif's ultimate goal was to create "a gang-controlled state where illicit trafficking and other criminal activities operate freely and terrorise Haitian citizens".

The multi-national police force (MSS) deployed in 2024 to help Haiti's security forces confront the criminal groups has often found itself outgunned and outmanned.

A new, larger UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) is due to replace the underfunded MSS with its first officers due to arrive in April.

Judge rules Trump unlawfully terminated legal status of migrants who used US entry app

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g6rmlp2l5o, yesterday

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) overstepped its authority when it terminated the legal status of thousands of migrants who entered the US using a Biden-era programme, a federal judge has ruled.

Roughly 900,000 migrants who entered at the southern border using the app, CBP One, were generally allowed to remain in the US for two years and given "parole" from immigration laws to work in the country legally.

President Donald Trump's administration last year ended the parole programme and began to use the app for "self-deportations".

Tuesday's ruling restores status to individuals nationwide who received an email, or similar notification, from DHS cancelling their parole.

The Trump administration may seek to appeal the ruling, as they have frequently done in cases challenging their immigration policies. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

From 2023, under former President Joe Biden, the DHS began requiring many asylum seekers to use the app in an effort to better manage the southern border.

Last April, individuals who had entered the US at the southern border through the CBP One app received emails informing them: "It is time for you to leave the United States".

The email also stated that if they did not leave, they could be deported unless they "have otherwise obtained a lawful basis to remain here".

Their work authorisations were also revoked.

The Biden administration "abused the parole authority to allow millions of illegal aliens into the US which further fuelled the worst border crisis in US history", DHS told the BBC at the time.

On Tuesday, Judge Allison Skye Borroughs of the US District of Massachusetts of the wrote in her decision that "the parole terminations exceeded the agency's statutory authority and contradicted the procedures set forth in its own regulations".

Trump has reversed many of his predecessor's immigration policies and overseen sweeping crackdowns on undocumented immigrants in the US. DHS has urged undocumented people to "self deport", or risk detention and deportation.

Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward, one of the organisations representing the plaintiffs, said that the "ruling is a clear rejection of an administration that has tried to erase lawful status for hundreds of thousands of people with the click of a button".

The Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, and three women impacted by the reversal, sued the Trump administration over the policy change.

They alleged the termination was unlawful and violated the Administrative Procedure Act.

The loss of the CBP One programme meant that "they went from living in the United States legally to being deemed 'illegal aliens' overnight," their lawsuit stated.

"For many Venezuelan families, this decision brings long-awaited relief after months of fear and uncertainty," Carlina Velásquez, President of the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, said in a statement. "

The ruling is unlikely to guarantee permanent residency for many of the people who entered the country through the programme.

That policy only granted people two years of parole while they applied for asylum, meaning that some of the individuals may have already passed that deadline while others will see their status expire in the coming months.

In one of country's poorest states, Venezuelans hope for post-Maduro boom

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3dlxvmr5n0o, 7 days ago

"This is the first gas delivery since December," a woman says, as crowds huddle around rusty canisters in the Venezuelan fishing town of Guaca, rushing to carry them home on their backs in the baking sun.

Venezuelans rely on propane gas for cooking and shortages of basics like this are common here in Sucre, one of the country's poorest states.

The state lies hundreds of kilometres east of Caracas. It feels remote from the talk of new foreign investment and oil deals circulating in the capital since the US seized Nicolás Maduro on 3 January, restoring ties with the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez.

Yet for ordinary people, the pressing question is whether the influx of foreign cash after Maduro's fall will reach them - and consequently also help stem migration and trafficking.

In Sucre's state capital, Cumaná, residents have been without running water for two weeks.

The state government, led by Maduro allies, blames a pipeline damaged in an earthquake last month but locals insist the water supply has been unreliable for far longer, as a result of years of underinvestment.

Some resort to collecting water from a rubbish-strewn stream.

Petrol is scarce too, with supplies squeezed by distribution problems and reduced refining capacity.

Vehicles queue for miles along highways, often for hours, for fuel that many in the world's most oil-rich country cannot afford.

Venezuelans who were once among the most prosperous in the region now feel poorer than counterparts doing the same work elsewhere in Latin America.

"In Ecuador, a family could catch 100kg of fish, earn $500 [£431], pay for fuel and still have money left over," says Pablo Marín, a fisherman in Guaca. "Here, you catch 100kg and you must catch another 100 to cover your expenses."

Fishing is the main occupation in Guaca, and fishermen like Marín are paid in the Venezuelan currency, bolivars. But inflation has eaten away at its value, leaving it near-worthless in the many businesses that price their goods in dollars.

"Ten years ago, money had value, you could save. Now it's worth nothing," Marín explains, holding up a handful of bolivars.

Guaca is emblematic of the years of economic decline that, alongside corruption and repression, have driven millions out of Venezuela.

Fisherwoman Yurmari Martínez remembers a time, 20 years ago, when Sucre was a "place with potential". Back then, more companies processed and exported fish, creating competition that benefited fishermen, while other agricultural and manufacturing industries also thrived.

Fuel and raw material shortages, chronic underinvestment and nationalisations have hollowed out the local economy. That is why her 23-year-old son has dropped out of university: like many students, he is convinced that no qualification can lead anywhere.

"They feel that their dedication to their studies isn't worth it because of the situation in Venezuela," she says.

While there may not be many opportunities on land in Sucre, there is wealth off its shore. Oil giant Shell has long planned to develop a natural gas field located between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.

US sanctions had delayed the project, known as "Dragon". But since Maduro's removal from office, Shell has been granted new licences. And following a visit by US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum earlier this month, the company signed a deal with the Venezuelan government to begin developing the field.

Although the gas will be processed in Trinidad and Tobago for export, Shell says the project will benefit Venezuelans as well.

Christopher Sabatini, senior fellow at Chatham House, a London think tank, says such projects may bring some jobs and a short-term injection of cash to local communities. But, he warns, they rarely generate wider development on their own, and longer-term benefits depend on whether governments reinvest the revenues effectively.

Otherwise, he says, "companies come in, extract the resources, oftentimes with foreign equipment and engineers, then ship it".

With the US now overseeing much of Venezuela's oil revenue in what Sabatini calls an "unprecedented" situation, how the funds will be used remains an open question. Even then, he adds, major investments in infrastructure, electricity and housing "can't be turned around simply in months".

Omar Zambrano, a Venezuelan professor and chief economist at the Anova policy research consultancy, points to evidence from the 1990s that poverty fell and education improved in areas that received oil investment when the industry was opened to private companies.

But after "25 years of degradation of the country's institutional, productive, and social fabric", he says, the conditions for that are now far less favourable. That period spans the rule of Hugo Chávez and his successor Maduro, during which mismanagement, corruption and sanctions took their toll.

The result is all too visible in Sucre. Three hours east of Guaca, along heavily potholed roads with no mobile signal and few basic amenities, the town of Güiria is a case study of the consequences of decades of neglect.

In the months leading up to the seizing of Maduro, President Donald Trump accused Venezuela of "flooding" the US with drugs. Maduro stands accused of conspiracy to traffic cocaine into the US and will appear in court in New York later on Thursday.

Since September, US forces have carried out dozens of strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific targeting suspected drug boats, killing more than 160 people - and in Güiria, almost everyone knows one of them.

US officials described those on board as "narco-terrorists", but locals argue that their relatives were not members of cartels. Instead, they say that extreme poverty drove them to transport drugs on behalf of traffickers.

"People take the wrong path, out of necessity," says Diannys, a mother-of-five who says her husband was killed in a US strike in October.

She doubts US strikes will stop people from tying to "get ahead, to survive" where there are no job opportunities.

"There are people who may have done it for the first time, risking their lives to give their family a better future. Of course, it's not right," she says.

The brother of another man killed, who wanted to remain anonymous, says he understands why people take the risk. Work here, he insists, "doesn't pay".

He says that his brother fished and planted crops, but travelled to Trinidad for better pay. He was then "recruited" by traffickers looking for fishermen who can "handle the sea".

"I heard they offered him $10,000. I earn $10 weekly, enough for three meals."

Cuba's mothers-to-be prepare to give birth in a country plunged into darkness

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn53we5vll5o, 9 days ago

Since the Trump administration imposed a near-total fuel blockade on Cuba three months ago, Mauren Echevarría Peña has been inside a ward in Havana's specialist maternity and neonatal hospital.

Mauren, 26, is expecting her first baby, but her pregnancy has been complicated.

"I've had gestational diabetes and chronic hypertension," she explains, sitting on a bed at the Ramón González Coro maternity hospital.

With her baby boy due this week, Mauren is understandably nervous.

Not only has she had to endure weeks of bed rest and constant supervision, but she must now give birth in a nation experiencing rolling blackouts and days-long power cuts.

Over the weekend, there was another nationwide collapse of the crumbling electrical grid.

Still, Mauren is grateful for the attention she's received from the medical staff who have been working around the clock under extremely challenging conditions.

The BBC was granted access to the state-run facility as a coalition of international solidarity movements arrived in Havana with boxes of aid donations for the maternity hospital.

"They have done everything they can for me at the hospital," she says, while her doctors are in the room. "They've given me the medicines and insulin I need for the health of baby and the placenta."

Mauren strikes a defiant tone, saying that the country will always "find a way to move forward" in a crisis, but admits to being worried about the prospect of potentially giving birth during another blackout.

There are an estimated 32,800 pregnant women in Cuba at present, according to government statistics.

Most have not been able to count on the kind of support Mauren has received from the state.

At her home in a Havana suburb, Indira Martínez, who is seven months pregnant, has not been able to cook breakfast – or even make a cup of warm milky coffee – for days.

On the morning I visit her, the power has been out since the previous afternoon. The fridge lies empty, the electric stove is not working, and the only available cooking method is a small charcoal grill her husband built.

"You must get up in the small hours when the power comes back on to cook whatever is available. And often it doesn't contain the vitamins and proteins I need – and it definitely doesn't cover my increased appetite because of the pregnancy," she explains.

Although she is irrepressibly good natured and smiley, it is clear that the difficult circumstances are grinding down Indira's resilience.

A hair stylist, she has not been able to work because she cannot be exposed to the chemicals in the hair dyes while pregnant so the family relies on her husband's modest income as a blacksmith.

Indira's mother, a retired nurse, worries about her daughter's reduced caloric intake and her stress levels in these final weeks.

Indira has already had the mosquito-borne disease, chikungunya, in the first trimester during a nationwide outbreak in Cuba.

Although she was so weak she could barely walk to the bathroom, the doctors say, thankfully, her baby girl remains in good health.

On 3 January, elite US troops removed Cuba's ally, the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power in Caracas.

Since then, the Trump administration has, in essence, shut down all deliveries of crude oil to Cuba.

Washington warned the island's main energy partners, particularly Mexico, that they would be hit with tariffs if they sent any more fuel shipments to Cuba.

Instead, Mexico has sent hundreds of tonnes of humanitarian aid including powdered milk intended for pregnant mothers.

Indira says she hasn't seen any of it – and no additional state support at all.

"None of the humanitarian aid sent to Cuba has reached me," she comments.

"My husband and I didn't enter this pregnancy irresponsibly. We did it knowing full well that we can't rely on any help from the government. It's just us against the world!"

All they can do is pray that everything works out in the end, she adds.

Like Mauren, who is already in hospital and days away from giving birth, Indira is increasingly fearful of the birth itself and cannot help but picture herself in labour inside a darkened hospital ward as the child is delivered by mobile-phone light.

Hospitals have generators but are struggling to source the fuel to run them.

However, her fears extend beyond the pregnancy and into the life which awaits her daughter – to be named Ainoa – in Cuba.

"How am I going to tell her she has no prospects in life? Because she won't have any," says Indira with clarity and resignation.

Education has long been one of the pillars of the Cuban Revolution but like so much on the island, Indira says it has deteriorated through lack of investment and through a lack of qualified teachers.

Furthermore, she says the dire economic situation on the island forces young people to do things to earn a little more money than the minuscule state wages: Indira was a trained IT systems technician before she turned to hairdressing and her husband was an accountant before having to pick up his tools as a blacksmith.

"As a parent, one would like to offer your child a real life and to motivate them. But I have no basis to tell her that she has a meaningful future ahead of her or can maximise her full intellectual capacity.

"If I say that, I'll be lying. She'll have no opportunity for growth here, none."

It is a thoroughly depressing and bleak conclusion to what is so often depicted as a time of expectation, of excitement even, and hope.

Cuba has an ageing population, a very low birth rate and huge outward migration. Despite the current crisis, the island needs more of its young people to have children.

But even before the crippling fuel blockade was imposed, many young Cubans were thinking twice before starting a family on the island.

Little wonder, as Mauren's baby boy – and probably Indira's baby girl, who is not due for two months – will be born into, quite simply, some of the hardest times in the modern history of their birthplace.

Colombia's budding tech scene needs a cash boost

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g2kyg4e78o, 13 days ago

Visit Bogota and it's hard to miss the Rappi bikes with bright orange bags featuring a moustache motif whizzing around the city dropping deliveries off.

The on-demand Colombian delivery platform is lauded as the country's most successful tech start-up, with the unicorn (a company valued at over $1bn [£750m]) said to be worth more than $5bn, and attracting over 35 million active monthly users.

Rappi's success signals a bigger change happening in Colombia – the country has shaken off its dangerous reputation, especially since the 2016 Peace Accord. It has become a magnate not only for tourists, but also immigrants moving to destinations such as Medellín and Bogotá from the likes of the US, Canada and the UK.

The country has become a key business hub with an emerging start-up scene. In a report published by KPMG last year, the accountancy multinational counted 2,100 start-ups in Colombia, up 24% from the year before.

"The country is in second position among the best start-up ecosystems in Latin America after Brazil," says Maria Peñaranda, manager of emerging giants and innovation at KMPG Colombia.

Almost 80% of the country's start-ups are early stage, she says, demonstrating a dynamism in the creation of new companies.

"Long-term cases like Rappi continue to influence the ecosystem as catalysts for talent recycling and investor confidence," says Peñaranda.

She mentions other success stories: global payments firm Yuno and renewable energy company Erco Energy who have both transitioned into established companies with revenues of more than $10m and expanded across regions.

Another start-up doing well is Foodology, which creates virtual restaurants, where the food is cooked in so-called dark kitchens.

Founded in Bogota in 2019, the company has raised over $60m, employs more than 800 people, and claims to be fully profitable.

Most of the restaurant brands it runs in Colombia are its own. "I wanted to find a way that Colombia could get amazing food, but faster and in an a more innovative way," says Foodology co-founder and chief executive Daniela Izquierdo.

"We have thousands of digital storefronts. You're taking in orders for one single kitchen from around 400 different places. We built a big piece of software that is managing inventory and making sure they're showing the same menu and the same product availability."

She says they are now licensing out the software.

In Colombia many start-ups look to quickly expand to other markets. "Colombia is not a huge market on its own, so founders usually start a company there and expand to say Mexico or Brazil," says Izquierdo.

Foodology is an example of that - it has since expanded to Mexico and Peru.

While it's been boomtime for Foodology, it's a different proposition for many other start-ups, which are struggling for investment.

In 2019 SoftBank launched an innovation fund specifically targeting start-ups in Latin America.

"That changed the dynamic and created a positive news cycle, and Latin America attracted a lot of attention," says Colombian-based Daniel Vásquez, managing partner of US-based venture capitalists Actions Capital.

"But the majority of those investments haven't been successful for different reasons." He says this has led other investors to retreat.

"The Latin America market had a big boom in 2021 to 2022, but in recent years the market hasn't been great for Latin America," says Izquierdo.

"The [US] stock market plummeted and VC funding generally across the world slowed down. And while VCs will say they want to invest some in emerging markets, when the market is going down, I feel that's like the first thing that goes. So, there's been like very little venture capital investment."

With so few investors in the country, Colombian companies need to look elsewhere for financial injection.

"If you want to be a venture-backed company, you have to look outside of Colombia as there are very few VCs there," says Vásquez.

"I've seen good companies fail… because they're burning money and they just can't find that next round to continue the trajectory that will eventually make them a profitable businesses. It's very difficult for start-ups to fundraise."

Vásquez says for the future of start-ups to be brighter, there needs to be more success stories and for the market to mature.

"We need the local institutions, businesses and families, to invest more in technology. I think we, Latin America, invest very little in R&D and when VCs come and they see that locals are under-investing in technology they see that as a sign of little opportunity. That message needs to change."

Brynne McNulty Rojas says she benefited from a more fortunate and different investment backdrop when she and her co-founder were raising money for their Bogotá-based property tech company Habi.

It specialises in the purchase and sale of used homes, and offers other services such as financing, listings and mortgage brokerage, and has helped digitise the buying and selling of property.

"When we set out to raise money in 2019, there was a newer interest and excitement about the region than there had been, say, five to 10 years prior. There was more accessibility of capital," she says.

Set up alongside Colombian Sebastián Noguera, Habi has emerged as a leader in the Latin American tech sector, with unicorn status after a $200m round of funding.

Still, McNulty Rojas says she "would love to get more local investors".

"It's great to have local individuals or institutions because it helps get things done on the ground."

Despite the financial challenges, she would recommend Colombia to other entrepreneurs.

"It's a great place to build because the talent is there, and then I think the market is there. We've been really lucky, and I've loved working in Colombia."

Two Cuba-bound aid ships found days after disappearing

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clye4w10g22o, 5 days ago

Two boats filled with humanitarian supplies travelling from Mexico to Cuba have been located days after contact with them was lost in the Caribbean.

The Mexican Navy said one of its aircraft had spotted the vessels some 80 nautical miles (148km) from the Cuban capital, Havana.

A spokesman for the Nuestra (Our) America Convoy said earlier that the crew were safe. Neither he nor the Mexican Navy gave any explanation about why the Friendship and Tiger Moth had disappeared.

The boats are among several vessels that have sought to carry supplies to the island nation since the US imposed an oil blockade in January, prompting a chronic fuel shortage.

They departed Isla Mujeres, in Mexico's easternmost state of Quintana Roo, on 20 March, and had been due to arrive at their destination on Monday or Tuesday.

There are nine crew members - from Poland, France, Cuba and the US - on board.

"The vessels are continuing their journey to [the Cuban capital] Havana," the Nuestra America Convoy spokesman said.

"The convoy remains on track to complete its mission - delivering urgently needed humanitarian aid to the Cuban people."

In a post on X, the Mexican Navy it was in radio contact with the boats and was sending a vessel of its own to the area "to provide support".

Volunteers and non-governmental organisations have largely spearheaded efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Cuba since US President Donald Trump's oil embargo on the communist-run country began.

The UN has warned Cuba faces "dire" supply shortages, with more than 50,000 surgeries cancelled in Cuba as fuel supply constraints and ageing infrastructure have caused multiple nationwide blackouts.

Coupled with shortages of food and medicine, the situation has triggered rare public dissent in the form of street protests.

Earlier in the week, the Cuban government celebrated after receiving another boat carrying 14 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the island.

The vessel, dubbed "Granma 2.0" after the boat in which [the late Communist leader] Fidel Castro returned to Cuba to launch its 1950s revolution, delivered solar panels, medicines, baby formula, bicycles and food.

Since the US seized former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January and cut off the supply of oil from Venezuela - a staunch Cuban regional ally - Trump has turned his attention to the Caribbean island.

He has threatened tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba, has spoken of a "friendly takeover" of the nation and has urged it to "make a deal" or face unspecified consequences.

The Cuban government has confirmed it is in talks with the US to resolve their differences, but has insisted that "the political system of Cuba is not up for negotiation".

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the system in Cuba had to change if it wanted a better future.

"You need to change the people in charge, you need to change the system that runs the country, and you need to change the economic model that it's following," Rubio told reporters in France, where he attended a meeting of foreign ministers from the most advanced Western economies, known as the G7.

The US secretary of state denied there was a naval blockade around the island.

"The reason why Cuba doesn't have oil and fuel is because they want it for free," Rubio told reporters before leaving Paris.

"And people don't give away oil and fuel for free on a regular basis, unless it was the Soviet Union subsidising them or Maduro subsidising them.

"And the reason why they're having blackouts is because they have equipment from the 1950s and '60s that they never maintained or kept up."

Brazil's Bolsonaro gets temporary house arrest for ill-health

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cge0950jxd0o, 8 days ago

A judge in Brazil has ruled that jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro can be placed under house arrest for the next three months because of poor health.

Bolsonaro, 71, was taken two weeks ago from his cell to a private clinic, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia and treated in an intensive care unit.

He has since been discharged from intensive care but his lawyers have argued that his recurrent health problems, many of which stem from a knife attack he suffered in 2018, warrant him being granted house arrest for humanitarian reasons.

Bolsonaro, who governed from January 2019 to December 2022, was sentenced to 27 years in jail for leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power.

Previous requests by his lawyers to allow him to serve his sentence in the confines of his home were rejected.

But on Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes granted the request for an initial period of 90 days from the day of his discharge from hospital.

Moraes said that after that period, Bolsonaro's situation would have to be re-assessed.

The judge, who also presided over the court case in which Bolsonaro was found guilty, also ordered that the former president wear an ankle monitor.

After he was convicted in September, Bolsonaro spent some time under house arrest while his lawyers appealed against his sentence.

But in November he was moved into a police cell after he tried to remove his ankle monitor with a soldering iron.

He later blamed the incident on "paranoia" induced by the medication he was taking.

Judge Moraes ruled at the time that Bolsonaro was a flight risk and ordered his arrest.

In Tuesday's ruling, the judge laid down strict rules by which Bolsonaro must abide while he is serving his sentence at home.

He will not be allowed to use a phone or social media and the only visits he can receive are those by his family, lawyers and medical personnel - which will be restricted to limited periods.

Since being jailed, Jair Bolsonaro - who is banned from running for public office after being convicted - has backed his son Flávio as his preferred candidate for the presidential election in October.

The 44-year-old senator has been gaining ground in opinion polls, with one recent survey suggesting he is neck to neck with the incumbent, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, should the election go to a run-off.

Death toll from Colombian military plane crash rises to 69 as search ends

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8ejkz89k1ro, 9 days ago

Sixty-nine members of the Colombian security forces have been killed after a military plane crashed in the south of the country on Monday.

The military announced on Wednesday that it had finished search and rescue operations.

Fifty-seven people were also injured when the Hercules C-130 plane came down shortly after take-off near Colombia's border with Peru. Many were pulled out of the burning wreckage and taken to hospital by locals, who put them on the backs of their motorbikes.

An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the accident.

A total of 126 people were on board the transport plane, the Colombian armed forces said on Wednesday, updating the previous figure of 128.

The plane had been travelling from the town of Puerto Leguízamo to Puerto Asís.

In a series of posts on social media, Colombian President Gustavo Petro appeared to blame antiquated military hardware for the accident.

Talking about the victims, but without mentioning the Hercules plane directly, he wrote: "This piece of scrap metal was bought in 2020 and came down, let's ask why."

In an earlier post, he blamed "bureaucratic problems" for holding up his plans to modernise the armed forces' equipment and their aircraft.

"I will allow no further delays, the lives of our young people are at stake," he wrote.

Mobile phone footage shared on social media showed the plane losing height shortly after take-off, followed by a large plume of smoke rising from the crash site and the sound of explosions.

Colombia's defence minister said the sound came from ammunition on board blowing up in the flames.

He added that there was no indication that the plane had come under attack from any of the armed groups which are active in the Putumayo region.

A local farmer told AFP news agency that he had heard a loud bang before the Hercules crashed into trees near his home. "I felt an explosion in the air and, when I looked up, the plane was flying close to the house on my plot," Noé Mota said.

According to the latest update from the armed forces, 113 members of the army, two police officers and 11 crew members were on board.

The crash is the second time a Hercules C-130 has been involved in a deadly accident in as many months.

On 27 February, a Hercules C-130 belonging to the Bolivian army, carrying a shipment of banknotes, overshot the runway on its approach to the airport in El Alto, in Bolivia, and crashed into traffic on a nearby highway.

Twenty-four people were killed in that incident.

US journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yled478zwo, yesterday

A US freelance journalist has been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, and one of the suspects is linked to an Iran-backed militia, Iraqi and US officials say.

Shelly Kittleson was abducted on Tuesday evening, said Al-Monitor, a news outlet for which she has contributed articles.

The Iraqi interior ministry said security forces had chased the reporter's abductors in a pursuit that resulted in one of the kidnappers' cars overturning and the arrest of one suspect.

A US state department official said an individual with ties to an Iranian-aligned militia group, Kataib Hezbollah, was detained by Iraqi authorities.

Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, confirmed the abduction of an American journalist, without naming Kittleson.

He posted on X: "The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible."

It is understood that US officials had contacted Kittleson a number of times to warn of threats against her, including as late as Monday night.

The US state department said in a statement to the BBC: "Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time."

Al-Monitor, which is based in the US, said local news reports indicate Kittleson was taken near a hotel in the heart of the capital.

It added that the state department had confirmed it "is aware of Kittleson's kidnapping and working with the Iraqi government to secure her release".

Al-Monitor said it was "deeply alarmed" by her kidnapping, and called "for her safe and immediate release".

An Iraqi official confirmed to the BBC's US partner CBS that local authorities were working "at the highest level" to release Kittleson.

Her emergency contact Alex Plitsas, a CNN national security analyst, told CBS that Kittleson had been warned by the US government about a specific threat to her from Iran-backed paramilitaries.

Kataib Hezbollah was said to be plotting to kidnap or kill female journalists.

Plitsas said Kittleson had been warned that her name was on a list in Kataib Hezbollah's possession. A second source confirmed she had been told of a risk, but thought it was false information.

The interior ministry statement said in a statement translated from Arabic: "Security forces immediately launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators, acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations, tracking the kidnappers' movements."

It added: "The pursuit resulted in the interception of a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers, which overturned as they attempted to escape."

The interior ministry did not identify the suspect, calling the abductors "unknown individuals".

"The Ministry affirms that efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining perpetrators and secure the release of the abducted woman, and to take due legal action against all those involved in this criminal act, in accordance with the law," it added.

Kittleson, based in Rome, Italy, has covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. According to her bio on X, she has worked for numerous publications.

The FBI, National Security Council, state department, Delta Force and the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service were in contact about her abduction, sources familiar told CBS.

Baghdad was once notorious for kidnappings, but abductions have decreased as the security situation in Iraq has improved in recent years.

Israel intensifies Lebanon attacks and hits areas not in Hezbollah's control

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg07j6yeweo, yesterday

Israel has intensified its attacks on Lebanon this week, hitting areas outside of Hezbollah's control on Tuesday.

Strikes without warning hit a vehicle north of Beirut and the Jnah neighbourhood in the heart of the capital.

Attacks also continued in the city's southern suburbs and the country's south, both where Hezbollah has a strong presence.

A building was destroyed on the road to Beirut's airport after an evacuation order, and in the south, a strike hit a health facility, killing a paramedic, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

Israel's military said it had hit Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut and killed a senior commander and another senior figure from the Iran-backed armed group.

Hezbollah joined the ongoing regional war on 2 March, sending missiles towards Israel, after the US and Israel attacked the armed group's ally Iran on 28 February.

Israeli attacks have kept bombarding Lebanon as its troops have moved into the country's south.

On Tuesday, a vehicle was targeted in the Mansourieh area, a predominantly Christian residential neighbourhood north of Beirut.

Meanwhile, the Jnah neighbourhood in the heart of the capital was attacked after midnight. The Lebanese health ministry said the Al-Zahraa Hospital had received and treated "a number of those injured in the air strike".

Hassan Jalwan, who lives near Jnah, told AFP he heard several "big explosions" overnight.

"Nobody knows what's happening," he said, adding that "displaced people have been sleeping in the open" in the area.

The Dahieh neighbourhood to the south of Beirut, where Hezbollah has a strong presence, continues to be a target. A building was destroyed on Tuesday in Ghobeiry on the road to the airport following an evacuation order.

Also on Tuesday, Lebanon's health ministry said at least seven people had been killed by Israeli strikes in the country's south, including the paramedic.

The number of health workers who have been killed since the start of the war has now reached 53.

Earlier, the Lebanese army cleared its last positions in the south, pulling out from Ain Ibel and Rmeish villages a day after an army checkpoint was hit and a soldier was killed by an Israeli air strike, according to the Lebanese Armed Forces. The Israeli military has not appeared to have commented yet on the reported death.

However, some residents of the villages refuse to leave.

In the predominantly Christian village of Rmeish, Father Najib Al Amil appeared in a video on social media, where he said: "There is grass and soil. We rely on God and will stay in our village. We either all die together and lose our land or live and our villages will live with us."

Israel has announced its decision to control large swathes of land in southern Lebanon - up to the Litani River, about 30km from the border with Israel - to create a buffer security zone.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would keep security control over the territory even after the end of the current war against Hezbollah. The plan has drawn criticism from the UN.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave the south, but there are still tens of thousands who have refused to go.

Supply lines to the south have been cut by Israel targeting bridges and infrastructure, making villages in the south uninhabitable.

Katz said more than 600,000 displaced Lebanese residents would be "completely prohibited" from returning to that area until the safety of residents of northern Israel was guaranteed.

The Israeli defence minister also said all houses in villages near the border in Lebanon will be destroyed "according to the model of Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza".

In total, 1,268 people in Lebanon have been killed since the beginning of the attacks, the country's health ministry said on Tuesday.

More than one million people have been displaced, the UN reported.

This is critical time for Lebanon and the residents of the south. Many see Israel's strategy in the south mimicking that of Gaza - destruction, depopulation and occupation.

The government said earlier that this constitutes a violation of the country's sovereignty.

South Lebanon previously lived under Israeli occupation for nearly 18 years, between 1982 and 2000.

Some Lebanese have lived the displacement and loss of land generation after generation.

Many in Lebanon believe that Israel is more powerful than Hezbollah and capable of destroying the south with its advanced missiles and drones. At the same time, if Israel is to stay in the south, Hezbollah is more powerful on the ground and can engage in a guerrilla war to wear out the Israelis and prevent them from staying put.

In short, for the hundreds of thousands who have been forced out of their homes, this war is not ending anytime soon.

'You're no longer my sister' - rows erupt as war divides Iranian families

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9mvzpvr7xo, yesterday

"He said to her: 'You're no longer my sister', and she told him to go to hell."

This argument between a man and his sister in a city near Tehran - witnessed and recounted by one of their relatives - gives a telling insight into the painful rows erupting among families and friends as US and Israeli strikes continue.

The relative, who we are calling Sina, says that when his family recently got together at his grandmother's house, emotions quickly exploded, exposing stark divisions.

His uncle, a member of the Basij - a volunteer militia often deployed to suppress dissent in Iran - refused to even greet his own sister, who is opposed to the ruling regime.

After their exchange, the uncle was "very quiet… and left early", Sina says.

He and other young Iranians have described emotional scenes as rifts open up over the war.

Even among those opposed to the government, there are deep divisions over whether the war will help or hinder attempts to bring about change.

Despite the government-imposed internet blackout, the BBC has been able to maintain contact with some of the few Iranians who have found ways to remain online.

Iranians can be sent to prison for speaking to certain international media. But even so, over the month-long war, these contacts have been sharing information through intermittent text messages and occasional voice calls.

Their initial responses of shock and fear have given way to attempts to adapt, switching locations and changing routines. They describe the details of their lives; practising yoga despite the sounds of explosions, eating birthday cake alone and venturing out to near-empty coffee shops.

And, in some surprisingly personal notes, they have shared details about how the conflict is affecting their relationships. All of the names in this article have been changed.

Towards the end of March, Iranians celebrated Nowruz, the Persian new year festival that marks the spring equinox and is often a time when families get together.

Sina, who is in his 20s, is opposed to the clerical establishment and continues to support the Israeli and US air strikes, believing that they will help bring the regime down.

He says his uncle, the Basij member, had not attended Nowruz family gatherings in recent years, but turned up this time, to the surprise of his family. Usually, "we don't talk to him, nor to his children", says Sina.

He says he has barely spoken to his uncle since major protests in 2022 following the death in custody of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, who was accused of not wearing the compulsory hijab properly.

More recently, Iran saw an unprecedented crackdown by the Basij and other security forces on protests that swept across the country in December and January. At least 6,508 protesters were killed and 53,000 arrested, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Sina says that, according to other relatives, his uncle was so angered by the protests that he said even if his own children went onto the streets and were killed, he wouldn't go to collect their bodies.

And yet, Sina says, his uncle seems to be "afraid of dying" in the war and appears to have been trying to improve relations with some family members, including his own mother, Sina's grandmother.

At Nowruz, he and his wife "just looked really down and helpless", says Sina. "I didn't get into an argument with them. They should be in prison."

Another young man, Kaveh from Tehran, spent Nowruz alone.

He says his relationship with his sister, who is also a Basij member, was already difficult. After he joined the 2022 protests, he says, she became critical of his activities and unsympathetic over the deaths of friends of his in the January protests.

Kaveh has been providing internet access to friends and family via SpaceX's Starlink, which offers connectivity via satellites. In Iran, owning or using Starlink terminals is punishable by up to two years in prison.

He initially joined his family for the holiday, but he says he left the place where they were staying and later returned to find his sister had disconnected his Starlink and the devices connected to it. When he challenged her, a row broke out, he says.

"I can't stand her anymore… I just had a fight and said I can't stand it and I left," he says.

"I was so excited about Nowruz. I packed my clothes and wanted to be there with the family," Kaveh said over an encrypted line as he travelled home alone. "But now I don't feel it at all."

Most Iranians have no internet access. Starlink devices are expensive as well as illegal, so those who have access tend to be relatively wealthy. A few others manage to connect via VPNs.

Most Iranians who agree to speak to BBC Persian are opposed to the Iranian regime. But even among the government's critics, there are deep differences over this war and its impact.

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 1,900 people have been killed in Iran by the US and Israeli strikes, while HRANA puts the total at over 3,400, more than 1,500 of them civilians.

Maral, a student in her 20s in the city of Rasht in northern Iran, has become very frustrated with her father for his continued support of the war.

He is an enthusiastic supporter of Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince of Iran before the 1979 revolution.

Pahlavi now lives in the US and has positioned himself as a potential transitional leader of the country. He supports the US and Israeli strikes on Iran despite mounting casualties, describing the attacks as a "humanitarian intervention" and recently urging the US to "stay the course".

He has gained traction in Iran in recent months as an opposition figure, with some demonstrators in the January protests chanting his name.

"I just want this war to end as soon as possible," says Maral. "Many ordinary people have died."

She says she gets "annoyed" because her father is "really optimistic", even as the bombs fall.

"We try to talk to him, but he just keeps going on about 'the Prince, the Prince,'" she says.

"My dad lives in this illusion that Iran will open up its borders and within five years everything will be rebuilt, everything will be fine. He's being influenced by Israeli propaganda that the two countries will be friends."

Her father and mother often argue about Pahlavi, she adds.

Meanwhile, Tara, a woman in her 20s in Tehran, says her close family members initially criticised her for being opposed to the war.

"They all support attacks on Iran… My mum and sister told me: 'You haven't lost anyone [during the protests], that's why you are against the strikes. You don't want your routine, exercise and coffee catch-ups to get disrupted… If they [the regime] had killed one of your friends or relatives [during the protests] you would have a different opinion.'"

But Tara says: "Thousands of innocent people could be killed in the war as well, without anyone even remembering them."

However, she says, her sister's view – like that of several other Iranians the BBC has heard from - has softened as the attacks have continued. More recently, after a nearby area was hit, she says her sister simply said: "I hope the war finishes soon."

And despite their differences, the family still try to go everywhere together, Tara says. That way, "we would all die together if they hit us".

Israel says it will keep control over part of southern Lebanon after war with Hezbollah ends

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yx8knpr5no, yesterday

Israel's defence minister has said a buffer zone will be set up inside southern Lebanon and that Israel will keep security control over a swathe of the territory even after the end of the current war against the armed group Hezbollah.

Israel Katz said the area to be occupied would go up to the Litani River in southern Lebanon - about 30km (18.6 miles) from the border with Israel.

He also said all houses in Lebanese villages near the Israeli border would be demolished.

Lebanon's Defence Minister Maj Gen Michel Menassa said Katz's remarks reflected "a clear intention to impose a new occupation of Lebanese territory". European nations, Canada and the UN also criticised Israel's announcement.

Israel sent ground troops into southern Lebanon on 2 March and has also been launching broad strikes across the country.

The action was taken after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for Israel's assassination of Iran's supreme leader in late February, at the start of the war with Iran.

Israel was also carrying out near-daily strikes on Hezbollah before that despite a ceasefire that was agreed in 2024.

Since early March, at least 1,238 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry, including at least 124 children. The UN's humanitarian affairs office says 52 health workers have also been killed.

In the same period, 10 Israeli soldiers and two Israeli civilians have been killed by Hezbollah attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Others killed in the south in recent days include three Indonesian peacekeepers, and three Lebanese journalists, according to the UN and the Lebanese health ministry.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it killed two of the journalists, describing them as "terrorists" without providing evidence to back up its claims. It also said it was aware of reports a female journalist was killed.

It has not yet been established who killed the peacekeepers.

More than a million people - roughly one in every six in the country - have also been displaced, worsening an existing humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.

Israeli officials say the aim is to protect communities in northern Israel from Hezbollah attacks.

Speaking in a video statement published by the defence ministry on Tuesday, Katz gave further details on Israel's military intentions in southern Lebanon.

"At the end of the operation, the IDF will establish itself in a security zone inside Lebanon, on a defensive line against anti-tank missiles, and will maintain security control over the entire area up to the Litani."

"In addition, the return of more than 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon who evacuated northward will be completely prohibited south of the Litani until the safety and security of northern residents are ensured," he added.

"All houses in villages near the border in Lebanon will be destroyed - according to the model of Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza - to remove, once and for all, the threats near the border to northern residents," he said.

Katz had already announced the intention to create a buffer zone in the south of Lebanon earlier in the month. He had also already said displaced residents would not be allowed back until northern Israel was safe and that houses would be demolished.

But his latest statement goes a step further than his last, as he said Israeli troops would stay in the region after Israel's war with Hezbollah ends.

Lebanon's defence minister said Katz's remarks were "no longer mere threats", but reflected "a clear intention to impose a new occupation of Lebanese territory, forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of citizens, and systematically destroy villages and towns in the south".

Addressing the UN Security Council from Beirut on Tuesday, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said "the current escalation is compounding a situation that is already critical".

He said 51 primary healthcare centres and four hospitals had closed due to hostilities, with others damaged or operating at reduced capacities.

"Given the intensity of the coercive displacement that we are seeing, how should we prepare, collectively as the international community, for a new addition to the list of occupied territories?" Fletcher asked the council.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called Israel's deployment of ground troops in Lebanon an "illegal invasion", which violates its "integrity and sovereignty".

"The government of Lebanon has banned Hezbollah, is taking action, is trying to take action against Hezbollah and their terrorist activities and their threats to Israel, and that is the purported justification for this invasion," Carney said.

A joint statement signed by the foreign ministers of 10 European countries, including the UK, France and Italy, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, urged Israel to avoid widening its military operations in Lebanon and to respect the country's territorial integrity.

They expressed their "full support to the government and the people of Lebanon, who are once again suffering the dramatic consequences of a war that is not theirs".

The ministers added that "the responsibility for the situation lies with Hezbollah", and called for the group to stop its attacks in support of Iran against Israel.

Southern Lebanon is the heartland of Lebanon's Shia Muslim community, Hezbollah's main support base. But it is also home to other communities, including Christians.

The latest Israeli ground invasion has already caused widespread alarm among the Lebanese.

Under the ceasefire agreement that ended the war in 2024, Hezbollah was meant to disarm and leave its positions in the south. This was to be supervised by the Lebanese government and army.

Progress was made, but it was partial. Israel also maintained several military posts in the south and continued to carry out regular attacks on what it said were Hezbollah targets.

The will may have been there for the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, but it has always lacked the ability to do so. The prospect of a major confrontation between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah has also long been a major concern, reawakening fears of a descent back into civil war.

Katz previously said that Israel was taking action because the Lebanese government had done "nothing".

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun has described the Israeli plans as a "collective punishment against civilians", and that they could be part of "suspicious schemes" to pursue an expansion of Israel's presence in Lebanese territory.

Iran using children in security roles in war, reports and witnesses say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wqgjn7x89o, yesterday

The death of an 11-year-old Iranian boy reportedly in an air strike while manning a security checkpoint alongside his father in Tehran has thrown focus on a new initiative to recruit children into the security services.

Alireza Jafari's mother Sadaf Monfared told the municipality-run newspaper Hamshahri that the pair had been helping Basij volunteer militia patrols and checkpoints to "maintain the security of Tehran and its people" when they were killed on 11 March.

Last week, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official in Tehran told the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency that the organisation would enrol "volunteers" aged 12 and above.

Eyewitnesses have told the BBC they have seen children, including some armed, in security roles in the capital and other cities.

Foreign-based human rights organisations have also reported Alireza's death. The Kurdish group Hengaw said he was a "fifth-grade student" who was killed while present at a checkpoint in Tehran.

Alireza's mother said her husband had told her there were not enough personnel at the checkpoint, with "only four people" present. She said he took Alireza with him and said that the boy needed to be "ready for the days ahead".

She quoted her son as saying: "Mum, either we win this war or we become martyrs. God willing, we will win, but I would like to become a martyr."

Hamshahri newspaper said they were hit by an "Israeli drone strike".

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC they were unable to verify this unless provided with the co-ordinates of the alleged strike.

Rahim Nadali, of the IRGC's Greater Tehran Muhammad Rasulollah Corps, said the new programme, known as Homeland Defender Fighters for Iran, would place children on various duties, including patrols and deployment at checkpoints.

Recruitment, he added, could take place at mosques attached to the Basij militia in Tehran, and in city squares where pro-establishment rallies have been held.

The Basij is a volunteer militia controlled by the IRGC, with an estimated one million members. It is often deployed on the streets to suppress dissent. Israel has said it recently targeted several Basij checkpoints.

Despite a government-imposed internet outage in Iran, the BBC has spoken to four eyewitnesses who said they had seen children under the age of 18 at checkpoints in Tehran, the nearby city of Karaj, and the northern city of Rasht.

Names have been changed for security reasons.

Golnaz, who is in her 20s in east Tehran, told the BBC that she had seen armed teenagers taking part in Basiji forces when she went out after an air strike on 9 March to see what was going on.

Sara, also in her 20s in west Tehran, told the BBC that she saw a teenager at a checkpoint on 25 March.

"He was holding a gun at the cars. He and the others were stopping cars and searching them. He was short and slight."

Last month, ordinary Iranians told the BBC about security checkpoints around the capital, where they said residents were stopped and searched.

Those who have been able to connect to the internet have told the BBC that the practice is still going on, and that some patrols go around with the Islamic Republic's flag and loudspeakers during the night.

Some have told the BBC that they have seen teenagers at checkpoints in cities other than Tehran as well.

Peyman, who is in his 20s and lives in Karaj, told the BBC that he saw what he called a "teenage boy" with a Kalashnikov at a checkpoint on 30 March. "His moustache hadn't fully grown," he said.

Tina, who is also in her 20s and comes from Rasht, told the BBC that she saw young people on duty in a square in the city on 14 March.

"They were wearing masks so their faces were covered. But it's obvious that they are children; I can see it from their eyes. They are short as well. They stand in front of those adult forces. I feel pity for them and I get scared at the same time."

In a report on the recruitment campaign, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it was a "grave violation of children's rights and a war crime when the children are under 15".

"There is no excuse for a military recruitment drive that targets children to sign up, much less 12-year-olds," said Bill Van Esveld of HRW. "What this boils down to is that Iranian authorities are apparently willing to risk children's lives for some extra manpower."

Pegah Banihashemi, an expert in constitutional law and human rights at the University of Chicago Law School, told the BBC: "Under international law, the use of children in security or military roles is tightly constrained and, in many contexts, unlawful."

She also said that their deployment "introduces broader risks to society: untrained minors operating under pressure, often with limited command structure and insufficient understanding of force, can unintentionally escalate violence and endanger civilians".

Holly Dagres, an Iran specialist at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank told the BBC that the use of children at security checkpoints "underscores the desperation of the Islamic Republic".

She said it shows "how deeply unpopular they are with their own population that it is struggling to recruit adults to staff security checkpoints and is resorting to using children in support roles during wartime".

Peacekeepers killed by roadside explosion in Lebanon, initial report finds

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05d7md899ro, yesterday

Two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed on Monday by a "roadside explosion" in southern Lebanon, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix has said, citing the findings of an initial investigation.

In a separate statement, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said the explosion was of "unknown origin" and "destroyed" the peacekeepers' vehicle near Bani Hayyan.

A third peacekeeper was "severely" injured in the explosion, and a fourth was hurt, Unifil said.

It was the second such fatal incident in 24 hours. Another peacekeeper - who was also Indonesian - was killed on Sunday when a projectile, also of unknown origin, exploded in Adchit Al Qusayr, southern Lebanon.

Unifil said it had launched investigations to determine what happened in both incidents.

The findings of an "initial" investigation into the incident on Monday "point to a roadside explosion striking the convoy", Lacroix told the UN Security Council earlier.

Their deaths had "most likely" been caused by an IED (improvised explosive device), Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, later said at a briefing.

Speaking about the other incident, on Sunday, Dujarric said it was likely caused by "an explosive that landed in the position that the Indonesians were holding".

The deaths come shortly after the Israeli military announced it would step up ground and air attacks against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia as well as a political party, has fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for the ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

In a statement on Telegram, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its own review had concluded that the Bani Hayyan explosion "was not caused by IDF activity".

It went on: "A comprehensive operational examination indicates that no explosive device was placed in the area by IDF troops, and that no IDF troops were present in the area at all."

Separately, the IDF said on Tuesday that four of its soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon. Another soldier was severely wounded and a reservist moderately wounded, the IDF said.

Dujarric, of the UN, said the peacekeepers in Lebanon were "soldiers sent there on behalf of the international community... and everyone needs to ensure that they are protected and never targeted".

He urged Lebanon and Israel to use the Unifil mechanism for dialogue, saying "the bottom line is that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon needs to be respected".

Antara, an Indonesian government-owned news agency, named the soldier killed on Sunday as Chief Private Farizal Rhomadhon. The two soldiers killed on Monday were named as Captain Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and First Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ichwan.

In a statement, Unifil said: "We extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of those brave peacekeepers who gave their lives in service of peace."

Created by the UN Security Council in 1978, Unifil has since served as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon.

The peacekeeping force patrols the "Blue Line" - the de facto border between Lebanon and Israel, in collaboration with the Lebanese army.

Around 339 peacekeepers have been killed since the mission was established.

Despite a November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, brokered after violence flared between the two over the war in Gaza, Israel has conducted near-daily strikes on Hezbollah targets.

It says the armed group has not abided by the terms of the ceasefire - under which Hezbollah was meant to disarm and leave its positions in the south - and has accused Unifil and the Lebanese army of not doing enough to remove its militants from the region.

Israel says its latest operation in southern Lebanon was intended to ensure the security of communities in the north.

Since the ceasefire began, 1,268 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry, including 124 children.

Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks face death penalty under new Israeli law

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8dkd6lnjdo, yesterday

Israel's parliament has approved a law that would make the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of deadly terror attacks.

Critics, including UN human rights chief Volker Türk, have described the new law as discriminatory. Türk also said its application would "constitute a war crime".

The new law passed its third and final reading in the Knesset by 62 votes to 48 on Monday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voting in favour.

The bill stipulates that Palestinians convicted in Israeli military courts of carrying out deadly attacks deemed to be "acts of terrorism" would be executed by hanging within 90 days, with a possible postponement of up to 180 days.

In theory, Jewish Israelis could also be executed under the law - but in practice this almost certainly would not happen, as the death penalty could only be carried out where the intention of the attack was to "negate the existence of the state of Israel".

The legislation was pushed hard by the far-right, with the National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir its driving force. After the vote, he posted on X: "We made history!!! We promised. We delivered."

A member of Ben-Gvir's party, Limor Son-Har-Melech, who survived an attack by Palestinian gunmen in which her husband was killed, argued that the law was necessary, citing the example of how one of her husband's killers was later released and went on to take part in the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.

During the debate in the Knesset, she said: "For years, we endured a cruel cycle of terror, imprisonment, release in reckless deals, and the return of these human monsters to murder Jews again."

But Yair Golan, the leader of opposition Democrats party, criticised the legislation and said it would lead to international sanctions.

"The death penalty law for terrorists is an unnecessary piece of legislation designed to get Ben-Gvir more likes," he said. "It does not contribute one ounce to Israel's security."

Speaking the day after the vote, Turk, the UN's high commissioner for human rights, said the bill was "patently inconsistent with Israel's international law obligations".

"The death penalty is profoundly difficult to reconcile with human dignity, and it raises the unacceptable risk of executing innocent people," he said in a statement.

"Its application in a discriminatory manner would constitute an additional, particularly egregious violation of international law. Its application to residents of the occupied Palestinian territory would constitute a war crime."

Ahead of the vote, the UK, France, Germany and Italy expressed their "deep concern", saying the bill risked "undermining Israel's commitments with regard to democratic principles".

The Palestinian Authority, which administers the West Bank, condemned the law, saying it "seeks to legitimise extrajudicial killing under legislative cover".

And Hamas, which controls Gaza, said in a statement on Monday evening that the approval of the bill "threatens the lives" of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and called on the international community to "ensure the protection of our prisoners".

Amnesty International urged Israeli authorities to repeal the new law. "Israel is brazenly granting itself carte blanche to execute Palestinians while stripping away the most basic fair-trial safeguards", said Erika Guevara-Rosas, the rights group's senior director of research, advocacy, policy and campaigns.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has already petitioned the country's Supreme Court against the law.

"The law is unconstitutional, discriminatory by design and - for West Bank Palestinians - enacted without legal authority," it said in a statement.

The Supreme Court will now have to consider whether to hear the challenge to the bill.

Israel has only executed two people in its history - one of them the infamous Nazi official Adolf Eichmann, who played an important role in perpetrating the Holocaust.

Gaza peace doubts deepen as attention shifts to Iran

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr10v5p7lgo, 5 days ago

Nearly six months after a fragile ceasefire came into force in Gaza, Palestinians in this war-torn territory are still struggling.

In the markets, there are again shortages of some goods and rising prices – with merchants saying supplies brought in from Israel have been disrupted by the new war in the region.

"What does the war between Iran and Israel have to do with us? Prices have doubled here. Goods aren't coming in like before," says a shopper, Hassan Faqawi, despairingly. "In this situation, the whole world is focused on Iran, America and Israel, and Gaza is forgotten."

While world attention has turned to the Iran war, there is increasing uncertainty about what happens in Gaza at a crucial stage in President Trump's 20-point peace plan, which halted the fighting in October last year.

In the past week at the UN Security Council, the High Representative for Gaza on the US-led Board of Peace, Nickolay Mladenov, laid out a detailed plan for Palestinian armed groups to decommission their weapons - linking compliance to the start of reconstruction.

But a Palestinian official familiar with Hamas affairs told the BBC it was likely that Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war, would reject the proposals. That raises the prospect of a return to a full-force military offensive with Israel's prime minister demanding that Hamas disarms "either the easy way or the hard way."

Heavy rain in recent weeks caused sewage systems to overflow in crowded tent camps.

Although the Trump plan pledged the immediate resumption of "full aid" to Gaza, with rehabilitation of essential infrastructure - for water, sewage and electricity - as well as the equipment needed to clear rubble, humanitarian agencies say much more needs to be done. Reconstruction materials are not yet allowed by Israel to enter, on the grounds that they could be used by Hamas to build tunnels and weaponry.

"You know a huge amount of our effort is spent negotiating for the smallest crumbs, like a crossing to reopen or a few litres of fuel. So, progress towards recovery is limited and almost not there, really," says Bushra Khalidi, Policy Lead for Oxfam, based in Ramallah.

"We're not seeing large-scale debris removal, we're not seeing proper rehabilitation of underground infrastructure, and there's still nowhere near enough fuel to run power systems. So, this is basic survival in Gaza."

In a statement to the BBC, Cogat, the Israeli army body responsible for managing the crossings, denied there were aid shortages and accused Hamas of exploiting resources.

Despite a ceasefire, Israeli air strikes in Gaza have continued. Dozens of Palestinians – including children – have been killed since the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February. Israel says it is targeting Hamas, with commanders of its military wing and police officers among the dead.

While Hamas publicly welcomed the creation of a new 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee - an apolitical body to temporarily run Gaza - and pledged to hand over governance, there are signs that the group is reasserting its authority.

Sources told the BBC that the Hamas Interior Ministry has restructured its executive apparatus, appointing new police directors, setting up temporary headquarters and detention facilities and deploying new security patrols.

Witnesses say masked men in military style uniforms have set up dozens of checkpoints, stopping and searching vehicles and passers-by after nine o'clock at night.

Meanwhile, traders and shopkeepers complain that Hamas has imposed heavy taxes on goods and services – pushing up prices in Gaza even further.

Gazans express frustration with the situation.

"Unfortunately, no-one is controlling Gaza right now except Hamas," says a displaced woman, Hanaa. "We pray to God that peace will be imposed, and that the national committee will come and control Gaza."

Speaking to the BBC, a senior official in the National Committee for Gaza Administration, which reports to Trump's Board of Peace, said: "There is no date yet for a return to Gaza."

At the UN on Tuesday, Nikolay Mladenov, High Representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace, laid out what he said was a comprehensive framework to decommission the weapons of Palestinian armed groups - starting with "the most dangerous weapons, rockets, heavy munitions, explosive devices and assault rifles."

"The laying down of arms by militant actors would represent a decisive break from cycles of violence that have defined life in Gaza for decades," he said. "For the people of Gaza, the implications are profound: Israeli military withdrawal and reconstruction at scale."

Mladenov told the Security Council that the choice was between "a renewed war, or a new beginning".

The Palestinian source close to Hamas who spoke to the BBC said that the group had received proposals to disarm in exchange for the phased pullout of Israeli troops from Gaza over a period of six to nine months. The official expected Hamas to reject the plan.

A Hamas leader Bassem Naim criticised Mladenov's approach. In a statement, he said Mladenov was linking all key issues including the entry of the technocratic committee and international forces into the Gaza Strip to Hamas's weapons.

Bassem Naim suggested that the new proposals contradicted the October 2025 Sharm el-Sheikh agreement and UN Security Council resolution 2803, which endorsed the Trump peace plan. He said Mladenov was trying to "reshape the process" to suit Israel's agenda, with "no real guarantees" offered for implementing future commitments.

There was no immediate response from Mladenov.

After a high-profile signing ceremony to launch the Board of Peace at January's World Economic Forum in Davos and a meeting last month in Washington at which $7bn (£5.3bn; 6.5bn euros) were pledged for Gaza's reconstruction, some commentators suggest that the ceasefire process now looks stuck.

"There's still a lot of distrust about whether this programme can actually move forwards," says Amjad Iraqi, Senior Analyst from the International Crisis Group. "There's a lot of pressure on Hamas to have to accept it, including from mediators as their attention drifts toward Iran."

At the UN, the Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour, continues to endorse the Trump peace plan. He remains hopeful that Nickolay Mladenov can advance his framework for disarmament.

"It is complicated," he tells us, "but it seems that he is determined, and he is in charge of this process at the Board of Peace so there are powerful forces behind him."

The ambassador stressed that work is being done with the new technocratic committee to get 200,000 temporary housing units into the strip. Some 5,000 new Palestinian police officers for Gaza are said to have been recruited, with many trained in Egypt. Ultimately, they are meant to serve alongside an International Stabilisation Force.

But Mansour said this was only the "beginning". "We will see in the coming weeks and months how this second phase of the plan will be implemented, and of course to keep the issue alive while other things are happening in the wider region is important."

In Gaza, the lull in violence has given a glimpse of more hopeful possibilities if the push for peace succeeds. But continuing setbacks mean many Palestinians are increasingly sceptical about the prospects for the Trump plan, fearing that it could break down while international attention is focused elsewhere.

Potential Houthi threat to Red Sea shipping could further damage global economy

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyvd5z1xjno, 5 days ago

The Houthis held their fire for the first four weeks of the war, despite their affiliation with and backing from Iran.

Now, the movement that still holds the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and the north and other areas of the country, has made its first move, firing missiles towards Israel.

The Houthis say they were targeting "sensitive Israeli military sites".

It is true that the threat the Houthis pose to Israel through its missile fire is far less than that of Iran.

The group fired towards Israel many times in support of Hamas after war erupted in Gaza, following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.

But those attacks - which had come to an end many months ago - did little real damage to Israel.

Where the Houthis pose a much bigger threat is off the coast of Yemen.

As part of their support for Hamas, the group targeted shipping coming through the Bab al-Mandab strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.

Their action then endangered that key commercial maritime route.

Were they to do so again, it would be another big blow to the global economy.

Coupled with Iran's near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, two of the main strategic waterways in the world for trade and energy supplies could potentially be cut off.

The Houthis could also target energy and military infrastructure in its Gulf Arab neighbours, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - as it has done before.

When the Houthis carried out such actions before, they faced intense air strikes from the US and Israel, aimed at its leadership and military capacity.

But the Houthis appear to have weathered that. The question now is how far the movement is prepared to go.

When it carried out attacks in support of Hamas and the Palestinians, it received some domestic and regional approbation.

Doing so for Iran may be a different matter.

There is also the issue of Yemen itself, which has been relatively calm for some time after years of turbulence and war.

Deepening military involvement by the Houthis in the war between the US, Israel and Iran could trigger a new outbreak in that internal conflict.

There is little doubt that, if the Houthis do continue - and intensify their attacks - it will mark a new escalation and widening of the war.

Video shows US missile likely used in deadly strike on Iranian town, experts say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx29mzmwdw2o, 5 days ago

State-of-the-art US missiles were likely used in a deadly strike on a residential area of Iran last month, according to an analysis of footage by weapons experts.

The analysts said a projectile visible in footage of the strike on residential buildings in the southern town of Lamerd was likely a Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). The munition is a new long-range weapon operated by the US military.

According to Iranian state media at least 21 people were killed in at least two strikes on the town that day that hit residential buildings and a sports hall about 300 metres apart.

Centcom - which oversees US military operations in the Middle East - declined to comment.

Lamerd is a town in the Fars province of about 30,000 people, according to the 2016 census. Surrounded by rugged mountains, it is around a 14-hour drive from the capital, Tehran.

CCTV footage published by Iranian state media - which was authenticated and geolocated by BBC Verify - shows what experts identify as a likely US munition in flight, moments before it explodes above the target area.

Three analysts at the defence intelligence company Janes and an expert at McKenzie Intelligence said the projectile's shape, length and size of the blast created, and lack of visible nose-mounted controls, indicate the weapon in the verified footage is likely to be a PrSM.

Amael Kotlarski - an analyst with Janes - said based on those characteristics and the distance from potential US launch sites in the Middle East, the PrSM is likely the only munition in the American arsenal that could have hit the town.

McKenzie Intelligence also observed that Lamerd was "within the extended range" of the missile. "US Central Command has admitted to using PrSM in strikes from the desert of an unnamed Gulf country against Iran in the early phases of the conflict," it noted.

The intended target of the strike may have been an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) base located adjacent to the sports hall. While no on-the-ground footage has emerged of the base to show the impact, the building appeared to be undamaged on high-resolution satellite imagery on 9 March.

The strike, which took place on the opening day of the war, came just hours after an attack on a school in Minab which Iranian authorities say killed at least 168 people, including about 110 children. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the incident was under investigation and insisted US forces "never target civilian targets".

The conflict marks the first time the weapon, which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and entered service in 2023, has been used by the US military, according to the Department of Defense.

Little is publicly disclosed about this new generation of long-range ballistic missile that can reach distances of up to 500km (310 miles).

It is the successor to ATACMS - a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of up to 300km (186 miles), which has been used by Ukraine against Russia.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen Dan Caine, hailed his troops' use of the system in a press conference on 13 March, saying they had "made history" and carried out their operations with "the precision and determination that comes from relentless training and trust in each other and in their weapon systems".

Videos and photos reviewed by BBC Verify suggest the missile may have also been used in a near simultaneous strike on a sports hall about 300m away from the residential buildings.

One video showed a main road with cars passing by, with the sports hall visible in the background. Moments later, a bright yellow fireball erupts on the sports hall. While the angle of the video does not show the missile, shockwaves appear to shatter the windows of the building across the street and a man is seen running away in panic.

Footage of the aftermath shows the entire side of the building blackened with soot with a plume of smoke rising into the air. Damage could also be seen to the roof and blast fragments surrounded the area.

An analyst from Janes said although it is not possible to identify the munition used on the sports hall from the video alone, photos of the aftermath point to evidence consistent with a PrSM warhead.

"This is the first time we are seeing the PrSM in action, so we have nothing to compare it to. The fragmentation pattern and density visible on the building does support the analysis on the nature of the PrSM warhead," Kotlarski said.

Publicly available images paint a picture of daily life in the town's sports hall, where schoolchildren played volleyball tournaments and students sat exams.

Among the children killed that day was a 12-year-old girl, Elham Zaeri, according to multiple Iranian state media outlets. Her father described her as an avid volleyball player, who would always turn up to the sports hall 20 to 25 minutes early.

The youngest victim was reportedly two years old.

Days after the strikes a mass funeral procession took place in the city. Footage from the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency, showed hundreds of mourners bowing their heads in front of a group of at least 18 coffins draped in the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Another clip appeared to show that a young child was among those buried.

The Open Source Munitions Portal - a database that records footage and images of munitions used in conflicts - also identified footage of a PrSM in a video published by Centcom on 1 March, the day after the war began.

On its website Lockheed Martin describes the missile as "mature, proven, affordable and low-risk". The company declined to comment on the strike, referring questions to the US government.

On Wednesday, the company said it had signed an agreement with the US Department of Defense to "quadruple" production of the munition.

What claims do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

Two Indonesian UN peacekeepers killed in explosion in Lebanon

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gd20evgp0o, yesterday

Two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon on Monday when an "explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle", the UN agency tasked with policing the region has said.

A third peacekeeper was "severely" injured in the explosion, and a fourth was hurt, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said on Monday.

Initial findings suggest a roadside explosion struck their convoy, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the following day.

It was the second fatal incident in 24 hours, Unifil noted. A peacekeeper - who was also Indonesian - was killed on Sunday when a projectile, also of unknown origin, exploded in Adchit Al Qusayr, southern Lebanon.

Unifil said it had launched investigations to determine what happened in both incidents.

The deaths come shortly after the Israeli military announced it would step up ground and air attacks against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia as well as a political party, has fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for the ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

In a statement on Telegram, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the incidents were being "thoroughly reviewed in order to clarify the circumstances and determine whether they resulted from Hezbollah activity or from IDF activity."

"It should be noted these incidents occurred in an active combat area. Therefore, it should not be assumed that incidents in which UNIFIL soldiers were harmed were caused by the IDF."

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said the peacekeepers were "soldiers sent there on behalf of the international community... and everyone needs to ensure that they are protected and never targeted".

He urged Lebanon and Israel to use the Unifil mechanism for dialogue, saying "the bottom line is that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon needs to be respected".

Separately, the IDF said early on Tuesday that four of its soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon.

Another soldier was severely wounded and a reservist moderately wounded, the IDF said.

Unifil said of the two deaths on Monday: "We extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of those brave peacekeepers who gave their lives in service of peace."

It said under international law, "all actors" had an obligation to ensure the "safety and security" on UN personnel.

"Deliberate attacks" on peacekeepers were "grave violations" of international humanitarian law, Unifil said.

"The human cost of this conflict is far too high. The violence, as we have said before, must end."

After the soldier was killed on Sunday, the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) reaffirmed its commitment to the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, according to the government-owned news agency Antara.

"We remain committed to carrying out our duties as part of the world peacekeeping mission under the mandate of the United Nations (UN) professionally and responsibly, while prioritising the safety of our soldiers," Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah told Antara.

Antara named the soldier killed on Sunday as Chief Private Farizal Rhomadhon.

Unifil was created by the UN Security Council in 1978, and has since served as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon.

The peacekeeping force patrols the "Blue Line" - the de facto border between Lebanon and Israel, in collaboration with the Lebanese army.

Around 339 peacekeepers have been killed since the mission was established.

Despite a November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, brokered after violence flared between the two over the war in Gaza, Israel has conducted near-daily strikes on Hezbollah targets.

Israel says its latest operation in southern Lebanon was intended to ensure the security of communities in the north.

Since the ceasefire began, 1,238 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry, including 124 children.

Earlier this month, four Ghanaian soldiers serving with Unifil were injured when their base was hit.

Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa did not say who was responsible when speaking at a Commonwealth meeting on Sunday but said the bombing was "an attack on every principle that the UN Charter exists to defend".

Gazan mother reunited with evacuated daughter after two years

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czex10lngzjo, 3 days ago

At least eight children who were evacuated from Gaza as premature babies in the early weeks of the war, have returned from Egypt and been reunited with their relatives.

The toddlers were among more than 30 severely ill newborns in incubators, who were evacuated from Gaza's Shifa Hospital in November 2023, during heavy fighting.

The hospital complex had earlier been occupied by Israeli forces, who said it was being used by Hamas.

Sundus al-Kurd, a mother waiting for her daughter's return on Monday, said that she was "torn between fear and joy", as she worried that she would not be accepted as a parent after more than two years apart.

Waiting at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and clutching a pink-embroidered dress for her daughter, Bisan, the mother described to the BBC how she had tried to take her newborn baby out of Shifa hospital after Israeli forces occupied it, but was told that Bisan could not be moved from her incubator.

It was almost a year, Sundus said, before she knew what had happened to her.

"I lived between despair and hope that my daughter might still be alive," she explained. "Months later, we heard in the news that premature infants had died in Shifa. I would look at the photos, trying to feel, as a mother, whether this could be my child or not."

After nearly a year, Sundus was told that her daughter was reported alive and well in an Egyptian field hospital, identified by the pink bracelet she had been given immediately after birth.

Sundus had already lost another child, her parents and her brother by the time Bisan was born, and said that the news her daughter was alive was "like a dream".

The return of these toddlers is a small triumph in the limited stream of benefits brought by the Gaza ceasefire imposed by US President Donald Trump. But six months on from that ceasefire agreement, Gaza's future is uncertain, stuck in a fractured limbo between war and peace.

The territory is still divided, with Israeli forces in temporary control of roughly half of Gaza, and Hamas reportedly deepening its grip – politically and practically – in the remaining area, where the vast majority of Gaza's population still lives amid landscapes of rubble.

Reconstruction and the withdrawal of Israeli forces is linked in the Trump plan to Hamas's disarmament, and there are few signs of progress on this critical stage of the deal.

Nickolay Mladenov, appointed as high representative to liaise with Gaza's administration under the Trump plan, said at the UN last week that the choice was for "renewed war or a new beginning" in Gaza.

But a Palestinian official close to Hamas told the BBC that he expected the group to reject the disarmament proposals it had received.

With Israel now fighting new wars in Lebanon and Iran, attention has drained away from Gaza, but the lessons it holds are more relevant than ever – about the challenges that follow Israel's conflicts, and the difficulties it has had in leveraging military might into sustainable peace.

Why the benefit used by more than 8 million people may not be fit for the future

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3r3w0w1gepo, 2 days ago

Few revolutions have been seeded in Easterhouse in the east end of Glasgow. The area was, at one point, a case study in how not to build new housing developments. Erected as part of Glasgow's vast post‑war housing scheme, the area saw poor‑quality homes erected with few shops or transport links, and by the 1970s and 1980s it was weighed down by boredom, alcohol and hopelessness. Gang violence flourished.

But on a dreary February day in 2002, a visit to Easterhouse by the Conservative leader at the time, Iain Duncan Smith, was to ignite a generational overhaul of the welfare system that still resonates today.

The change that was set in motion during that visit would later become Universal Credit, a benefit that now supports more than eight million people. Duncan Smith's basic idea was to make work pay, to incentivise people into a job.

But as the rollout of the benefit finally nears completion over the next few weeks, albeit nine years behind schedule and hundreds of millions of pounds over budget, the questions the welfare system now struggles with are different.

For example, there are now 700,000 graduates unemployed and claiming benefits — an increase of more than 200,000 - or 46% - since 2019, according to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).

And most glaringly, while back in 2002 when Iain Duncan Smith visited Easterhouse, around a quarter of recipients of incapacity benefits were for mental or behavioural reasons; today, it's close to half.

Numbers and costs are set to rise rapidly, with spending on health and disability-related benefits forecast to increase from £65bn a year currently to £100bn by 2029.

The government describe the current arrangements as "a system which encourages sickness" and say their reforms will fix this. But can Universal Credit and the work and benefits system more generally reshape itself to meet this new reality?

'Making work pay'

Beyond the obvious, the dilapidated housing and the poverty, what struck Duncan Smith in Easterhouse was the hopelessness, the sense that being on benefits was a destination, not a bridge.

Over subsequent years, working mainly through the CSJ, the think tank he founded, Duncan Smith devised a system that he believed would not just simplify the benefits system but, crucially, make work pay.

Six benefits paid to people of working age would be rolled into one monthly payment.

The key to "making work pay" was to remove the disincentive in the existing welfare system to take a job. Universal Credit aimed to change that by allowing people to keep more of the money they earned.

"You needed a maths degree to work out whether you were better off moving into work under the old system," said Joe Shalam, director of policy at the CSJ and a former special adviser in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when the Tories were in power.

"I think a lot of people across Britain, and indeed internationally, look at the Universal Credit system as a hugely simplifying upgrade in the way the welfare system works, that has restored those incentives for hundreds of thousands of people [to get a job]."

In 2019, the then-government said that their welfare changes had cut the number of workless households by one million since 2010.

The basic rate

But Universal Credit doesn't exist in a bubble.

When the Tories won the 2015 election, they introduced a four-year freeze on working-age benefit levels, eroding the value of the payment. The difficulty that families have had in the past decade or so in making ends meet – evidenced most clearly by the huge rise in food bank usage – has long been blamed by anti-poverty campaigners on the value and design of Universal Credit.

In order to mimic work, particularly monthly salaried employment, new claimants have to wait five weeks for their first payment. But many low-income households don't have the savings to last that long and so have to borrow, incurring debt.

The DWP will pay an interest-free advance, equivalent to the first month's payment, but will then automatically recover the money from subsequent Universal Credit payments, for up to two years.

Citizens Advice say that in 2025 two-thirds of the people they helped in relation to repaying loans to the DWP also needed help accessing food banks.

The five-week wait needs "urgent attention", says David Mendes da Costa, principle policy manager at Citizens Advice charity.

"Universal Credit is meant to be a safety net, not to trap people in debt from day one, but that's exactly the situation our advisers see every single day."

Olivia Diss, who is unemployed, from Essex says the standard £317 a month under-25s allowance "gives some sort of income but it's not enough to live on." She's having to rely on her parents to help out, but bemoans the need for them to do so.

"It assumes," says Diss, "that parents will bridge the monetary gap. It fails to factor in an effective way of exiting unemployment and entering the world of work as a self-sufficient adult."

Increasing the basic allowance

Many Jobcentre Plus staff and welfare advisers privately believe that the basic, standard rate of Universal Credit is not enough to live on. And it is thought this may be contributing to more people claiming the health element of Universal Credit, something acknowledged in a paper published by the government last year.

It said the low level of the standard benefit "creates a logical – but perverse - incentive for people to claim the health element too".

And people on the health element of Universal Credit have not received the same support to get into work, with the effect, according to the paper of "trapping people out of the labour market many of whom want to work."

Someone over 25 on the basic allowance currently receives £400 a month but could add another £423 if they are assessed as being unable to work due to ill health.

Ministers are therefore going to increase the basic allowance by 6.2% in April - well above inflation – and have plans to do so for every year until 2029/30. At the same time, they are going to halve the value of the health top-up for most new claimants.

By the end of this Parliament, according to calculations by the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, the basic allowance will pay £427 (in today's prices) and £628 if they are in ill health (down from the current £823).

The government hopes that reducing the gap will mean fewer people will be incentivised to apply for health benefits, meaning more remain eligible for employment support and available for work.

The concern among some groups is that the lower amount will impoverish people who are ill and have little prospect of getting a job anytime soon.

This reduction "will potentially push more people with disabilities and health conditions into poverty, exacerbating their condition and pushing them further away from the labour market", said Debbie Abrahams, the Labour MP who chairs the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately has criticised the fact that Labour's reforms were only focused on new claimants. "These permanent protections embed inequality, discourage work, and destroy the very savings Labour promised," she said.

'Best-kept secret'

The new reality of there being increasing numbers of disabled people in the workforce is well illustrated by the story of a government programme called Access to Work, which helps people with either physical or mental health conditions into jobs, by paying for support or adaptations they might need. It was little used for years – once dubbed the government's "best-kept secret" for employment support – but is now in high demand.

However, the scheme is currently dealing with large backlogs, with stories of people having to give up work due to problems accessing help. Ministers say they've recruited dozens of new case workers since the start of the year and were working to "streamline our processes". They also argue that employers should pay for many of the adaptations that are currently paid by taxpayers.

Supporters of the scheme point out, however, that small businesses may be less likely to employ a disabled person if they have to spend money upfront on special desks or chairs, for instance.

The future for young people

While Universal Credit is a digital service, enforcement of its obligations has long been delivered through Jobcentres, where work coaches are employed to help people find work.

But appointments are sometimes as short as 10 minutes and last year a committee of MPs wrote: "Jobcentres are not working. Rather than centres for jobs, they have become centres for monitoring compliance with benefit conditions."

Jobcentre users I've spoken to have painted a picture of them as frightening, punitive environments, where people are told what they must do, or face losing their benefits. And the very thing they're meant to do, provide job opportunities to claimants, isn't something they're widely able to do as many employers don't advertise with them, believing they won't get quality candidates.

Turning those perceptions around is going to be crucial to getting more people into work and potentially cutting the welfare bill.

Attempts at change

Following a pilot project in the Highlands, North and Mid Wales and Greater Manchester, the DWP is going to expand its "Jobcentre on Wheels" initiative. The scheme involves vans travelling to areas far from a jobcentre, trying to reach people where they are.

A government source says the initial pilot had shown that people who haven't traditionally engaged with employment support have been tempted by the vans, which are seen as more welcoming than the usual, green-fronted town centre locations, a visible example of a different approach.

The key, say ministers, is to turn jobcentres into employment support hubs. Several initiatives have been announced as part of a multi-billion-pound package, heavily focused on getting employment for young people.

Companies will be paid bonuses of £3,000 for recruiting a young person who's been out of work for six months with a further £2,000 available if a small or medium-sized business hires young apprentices.

"We want to give young people hope, to give them the chance to use their talent and energy to the full," said Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary in a recent speech.

Some benefit recipients will also get a "Right to Try," a work trial where disabled people and those with health conditions keep getting their benefits while working for a company – without earning a wage – to see if the job is suitable for them. The scheme is intended to overcome the fear that some jobseekers have that they'll have no money for weeks if they take a job that doesn't work out.

But the DWP's own advisers say ministers have not done enough to reassure claimants, including those described as having "fluctuating" conditions, that "undertaking work‑related activities might lead to reassessment", and hence lower benefit awards.

Or as one claimant told the BBC: "If you have a relapse after starting employment that took you off [health benefits] then you're going to be worse off. So why would you even bother?"

The experience of Olivia Diss from Essex highlights another challenge. She graduated with a master's degree in French and Spanish last year.

The latest data shows 700,000 graduates are unemployed and claiming benefits and Diss says her case suggests they require a different sort of help.

"While work coaches are well intentioned and help you as much as they can, they are often unequipped to advise postgraduate students like myself on specialised sectors that are suited to their degree.

"This leaves postgraduates in a professional no-man's land, where we are left to navigate a highly competitive job market alone while being pressured to follow a system that prioritises immediate placement over a sustainable career."

The future of Universal Credit

As the rollout nears completion, the government is currently holding a consultation on the future of Universal Credit, the first system-wide review since it was launched in 2013.

It focuses on three areas – tackling poverty, making work pay and maximising the benefit's potential.

Large numbers of people do struggle with many aspects of Universal Credit, from the self-employed to those needing childcare. Yet for many of its 8.3 million recipients, digitally savvy and good at budgeting, the system functions as intended.

However, with a million or so young people who are classed as Neets – not in education, employment or training – the future is stark.

According to the Keep Britain Working report, produced by Sir Charlie Mayfield last year, a young person in their 20s going on benefits could lose out on £1m of lifetime earnings – the same figure as the state would then spend supporting them.

Meanwhile, a poll published last month by the National Centre for Social Research showed that a near record high number of people, 42%, were opposed to the government spending more money on welfare.

And for the first time in a decade, a majority of British adults believed the generosity of the welfare system stopped people supporting themselves, despite academic studies showing that the UK has one of the least generous welfare systems among industrialised nations.

For the next few weeks, there will still be a small group of people who will claim Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit, two of the benefits Universal Credit replaces. The DWP says they are the hardest claimants to move to the new system.

The end of the Universal Credit rollout marks an important milestone in the revolution that was seeded in the east end of Glasgow. But, much like Easterhouse itself, the welfare system faces new challenges to ensure it is fit for the next 25 years.

Top picture credit: PA / Getty Images

NHS dentistry is rotting. Will the plan to fix it work?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr41lg6ddelo, 8 days ago

Listen to Jim read this article.

As queues go, this one was impressive.

It started on a quiet residential side street, then turned left past a giant blue mural before snaking 100m down the main road to the doors of a new dental practice.

Carol Sherman, a local artist, was second in line when the doors opened back in 2024.

"I was that desperate, I put some chairs and blankets in the car and got there at five in the morning," she says. "So many people round here can't get a dentist… so it's been an absolute lifesaver."

Three times in the last two years, hundreds of people in Bristol have been forced to queue for hours just to register with a NHS dentist in the city.

Other parts of the country face the same situation.

In both England and Wales changes are about to come into force meant to make it easier to access dental treatment on the NHS.

"Without fundamental change, NHS dentistry will remain a service that has gone for good in many parts of the country," says Mark Dayan, an analyst at the Nuffield Trust, a health think tank. "At this stage, it's just unhelpful to pretend there is still some kind of comprehensive system in place."

But will the reforms, which the government is calling the most significant in 20 years, be enough to save a system that has not been working for millions of patients?

The race for appointments

Back in 1948 when Labour's Aneurin Bevan founded the NHS, dental care became free alongside hospitals and GPs.

But the country's teeth were in an appalling state after World War Two and pent-up demand was much greater than politicians anticipated.

To keep a lid on costs, the first routine charges (of £1) for NHS dental work were quickly introduced, alongside fees for prescriptions and glasses. Bevan, by then minister of labour, resigned in protest.

From the earliest days, that decision to charge patients set dentistry apart from almost every area of the health service. Except for some groups (like children) who get free treatment, patients in England can expect to pay £27 for a checkup, rising to £75 for a set of fillings and £327 for a bridge or dentures.

But – crucially – those prices are meaningless if patients cannot get an NHS appointment in the first place.

In 2021, Jean Ann Green, 66, moved from Hertfordshire to Beccles in Suffolk. Cancer treatment and osteoporosis had damaged her teeth, leaving her with six lost fillings and toothache.

"We had a great NHS dentist where I used to live," she told me. "Over the last four years I must have phoned every dentist in Suffolk and not a single one is taking on new NHS patients.

"You hope and pray your nerve dies so the pain goes away, which cannot be right."

Jean's only long-term option is to go to one of the many private dentists in her area, but she says the amount of work she needs could cost thousands.

When I ask if she can afford it, she laughs.

"Because of my postcode I can't have the treatment on the NHS that I desperately need and that's just immoral," she says.

Going private

In the UK there are around 12,000 high street dental practices, from large chains to small businesses. Those firms can decide to bid for an NHS contract, carry out private work instead or, more likely, juggle a combination of the two.

It's that balance which has shifted dramatically.

Back in 1990, spending on private dental care made up just 14% of the market, rising to 42% by 2010 and a record 69% in 2024, according to the consultants LaingBuisson.

Healthwatch England, a watchdog which represents patients, says it receives more complaints about dentistry than any other subject.

"It's a constant source of frustration, anxiety and distress," says Rebecca Curtayne, its acting head of policy. "Too many on low incomes are being forced into private care they struggle to afford or are going without treatment altogether."

The watchdog's own polling suggests the situation has got worse since the pandemic. Around 32% of people said they used private dentistry last year, a sharp increase from 22% in 2023.

Official data shows that more complex care, in particular, has become much harder to access on the NHS. Over the last ten years, the number of routine NHS examinations has fallen by 6% in England while the number of root canals, where an infection is removed from deep inside the tooth, has dropped by 49%.

"I have lots of colleagues who just won't touch [NHS] root canals now, it's a complicated procedure and such hard work," says one dentist from the east of England, speaking anonymously so she can speak freely. "It's ridiculously remunerated so you can end up spending so much time on it and lose money."

Some patients are given a choice: have the tooth removed on the NHS or have specialist root canal work to save it, but only if they are prepared to go private, she says.

Anger over the contract

At the heart of this whole problem is the NHS dentist contract - described as "ridiculous and discredited" by the British Dental Association (BDA), a trade union.

Under a system introduced in England and Wales in 2006, dentists are not paid for each procedure they carry out, or for time spent with a patient.

Instead they are awarded points, known as Units of Dental Activity (UDAs), based on a band which the patient's whole course of treatment fits into.

That can mean someone needing two crowns, root canal work and three filings, for example, would generate the same number of points as someone needing just a single crown.

The BDA has long argued it's too complicated and does not fairly reflect the cost of treating patients, particularly those with high needs.

"The whole system is just absurd and unfit for purpose," says Dr Shiv Pabary, a dentist from Newcastle who chairs the BDA's general dental practice committee. "The government wants us to take on more high-risk patients, but if we do that then we lose money and that's the problem."

The union's main gripe is that total government spending on NHS dentistry in England has been falling over the past decade, once inflation is taken into account. At the same time, the population has been growing and ageing, and older people tend to need more complex dental care.

Labour's plan

The Labour government claims it is spending £350m more a year on NHS dentistry by forcing health boards to reinvest the money they get back from under-performing contracts, something the last government also tried to do.

It also says it will employ thousands more dentists from overseas and boost dental school places in England by 50 spaces a year to plug staffing gaps.

Then from next month it will press ahead with what health minister Stephen Kinnock is calling the "first step towards a new era of NHS dentistry".

The UDA system is being tweaked, with new payments for some complex treatments and preventative work.

But the big new idea is to force each practice to ring-fence 8% of its local NHS contract just for emergency care. In theory this should make it easier for someone who isn't registered with an NHS dentist to call 111 and get a quick referral for a broken tooth, severe toothache or bleeding, rather than having to ring round private dentists in their area for the best quote.

Kinnock says the changes are part of a wider, long-term plan meant to reform the whole dental contract before the next election, although exactly how the government will do that is still being worked out.

'Piecemeal' changes

At St Pauls dental surgery in Bristol, the scene of those long queues back in 2024, the staff are far from convinced.

In the small back office, the practice coordinator, Shivani Bhandari, and the principal dentist, Dr Gauri Pradhan, are making tea (with sugar!) and showing off their spreadsheets and contracts.

"This will just be another piecemeal fix that won't improve anything," says Pradhan, who is also a qualified facial surgeon.

There are limits on the total amount of NHS work dentists can carry out - and so the worry is that Labour's plan to boost emergency appointments will just mean fewer slots for routine and preventative care.

"It could actually make things worse because the government might look at the numbers [of emergency patients] and see they have gone up, but we will only see the consequences in two or three years' time," says Bhandari.

What the staff in Bristol would like to see is a simpler system, like the one in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where dentists get paid for each individual item of care they provide.

In Wales, meanwhile, the UDA system is being scrapped from April with those patients who are not exempt paying 50% of the cost of treatment, and dentists paid £150 an hour for their time.

Private sector boom

Of course, some patients are more than happy to pay for a faster private service with cutting-edge treatments. But the private market for dental care comes with a different set of problems.

Connor Greenlees, 33, from Sheffield says he lost his place with an NHS dentist in 2021.

When he recently needed emergency treatment, he had to phone around private dentists. He was quoted £250 to get each infected tooth removed. At the surgery he was then told the extractions were so complex the price would go up to £350. When he explained he just couldn't afford it, the bill was reduced again to £220.

"I felt really seedy negotiating with them, but I was in so much pain, I just had no choice," he says.

Connor is now saving up to travel to Poland or Romania where he says the longer-term treatment he needs costs a third of the amount it would in Sheffield.

This month the UK competition watchdog launched a review into private dentistry, saying it wanted to make sure it was "working well for consumers". It came after research showed the price of some private care had jumped by 30% in just two years, with huge variations between regions.

The BBC has spoken to both patients and dentists, some working for large chains, who have concerns about the way some companies have been operating.

One dentist said that patients were "lied to" and told they couldn't be seen on the NHS in an "attempt to force them to go private" even when spare appointment slots existed.

Another said that some of her colleagues felt the need to "hard sell" private work and make NHS treatment look substandard.

"I hate that because it shouldn't be seen as inferior, but I do understand why some dentists feel they have no choice but to do it," she said.

These are just anecdotal examples, and it will be the job of the watchdog to decide if there are wider problems in the sector.

The BDA, which represents NHS and private dentists, says there is no clear evidence of abuse, and has accused the Chancellor Rachel Reeves of triggering the investigation to cover up funding problems.

Unpopular options

The problem for politicians is that all the long-term choices look unpalatable.

"I do worry that we're beyond the point that NHS dentistry can be saved," says the BDA's chair Eddie Crouch. "If we've got no money to improve the service, then we need to have a serious conversation… about what sort of minimum level of dental service is available, or who will actually get NHS dental services in the future."

One option is simply to throw more money at the problem, boosting the value of contracts and maybe even setting up more NHS-run community clinics which can employ dentists directly.

That might cost around £2bn a year according to some estimates, a fraction of the total £196bn NHS budget in England but still a significant amount in cash terms.

But many of the patients who would benefit from that access might already be well off and happy with private treatment.

Bringing those individuals back into the NHS would not lead to any health improvements and could be hard to justify when crumbling hospitals and outdated cancer units also need the money.

Others want to rip up the funding system entirely.

The former health secretary, Sir Sajid Javid, would like all adults to be given a £150 dental voucher each year which they can put towards private treatment or insurance costs, an idea advocated by the right-leaning think tank Policy Exchange.

The BDA is extremely critical, saying it could mean tripling the cost to the taxpayer and "comes with the sound of barrels being scraped."

Without extra long-term funding or major reform, the dental union and other groups (like the Nuffield Trust) say the NHS might be forced to radically scale back what it is trying to do.

That could mean providing some form of dental A&E for emergency cases, perhaps alongside free routine care for children and those on very low incomes. Everyone else would pay for private insurance or treatment in the same way they do in the US or Australia.

That though would be a difficult political choice and would violate a founding principle of the NHS – that our health services should be available to all.

This all matters because oral health matters.

Research suggests the state of your teeth affects everything from maternal and childhood outcomes, to the risk of heart disease and diabetes, to the chances of finding and keeping a job.

"When I had just one of my teeth missing, I couldn't smile and my self-confidence was going," says Carol Sherman, who was at the front of that huge queue in Bristol two years ago.

"The first thing you do when you greet a person is smile at them, that's the first connection you have, so for me, it's about being a human being with dignity and pride."

Top image credit: Getty Images

Heat pumps work for me - but they're not yet a money saver

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce358gkx9vpo, 10 days ago

I know that not everybody is interested in the precise form of plumbing by which they heat their home, but it's a topic I've become obsessed with. That's partly because I have a French husband and we bought a very old, leaky house in northern France some years ago, which already had a heat pump installed.

I had never encountered one before. Quickly, it became apparent that the heat pump didn't work properly, but fortunately it was under guarantee and once it had been replaced it worked very well indeed. In fact, we went on to buy a second one for our loft extension.

The other reason I'm interested in this topic is because I'm excited by the prospect of witnessing a historic change - a horses-to-cars type moment. Since the stone age, people have typically kept themselves warm by burning things - wood or coal on a fire, or oil or gas in a boiler. A society-wide shift to electric heat pumps would mark a transformation to a whole new way of creating heat in the home.

This government wants Britons to embrace heat pumps (as did the last). But it's a shift that comes loaded with complicated questions in a country where electricity costs so much. Currently they're more expensive than a gas boiler to install, and can also end up more expensive to run. As a result, they're mostly aimed at the environmentally-conscious and better off.

The question is: can the figures ever add up so that it saves the average consumer money? And in a country where gas is so embedded as the norm, are heat pumps really the right technology for a greener future?

The happy family

Emily and Stephen Boynton, who live in a leafy London suburb, decided to install a heat pump in their four-bedroom detached home during the pandemic. Emily had just turned 50 and was reflecting on life, her future, retirement, the environment - all sorts of questions.

"If you've got the money to do it, and you've got the space, then you should probably get on with it," she says now of her decision to buy a heat pump.

Installing one likely involves some new pipework, and often new radiators; it is not something you can just get one day when the gas boiler packs up. Emily and Stephen had decided to renovate their kitchen, so it was a good opportunity to get some disruptive work done.

They have a big air source heat pump outdoors. It works with heat in the air, hence the name. It warms water which flows through buried pipes going indoors, feeding the radiators as well as their new underfloor heating in the kitchen.

Emily is the one who looks after the spreadsheets - and she shows me the cost. Like many customers, before installation they were advised to improve their insulation. That's because, as we will see, heat pumps usually provide a more gentle heat than gas boilers. That came to £5,000. Then they paid for the heat pump itself, and the under-floor heating.

In total they spent £17,000, though in return they received a £5,000 government grant.

It's a big capital sum. To put it another way, if you were to finance the cost by piling £17,000 on to a 25-year mortgage, at a 4.5% interest rate, your extra monthly mortgage payments would be about £100.

But then Emily showed me the spreadsheet where she has tracked their energy use, measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). In a recent year before the heat pump installation, the house consumed a total of 28,000 kWh, which would mostly have been gas heating. In the latest year, they used just 10,000, despite having had some adult children move home in that time. In other words, they've cut their energy use by almost two-thirds.

"I guess that reflects how much more efficient the heat pump is and also the impact of the insulation," Emily says.

Now, that is worth remembering - especially when you hear people pour vitriol on the whole idea of heat pumps. This technology delivers almost magical levels of energy reduction. They may be the subject of - pardon the pun - heated debate, almost religious in its fervour. But heat pumps are already used in hundreds of thousands of homes in the UK, and tens of millions across Europe. And it is not hard to find contented heat pump customers.

The science bit

So how does a heat pump heat? And how does it save energy?

A heat pump basically runs a chemical - the refrigerant - round and round in a closed loop, going from hot to cold, gas to liquid, compressed to decompressed. Rinse and repeat.

At one end of the loop, when the refrigerant is in the form of a gas, the heat pump compresses it to make it super hot (rather as a bicycle pump heats up when you use it). Then it can use that heat to warm up water to run through your radiators.

As the gas gives its heat to the radiator water, it condenses into liquid form; this liquid then passes through an expansion valve (the decompression), which sprays it into a low-pressure area, causing its temperature to plummet.

This is where the magic happens: the liquid is now so incredibly cold that even freezing outside air is warm by comparison. The outside air can be used to boil the refrigerant, allowing the cycle to repeat: the compressor squeezes it and makes it super-hot again, ready to heat more radiator water. But the key is the free energy you obtain by letting heat from the air outside do much of the heavy lifting in boiling the refrigerant when it is cold.

I still find it hard to get my head around the fact that you can take heat out of the air at -5C, to help warm water up to 50C.

So was the reduction in energy use that I'd seen at Emily and Stephen's house normal? Answer: yes, according to Richard Fitton, professor of building performance at the University of Salford.

He works at "Energy House 2", a laboratory at the University of Salford that contains new-build homes inside a huge, sealed, temperature-controlled warehouse. Their aim is to test different heating methods, including heat pumps. The houses even come furnished. Walking around is a pretty weird experience, like something from The Truman Show.

But the laboratory conditions mean they can test heat pumps accurately, measuring the exact energy in and the heat coming out.

"You're literally putting in one unit of energy, one kilowatt hour, and getting three out," Fitton tells me.

Gas wouldn't even be one out, for each unit put in. You can't repeat it enough: it's a transformation in energy efficiency.

A different kind of heat

There is an issue though.

As Fitton points out, for heat pumps to perform at their best, they need to operate at a low-ish temperature. Whereas a gas boiler might heat water to 70C to run round your radiators, heat pumps work better at 45C. And if your radiator is offering just that gentle warmth, you might find you need to expand your radiators, to get the room comfortable.

Dale Vince, owner of the electricity firm Ecotricity, puts it bluntly. He's used a heat pump for 20 years, but thinks companies need to be honest about their limitations. "The typical experience is coloured by the fact that heat pumps make colder water than gas boilers, and if you don't change your radiators your house will be cold," he says.

Faced with a chilly house, some users might then dial up the power on their heat pump - but if you do that, much of the efficiency advantage fritters away, he says.

Add to that, if your home is badly insulated, you'll need a lot of heat pump and a lot of radiator to prevent you losing heat as fast as the heat pump is making it.

There is a debate about whether a good heat pump really does lose that much efficiency, but it is generally best to think of the technology as offering a different, slower form of heating. With gas or oil, you can heat up a room very quickly. You might go out to work and let the house cool down; then return home and fire up the furnace. Not with a heat pump. It heats the room up too slowly, so you keep it running at a steady temperature.

"We don't touch it, and we don't think about it, which sounds bizarre," says Emily Boynton. "It just sits there, and the house is warm enough."

Remember that phrase, warm enough. On a cold day, a well configured heat pump system will keep you warm, but by my experience at least, it is unlikely to make the house toastie. If you want to be hot hot, you're perhaps best off getting some other additional top-up device for occasional use.

The right choice for Britain?

When it comes to whether heat pumps make sense as a wider national strategy, the big challenge comes down to some basic maths.

A really well-configured heat pump might use a quarter of the energy of its gas boiler equivalent. But in the UK, the cost of electricity per kilowatt hour is about four times that of gas. These are broad-brush figures, but how do you make heat pumps pay, given their generally higher up-front cost?

For a mass market in heat pumps to take off, electricity can be more expensive than gas, but not that much more expensive.

Now in France, it is different. At my French home, I pay about 18p per kWh most of the day for electricity (and less by night). In London, on my latest bill, I pay 28p per. That 10p difference is crucial.

Greg Jackson, the chief executive of Octopus - the biggest retail energy supplier in Britain and the biggest vendor of heat pumps too - is enthusiastic about the technology. "[We install] around 1,000 a month, typically," he says. "There's still quite a lot of policy barriers, but people who get them are very, very happy."

But he accepts the "crazy high" price of UK electricity is a problem. "In the UK, currently, electricity is about four and a bit times more expensive than gas. In Germany, it's three times, in France it's just over twice as expensive as gas. And in Scandinavia, it's in places almost at parity," he says.

"It's bad for heat pumps, it's not great for electric vehicles, and it's terrible for industry."

He points out that you can often save money by putting yourself on a better tariff and doing most of your heating off-peak.

Despite all the problems, he still broadly thinks Britain needs to embrace heat pumps. "The technologies of fossil fuels are mature - they're not getting any better," he says. "But the technology of electrification… is improving exponentially. If you lock your way into a fossil fuel world now, then in 10 or 20 years you'll truly regret it. Electrification gives us more energy security, and it's getting better all the time."

There's also the question of our national energy resilience - something particularly pertinent this weekend, amid surging European gas prices triggered by the Iran conflict. The truth is that heat pumps won't do much to boost our energy stability any time soon, because so much of our electricity is currently made from gas. But in the long term, if we can eventually wean ourselves off gas (and onto renewables and nuclear), then heat pumps will make us less dependent on turbulent international energy markets.

Net zero ambitions

And this gets to a bigger question about the UK's net zero ambitions.

Obviously if you don't care about net zero, there's no problem to deal with. We just burn gas as long as we can - a version of US President Donald Trump's "drill, baby, drill" approach.

But if the government is serious about replacing the fossil fuels that dominate our national energy use - as they say they are - we will have to find a way of electrifying most of our heating and driving. And at the moment we have not really found a way of making that happen naturally.

Heat pumps will have to be a big part of that transition - and we'll need to find a way of making the sums add up, so it makes financial sense to an average consumer to buy one.

In fact, the high price of electricity is arguably a reason we do need heat pumps (if we're aiming for net zero), because we're unlikely to find another form of electrical home heating that uses less.

But like that transition from horse to car in the early 20th Century, it certainly won't be easy.

Top image credit: Getty.

Jeremy Bowen: Trump is waging war based on instinct and it isn't working

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y969pnxgvo, 4 days ago

Some old truths about warfare have been knocking on the door of the Oval Office in the month since US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent US and Israeli warplanes to bomb Iran.

The failure to learn from the past means that Donald Trump now faces a stark choice. If he cannot get a deal with Iran, he can either try to declare a victory that will fool no-one, or escalate the war.

The oldest of the old truths comes from the Prussian military strategist Helmuth von Moltke the Elder: "No plan survives first contact with the enemy." He was writing in 1871, the year Germany was unified as an empire, a moment that was as consequential for the security of Europe as this war might be for the security of the Middle East.

Maybe Trump prefers the boxer Mike Tyson's modern version: "Everyone has a plan until they get hit." Even more relevant for Trump are the words of one of his predecessors, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the American general who commanded the D-Day landings in 1944 and went on to serve two terms as a Republican president of the United States in the 1950s.

Eisenhower's version was "plans are worthless, but planning is everything". He meant that the discipline and process of making plans to fight a war make it possible to change course when the unexpected happens.

For Trump, the unexpected item has been the resilience of the regime in Iran. It seems that he was hoping for a repeat of the US military's lightning-fast kidnap in January of the President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They are now in prison in New York, facing trial. Maduro's deputy Delcy Rodríguez replaced him as president and is taking orders from Washington.

Hoping for a repeat of the victory over Maduro suggests a yawning lack of comprehension of the differences between Venezuela and Iran.

Eisenhower's adage on thinking ahead came in a speech in 1957. He had been the man in charge of planning and commanding the largest amphibious military operation in history, the invasion of western Europe on D-Day, so he knew what he was talking about.

He went on to explain that when an unexpected emergency arises "the first thing you do is to take all the plans off the top shelf and throw them out the window and start once more. But if you haven't been planning you can't start to work, intelligently at least".

"That is the reason it is so important to plan, to keep yourselves steeped in the character of the problem that you may one day be called upon to solve – or to help to solve."

Far from capitulating or collapsing after Israel and the US killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first air strike of the war, the regime in Tehran is functioning and fighting back. It is playing a weak hand well.

In contrast, Trump has given the impression that he is making it up as he goes along. He follows gut instincts, not the pages of intelligence and strategic advice that other presidents have ploughed through.

Trump's end point

Thirteen days into the war, Trump was asked by Fox News Radio when the war would end. He answered that he did not think that the war "would be long". As for ending it, it would be "when I feel it, feel it in my bones".

He relies on an inner circle of advisers who are in their jobs to back up his decisions and make them happen. Speaking truth to power is not, it seems, in their job description. Relying on the president's instincts rather than a well-worked set of plans – even if they must be adapted or discarded – makes it harder to fight a war. The lack of clear political direction blunts the devastating firepower and effectiveness of the US armed forces.

Four weeks ago, Trump and Netanyahu put their faith in a ferocious bombing campaign that killed not just the supreme leader but his closest advisors and has so far killed 1,464 Iranian civilians, according to HRANA, a US-based group that monitors human rights violations in Iran.

The two leaders were expecting a quick victory. Both challenged Iranians to follow up their bombs with a popular uprising to topple the regime.

Iran's obduracy

But the regime in Tehran still stands, still fights back and Trump is finding out why his predecessors were never prepared to join Netanyahu in a war of choice to destroy the Islamic Republic. Opponents of the regime have not risen up. They're all too aware that in January government forces killed thousands of protesters. Official warnings have been broadcast telling anyone thinking of trying to repeat the protests that they will be treated as enemies of the state.

The Iranian regime is an obdurate, ruthless, well-organised adversary. Founded after the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah, it was then forged in the deadly misery of the eight-year war with Iraq. The regime is built on institutions, not individuals, and reinforced by iron-clad religious beliefs and an ideology of martyrdom. That means that killing leaders, while undoubtedly shocking and disruptive, does not also become a death sentence for the regime. After January's killings, it will consider the deaths of many more Iranians, either at the hands of the regime's own forces or American and Israeli bombs as an acceptable price of survival.

The Iranian regime could not hope to match the firepower of the US and Israel, but like Moltke, Tyson and Eisenhower, it has been making plans. It broadened the war, attacking its Gulf Arab neighbours as well as American bases on their territory and Israel, spreading the pain as widely as possible.

Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entrance to the Gulf, has cut off roughly 20% of world oil supplies and sent global financial markets into a spin.

Iran spent years and billions of dollars building up the network of allies and proxies that Iran called 'the axis of resistance' that included Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank to threaten and deter Israel. The Israelis have hit it very hard and effectively since the Gaza war started with the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.

But Iran is now demonstrating that a geographical feature, the narrow Strait of Hormuz, can be an even more effective deterrent and threat than its ruinously expensive system of military alliances. Iran can enforce its control of the Strait with cheap drones that can be launched from hundreds of kilometres away in Iran's mountainous interior.

Allies get killed. Geography stays the same. Short of capturing and occupying the cliffs on either side of the Strait, and a big stretch of Iranian land beyond them, the US and Israel – and the rest of the world – are discovering that the Iranian regime will demand a big say in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

As the former deputy commander of Nato, General Sir Richard Shirreff observed on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, any war game working through the consequences of an attack on Iran would have shown that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would close the Strait of Hormuz.

That gets back to the importance of planning how to start a war, how to end it and how to deal with the day after. Donald Trump and his inner circle, flushed with the prospect of a quick and easy victory, seem to have skipped those steps.

The 'axis of resistance' also includes the Houthis in Yemen. On Friday they fired a barrage of missiles at Israel for the first time since this war started with the airstrikes on Iran on 28 February. If the Houthis resume their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia would lose its western sea route for oil exports to Asia.

The Red Sea has its own choke point, the Bab al Mandab strait, as important for world trade as the Strait of Hormuz. If the Houthis decide to escalate by attacking shipping in Bab al Mandab and further south, as they did during the Gaza war, they would cut off the route from Asia to Europe through the Suez Canal.

That would create an even worse global economic emergency.

Netanyahu's clarity

Netanyahu, in contrast to Trump, has been thinking in detail about this war since he started the political career that has made him Israel's longest-serving prime minister. On the first full day of the war against Iran, Netanyahu recorded a video statement on the roof of the tower block in Tel Aviv known as the Kirya, which houses Israel's military headquarters. He spoke with a clarity about Israel's war aims that has eluded Trump.

That should not be a surprise. Going to war with Iran is a more straightforward proposition for Israel than the US. The preoccupations of a regional power are different to the much broader global challenges faced by the US.

Netanyahu is convinced that he can ensure Israel's future security by doing as much damage as possible to the Islamic Republic. The war, he said in the video, was "to ensure our existence and our future", Netanyahu has always regarded Iran as Israel's most dangerous enemy. His critics say that preoccupation was one of the reasons for Israel's failure to detect and stop the Hamas attacks out of Gaza on 7 October 2023.

He thanked the US military and Trump for their "assistance" and moved on to the point that for him is the heart of the matter.

"This coalition of forces allows us to do what I have yearned to do for 40 years: smite the terror regime hip and thigh. This is what I promised – and this is what we shall do."

Netanyahu and Israel's military establishment had at different times over his many years in office, looked into ways of going to war with Iran, destroying its nuclear facilities and ballistic missiles, and everything else that made it a threat to them. The conclusion in Israel was always that, while they could do Iran some serious damage, it would only be a setback for the regime. It became accepted wisdom that the only way to smash Iran's military capacity for a generation or more was in alliance with the US.

But that required a president in the White House who was prepared to go to war alongside Israel, something that had never happened despite the two countries' close relationship and Israel's dependence on US military and diplomatic support. Netanyahu could never persuade a US president that it was in America's interests to go to war with Iran – until the second term of Donald J Trump.

Despite America and Iran's bitter and toxic relationship since the Shah, a staunch US ally, was overthrown in 1979, successive US presidents believed that the best way of dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran was to contain it. During America's occupation of Iraq, it did not go to war with Iran even when Tehran was equipping and training Iraqi militias who were killing US troops. The only justification, they calculated, would be an imminent threat, especially information that Iran was close to creating a nuclear weapon.

Trump included a nuclear threat in his evolving list of reasons to go to war. But there is no credible evidence that Iran was about to get a weapon or the means to deliver one. Even the White House still has a statement on its website dated 25 June 2025 under the headline 'Iran's Nuclear Facilities Have Been Obliterated – and Suggestions Otherwise are Fake News.'

Trump is now discovering why his predecessors decided that the risks of choosing to go to war would be just too great.

Asymmetric warfare

The war looks to be turning into a classic example of how a smaller, weaker power can fight an enemy that is bigger and stronger, the kind of conflict that strategists call asymmetric warfare. It is early days, after only a month, to compare it to other wars that on paper the US was winning in terms of enemies killed and bombing raids completed in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. But it is important to remember that after years of bloodshed and killing, they all ended in ways that amounted to defeat for the United States.

The next set of decisions by Trump and Netanyahu could decide whether the war in Iran becomes another major misstep by the US. Trump has now postponed twice his threat to destroy Iran's power network – which as described by him could amount to a war crime. He says that is because Iran is desperate to make a deal to end the war, as the regime has been hit so hard by the damage and death the US has already inflicted and fear that it might do even more.

Contacts between the two sides, via the mediation of Pakistan and others, are taking place. The Iranians deny Trump's assertion that it is a full-blown negotiation.

An official text of the president's 15-point plan for peace has not been published, but leaked versions show a document that is a compilation of all the demands the US and Israel have made of Iran over many years. It reads more like terms of surrender rather than a basis for negotiation. Iran has countered with its own demands, equally unacceptable to the other side, including recognition of its control of the Strait of Hormuz, reparations for war damage, and the removal of American bases from the Middle East.

Unless both sides can make a giant leap into an unexplored middle ground of compromise, it is hard to see a deal being made. It is not impossible. The Iranian regime has a history of negotiation. Arab diplomatic sources have backed up other reports, telling me that Iran was offering a path towards a deal on its nuclear programme when the US abruptly abandoned diplomacy by going to war on 28 February. One source told me: "You know the Iranians were offering everything." That sounds like an over-simplification, and the Americans deny progress was being made, but the signs are there was room for more diplomacy when the US and Israel sent in bombers.

The war is at a critical point. If there is no deal between the Americans and the Iranians, Trump has very few choices. He could declare victory, saying America has destroyed Iran's military, therefore it is mission accomplished, and that opening the Strait of Hormuz is not his responsibility. That could melt down world financial markets and horrify his already disgruntled allies in Europe, Asia and the Gulf. A wounded, angry Iranian regime would have plenty of scope to put more pressure on the world economy.

More likely, Trump would decide to escalate the war. The Americans have more than 4,000 US Marines on ships heading to the Gulf, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne on standby and are discussing further reinforcements.

No-one is talking about a full-scale invasion of Iran, but it is possible the Americans will try to capture islands in the Gulf, including Kharg island, Iran's main oil terminal. That would involve a series of challenging and dangerous amphibious landings. That might even suit Iran, which wants to drag the Americans into a longer war of attrition. Iran calculates that the regime's capacity for pain is greater than Trump's.

Trump has found in Iran that he is coming up against the limits of his power. The Iranian regime has a different definition of victory and defeat than he does. For them, mere survival is victory.

But now they are hoping for more, believing that control of the Strait of Hormuz gives them new leverage to make demands, perhaps even to make strategic gains. The Iranians have demanded, among other things, a promise not to be attacked in future and recognition of their control of the Strait of Hormuz as a price for opening it to all shipping.

The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said ‌on Wednesday that "President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not miscalculate again".

"If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily, and will continue to be, President Trump will ⁠ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before."

Being defeated in war is not a choice. If Iran had been as badly beaten as Trump and his people say, the regime in Tehran would have collapsed by now. He would not need to threaten them into accepting their fate.

America and Israel can do much more damage and kill many more people in Iran. In Lebanon, Israel is pressing ahead with its offensive against Hezbollah, Iran's main ally.

In the absence of a ceasefire, they calculate that they can raise the level of force until the Iranians have no choice but to yield.

That is far from certain.

The longer the war continues, the greater the consequences for the region and for the wider world. One leading Iran analyst, Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group told me they could be "catastrophic".

In 1956 the United Kingdom and France went to war alongside Israel after the Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal, a global waterway that was as significant a chokepoint for the world economy as the Strait of Hormuz is now. They attained all their military objectives but were forced to withdraw by President Eisenhower of the United States.

For the British, it was the beginning of the end of their imperial domination of the Middle East.

America is faced by the rise of China. When the history is written of their competition to be the world's strongest power, Trump's badly planned war against Iran might be seen as a turning point, a waystation of decline, as Suez was for the United Kingdom.

How Russia's threat has seen Germany become Europe's most important army

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvge7r31989o, 6 days ago

General Carsten Breuer is a man in a hurry. As head of Germany's armed forces he's the most powerful, and arguably the most important, soldier in Europe. He's been tasked with the rapid expansion of Germany's armed might, turning its army into the continent's most powerful fighting force.

For he believes Russia's ongoing attempts to bolster its military through increased recruitment and investment in weaponry will leave it strong enough to launch an attack on a Nato territory by 2029.

"I've never experienced a situation which is as dangerous, as urgent, as it is today," he told me at a military base in Munster, near the Dutch border.

"So what we are seeing, what we are facing, is a threat from Russia. We can clearly see that Russia is building up its military to a strength which is nearly double the size of what they had before the war against Ukraine… In 2029 it will be possible for Russia to conduct a major war against Nato. And as a soldier I have to say 'okay, we have to be prepared for this'."

Breuer joined the army of what was then West Germany in 1984, when he was 19. He is softly spoken and thoughtful. There is no soldierly swagger about him, no hint of performative military machismo, but he is nonetheless clearly driven to transform the German military and place it at the heart of the new power map of the continent.

Under his command, the German armed forces are rapidly expanding in strength and numbers. Germany is projected to spend €162bn (£140.2bn) on its military in 2029, up from €95bn in 2025. Opinion polls suggest the boost has strong support from the German public.

Not long ago, a re-armament programme on this scale would have alarmed Germany's neighbours, stirring the ghosts of Europe's dark past.

In the 20th Century, Germany used its powerful armies to wage some of the most destructive wars in human history, laying waste to much of the continent and killing millions.

Having suppressed its military for years in an attempt to atone for the horrors it perpetrated, can Germany fulfil its newfound ambition to become Europe's preeminent military power? And assuming it does, how will it act in the role of the continent's strongman?

Crossing borders

To see a graphic illustration of the way Germany's place in Europe has been transformed, go to Lithuania, where Germany now has a permanent military presence for the first time since the Nazi occupation.

There are close to 1,200 German troops stationed in Lithuania. That will rise to nearly 5,000 by the end of next year.

The BBC watched as the Panzerbrigade 45 (the 45th Armoured Brigade) conducted a live-fire exercise a few miles from the border with Russia's ally Belarus. They were war-gaming an invasion from the east.

The snow-covered, lightly wooded terrain here forms part of the Great European Plain. From the North and Baltic Seas in the West to the walls of the Kremlin in the east, the land is flat. There are few naturally occurring barriers - no mountain ranges, no impassable river valleys. It is highly vulnerable to invasion.

In September 1812, Napoleon's army swept through it all the way to the Russian capital. Hitler's forces, with lightning speed, also made it to the gates of Moscow in September 1941, only to be pushed back by Soviet forces all the way to Berlin: armies, back and forward, back and forward across this exposed open terrain.

If geography is destiny, the Great Plain has shaped the history of warfare here for centuries.

"I guess we are here to fulfil what our neighbours expect from us," Lieutenant Colonel Sebastian Hagen, the commander of Panzerbrigade 45, told me.

"Our Chancellor [Friedrich Merz] announced that we are building up the most powerful conventional army in Europe. And I guess this fits with the role of Germany due to our economic strengths and also to our role in Europe. And we are not doing this alone, obviously, we are doing this in Nato and in the European Union."

This careful, unprompted commitment to the multilateralism of Germany's military efforts occurs again and again in conversations with the German military. The point is to remind you that this time, Germany is here not as an invader and occupier, but as a welcome and valued ally; that this Germany, democratic Germany, seeks not to dominate but to co-operate.

At the height of the Cold War, Germany had more than half a million personnel under arms - but always within Nato and under US supervision. But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Germany, in common with much of Europe, ran down its armed forces to less than half their former strength. At one point it was reported that equipment was so scarce that recruits were training with broom handles instead of rifles.

In the decade from 2007-17, Germany, Europe's most populous country and by far its strongest economy, was typically spending just 1.2% of its GDP on defence. This was a measure of how low defence and security had fallen in the nation's priorities - and a measure, too, of the complacency into which much of Europe had sunk. Germany's new defence spend target is 5% of its GDP.

Other European nations are also reassessing their military priorities in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine. The UK last year pledged to hit a 5% GDP target by 2035, and France is aiming for 3.5%. But still those spends fall short of Russia's, which was estimated to have spent 7.1% on its military in 2024.

A cultural upheaval

Rearmament on the scale Germany is now undertaking has required a major change in the way the country thinks about its defence, and about the place of the armed forces in society.

At the Potsdam Conference of 1945, after Germany's surrender, the allied leaders agreed that in the future Germany should be demilitarised. West Germany accepted this, to try and atone for the violence it had inflicted on the continent, and was content to allow the Americans to assume leadership of its defence.

That era is over. In 2025, the German parliament voted to change the country's constitution so that strict constraints on borrowing could be lifted to fund an expanded defence budget.

It is often difficult for those of us outside the country to understand how big a deal this was for Germany. But history is the unseen guest at every table; the country remains haunted by the memory of the hyperinflation that devastated the economy in the 1920s and helped propel the Nazis to power. Germany is uniquely neurotic about debt and about unsound money. But it has, at last, let defence spending break the tight rules.

It was a profoundly significant moment. "I would say it's been a cultural revolution," says Sophia Besch, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Institute for Peace, a think tank in Washington DC.

"The Russian invasion of Ukraine has really changed the way that Germany approaches defence."

That huge step was almost certainly precipitated by US Vice-President JD Vance's speech at last year's Munich Security Conference weeks after Donald Trump's inauguration, in which he put the European allies on notice that the US would no longer be the guarantor of European security. At the same time, a series of leaked messages revealed the culture of contempt, in Trump's White House, for its European allies. "I fully share your loathing of European freeloaders," Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told his colleagues, adding, "PATHETIC".

That, it's said, is what persuaded Germany's Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, that the European powers need to pursue "operational independence" from the US within Nato.

"Pretty much the entire underpinning of Germany's post-war settlement was based around the Transatlantic Alliance," says the Berlin-based journalist and author John Kampfner.

"It was based on an assumption of American defence and security and political support. You could perhaps call it naive… But that sense of security has been blown asunder by the second Trump administration.

"I would contend that it's more destabilising for Germans than it is for the British or the French, because the British and the French have the flag to rally around, a sense of nationhood and history. But for post-war Germany, it was all about starting afresh. And it was about a rules-based order, no matter how incomplete that might be. And that, in so many ways, was the basic tenet of German foreign policy. And they now see the war to their east, and to their west [there is] the friend and ally, and the overseer that they relied upon [that] they feel is no more.

"So the mood is dark, as it is everywhere in Europe. And there's a sense of having to reassess everything."

"We can call it a wake-up call," says Breuer. "We were not able and not willing, once again, to push the snooze button on this… it was a huge step for Germany, a huge step for the German population, definitely."

Breuer says Germany currently has 182,000 service personnel under arms. He wants to boost that by 20,000 within a year and by 60,000 within a decade. And that professional army will be further supplemented by a reserve force of 200,000.

He has launched a recruitment drive to bring thousands of young men in particular into the army; and if the recruitment drive does not attract sufficient numbers he will, in time, argue for a return to conscription. Given the public support for the measures, it is an argument he would almost certainly win.

The German defence ministry says 16,100 Germans applied to the armed forces in February, 20% more than last February, and 5,300 new recruits joined, representing an increase of 14% on 2025.

Operational independence

Germany is further reducing its reliance on the US by ramping up munitions production of its own. The lifting of borrowing constraints for defence spending has encouraged many German companies to shift their focus from civil manufacture to military. Germany, like most of Europe, has relied heavily on US weapons manufacturers for fighter aircraft, missile systems and armoured vehicles such as tanks. Germany wants to be less dependent on US-manufactured munitions and has implemented a quiet policy of "buy German where possible".

So what are the capabilities that currently only the US has and that Europe will need to acquire in the pursuit of Merz's "operational independence"?

"We, in Germany, have set a clear prioritised list," says Breuer.

"What we need is ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance], what we need is drones. What we need is deep precision strike capability. Also space capabilities have to come into this. So these are our most urgent needs here. But like I said, we have put it on a prioritised list, and we are working on it, and we are well on our way."

I asked him whether he was prepared to be the first general since 1945 to lead a German army into war in Europe. It's not about war, he said.

"What I'm doing is to prepare Germany to be able to defend itself, by building up those defence capabilities. This is deterrence for us. We will deter the threat from the Russian side."

In other words: prepare for war in order to prevent war.

But operational independence? A European defence establishment that could go it alone in a major war without the US?

The US Department of Defence is America's biggest employer. It's expected to spend $961.6bn (£716.9bn) this year, dwarfing even Germany's new spending commitment, as well as projected increases from allies such as Britain and France.

"When you look at the money, there's no way around it: Germany will shape the future of European defence and security," says Sophia Besch.

"But I doubt that we will have one country in Europe that can fill the footsteps of the US. It's very tempting to say 'could Germany or France fill that role in the future', but that is not how Europeans co-operate. We are always looking for compromise.

"There's also clearly a trust issue. The role that the US has played in European defence has grown over decades and the trust built up there has been built up over decades and that will be difficult to fill those shoes overnight."

But that trust is eroding. German confidence in the US has fallen sharply during Donald Trump's second term. In 2024, before Trump's re-election, 74% of Germans polled by the Pew Center said they had confidence in the relationship between the two countries. But in 2025, only 27% of Germans said relations with the US were good, compared with 73% who said they were bad.

An indispensable nation?

Perhaps the most striking illustration of the transformation of Germany's role in Europe is the attitude of its neighbours. German militarism cursed the 20th Century. Now opinion polls show the German presence in Lithuania is popular.

In 2011 the Polish Foreign Minister Radoslav Sikorski went to Berlin and made a speech which, given the memory of Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland, surprised many of the German diplomats who made up his audience.

He urged Germany to assume a leadership role in Europe. The context was the crisis in the eurozone and the role he was pressing on a reluctant Germany was an economic, not a military one. But it was a landmark moment. "I fear German power less than I am beginning to fear German inactivity," he said, describing Germany as Europe's "indispensable nation".

German rearmament is "good news for Poland, for Europe and for Nato," the retired Polish General Andrzek Falkowski, a former Deputy Chief of the Polish armed forces, told me. He also spent 12 years in senior roles at Nato headquarters.

"We know how militaristic they [the Germans] were, and we know my country's geo-strategic location. We were always like a sandwich between two superpowers.

"After 1989 Germany started to become a freeloader [in defence spending].

"They preferred to spend on economic and social issues - education and so on - because they had a kind of buffer to the east and we, the Poles, were the buffer.

"But now Germany has become the fourth biggest defence spender in the world.

"So as the strongest economy in Europe, they should spend more, and for Poland, and for Europe, it can only be good news."

When speaking to General Breuer, I noticed repeatedly his insistence on the language of co-operation. It is a legacy of Germany's past that it must take great pains not to appear to be seeking dominance.

I was particularly struck by his response to my final question. He told me after our interview was over that he'd found the question "humbling and puzzling". It was this: "You are probably the most powerful and the most important soldier in Europe," I said. "Do you feel the burden of it?"

"I think I feel the responsibility every day," he said, "the responsibility for the forces I'm leading here in Germany. I'm one of 182,000 soldiers in Germany, and I feel the responsibility of leadership. I'm very glad to be part of this leadership team, because together we will face this and we will cope with this challenge. Definitely."

When Nato was founded it was said that its purpose was to keep the Americans in, the Russians out and the Germans down. That era is over. Eight decades later, Germany is far from down; it is back, re-armed and at the heart of Europe's new power map.

Top picture credits: NurPhoto / AFP / Photothek / Getty Images

Prepare for turbulence - how a prolonged Middle East conflict could reshape how we fly

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn08x9lw0pzo, 7 days ago

It was once a humble outpost in the world of global aviation, a dusty overnight halt for luxury flying boats making the arduous journey from the UK to far-flung parts of the British Empire, such as India and Australia. By the 1960s, it had a simple runway made of desert sand, used as a refuelling stop by airliners en route to arguably more exotic destinations.

Yet today, Dubai is one of the key pillars of the industry, and Dubai International Airport (DXB) is its beating heart. In 2024, more than 92 million passengers made their way through its gleaming, marble-floored halls and sparkling, brightly lit shopping malls.

That makes DXB the busiest airport in the world for international passengers - far outstripping London Heathrow, for example, which accommodated just under 83 million. Nor is Dubai alone within the Gulf as a major hub. Rival airports in Abu Dhabi and the Qatari capital, Doha, are not quite as busy, but they still handled some 87 million passengers between them.

Under normal circumstances, these three Gulf airports together handle more than 3,000 flights every day, the majority of them operated by the local carriers, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways.

But the conflict in the Middle East has had a dramatic impact on global aviation. First, there was the paralysis of flights through some of the busiest airspace in the world, leaving aircraft at major hub airports grounded and hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded. Air traffic in the region remains heavily disrupted.

Then there is fuel. With supplies from refineries in the Gulf choked off after Iran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, it has become a serious concern. The region normally accounts for about half of Europe's jet fuel imports, and fears of scarcity have caused prices to double since the start of the conflict. Some carriers have already begun cutting flights in response.

But while these issues are likely to dominate the industry's thinking in the short-term - and will probably lead to higher prices in the months to come - there's also a question mark over what the longer-term implications will be.

In particular, insiders are asking what it all means for the hugely successful "Gulf model" of aviation - which has been widely credited with transforming long-distance travel and making it cheaper. And that has serious implications for airlines, passengers and businesses in the Middle East that rely on the region's abundant airline connections.

Chaos in the departure halls

The Gulf hubs, normally well-oiled machines, shuddered to a halt following the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. With airspace closed across the region, aircraft were grounded. Some planes that had already taken off were forced to turn back.

Tens of thousands of passengers were left stranded in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, many of them people who had only arrived in the region to change planes. Meanwhile, both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were being targeted by retaliatory drone and missile strikes from Iran, creating a tense and fearful environment for those who were trapped in airports and hotels.

Many more passengers around the world were unable to travel on the services they had booked, because their flights were due to go via one of the Gulf hubs. They were left scrambling to find alternatives.

Emirates and Etihad did begin operating a limited service to get people home within days, and Qatar Airways followed suit shortly afterwards. Other carriers from outside the region also put on flights. Some governments, including the UK's, chartered their own aircraft to help people leave the region.

Since then, the situation has stabilised somewhat, with all three major carriers operating regular flights from their hubs. But schedules remain limited and prone to disruption. According to analysts at Cirium, more than 30,000 services to the Middle East as a whole have been cancelled since the start of the conflict.

Much of this took place in a harsh glare of publicity, as travellers took to social media or spoke to news networks about their experiences and frustrations.

Among them was Ian Scott, who had been flying from Melbourne to Venice via Doha. His outward flight from the Qatari capital was forced to turn back in mid-air, and he subsequently had to spend several days sheltering in a hotel, before choosing to spend two days driving through the desert to Oman. From there, he was eventually able to get a flight out.

He now says that in future, he would avoid flying via the Gulf hubs, even once hostilities have ceased – because he has "no faith" the region's troubles would end there.

How the Gulf hubs became such a success

And it's the verdicts of travellers like Ian that will be most worrying for the hubs' operators.

Even though Dubai, in particular, has developed into a major tourism and business destination in its own right, more than half of travellers through the Gulf hubs are not there to stay. They simply want to change planes.

Last year 47% of Dubai's passengers were there to board connecting flights, compared with 54% of Abu Dhabi's and 74% of Doha's, according to OAG, an aviation data firm.

And this is the essence of the Gulf aviation model. Passengers are flown in on long-haul services from cities around the world, to meet carefully timed connections, which can then take them on to a wide range of equally far-flung destinations. It means they can travel from Boston to Bali, or Amsterdam to Antananarivo with a single stop and a minimum of fuss.

This contrasts with the conventional "hub-and-spoke" model, which involves flying passengers into hub airports from a regional, short-haul network, where they can transfer onto large planes for long-haul services on busy international routes. It is also different from "point-to-point" flying, which sees passengers travelling on direct long-distance routes between secondary cities, generally aboard smaller aircraft.

The Gulf carriers' approach combines some of the convenience point-to-point gives passengers with the economies of scale for airlines associated with the hub-and-spoke system. It is a unique model and one that is very dependent on geography.

"Within three hours flying time of the Gulf, you have the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, verging on China. It's a huge market," explains James Hogan, a former chief executive of Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways. He ran the carrier for 11 years - from 2006-2017 - overseeing a period of rapid expansion for the company, which began operations in 2003.

"The Gulf carriers were able to build a very strong network, not only of hub cities, capital cities – but also the major secondary cities and third cities, which enabled one-stop flying," he says.

Andrew Charlton, managing director of consultants Aviation Advocacy agrees. "The Gulf is just in that place where, with the current technology, you can get to practically anywhere on Earth," he says.

And so, in the early years of the century, that put the region's airlines in an ideal position to take advantage of rapid growth in markets such as China and India, which he believes European and American carriers initially overlooked.

"The Middle East was suddenly in exactly the right place for the emerging market, which was well east of the Atlantic," he says.

The Gulf carriers, as relative newcomers to the industry, were also able to invest in modern fleets ideally suited to the kind of model they were building. Initially, the twin-engine Boeing 777 was favoured for its 300-seat capacity and range of more than 7,000 nautical miles, while later, the Airbus A380 superjumbo also became a useful tool for carrying more than 500 passengers to and from congested airports where take-off and landing slots were scarce.

"The major differentiator was starting with a clean sheet of paper. That was the secret sauce," explains Mr Hogan. "You were able to create a service proposition that couldn't be matched by carriers in more traditional markets, whether that be the USA, Europe or Australasia."

As a result, the Gulf carriers and the hubs they serve have grown rapidly since the start of the millennium, becoming a key junction for long-distance aviation.

"It is the pivot point for passengers that arrive from Europe and North America… who are scheduled to connect onwards on another flight to Australia, South East Asia, Singapore, Hong Kong or the Indian subcontinent," explains John Grant, senior analyst at OAG.

"It is a hugely efficient, very effective operation that sees 90-100 flights arriving in a one-hour time window and then departing somewhere else an hour or two later."

All of this has also had a significant impact on the cost of long-haul aviation.

"Competition drove down prices, and the Gulf carriers were a competitive game changer," says Mr Charlton. "They added capacity to long-haul markets, they created long-haul markets… so of course they drove airfares down."

But the conflict in the Middle East has thrown all this into disarray, according to Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Middle East expert at the Baker Institute in Texas. He says a long drawn-out conflict could deter travellers from passing through the Gulf – and have a long-term impact on the way its airlines operate.

"Of course the business model is going to be called into question the longer it goes on," he says. "If people don't feel secure about travelling because they feel they'll get stuck, or that at any time the airport might be closed because of a drone, even if it's intercepted, that will do a lot of damage."

Why fares are likely to rise

The key question is how much this has damaged the Gulf's reputation as a focal point for global aviation – and whether its model has suffered lasting damage.

According to Charlton, a great deal will depend on how long the conflict goes on for. If it is over quickly, he says, the Gulf carriers will recover lost ground quickly because "they will just flood the market with cheap airfares".

But the more it drags on, he says, "the more passengers will find alternate ways to fly", with rival carriers offering connections via alternative hubs such as Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong or Tokyo.

Meanwhile the long-term loss of capacity normally provided by the Gulf airlines, he says, would inevitably drive prices up.

"Did the Gulf carriers cause lower fares? Yes they did. Take Gulf carriers out of the equation, air fares are going to go up, as sure as eggs are eggs."

European airlines have already responded to the crisis in the Middle East by changing their own schedules, and adding flights that avoid the need for a stopover in the Gulf. British Airways, for example, has introduced a number of extra services each week to Bangkok and Singapore, while Lufthansa and Air France KLM have also added extra flights to Asia.

But according to Willie Walsh, the Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), European airlines simply do not have the resources to replace the Gulf carriers, who normally account for 9.5% of global capacity, to any great extent.

Speaking to journalists at an event in Paris in mid-March, he said "there is no way the capacity provided by carriers in the Gulf can be replaced by European carriers", adding that he expected Gulf aviation to recover quickly once the conflict has eased.

The end of the Gulf dream?

It is worth mentioning that the future of the Gulf model has been questioned in the past, not least during the Covid pandemic, when some experts suggested carriers reliant on long-haul routes and transit traffic, using fleets of large aircraft, were not agile enough to respond to changing circumstances. In reality, the recovery was rapid, with Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways all showing healthy profits in recent years.

"The aviation industry has seen Sars, it's seen Covid, it's seen geopolitical events in various parts of the world," says Grant. "It's seen stock market crashes, and it bounces back."

There is, however, a great deal at stake, and not just for the aviation industry. In recent years, Dubai, in particular, has moved away from simply being a transit destination to become a hub for business and tourism in its own right.

"The Gulf states have always had very strong oil and gas sectors, but diversification has always been a key priority for their leadership," explains the former Etihad CEO, James Hogan. "With the ability to create aviation hubs, there was a major move in that diversification, because of the catalytic effect of aviation."

Ulrichsen agrees. The United Arab Emirates, he believes, has established itself as "a place where people aspirationally want to go and live and work and do business. And so much of that model is based on the attractiveness of Dubai".

That prosperity, however, could potentially be put at risk if air traffic to the region fails to recover quickly, with the tourism sector looking particularly exposed.

"My intuition is this will have a lasting impact… because of the safety perception you have in your mind," says Johannes Thomas, chief executive of the travel specialist Trivago. He believes it will take "maybe two to three years" before those safety concerns are fully overcome.

But Hogan is far more optimistic.

"This is a major crisis, but it will be resolved at a point in time", he insists. "I've seen it over the years. Some people in the early days may be apprehensive, but travellers will come back.

"I'm very bullish about what the Gulf has to offer."

There's no question that, in the short term at least, the conflict in the Middle East has come as a severe blow to the major Gulf carriers and the hubs they rely on. The region is now likely to be viewed with some trepidation by tourists and business travellers alike

Overcoming that reputational damage can only really begin once hostilities have eased. If the Gulf can resume its role as a junction to the world, then the industry will be able to carry on much as before - but if that isn't possible, the implications for long-haul aviation around the globe could be profound.

As Starmer faces war overseas, his party can't find peace at home

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyxy54pv9po, 12 days ago

Traditionally, British politicians stuck together when it came to dangerous moments abroad. In 2026? Not so much.

It used to be the case that governments with whopping majorities could more or less do what they liked. That's not true now. Sir Keir Starmer's party is still restless, and underneath the overwhelming scale of the crisis in the Middle East, politics continues to fray.

"There is a lot of anxiety around," one minister tells me, adding that it's not clear the public has a whole heap of faith in our politicians' ability to prioritise and protect the public from what could be "the greatest global energy security threat in history" according to the head of the International Energy Agency.

Nor is it certain that the government has the public's support to increase the UK's involvement in the conflict, after last night's decision to let the US use British bases to launch strikes on Iranian sites targeting the vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz.

In a few weeks, millions of voters have a chance to show their confidence in politicians, or lack thereof, at the ballot box during local elections. And polls suggest the outcome won't be neat or ordered but, in reality, a bit of a mess.

While the prime minister is trying to deal with a war that he didn't start, and doesn't have the power to end, some of his own MPs are making his life harder - not least his former deputy Angela Rayner, who popped back into public life in a very obvious way in the past couple of weeks.

She's one of the Labour MPs complaining about the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's plans. The group is thinking about trying to force a vote in the Commons unless Mahmood ditches some of her ideas, most controversially perhaps the plan to expect most migrants to wait 10, not five, years before they could be given the right to live in the UK for good.

Sources close to the home secretary are convinced that a stricter approach to immigration is what the public wants. Those sources are resolute in the face of discomfort among Labour MPs. "Once again we have people out of step with the country," they say, claiming that more voters have switched to Reform because of immigration policy being too weak than have gone over to the Greens because it's too harsh.

After the debacle over ditching welfare reforms that ran into a brick wall of resistance in the Commons, the home secretary is planning to make the changes she wants over a longer period of time, in a variety of ways - rather than create one big moment in Parliament where critics could organise a big bust-up.

But ministers are conscious of risk, and the impression it gives to voters. One warned colleagues picking a fight on the changes while the conflict in Iran rages: "Anyone thinking about it should take a deep breath and focus on the reward we could get with unanimity." Another frustrated source said it was "classic fighting amongst ourselves when we should be focusing on the world and trying to govern".

But a rocket was put on the row when none other than Angela Rayner jumped into it, not just arguing about some of the technicalities in the Commons, but accusing ministers of putting forward immigration proposals that were "un-British" in a speech in London, helpfully chipping in for good measure that "the survival of the Labour Party is at stake", and that it was "running out of time".

Some of her colleagues have huffed and puffed that it is a bit rich for someone under investigation for not paying the right amount of tax to be "lecturing Keir on British values". Others look at this speech and her recent speaking engagements in the City and conclude she's warming up to a leadership bid after the elections in May, in what seems the likely event that Labour get hammered.

Given what's happening in the Middle East, any talk of leadership elections is self- indulgent to many ears.

The war had shoved Labour infighting off the front pages, and also given some MPs a strong sense that now was just not the time for a challenge. But Rayner's outing this week proves the concern about the government's direction has faded, not been forgotten.

Starmer can't be sure he'll have the support of his party on controversial plans like those on immigration. Leadership angst remains, and could come roaring back in May. Wise heads point to a moment when Labour's power structures could change further down the track.

Over the summer, there are party elections for the ruling body, the National Executive Committee. As things stand, Starmer has been able to rely on the NEC, as was shown when he won their support to block Andy Burnham from running as an MP. By the end of the summer, new faces on the NEC could change that and make his position more precarious.

In the meantime, however, one government source says: "The world is on fire and we are doing what we can to protect people, but we also have to show we can chew gum and walk forward."

That's a story Labour has to try and tell in the run up to the May elections, partly by highlighting plans to give local communities cash to spend on doing up high streets, or community projects, with the election campaign slogan "Pride in Britain". Given the state of the government's popularity, you don't have to be a cynic to ask if these sorts of promises will be enough to turn things round.

We'll be joined by the Communities Secretary, Steve Reed, to talk about it on Sunday. But the hope in government is that getting cash out of Whitehall to tiny local projects, playgrounds, community pubs, or other ideas that people come up with, can make a political impact, despite all the turmoil. The government source said: "We are trying to do very visible change so people say 'Ah OK, there is a government out there that actually has its hands on the wheel, despite almost perma-crisis around the world'."

The May elections don't just give Starmer's critics on Labour's inside a chance to have a go at him, they are a big moment for the other political parties to make hay. And in 2026, there is no shortage of outfits trying to have a go.

One of the chief challengers is, of course, Reform UK. There's a belief in both senior Labour and Tory circles that Reform's party has plateaued - their stellar growth has slowed, and their dominance in the polls not as convincing as it was for much of last year.

In the last couple of days, there's been embarrassment for its leader Nigel Farage, who quit the video message platform Cameo after a newspaper investigation found he had recorded clips supporting a man convicted of violent disorder, and an event by a neo-Nazi group.

Reform said he had stopped using the account for security reasons and that he had used the platform in good faith. Reform has definitely moved into a different era from their heady ascent in the polls last year, grappling with more scrutiny, as we reported on in our documentary, Reform: Ready to Rule?

They also have a new rival further to the right, Restore Britain, founded by one of its own former MPs, Rupert Lowe, who had a spectacular bust-up with the party. He's now building followers online and has just officially registered Restore as a political party. Restore even claims now to have more members than the Conservatives - but evidence of party numbers is often closely guarded.

They hope to win some seats in Great Yarmouth in May. Party sources claim they are growing because "we are saying things that people want to hear, not the woke stuff that is being peddled".

But as far as the polls are concerned, they're yet to make any meaningful national impact. Reform is still the biggest challenger to Starmer, and, for that matter, Kemi Badenoch.

Her position in her own party is much more secure than in the early months of her leadership, but the Conservatives are still likely to have a rough night in May. But, irrespective of the election results, the big poll of polls survey shows the same broad picture week after week: Labour, the Conservatives and the Greens bunched around the same modest poll level, in the high teens, with the Lib Dems consistently in fourth and Reform constantly at the top. Add in healthy showings for Plaid Cymru in Wales, and the SNP in Scotland, and a completely different complicated picture in Northern Ireland.

The shape of our politics is in flux, and any traditional expectations of stability fraying. And that's happening just at the moment when it feels like the gravity of the decisions that faces politicians is growing every day: to take part in war or work only for peace, to grapple with what could be a hefty economic shock and, perhaps, to keep the lights on.

Is there "a lot of anxiety around", as the minister told me? You can be absolutely sure of that.

Sir John Curtice: Why Labour's Brexit focus has shifted from Leavers to Remainers

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gjn1d74jlo, 13 days ago

"Brexit did deep damage." With those words at her Mais lecture on Tuesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves made it clear that there has been an important shift within the Labour Party - one that government ministers have been signalling for some time.

"Let me say this directly to our friends and allies in Europe. This government believes a deeper relationship is in the interest of the whole of Europe," she said, while at the same time insisting that the government was not trying to "turn back the clock" on Brexit.

Speaking in such overt terms about Brexit's perceived harms in part reflects a belief that, as the government attempts to turn around the country's persistently sluggish economic performance, it must be more ambitious in its attempt to "reset" the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the EU.

Labour's 2024 election manifesto did propose some renegotiation of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement that Boris Johnson negotiated on leaving the EU in 2020. In particular, it wanted to end EU customs checks on exports of food and agricultural products by aligning Britain's regulations of such products with those of the EU.

However, it also drew clear red lines: no return to the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement.

Of the possibility of rejoining the EU there was no suggestion whatsoever.

This stance was the product of the party's heavy defeat in the 2019 election. After that calamity, Labour accepted the decision to leave the EU and voted for Johnson's Trade and Co-operation Agreement.

However, Labour's tone has been changing. Shortly after last autumn's Budget, the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declared that "Brexit had significantly hurt our economy" and that Britain needed to "keep moving towards a close relationship with the EU".

Although the red lines in Labour's manifesto were apparently still to be kept intact, his speech suggested that Labour was coming to the conclusion that, if it was going to turn around Britain's ailing economy, it needed to be more ambitious in its approach to the reset.

Some ministers have seemingly even been willing to go further.

Speaking at a literary festival in October, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said: "I'm glad that Brexit is a problem whose name we now dare speak," and indicated that he believed being outside the EU was making it difficult to deliver the economic growth the government had promised.

The deputy prime minister, David Lammy, said in a podcast that it was "self-evident" that Brexit had damaged the economy and noted the economic benefit that Turkey had derived from its customs agreement with the EU.

Meanwhile, in further evidence of pressure within Labour's ranks to rethink its policy on Brexit, on Wednesday the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, called for the UK to rejoin the EU customs union and single market before the next election, and then campaign at that ballot on a promise to rejoin the EU.

Although on Tuesday Reeves, in contrast, stressed that the red lines set out in Labour's manifesto still stand, the chancellor has now clearly signalled a shift. She indicated in her Mais lecture that, wherever it was in Britain's interest to do so, the government wants to align the UK's regulatory regime with that of the EU in more areas.

Such a step was, she suggested, one of the keys to delivering the economic growth Labour promised in the 2024 election campaign but which, so far, has largely eluded it. The economy grew by 1.3% in 2025, an improvement on growth of 1.1% in 2024, although worse than official forecasts of 1.5%.

These moves are not just economically significant – they potentially matter politically too.

Will the pursuit of a closer relationship with the EU risk courting electoral disaster by alienating Brexit-backing voters? Or has the political front line fundamentally shifted so that it now makes political sense for Labour to change tack on Brexit?

Reconnecting with working-class voters

Labour's stance on Brexit was, after all, born of painful defeat.

After losing the 2019 election when it pledged to renegotiate the Brexit deal and then hold a second referendum with Remain as an option, the party took the view it would be unable to regain power unless it reconnected with the many working-class voters who had traditionally voted Labour, but had then backed Leave in 2016 and supported Boris Johnson's call to "get Brexit done" in 2019.

It was their defection from Labour that helped collapse the "Red Wall" of once-safe Labour seats in the Midlands and the North of England that Labour reckoned it needed to win back to regain power.

Yet although Labour won the 2024 election, it did so despite in fact making relatively little progress between 2019 and 2024 in reconnecting with working-class Leave voters.

Data from the British Election Study and the National Centre for Social Research suggest that 80% of Labour's support came from people who said they would vote to rejoin the EU - only a little below the equivalent figure of 86% in 2019.

The party was much more successful at winning over 2019 Tory voters who backed rejoining the EU than they were those who wanted to stay out.

At the same time, Labour's advance among working-class voters was no stronger than among middle class voters - and may have even been somewhat weaker. As a result, and in line with what happened in 2019, working-class voters were no more likely than those in middle class occupations to give Labour their vote.

Now, nearly two years on, the party is in even more serious electoral trouble than in 2019. So far this month, the polls on average put the party's standing at just 19%.

It trails Reform, whose support comes predominantly from those who back Brexit, by eight points. One in 10 of those who voted Labour in 2024 are now supporting Nigel Farage's party.

But although one might assume Labour's efforts should focus on recapturing voters shifting to Reform, Reform's rise is not the principal source of Labour's electoral woes at present.

That is because for every voter who has switched since 2024 from Labour to Reform, almost twice as many (19%) have swung to the resurgent Greens. The party has also lost another 8% of its former voters to the Liberal Democrats.

And while those who have switched from Labour to Reform would nearly all vote to stay out of the EU, most who have moved to the Greens or the Liberal Democrats are rejoiners.

So, although Labour's vote is currently down by nine points since 2024 among those who voted Leave, it has fallen by 19 points among those who supported Remain.

This makes one thing clear: Labour is unlikely to restore its electoral fortunes simply by appealing to Brexit-backing Reform voters. The party also needs to win back pro-EU minded voters, who, in switching to the Greens and the Liberal Democrats, have defected to parties that, in contrast to Labour, are in favour of eventually reversing Brexit.

Labour voters on rejoining the European Union

So what has been behind Labour's Brexit strategy up to now?

In trying to reset Britain's relationship with the EU, but going no further than that, Labour's presumption appears to have been that while such a strategy would be welcomed by Labour's pro-EU supporters, it would not upset its minority of Brexiteers.

Indeed, last June 76% of 2024 Labour voters told YouGov they supported "Britain having a closer relationship with the European Union, without rejoining the European Union, the Single Market, or the Customs Union". Only 11% were opposed.

However, that does not mean Labour's reset approach is more popular with its supporters than the more radical step of rejoining the EU.

In the same YouGov poll, 82% of Labour voters said they supported "Britain rejoining the European Union". Just 12% were against. More recently, in December, YouGov reported that 73% of 2024 Labour voters supported "starting negotiations for Britain to rejoin the European Union", with 18% opposed.

The core elements of Labour's approach

But it is also true that the popularity of the central elements of the reset that the party has been pursuing up to now cannot be taken for granted.

The core of the party's strategy hitherto has been getting rid of customs checks on exports of food and agricultural products from Britain to the EU.

At first glance, this is popular with Labour voters.

In January last year, 63% of the party's 2024 voters told BMG they supported negotiating a "veterinary agreement to remove paperwork required on food and drink exports" between the UK and the EU. Only 10% were opposed.

However, much depends on how the question is asked.

Redfield & Wilton secured a very different result when, also in January last year, they presented voters with the relevant trade-offs. They asked which would be "better for Britain":

The UK follows EU laws and regulations for food sold in Britain, and food made in Britain to be sold abroad DOES NOT go through border checks upon arrival in the EU.

Or: the UK follows its own laws and regulations for food sold in Britain, and food made in Britain to be sold abroad DOES go through border checks upon arrival in the EU.

Now Labour voters only narrowly favoured the former option over the latter by 45% to 40%.

These divergent poll findings suggest Labour cannot assume that even if the talks with the EU on Labour's original reset proposals do eventually reach a successful conclusion that they will necessarily land well with its voters.

Rather, much would depend on the party's ability to persuade them of its merits.

After all, Reform and the Conservatives are likely to present a reset as a betrayal of Brexit, involving a return to following EU rules made in Brussels rather than British rules made at Westminster.

And the polling evidently suggests this is an argument to which Labour supporters are not wholly immune.

Rather than necessarily being easier to sell, the potential difficulty with Labour's reset strategy is that the trade-offs are potentially all too apparent to some of the party's supporters.

John Curtice is Professor of Politics, Strathclyde University, and Senior Fellow, National Centre for Social Research, and The UK in a Changing Europe

Top picture credits: Getty Images and Reuters

How US groups are driving a new generation of anti-abortion activism in the UK

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dl5j0w23o, 9 days ago

For 21-year-old John Alexander, being against abortion came before finding faith.

As a teenager at school in Buckinghamshire, he was confused as to why most of his peers supported access to abortion. On social media he argued vocally against it.

Then, shortly after the pandemic, he became more interested in Christianity. He was raised in the Church of England (CofE), but thought the denomination was "dry" and involved "people sitting in pews not doing much". He was inspired by the young pastor at a Pentecostal Church which discussed social issues like abortion more than CofE churches, he says. He also watched social media videos of street preachers.

At university he joined the pro-life society and later he became a fan of the American right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.

"In the UK, people want to be polite, so they don't tackle abortion in the same way because they are scared to talk about it," he says. "For those who are frustrated by the culture here, they look at the States and how vocal people are, and [they] are inspired."

Last month, John attended the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children's Youth Conference - where attendance has grown steadily every year since it was created, organisers say.

Analysts, charity leaders, and young anti-abortion activists who have spoken to the BBC say they have spotted a rise in the number of British young people embracing anti-abortion activism.

There's no single, clear cause.

The BBC has heard explanations that include opposition to the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament and which will decriminalise abortion at every stage of pregnancy in England and Wales (meaning women will not be prosecuted for ending their own pregnancies, even if they do it late in term, though doctors will still be bound by the existing 24-week limit).

And some anti-abortion campaigners cite an increase in young people like John discovering (or rediscovering) Christianity, particularly Catholicism (though this trend is contested).

But there's another factor that has become particularly notable in recent months: the influence of America. Some young British people have told the BBC that they have been galvanised by US anti-abortion groups, many of which now have branches in Britain. And Charlie Kirk - the late political activist who toured US college campuses preaching right-wing views - has become something of a hero among a small group of young British people online.

Why are US anti-abortion groups and individuals becoming more prominent in Britain - and could their brand of politics actually succeed in a country with such a different political culture?

Kirk and campus politics

Those who support abortion rights say the nature of anti-abortion campaigning in Britain has changed.

Rachael Clarke, chief of staff at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), the country's largest abortion provider, is one of them.

"Up until the 2000s you would see maybe a nun or a priest quietly outside the clinic, but since about 2013 we were seeing groups like 40 Days for Life protesting," she says.

Created in Texas in 2004, 40 Days for Life is one of several American anti-abortion groups which now has a growing presence in the UK. It supports protesters to work in shifts outside abortion clinics for 40 days over Lent, and another 40 days in the autumn.

Clarke says that some British young people have become more interested in anti-abortion ideas, a trend she attributes in part to the likes of 40 Days For Life and other American groups, who she says were galvanised by the US Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022.

"I think they've been looking about how to expand overseas. And because it's a common language, [the] UK is an easier place to start to echo what they've done in the US in terms of influence and spending."

Particularly significant is Turning Point USA, a non-profit organisation that advocates for conservative politics in schools, colleges and universities, founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk, who enjoyed close ties to the White House, particularly Vice President JD Vance. Kirk was passionately against abortion; he called it a "massacre" that is "worse" than the Holocaust.

In 2018, the group launched a branch in the UK (called Turning Point UK).

John was a particular fan of Kirk. "His videos are kind of hard to escape," he says.

The killing of Kirk at Utah Valley University last year, left a deep impression on John. "Charlie died for standing on the truth of Jesus Christ, and his death should send other Christians a message and should convict us," he said in his TikTok video titled "Charlie Kirk was a Christian Martyr", which has almost 35,000 views.

Inspired by Kirk's activism, John has since made more of his own social media videos. One of them, called "Britons go to Church", has more than 24,000 views. He also has established a charter of Turning Point UK in Oxford.

Meanwhile, in October last year, on the day that would have been Kirk's 32nd birthday, a coalition of ten UK anti-abortion groups established the Charlie Kirk Young Pro-lifer prize. The inaugural winner was Inge-Maria Botha, 22, an undergraduate at the University of Manchester. Her feelings towards Kirk are more nuanced than straight fandom.

"The award isn't about perfect alignment on every belief with Charlie Kirk, but about courage and action," she says. "He was proactive, and unashamed in standing for life. This is why it's deeply meaningful to receive an award that is named after a man who was purposeful in being pro-life."

Botha claims that a growing number of her peers are interested in the anti-abortion movement. She says many are motivated by discovering, or (in her case) rediscovering Christianity, particularly Catholicism. She recently set up a new pro-life society at Manchester University, amid opposition from other students.

Hundreds protested outside the group's inaugural meeting and a petition calling for the society to disband reached over 18,000 signatures. Videos show police escorting members of the society out of meetings.

Funding from the US

And then there's the money.

Amnesty International UK - a human rights-focused, pro-choice charity - has observed a significant increase in spending on the anti-abortion cause in Britain. They analysed the expenditure of 25 anti-abortion groups and six UK branches of socially conservative US organisations. Between 2020 and 2023, they say, the expenditure of anti-abortion groups increased by 34%, and British branches of US organisations by 46%.

Rachel's Vineyard, a charity which offers retreats for people who feel negatively affected by an abortion (be it their own or someone else's) registered in the UK in 2020. It is heavily inspired by an American charity of the same name created in the 1990s. In its first year, Rachel's Vineyard UK spent just under £12,000. In the financial year ending March 2025 it spent £77,662.

It told the BBC that "Rachel's Vineyard UK is funded entirely through charitable giving within the UK and does not receive financial support from abroad".

This is not true for all groups.

The Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF), founded in Arizona in the 1990s, claims to have played a role in overturning Roe v Wade. In 2015, an organisation with a similar name - ADF International (UK) - was founded in London. The majority of funding for the UK-based organisation comes from the US-headquartered ADF.

In 2020, the UK-based organisation received £324,000 in support from ADF in the US. By 2024 that had risen to £1.1m, out of a total £1.3m income, according to its 2024 annual report. Over the same period, it increased its number of staff from three to nine.

An ADF UK spokesperson told the BBC that their "work is privately funded, and we fully comply with all rules set out by the various regulators of the countries we are based in, including the UK."

Of course, pro-choice groups also spend money. BPAS spent roughly £1.2m on "education, advocacy and research" in the last financial year, whilst charities like Amnesty have also spent funds campaigning for "reproductive rights" in the UK.

A focus on free speech

Some American anti-abortion groups are particularly aggrieved by Britain's new system of "buffer zones" outside abortion clinics.

In 2023, the Public Order Act made it illegal in England and Wales to intentionally or recklessly influence someone's decision to use abortion services. In practice, that means it is now illegal to protest against abortion within 150 metres of a clinic. A similar law was created in Scotland in 2024.

In his bombshell speech at the Munich Security Conference in 2025, Vance criticised this law. He said the ban "placed the basic liberties of religious Britons… in the crosshairs". He also drew attention to the conviction of ADF UK client Adam Smith-Connor, who was found guilty in 2022 of breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order by praying outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth and refusing requests to move on.

ADF UK has provided legal support to four anti-abortion protesters who have been charged with encroaching on so-called buffer zones. Alongside providing legal assistance, ADF UK told the BBC that they arranged for their clients to meet officials from the US State Department.

Professor Fiona De Londras, a specialist in abortion law at the University of Birmingham, believes that in challenging the legalities of buffer zones, ADF UK is "using these apparently neutral argumentative frameworks, like freedom of speech, to make fundamentally religiously motivated arguments."

Two of ADF's clients saw their charges subsequently dropped and one received a payout. But success in defending clients in court has been limited. Of their two named clients who have faced trial, both have lost. Their client Livia Tossici-Bolt was convicted of breaching a buffer-zone in Bournemouth last April. Adam Smith-Connor, whose case was highlighted by Vance, was similarly convicted in October 2024. Tossici-Bolt was given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £20,000, while Smith-Connor was handed a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay more than £9,000 in costs.

De Londras believes there is a fundamental mismatch between how the US and UK frames freedom of speech. "In the US, the right to freedom of speech is a very, very broad right. In the UK and the EU, it is still a right, of course, but it can be limited by reference to the rights of others," she says.

"This has been so far why ADF's clients are not winning their cases under British law."

But she believes that success in court is not ADF's only aim. "Their strategy didn't work in the US for decades, but legal experimentation - taking on different cases and seeing how they work out - is a hallmark of how they work. After 50 years they were able to help overturn universal access to abortion in the US. These are people who play a long game."

ADF told the BBC it is "completely false" to say they "instrumentalise free speech for other aims". A spokesman said: "We are both pro-life and pro-free speech, as we believe both of these human rights flow from the inherent dignity of each human."

They also denied that any of their clients sought to engage in "legal experimentation".

Decriminalisation

But even with the new energy from young people and increased American funding, there are serious impediments to a US-style anti-abortion movement taking root in Britain.

A report in 2024 from the National Centre for Social Research, a UK charity, compared abortion attitudes in Britain in the US. It found that 86% of British adults think that abortion should be legal in "all" or "most" cases, versus 63% in the US.

That said, support varies across different groups. A different survey from Ipsos last year found that less than half (46%) of British men aged 16-34 agree that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

John, the young man from Buckinghamshire, says he is "increasingly seeing religious arguments land with young people – more so than they probably would have five or six years ago".

For now at least, there is broadly a pro-choice consensus in British politics - another sharp difference to the US. None of the parties that won seats in England, Scotland, or Wales at the last election promised to restrict abortion in their manifesto. And in June last year MPs voted to decriminalise abortion, with a majority of 242. It was the biggest shake-up to the law since 1967, when Parliament voted to legalise abortion for the first time, setting a 28 week limit (reduced to 24 weeks in 1990).

"Although some of the movement can transfer over and you certainly see some influence, we are actually a very fundamentally different society in the UK," Clarke from BPAS argues.

"Look at the number of Americans who attend church on a weekly basis. Look at the number of Americans that believe in angels. These are a very different group of people to the UK as a whole."

A shifting consensus?

As director of March for Life UK, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce helps to organise an annual march through London to protest abortion. The group's website states that its founders were inspired by March for Life America.

But speaking to the BBC, Vaughan-Spruce was reticent to say that Britain's abortion debate is being influenced by America.

"We have a gentler approach here, and the UK's anti-abortion movement is older than the US's," she says.

Vaughan-Spruce is one of the defendants receiving legal assistance from ADF UK. She is accused of silently praying outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham last year. She faces trial in October for a public order offence, which she denies.

Fresh from a visit speaking to Oxford University students, she is currently arranging a Lent fundraiser.

"When I think about the future, I'm encouraged more young people are joining and how they grasp the issue," she says. "A lot of them want to get involved. When we first started March for Life in 2012, being really honest, we'd get younger people to come to the front for the photographs, because it looked better.

"Now, they're just everywhere."

These young people remain a minority in the UK. But with Britain's anti-abortion movement enjoying fresh blood and funding, Britain's broadly pro-choice consensus is not guaranteed to last.

Update 24 March: This article was amended to say that two of ADF's clients saw their charges dropped and one received a payout.

Top image credit: Getty

Photos show heavily damaged US radar jet at Saudi base

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyd07m7e1xo, 4 days ago

Verified pictures show a US command and control aircraft has been destroyed at an air base in Saudi Arabia.

The pictures appear to have been first shared by a Facebook page carrying US military news. They show the E-3 Sentry aircraft appears to have been split in two.

We've confirmed the photos were taken at the Prince Sultan air base about 100km (62 miles) south-east of the Saudi capital Riyadh. Features seen in the pictures, including pylons, storage units and markings on paved areas, matched with satellite imagery.

US Central Command has not yet publicly commented on the incident. The BBC has asked for comment.

On Friday a US official told Reuters that 12 US personnel had been wounded, two of them seriously, in an Iranian military attack on the air base. The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported that at least two US refuelling aircraft were also damaged.

On Sunday Iran's IRGC-linked Fars news agency said a Shahed drone had struck the E-3 aircraft.

BBC Verify has also seen an E-3 in this location in a satellite image captured on 11 March. We cannot say if they are the same aircraft.

In one of the verified pictures the aircraft's tail number is visible. Using this we checked flight-tracking site Flightradar24 which showed it was airborne near the base on 18 March.

A satellite image taken on Friday appears to show a fire on the air base apron, about 1,600m (5,200ft) east of the E-3. It is not clear whether this was part of the same attack in which the aircraft seen in these pictures was damaged.

The Boeing E-3 Awacs - the acronym stands for Airborne Warning and Control System - is based on a Boeing 707 airliner and has a distinctive rotating radar disc mounted on the rear of its fuselage.

This radar allows it to detect and track potential targets at long ranges to provide an early warning of possible threats during combat operations.

The aircraft gives "information for commanders of air operations to gain and maintain control of the air battle", according to the USAF website.

The first of the type entered service in 1977 and it has been reported that the E-3 is expected to remain operational with the USAF until 2035.

Sanctioned oil tanker enters UK waters day after government crackdown threat

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3lw02ndr5o, 6 days ago

An oil tanker sanctioned by the government has sailed through the English Channel - entering UK waters - a day after a threat from ministers that such vessels can be boarded by UK armed forces.

At one point, the VAYU 1, which has been sanctioned for carrying oil from Russia, was around six nautical miles off Dover, according to ship-tracking data.

It was tracked to this location on 26 March, the day after the government announced that UK forces had been given permission to board sanctioned ships transiting UK waters.

When asked why it had not been stopped, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told BBC Verify "any enforcement action is considered on a case‑by‑case basis".

The Cameroon-flagged VAYU 1 began its journey from the Russian city of Murmansk on 10 March 2026, according to MarineTraffic. Data suggests it is carrying a full cargo.

It first entered UK waters on 26 March at 12:39 GMT and its presence was spotted by a user on X.

Its final destination is not listed on the ship-tracking website.

The UK government added the VAYU 1 to its sanctions list in May 2025 due to suspected involvement in carrying Russian oil.

The sanctions notice said the ship "is involved in activity whose object or effect is to destabilise Ukraine… or to obtain a benefit from or support the government of Russia. Namely, VAYU 1 is involved in carrying oil or oil products that originated in Russia from Russia to a third country".

Russia has been accused of operating a so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers with opaque ownership structures in an attempt to get round international sanctions on its oil exports.

The tanker's journey

On 25 March, the government announced that it had given permission for its forces to board sanctioned ships transiting UK waters.

It is unclear what the government defines as "UK waters" and we have asked it to clarify this.

It could either refer to the UK's territorial waters, which extend up to 12 nautical miles from the coast, or the UK's Exclusive Ecomomic Zone (EEZ) - which reaches up to 200 nautical miles from the coastline.

BBC Verify analysed the journey of the VAYU 1, revealing it spent at least 5 hours and 30 minutes in the UK's territorial waters and 29 hours in the UK's EEZ.

Its last location was around 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth and still in the UK's EEZ.

The BBC revealed that ministers had identified a legal basis in January to board sanctioned vessels, but the announcement that approval for the measure had been given by the prime minister was announced on Wednesday.

Sir Keir Starmer said the move would increase pressure on Russia, which uses oil sales to help fund its invasion of Ukraine.

"Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets.

"That's why we're going after his shadow fleet even harder."

BBC Verify asked the MoD if it was aware that the VAYU 1 had entered UK waters and whether it planned to intervene.

In a statement, it replied that "any enforcement action is considered on a case‑by‑case basis, in accordance with international law and domestic legislation".

However, it also added that it would "not provide a running commentary... as this could compromise our ability to successfully take action against sanctioned ships".

How could a seizure be carried out?

There are a number of ways the Royal Navy can detain ships, says Prof Kevin Rowlands from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and a former Navy captain.

"First, identifying and tracking the vessels is reasonably straight forward. The list of shadow fleet ships is well known and surveillance in UK waters is pretty comprehensive.

"Boarding will depend on the type of ship, its location, and local sea and weather conditions at the time. It could be by boat or, more likely, by helicopter."

"The navy has boarding teams consisting of sailors and Royal Marines. They are trained to safely embark on the ship, liaise with the crew, search the vessel, check paperwork and, if necessary, divert it under escort to a UK port."

Additional reporting by Daniele Palumbo

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How the Hormuz closure could affect food, medicines and smartphones

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gjxv5g19no, 6 days ago

The interruption of oil and gas supplied through the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israel war with Iran has dramatically pushed up global energy prices.

Petrol has gone up already and UK domestic heating bills are almost certain to follow.

But it's not just fuel that's been impacted by the conflict. A host of other vitally important chemicals, gases and other products normally enter international supply chains via the Hormuz Strait.

BBC Verify has found that the price of a host of goods - ranging from food, to smartphones, to medicines - could be affected, as the number of ships passing through the Hormuz Strait has dropped from well over 100 a day before the war to just a handful.

Here is what could be impacted.

Fertilisers (Food)

Petrochemicals are derived from oil and gas and they are produced in great quantities for export by countries in the Gulf region.

And one of the most important is fertiliser, vital for global agricultural production.

According to the United Nations, around a third of the world's fertilisers - such as urea, potash, ammonia and phosphates - normally pass through the Hormuz Strait.

Data from the World Trade Organization shows that, since the conflict began, outbound shipments of fertiliser-related products through the waterway have collapsed.

Analysts have warned that a shortage of these ferilisers is likely to be particularly damaging to agricultural production now because March and April are the northern hemisphere's planting season and less fertiliser use now by farmers will impact yields for later in the year.

"A relatively brief closure could disrupt an entire growing season, with food security consequences that persist long after the strait reopens," according to researchers at the Kiel Institute.

The Institute's work suggests a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz could push up global wheat prices by 4.2% and fruit and vegetable prices by 5.2%.

And it estimates that the most badly affected countries in terms of the overall increase in food prices would be Zambia (31%), Sri Lanka (15%), Taiwan (12%) and Pakistan (11%).

Russia normally supplies around a fifth of global fertiliser exports and analysts say it could potentially increase production to fill the gap.

Vladimir Putin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has said that Russia, a major producer of commodities like fertiliser, is "well positioned".

Helium (Microchips)

A third of global shipments of helium gas normally come from Qatar and pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

It's a byproduct of the production of natural gas and is used in the manufacture of semiconductor wafers, which are then processed into the microchips used in computers, vehicles and household appliances.

Helium is also used to cool the magnets in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners used in hospitals.

Qatar's giant Ras Laffan plant, which produces the gas, has shut down production after Iranian missile and drone strikes.

And the Qatar government has warned it will take three to five years to repair the damage, raising fears about supplies.

In 2023, the US Semiconductor Industry Association warned of "price spikes" if global helium supplies were disrupted.

Analysts have warned the knock-on impact of the Hormuz blockage could be an increase in the prices of a host of cutting-edge technologies, from smartphones to data centres.

And Prashant Yadav, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, has warned MRI prices could be driven up by prolonged helium shortages.

"MRI machines require somewhere between 1,500 to 2,000 liters helium to cool the magnets. Every time you do a scan, a little bit of that boils off or evaporates.

"People like to think helium's predominant use is in data centers, semiconductors and cooling for the AI and data industry. But we can't forget that helium is quite important for MRIs and for other medical users," he told BBC Verify.

Petrochemical derivatives (Medicines)

Derivatives from petrochemicals - such as methanol and ethylene - are vital materials in the global production of pharmaceuticals, including painkillers, antibiotics and vaccines.

The countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council - Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain - are estimated to account for around 6% of global petrochemical production capacity.

These nations primarily use the Strait of Hormuz to export these chemicals to the wider world, with around half going to Asia.

India produces a fifth of the world's generic (non-branded) pharmaceutical exports, many of which are sent on to the US and Europe.

Many of these pharmaceutical products are also normally flown to global markets via Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai, which have been severely disrupted by the conflict.

Some analysts have warned of the potential for higher medicine prices for households as a result of the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

Sulphur (Metals/Batteries)

Sulphur is another byproduct of the processing of crude oil and natural gas and produced in large volumes for export in the Gulf region.

Around half of the global seaborne sulphur trade normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Its main use is as an agricultural fertiliser, but it is also vital for metal processing.

Sulphur is used to make sulphuric acid, which is used for processing copper, cobalt and nickel and also for the extraction of lithium.

All of those metals are needed for the production of batteries, which are used in everything from domestic appliances to electric vehicles to military hardware like drones.

Analysts warn that if sulphur supplies remain interrupted, the result will likely be higher prices for consumers of products containing batteries.

Additional reporting by Tom Edgington and Joshua Cheetham

Graphics by Phil Leake

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In maps: Attacks across the Middle East

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g0pnnj8xyo, 10 days ago

US President Donald Trump has postponed his threat to strike Iranian power plants for five days after what he said were "productive conversations" between the US and Iran.

On Saturday evening, the president said that if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened "without threat" in 48 hours then the US would "obliterate" Iran's power plants.

Iran responded by saying the shipping channel would be "completely closed" if the US followed up on Trump's threat.

On Friday, Centcom, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said it had flown more than 8,000 combat flights since the conflict began on 28 February.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said 1,407 people, including 214 children, have been killed since the conflict began. Thirteen US service personnel have been killed since the start of the conflict, according to the Department of Defense.

US and Israeli strikes across Iran

The first US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on 28 February with Israel's military saying it had targeted Iran's leadership and military infrastructure. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in Tehran during the initial strikes.

BBC Verify has so far confirmed visual evidence of at least 191 attacks across Iran, including at least 81 strikes in Tehran. Internet connectivity remains highly restricted across the country, according to the monitoring group Netblocks, meaning it is difficult to establish a full picture.

Last Wednesday the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) hit Iran's South Pars - part of the world's largest natural gas field. Satellite images reviewed by BBC Verify showed extensive damage to the facility, with black scorch marks clearly visible along with plumes of smoke.

At the start of the war, at least 168 people including children were killed when a primary school in Minab, southern Iran, was hit on 28 February, Iranian authorities said. Experts who analysed a video showing a missile moments before it struck the IRGC base next to the school told BBC Verify the munition was a US Tomahawk. Neither Israel nor Iran are known to possess Tomahawks, experts said.

Trump postpones threat to strike Iran's power plants

Trump said on Saturday the US would "hit and obliterate" Iran's power plants unless it reopened the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

On Monday, Trump said he would "postpone any and all strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure" for a five-day period.

Iran's energy network comprises about 500 power plants, according to the database OpenStreetMap, a mapping tool that allows volunteers to enter information on sites of interest.

One of the largest, the Damavand power plant, provides electricity for approximately 10 million people in the province of Tehran.

The government in Tehran said it would respond by targeting power and desalination facilities - which turn seawater into fresh water - in the Gulf region, the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency reported.

According to the US-based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Qatar gets 99% of its drinking water supplies by desalination and in Bahrain the figure is more than 90%.

Iran launches missiles at Israel as IDF expands Lebanon operation

Israel's health ministry says 180 people were injured in what it said were Iranian missile strikes on two southern Israeli towns close to a nuclear facility.

Iranian state TV said the strikes were in response to an attack on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility on Saturday.

On Sunday, at least seven people were injured in an Iranian missile attack on Tel Aviv, emergency services say.

The Israeli Air Force says Tehran has fired 400 missiles towards the country since 28 February.

The IDF has intensified ground and air attacks against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon. It fired rockets into Israel following the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei at the start of the war.

Since then more than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry, including at least 118 children and 40 health workers.

Israel defence minister Israel Katz said the IDF had been instructed to destroy crossings over the Litani river in southern Lebanon that were reportedly being used by Hezbollah.

An Israeli air strike damaged the Qasmiye bridge on one of the main routes linking southern and central Lebanon near the coastal city of Tyre.

Gulf states hit by Iranian drone and missile attacks

Iran has continued to launch missile and drone strikes against the Gulf nations and has targeted energy facilities following the Israeli attack on South Pars.

In Qatar, the state-run energy company said "significant damage" was caused after missile attacks on the Ras Laffan Industrial City - the country's main gas facility. Officials said the attacks had cut its export capacity by 17%.

Iran has also launched a wave of strikes against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. At least 100 ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of March, according to data analysed by BBC Verify. About a third of these recent crossings were made by ships with connections to Iran.

Nearly 100 ships pass the Hormuz Strait - who is getting through?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4geg0eeyjeo, 13 days ago

Just under 100 ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of March, according to data analysed by BBC Verify, despite periodic attacks on shipping in the area by Iranian forces.

While some energy and everyday goods are still moving through one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, daily traffic is down about 95% since the Iran war began on 28 February.

Before the war, about 138 ships passed through the strait each day according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre, carrying one fifth of the global oil supply.

The data provided by shipping analysts Kpler shows 99 vessels passing the narrow strait so far this month, an average of just 5-6 vessels a day.

BBC Verify looks at the ships making the journey and the risks they are taking.

Our analysis indicates that about a third of these recent crossings were made by ships with connections to Iran.

These include 14 vessels sailing under Iran's flag and others under sanctions due to suspected links to Tehran's oil trade.

Nine other ships were owned by companies with addresses linked to China, while six listed India as their destination.

The analysis also reveals that several non-Iran linked ships have docked at the country's ports, including vessels owned by Greek companies.

Some ships successfully crossing the strait appear to be taking a longer route than usual.

Tracking data for a Pakistan-flagged oil tanker suggests it sailed close to the Iranian coast on its passage through the strait on 15 March, rather than the more widely used route through the middle.

Bradley Martin, senior researcher at the US defence think tank RAND Corporation, told us the ship was likely "responding to some set of directions from Iran".

He says its path could indicate the presence of mines, or an effort by Iranian officials to make the ship easier to identify.

By forcing vessels to reroute, ships are entering Iran's territorial waters and Tehran's maritime rules, says Michelle Wiese Bockmann from Windward Maritime Analytics.

"My takeaway is that Iran is closing and controlling the strait by the fear of attack and also the fear of mining.

"That's why everyone is having to go around and hug its territorial coastline instead of going through that international navigation channel," she told BBC Verify.

Michael Connell from the US-based Center for Naval Analyses agrees that ships are taking a different route.

"They probably have some agreement in place with Iranian authorities that if they stick to a defined lane they're safe."

Four threats to shipping

Since the conflict began we have verified 20 commercial vessels attacked off the Iranian coast, not all of them in the direct vicinity of the Hormuz Strait.

On 11 March, the Thai-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was struck by two projectiles while attempting to pass through.

Three of the 23 crew members remain missing, believed to have been trapped in the engine room when the ship was hit.

The ship's owners told BBC Verify the surviving crew were "traumatised at sea when they were hit by two explosions".

Two other vessels - the Greek-owned Star Gwyneth and US-owned MT Safesea Vishnu - were also attacked the same day.

"Commercial shipping lanes cannot become battle zones," MT Safesea Vishnu's owner told BBC Verify.

One person died in the attack while the ship was anchored off Iraq. All 28 crew members were forced to jump into the water to escape the burning ship, Mr S V Anchan said.

"These men and women are not soldiers… they are professionals who keep global trade moving."

The mix of threats - drones, missiles, fast attack boats and potentially mines - presents a serious challenge, says Arun Dawson from the King's College Freeman Air and Space Institute.

"A traditional minesweeper which is conducting slow, painstaking work is going to find it tricky to hunt for mines and deactivate them if they are also under air and surface attack," he said.

Iran can also use geography of the strait to its advantage. Not only is the strait narrow and shallow, the coastline is also mountainous. This allows Iran to launch elevated attacks, which ships have less time to react to.

In an attempt to evade detection, many ships appear to be deliberately switching off their tracking system - known as AIS (Automatic Identification System).

"The vast majority of these [ships] have been crossing with their eyes off," says Dimitris Ampatzidis from Kpler.

By turning off their trackers as they enter the Gulf of Oman, boats are disappearing from maps and then reappearing hours or days later in a different location.

Although this helps ships conceal their position, it also presents challenges for firms like Kpler who are tracking movements in the strait.

"Everything has been validated by our analysts through manual verification… and by using satellite imagery as well," Ampatzidis told BBC Verify.

Additional reporting by Daniele Palumbo and Joshua Cheetham

Graphics by Tom Shiel

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Council tax bills in England to rise in April - see how yours compares

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2wv47nqy3o, 8 days ago

Council tax will rise by 4.9% on average for households across England in 2026-27, outpacing inflation and adding to cost of living pressures, new figures show.

The increase takes effect from 1 April and will mean the average council tax for a Band D property in England will increase to £2,392 a year - up £111 on last year.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils, says authorities are under financial pressure to raise bills to protect services.

Many councils are allowed to increase bills by up to 5%, but seven have been given government permission to implement bigger hikes to help address a "challenging financial position".

Band D council tax bills will rise by an average of 9% in Shropshire, while in North Somerset they will rise by 8.6% on average.

The lowest increases will be for Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Rutland, and Merton, where bills will increase by about 2.5% on average.

Councils which have a legal responsibility to look after vulnerable people are allowed to increase their council tax by up to 5% a year.

BBC Verify analysis of the figures shows 124 of the 153 councils with these social care duties are imposing a rise of 4.99% or more.

With February's inflation rate remaining at 3%, the average council tax hike will outpace the cost of living - although further price rises are expected in the coming months due to the US-Israel war with Iran.

Rising costs and increasing demand

Council tax is a compulsory charge on properties in England, Scotland and Wales and provides almost half of the funding for England's local authorities.

The money funds local services ranging from social care and libraries to bin collection and street cleaning.

However, councils are facing a combination of rising costs and increasing demand for services, said Owen Mapley, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountability.

"In particular, pressures in services that councils have strict legal obligations to provide, such as adults' and children's social care, special educational needs and disabilities and homelessness are continuing to grow," he said.

Councils are spending a larger portion of their budgets on social care, says Professor Tony Travers from the London School of Economics.

"Social care makes up about 65% of all councils spending, it's an enormous part of their budget, driven by demand, and growing as a share of all local government spending", he told BBC Verify.

Smaller councils without these social care responsibilities can increase bills by up to 3%.

Parish and town councils can also levy a charge - known as a precept - to fund their work, which is not subject to a cap.

Police and fire authorities, as well as combined authorities led by elected mayors, can also raise bills this way.

All of these charges can be reflected in a household's council tax bill.

The LGA has warned that "while council tax is an important funding stream, it cannot solve the long-term pressures facing councils".

In Scotland, all council tax rises for 2026-27 exceed inflation, with some councils putting the tax up by as much as 10%.

In Wales, council tax will increase 4.8% on average.

Northern Ireland uses a domestic rates system, instead of council tax.

Changes to government funding

Aside from council tax, about a third of local authority funding comes from central government grants, with the rest raised from business rates.

April will mark the start of major changes in how central government funding is allocated between councils.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies thinktank said the new system would try to match funding more closely to what each council actually needs to spend.

"Some councils will see their central government funding increase, others will see it cut," said David Phillips, IFS associate director.

"That will mean the pressure to increase council tax will vary across councils - and it will be interesting to see if the winners from the funding reform put up council tax by less than the losers."

The government is set to distribute £83.5 billion in 2026-27 to councils across England.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland manage their own funding.

Additional reporting by Rob England

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Track UK's latest migration numbers - including asylum, visas and small boats

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70989jrdweo, 6 days ago

The number of people seeking asylum in the UK has fallen, according to February's official figures.

How does that sit alongside other key migration measures, including overall immigration, small boat arrivals and visas granted? Scroll down to find out more about the latest key figures, and get answers to key questions on a range of topics.

Produced by: Rob England, Libby Rogers, Jess Carr, John Walton, Becky Dale, Allison Shultes, Chris Kay, Steven Connor and Scott Jarvis.

Graphics by: Jez Frazer, Zoe Bartholomew and Joy Roxas

About the data

Figures from government and other official sources can be revised between publications. This page shows data as presented in the latest available release.

Immigration, emigration and net migration

*The net migration figure for the UK will not exactly equal immigration minus emigration because the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes it as a rounded number.

Immigration and emigration estimates from the ONS are updated twice a year.

Net migration figures use the internationally recognised definition of a long-term migrant: "A person who moves to a country other than that of their usual residence for at least a year."

Visas for legal migration

The total number of visa entries only includes visas that have been granted. It does not include visitor visas or transit visas, where the UK is not the final destination.

Visa figures record when permission was granted, not when or whether someone arrived in the UK.

If a person was granted more than one visa within the year shown, each visa is counted separately.

Work visas refer to new individuals granted permission, or extensions of existing permission. This includes categories such as seasonal work, health and care, domestic worker and youth mobility visas.

Study visas include all individuals sponsored by approved UK education providers, as well as those on short-term study visas.

Family visas allow someone to come to or remain in the UK to live with close family members already here. This includes joining a spouse, partner, child or parent, or coming to care for a relative.

The "Other" category includes visas outside work, study and family routes. This covers humanitarian schemes such as the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and the British National (Overseas) route. It also includes family permits for people from European Union or European Economic Area countries.

Asylum applications and accommodation

Home Office figures for asylum seekers in hotels are published under the category "contingency accommodation - hotel".

The number of people in all other forms of accommodation includes non-hotel contingency accommodation, as well as initial, dispersal and "other" accommodation.

To show how evenly accommodation is distributed, a scale compares each local authority's share of people in that type of accommodation with the UK-wide average for areas using the same accommodation type:

* Less than half – more than 50% below the average share

* Lower than – between 25% and 50% below the average share

* About the same as – within 25% of the average share

* Higher than – between 25% and 100% above the average share

* More than double – more than 100% above the average share

Backlog figures for people waiting for an initial asylum decision include both main applicants and dependants.

Open appeals against refused asylum applications refer to individuals. Figures on appeals are published every three months by the Ministry of Justice, at a different time from other government asylum statistics. It also includes a small number of appeals against revocation of protection.

Small boat crossings and other irregular arrivals

Small boat crossing figures and the average number of people per boat are taken from the Home Office daily data.

Entering the UK without permission is an offence under immigration law, but asylum seekers are generally not prosecuted if they claim asylum on arrival. In some cases, people have been prosecuted alongside other offences, such as people smuggling or re-entering after deportation.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) collects figures on people who have died or gone missing while crossing from mainland Europe to the UK. These reports are based on information from French and UK officials (such as police or coastguard) and media sources. The IOM considers them an undercount because there are no official statistics.

The figures may include people who died in the Channel itself, as well as those who died while travelling to a crossing point.

Data on modern slavery includes final decisions only. Modern slavery covers human trafficking, slavery, servitude and forced labour.

Figures for other entries without permission combine all recorded irregular arrivals that were not by small boat. This includes inadequately documented air arrivals, recorded detections at UK ports, and other recorded detections within the UK.

Returns and deportations

People who are denied entry at the border and then leave the UK are not included in the returns figures on this page.

Returns involving the government are grouped into three categories. Enforced returns (which include deportations) are cases where the Home Office requires someone to leave and arranges their removal, usually because they have no legal right to remain or following a criminal conviction.

Assisted voluntary returns are when someone agrees to leave the UK and receives government support, such as help with travel documents, flights or reintegration assistance.

Controlled voluntary returns are when someone leaves the UK voluntarily without being forcibly removed, but their departure is formally recorded by the Home Office.

Independent returns are referred to by the government as "other verified returns," and refer to individuals who have left the UK without

People returned after a criminal conviction include non-British citizens convicted in the UK of any criminal offence, or convicted abroad of a serious criminal offence.

UK migration compared with other countries

Sea arrival figures are taken from the UNHCR European sea arrivals dashboard and combined with UK Home Office small boat data.

Asylum application, immigration and emigration figures for European countries are the latest available data from Eurostat for: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Norway, Switzerland and Croatia.

UK population figures are from ONS, National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency 2024 mid-year estimates. European population figures are from Eurostat as of 1 January 2024.

To ensure comparability with the UK, European countries with populations under one million are excluded from per-capita comparisons of net migration and asylum applications.

For net migration comparisons, only countries that include asylum seekers or refugees in their immigration figures are included.

These are: Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland.

Portugal was also excluded as it did not have net migration data available for 2024, it will be re-included in future updates.

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Housing tracker: Find out about new homes in your area

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjd2902grwo, 14 days ago

The government has set itself a big challenge - to deliver 1.5 million new homes in England by the end of the current Parliament.

Councils have been set targets for the numbers of new homes they should be helping to create in their areas every year, with some needing vast increases compared with their recent record.

Enter a postcode to find out what is happening in your area with targets, average delivery and the latest figures on new homes and planning permission.

About the data

Averages for new homes by local authority in England come from the government's "net additional dwellings" statistics.

These figures are estimates of changes in the total number of homes in each area, taking account of new build homes and existing buildings conversions, minus any demolitions.

The targets are the government's new "local housing need" calculations, released following a public consultation.

The latest number of new homes comes from energy performance certificates for new builds or conversions, which every property must have upon construction.

These are indicators of new housing supply but can differ from the final net additional dwellings because they don't account for demolition and may have been lodged before the home was ready to live in.

Planning statistics are taken from quarterly data and combine applications decided for "minor" housing developments (fewer than 10 homes) and "major" schemes (10 homes or more).

The planning data is at local authority level. Applications decided by special authorities such as those in charge of national parks are not included.

We have included the latest data on new house building completions by local authority for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but the 1.5 million homes target applies only in England.

Produced by Daniel Wainwright, Allison Shultes, Scott Jarvis, Steven Connor, Charlie Colbourne and Preeti Vaghela

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