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technology | Ethiopia: ‘We want future generations to have their own African heroes’ | A team of Ethiopian software engineers have created an immersive virtual reality user experience on the Battle of Adwa.
By also digitally preserving Africa's historic sites, the engineers want future generations to learn about their culture and have their own heroes, in a fun way.
Produced by Ashley Lime
Filmed and edited by Yadeta Berhanu | /news/world-africa-62580391 |
business | Marks & Spencer speeds up store closure plans | Marks & Spencer is speeding up a shake-up of its stores with 67 of its bigger shops to shut within five years.
ures are part of previously announced plans to axe 110 main stores as part of a big overhaul under its previous chief executive Steve Rowe.
But the retailer is now aiming to complete the changes faster than it had originally planned.
Marks & Spencer also said it will be opening 104 new Simply Food stores.
In a presentation to investors, M&S chief executive Stuart Machin said the retailer aims to have 180 "full-line" shops selling food, clothing and homeware products by early 2028, down from 247. That's one in four stores.
67 to close were "lower productivity, full line stores."
mpany wants fewer but better main stores, as shoppers spend more online, as well as to expand its food business.
M&S wants to try to achieve these changes in three years instead of five.
It said stores which have already relocated to newer, more modern sites are performing strongly.
Mr Machin said: "We are creating a fit-for-the-future store estate, with shops in great locations, that help our customers shop the way they want to.
"We're seeing strong performances from our recently relocated stores and this gives us the confidence to go faster in our rotation plans, while at the same time investing in bigger and better food stores," he said.
Many Simply Food stores will reopen in the same area or location as sites earmarked for closure.
M&S did not give details on which locations or how many jobs would be affected by the plans. | /news/business-63224269 |
entertainment | Jeanne Dielman: Film directed by woman picked as best ever | A film directed by a woman has been chosen as the greatest of all time by a group of experts.
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, directed by Chantal Akerman, has topped the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound poll.
It is the first time a work directed by a woman has reached the top ten. The poll, which runs every decade, has been criticised for a lack of diversity.
winning spot was held for 40 years by Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.
It was overtaken in 2012 by Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.
Jeanne Dielman, released in 1975, is the story of a Belgian widow who turns to prostitution to make ends meet, but kills one of her clients. The film runs for almost three and a half hours.
ugh not as well-known outside the world of film criticism as previous winners, it has been lauded as a "masterpiece", and a ground-breaking piece of feminist film.
Chantal Akerman, the Belgian director, died in 2015 aged 65.
Lillian Crawford, a film critic and writer who contributed to the poll, said the film was the "essential text" in feminist cinema.
"Jeanne Dielman isn't a film that I would say to someone getting into cinema 'Oh, this is the first film you absolutely must see'," she told the BBC.
"I think if you're going to work through the list, maybe do it in reverse order and sort of build towards it, because it's quite an ask to invite people to see this.
"But in an academic sense and thinking about cinema and encouraging more people to seek out experimental film, films by women, and in terms of the history of feminist cinema, this is absolutely the sort of essential text."
In an article for the British Film Institute, Laura Mulvey, a professor of film studies at Birkbeck University, called the vote a "sudden shake-up".
"Things will never be the same," she wrote.
run by the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound magazine each decade since 1952.
It has faced criticism in the past for a lack of diversity in the experts polled and the list of 100 best films chosen.
In 2012, Jeanne Dielman was one of just two films directed by women which made it on to the list, along with one by a black director - Djibril Diop Mambéty's Touki Bouki.
Over the years the number and diversity of people consulted have increased. This year, 1,639 critics, programmers, curators, archivists and academics were asked to choose their top ten films.
Last time's winner, Vertigo, claimed the second spot, while Citizen Kane was third.
Yasujirō Ozu's Tokyo Story came fourth, followed by Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love in fifth place. | /news/world-europe-63829976 |
health | Alopecia: 'I decided I'd had enough of hiding my real self' | Laura Mathias was just 13 years old when she started losing her hair. She automatically blamed herself.
Her doctor diagnosed her with the autoimmune condition alopecia and said it was caused by stress. Laura's parents were going through a divorce and she was finding life difficult.
For the next 17 years she kept her hair loss secret, using a series of wigs that irritated her scalp and often made her head bleed.
During the pandemic, Laura found the confidence to leave home in Manningtree, Essex, without her wig and began posting about her condition on Instagram.
Here, in her own words, she describes her hopes for the future now she has learned to embrace living her life as a bald woman.
My hairdresser first found a small bald patch at the back of my scalp when I was 13 and suggested to my mum that we go to a doctor.
r told me it was alopecia and said not to get stressed because it would get worse, and that if I calmed down it might grow back. Straight away I started blaming myself.
He told me there were some online chatrooms I could use, run by the charity Alopecia UK, but I didn't want to accept what was happening to me.
My parents were arguing all the time and it was incredibly stressful. I was waking up to hair all over my pillow and I was so embarrassed that I stopped going to school.
I didn't leave the house for six months and everything stopped. I fixated on my exercise bike because it was the only thing I could control and I lost a lot of weight.
Aged 14, I asked my hairdresser to shave my head and help me find a wig. It was actually too big for me and immediately aggravated my scalp. I also suffer from eczema and the wigs made it so much worse for so many years.
I forced myself back to school and was put in the bottom sets, but I managed to argue that I had potential and I should be allowed back in the higher groups. That was make or break and thank goodness I went back, because I don't know where I would be today otherwise.
I would spend all of my money on expensive wigs to make sure my secret wasn't exposed. I didn't go on holiday or anything because it cost me £3,000 for a wig that would last for two years.
When I left the house it was 'wig Laura'. When I was at home, curtains shut, 'bald Laura'. That is how extreme it was. I didn't see any other option.
I started following the hashtag 'alopecia' on Instagram and suddenly it was like the curtains were drawn back and I thought, 'Oh my god, there are other people like me out there'.
During the pandemic, I decided I'd had enough of hiding my hair loss. How many years would I have carried on wearing a wig to the point where my head would bleed, if my routine hadn't been disrupted?
In summer 2020, I took part in a photo shoot without my wig to test the water. I started to share my story on social media to build my confidence.
I felt if I was chronicling it online and people were following me, I had to take my wig off. It was only very recently that I started going out without my wig on a casual basis, and I'm still learning to feel completely comfortable with that.
I've made so many great friends through sharing my story. I've met lots of other young women going through hair loss and it has normalised being bald for me.
I recently met a friend I made online in Rotterdam who lost her hair in her 30s. It has taken me nearly 20 years to accept this, so I'm amazed by people who have gone through this so recently who are at peace with it.
Until I met these people, the only images I was exposed to of bald women were models who were thin with a trendy shaved head. I needed to see real women of all sizes to accept myself.
re is still such a long way to go. I would love to see patchy hair loss in a magazine and I'd love to see more people with alopecia in the media in general, not just talking about their hair loss.
re was only one place where I was still keeping my hair loss a secret - the workplace.
I've always kept it hidden in all of the jobs I've had, but I recently got a new job for Save The Children and I decided to change that.
I did my interview on Zoom without a wig on. I haven't gone to the office bald yet, but I have worn my bandana which feels like a massive step.
It's always stressful starting a new job and I had an eczema flare up and lost my eyelashes. I felt sore and self conscious, so I felt I needed my bandana and I'm OK with that.
I started posting on LinkedIn after the Oscars incident, where Will Smith hit Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife's alopecia. I wanted to give my point of view. The awareness of alopecia after the Oscars was massive, even though it wasn't the most positive of incidents.
LinkedIn recently asked me to take part in the first UK creator accelerator programme and I've really enjoyed working with them. I want to celebrate people with a visible difference who can act as mentors at work, and I hope my ideas can be used to improve the workplace for everyone.
Alongside dealing with alopecia, I was recently diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and it's really helping me make sense of so many different aspects of my life.
I wanted to understand myself better and I started reading about women being diagnosed later in life. It made so much sense to me.
I don't have a filter and I struggle to focus, which is a common sign and I am a massive over-sharer. I often go off on tangents and I say 'yes' to everything and get burned out.
I studied film and literature at the University of Warwick and it was a struggle because I pushed myself so hard at the expense of my health and managed to get a first.
It is exhausting trying to mask it. Standard adult tasks like keeping on top of the washing up and sorting your house out can be difficult. I also believe I have rejection sensitivity dysphoria, which is closely related to ADD, so I feel any sort of rejection so keenly.
fear of being rejected changes my behaviour and it has impacted my relationships. I've always been told I'm sensitive and I can be too much. It is nice to feel vindicated, I've been coping with my brain working differently. I'm still working it all out but at least I now have a diagnosis.
People who are newly going through hair loss, or sometimes parents, often message me on Instagram. I always make it very clear that every person's experience is unique. A lot of people have a short experience of hair loss and it will come back, they might not have Alopecia Areata, which I originally had, before it developed into Alopecia Universalis, meaning I have no hair at all. I always ask people, 'Do you have people around you who you can talk to about this?'. I signpost them to help from the charity Alopecia UK who I volunteer with. I'm also involved with the charity Changing Faces and took part in their Stop The Stare campaign, which raised awareness about the fact staring can be damaging to the wellbeing of those with a disfigurement or visible difference.
I still notice people staring at me when I'm out without a wig. I think they presume I've got an illness like cancer and I'm going through treatment so I get a lot of sympathetic looks, which makes me feel uncomfortable.
I really hope that future generations won't stare and will just accept us. That's one of the reasons I'm doing as much as I can to raise awareness of alopecia.
I still have days where I feel like I want to wear a wig and I haven't gone to a wedding yet without one, but I'm going out more and more as a proud bald women and I never thought I would be able to do that. It's just nice to have the choice.
I've spent my whole life not wanting to stand out and for people not to realise I'm wearing a wig. But now, I know it doesn't matter if people notice what's on my head or not.
Living with this visible difference is an integral part of who I am, whether I choose to wear wigs or not, but it's not the only part of my identity. So look at me if you like, ask me questions if you want to know more, but do not think my hair (or lack of it!) is the most interesting thing about me.
As told to Charlie Jones.
Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk | /news/uk-england-essex-63889179 |
business | Falling pound: What does it mean for me and my finances? | und fell against the dollar on Friday morning as new figures showed a gloomy picture for the UK economy the day after Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned.
But how could a slide in the value of the pound affect people and businesses in the UK day-to-day?
A fall in the value of the pound will increase the price of goods and services imported into the UK from overseas.
's because when the pound is weak against the dollar or euro, for example, it costs more for companies in the UK to buy things such as food, raw materials or parts from abroad.
Firms could choose to pass on those higher prices to their customers.
It comes at a time when the cost of living is already increasing at its fastest rate in nearly 40 years, driven by the cost of food and fossil fuels going up.
Lots of different factors can affect whether or not a business might choose to pass on those costs. Supermarkets, for example, might have bought some of their stock in advance.
Paul Davies, chief executive officer at Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company, suggested the fall of the pound could cause a rise in beer prices.
He told the BBC's Today programme that the drop was "worrying" for the British beer industry, which imports beer and hops from Europe and the US.
Shoppers buying goods from American companies could also see prices spike. California-based Apple recently raised the launch price of its new iPhone 14 Pro range by up to £150 in Britain in comparison with the iPhone 13 Pro, thought by experts to be partly due to the weak pound.
A falling pound is likely to push inflation, which tracks how the cost of living changes over time, higher - if companies choose to pass on those higher costs to consumers.
Bank of England is expected to counter higher inflation by raising interest rates even further.
It is one way the Bank can try to control rising prices - by increasing the cost of borrowing and encouraging people to borrow less and spend less, as well as saving more.
governor of the Bank of England has warned that interest rates may need to rise by more than previously expected.
About two million people in the UK on a tracker or variable rate mortgage could see their monthly costs going up even further as a result.
Even if you don't have a mortgage, changes in interest rates could still affect you because lenders might choose to increase fees charged on credit cards, bank loans or car loans.
But Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, points out that higher rates "will also hurt borrowers on variable deals".
In addition, there is still an "awful long way to go" before rates on savings accounts start to close the gap with the rising cost of living, she says, denting people's spending power.
Energy costs are one of the things that are also likely to increase as the value of the pound falls.
rice of all of the gas that the UK uses is based on the dollar - even if the gas is produced in the UK.
government has had to outline measures to deal with soaring gas and electricity bills faced by households and businesses in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
uded the energy price guarantee, which sets the highest amount suppliers are allowed to charge domestic households for every unit of energy they use.
Suppliers could come under further strain due to the slide in the value of sterling, although wholesale gas prices have fallen from recent highs.
Household budgets have also been under pressure because of road fuel costs in recent months.
fact that oil prices are based on the dollar means that petrol could also be more expensive for UK drivers as it costs more to be imported by fuel companies.
Although oil prices have been falling in recent weeks, consumers are not likely to see the benefit at the pump due to the slide in the value of the pound.
By contrast, some businesses in the UK could get a boost from a fall in the value of the pound against the dollar or euro.
A cheaper pound makes it less expensive for people from around the globe to buy goods and services from British firms, making them more competitive.
It could provide some benefit to firms struggling with additional red tape and customs checks introduced after Brexit. According to recent European figures, exports to the trade bloc declined by nearly 14% in 2021 compared with the year before.
weakness in the pound also makes the UK an attractive place for international investors, particularly from the United States.
UK firms have already seen big takeover bids from investors, such as fashion chain Ted Baker, which recently agreed to be snapped up by the US company behind the likes of Forever 21 and Juicy Couture for £211m.
For people in the UK planning a trip overseas, the plunge in the pound means that their holiday money won't stretch as far on things such as meals out or accommodation.
rticularly the case for anyone planning a trip to the US.
fall in its value could also see airlines face sharply increased costs, with fuel and aircraft leases often denominated in dollars.
Johan Lundgren, chief executive of EasyJet, said: "Clearly the dollar is very, very strong. We have a lot of expenditure in dollars and a lot of revenue in pounds."
But he said that the airline was in a good position because it had "hedged", or bought some fuel in advance at a set rate.
"So it has less impact on us than it does on some other airlines," he added.
ravel industry expert Simon Calder pointed out that the slump in the value of the pound could make the UK more attractive to inbound visitors looking for a cheaper holiday.
He pointed out that at constant prices, a London hotel room that would have cost $200 (£186) at the start of the year is now only $150. | /news/business-63033110 |
politics | Rishi Sunak urges allies to boost Ukraine support | Rishi Sunak has urged European allies to maintain or boost military support for Ukraine over the coming year.
PM kicked off a trip to the Baltic region by announcing the UK would send hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition to Ukraine.
He also said there could not be peace talks until Russia withdrew its troops.
Last week, the BBC reported that the prime minister had asked for an assessment of the progress of the war in Ukraine.
A Whitehall source told BBC's Newsnight programme: "Wars aren't won [by dashboards]. Wars are won on instinct. At the start of this it was Boris (Johnson) sitting down and saying: 'Let's just go for this.' So Rishi needs to channel his inner Boris on foreign policy though not of course on anything else."
Downing Street has insisted Mr Sunak is strongly supportive of Ukraine.
During his trip to eastern Europe, the prime minister also met British troops serving in the Nato military alliance.
He served mince pieces to soldiers in Estonia and praised their "selfless dedication and bravery".
Over the past year, the UK has doubled its presence in the country in response to the build up of Russian troops in Ukraine.
Earlier in the day, Mr Sunak had attended a meeting of the leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Forces (JEF) - a coalition of northern European countries, including Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Latvia.
Addressing the gathering in the Latvian capital Riga, Mr Sunak said it was an "incredibly important" time for them to reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine.
"We must be clear that any unilateral call for a ceasefire by Russia is completely meaningless in the current context.
"I think it would be a false call, it would be used by Russia to regroup, to reinforce their troops and until they have withdrawn from conquered territory, there can and should be no real negotiation.
"But what we can do is think about that time now, think about what we will do with regard to security assurances."
He added that the group should concentrate on "degrading Russia's capability to regroup and resupply".
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky also addressed the meeting, albeit over video link rather than in person.
He said providing Ukraine with a "100% air shield" would be "one of the most successful steps" countries could take against Russia.
He added that Russian missiles had left millions in his country without heat or power.
Following the summit, Mr Sunak met his Latvian counterpart Krisjanis Karins for talks, during which the pair agreed to work to accelerate trade between their countries.
Mr Karins tweeted: "As close and likeminded allies our countries have a shared commitment to regional security and a strong stance in support of Ukraine. Glad we also got to discuss strengthening of economic & high-tech links."
Mr Sunak then headed to Estonia where he signed a technology partnership with the country's Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, aimed at improving cooperation on cyber security, connectivity and data. | /news/uk-politics-64027987 |
sports | Jade Jones: Double Olympic champion wins World Championship bronze in Mexico | Double Olympic champion Jade Jones won -57kg bronze at the World Taekwondo Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Welsh fighter, 29, was beaten in the semi-final 4-1, 0-4, 3-8 by China's Zuo Longshi, who went on to win gold.
Jones, the 2019 world champion, had enjoyed comfortable progress to the last four, including a 7-1, 12-6 quarter-final win against Kamila Aimukasheva of Kazakhstan.
mpionships continue with Lauren Williams and Aaliyah Powell on Tuesday.
Jones' compatriot Williams, a double junior world champion, fights in the -67kg competition.
English fighter Powell, a 2019 world bronze medallist, competes in the -62kg class.
Find out how to get into taekwondo in our special guide. | /sport/taekwondo/63623002 |
entertainment | David Amess: Charity Christmas single release for murdered MP | A charity choir is to release a Christmas single in tribute to their late president, Sir David Amess.
Music Man Project has teamed up with the Royal Marines Band to create the Christmas single, Music Is Magic.
Sir David, the former MP for Southend West, was fatally stabbed during a constituency surgery in October 2021.
music education charity, which works with people with learning disabilities, sang at his funeral mass in Westminster Cathedral.
David Stanley, who founded the Music Man Project in 2000 in Southend, said the charity single was a fitting tribute to Sir David, who had been involved with the project for more than 20 years, becoming its president.
Proceeds from the single will go to supporting learning disabled people across the UK.
"He was our biggest champion," Mr Stanley said.
"Those with learning disabilities will often have a physical disability as well and they've got lots of challenges.
"They're the last to really achieve equality in that respect.
"So I'm doing this through music by putting them out there. And David believed in that. And he really believed in them."
In 2019, Sir David helped the Music Man Project organise an event in which 200 children with learning disabilities played at the Royal Albert Hall in front of a crowd of 3,000 people.
"(Sir David) said, 'We've conquered the Royal Albert Hall. Next stop is Broadway'," Mr Stanley remembered.
"That's the ultimate dream.
"So when it came to a tribute, to me this was the best thing ever, because music is magic. It's about bringing people together.
"Our link with the Royal Marines was all about - can the universal language of music connect those elite musicians with my musicians with learning disabilities? And my gosh, the answer is yes."
Christmas single marks the beginning of a long-term partnership between the charity and the Royal Marines Band.
"We couldn't be prouder of this unique collaboration with The Music Man Project," Lt Col Jason Burcham, of the Royal Marines Band Service, said.
"Each performer radiates warmth, energy, and positivity.
"They are also incredibly talented musicians. Rehearsing and recording this single was a wonderful experience."
Music Is Magic will be released on 16 December.
Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk | /news/uk-england-essex-63886580 |
sports | Rio Olympics 2016: Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina retain title | Russia's Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina retained their Olympic title in the synchronised swimming duet.
uo have now won gold in three successive Games, having also done so in the team event in Beijing in 2008.
Ishchenko and Romashina scored 98.533 for their superb free routine to finish with an overall total of 194.991.
China's Huang Xuechen and Sun Wenyan took the silver with a score of 192.368, and Japan's Yukiko Inui and Risako Mitsui won bronze with 188.054.
Russia have won gold in both the team and duet competitions at every Olympics since Sydney 2000. | /sport/olympics/37101605 |
technology | Tory MP Julian Knight warns of face-offs with Musk's Twitter | Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter could lead to multiple "face-offs" with regulators in the UK and the EU, a senior Conservative MP has warned.
Select committee chair Julian Knight said Mr Musk's support for "absolute free speech" could mean governments were faced with repeated calls to widen their regulation of online content.
He told the BBC it would be a case of "watch and see".
On Thursday, it emerged the UK's Online Safety Bill had again been delayed.
gislation is aimed at making social media firms like Twitter and Facebook accountable for finding and removing harmful content.
Children's charities say it is urgently needed to protect young people from abuse - but civil liberties groups argue it is an attack on free speech.
mammoth bill was put on hold during the summer's Tory leadership contest, amid claims it would be watered down.
Mr Musk has previously spoken of wanting to make Twitter an unfiltered "common digital town square", sparking fears the platform could become more abusive and polarised.
After completing his takeover, he tweeted "the bird [Twitter's logo] is freed". Thierry Breton, EU commissioner for the internal market, responded: "In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules".
Under the EU's recently approved Digital Services Act, online platforms which fail to curb illegal online content will face hefty fines.
But Mr Knight, who chairs the Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee, told the BBC the billionaire had a record of "rowing back" on some of his previous statements and had done so again on Friday.
Mr Musk said: "Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences", adding that it would follow "the laws of the land" and "must be warm and welcoming to all".
Online Safety Bill would compel social media platforms to remove all illegal content and to take action against designated "legal but harmful" material.
Companies could face fines running into billions of pounds or have access to their sites blocked if they breach the rules.
During Liz Truss's brief premiership, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt told MPs the bill would return to Parliament for its remaining stages on 1 November.
But on Thursday, she confirmed it had been pulled from the Parliamentary schedule.
She told MPs the legislation "remains a priority", but the government needed to "ensure that there is time for members to properly look at amendments".
Another Conservative member of the digital, culture, media and sport committee, former senior cabinet minister Damian Green, told the BBC the bill appeared to be "up in the air both in terms of content and timing".
Mr Knight suggested the legislation drawn up by Boris Johnson's government had been too wide-ranging and needed greater focus.
He predicted that the protection of children from harmful content and age verification measures would be "beefed up", while potentially harmful but legal content for adults might fall outside the bill's scope.
On Thursday, Labour's Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire questioned whether the bill had been withdrawn by new prime minister Rishi Sunak to "appease" International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch.
When she was a Tory leadership candidate in July, Ms Badenoch said the Bill in its current form should not become law. If elected, she would "ensure the Bill doesn't overreach", she added.
Ms Debbonaire said Parliament had been waiting four years for the Bill to become law.
"Since the Conservatives first announced their intention to regulate seven other jurisdictions have introduced online safety laws, and in the UK in that time online crime has exploded, child sexual abuse online has become rife, scams have proliferated.
"Every day that goes by without the Bill the suffering continues."
Ms Mordaunt insisted the government was "committed" to the Bill and it would "be back in the House shortly".
Ian Russell - the father of Molly, 14, who ended her life after viewing self-harm content online - warned the further delay could "cost vulnerable young lives".
He added: "I hope the assurances I have been given by the Secretary of State [Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Michelle Donelan] that the Bill will be in the Lords by Christmas will prove to be more than just fine words.
"For the sake of our young, who are currently exposed to online dangers on a daily basis, this legislation can't come soon enough."
Susie Hargreaves, chief executive of the Internet Watch Foundation, said: "Each day this crucial legislation is delayed is another day imagery of children being sexually abused spreads further online. This is the reality.
"Our hotline analysts see the consequences, and last year they removed more images and videos of children suffering sexual abuse and rape from the internet than ever before.
"We need to see a clear timetable of when this bill will proceed to give victims the confidence that this Bill is still a Government priority."
Free speech campaigners have called for the legislation to be scrapped.
Monica Horten, policy manager of the Open Rights Group, said: "The privacy of 40 million chat users is threatened by this Bill.
"There will be constant surveillance of what they say and send. The Bill will create everyday censorship where the Computer Says No to perfectly legal content, with no proper process of review." | /news/uk-politics-63426734 |
business | Rivals row over deal for failed energy firm Bulb | Octopus Energy's acquisition of collapsed supplier Bulb could face further delays after rival firms challenged the deal in court.
Bulb, which had about 1.6 million customers, collapsed last year when wholesale gas prices soared.
It was bailed out by the government and is currently being run by administrators.
A deal for Octopus to buy Bulb was agreed, but Eon, British Gas and Scottish Power oppose it.
On Tuesday, the three rival firms filed judicial review applications at London's High Court, challenging the government's decision to approve the takeover and to provide funding to allow the deal for Octopus to buy Bulb to take place.
A judicial review is a type of court case that allows the legality of a government decision to be challenged.
ue of the Octopus Energy deal has not been published but the BBC understands the firm paid the government between £100m and £200m. The deal needs to be approved by the High Court to be completed.
Stephen Robins KC, for Scottish Power, said in written submissions that the marketing of the Bulb sale was "defective" and should be re-run to allow for alternative bids.
He said Octopus had effectively received a "cash gift" or "dowry" from the government in relation to the transaction, full details of which rivals had not seen.
Jonathan Adkin, representing British Gas, said in the court hearing there had been an "abject lack of transparency" about the commercial terms of the deal.
Meanwhile, lawyers representing Bulb's administrators urged the judge to set a date for the deal to go ahead, despite the pending legal challenges.
Richard Fisher KC, representing Bulb's administrators from the Teneo consultancy firm, rejected Scottish Power's "highly controversial" version of events and said in written submissions that other energy companies had decided to "walk away" from the sale process.
Judge Anthony Zacaroli said he would give a decision on Wednesday whether to set a date for the deal to go ahead.
Octopus said the company "will continue to work hard to get this resolved as fast as possible", while a spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said it could not comment on the legal proceedings.
Bulb was the biggest of more than 30 energy companies that collapsed last year following a spike in wholesale gas prices.
Bulb's bailout was the biggest one by the state since the Royal Bank of Scotland collapse during the 2008 financial crisis. The government's official budget forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), has said the support for the firm will cost around £6.5bn to taxpayers.
BEIS agreed a deal with Octopus to buy Bulb in October and it was expected to be completed by the end of November.
But the acquisition was delayed after Eon, British Gas and Scottish Power raised concerns earlier this month. | /news/business-63800602 |
sports | Ukraine conflict: Olympic karate medallist Stanislav Horuna 'ready to fight' Russia | Ukrainian Olympic karate medallist Stanislav Horuna says he is ready to fight for his country after joining the nation's defence against Russia.
Horuna has no previous military experience but says he is prepared to protect Lviv, where he was born.
33-year-old won a bronze medal in the men's -75kg category at the Tokyo Games last summer.
"Mentally I am ready, ready to fight. Because I know I am not attacking, I am defending," Horuna told Radio 5 Live.
More than 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, according to the United Nations, many of whom have crossed to neighbouring countries such as Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova.
Horuna is one of the Ukrainian soldiers helping people who have been forced to leave their homes during the conflict.
Horuna's life has changed dramatically since standing on an Olympic podium to receive his medal less than a year ago, but he believes that Ukraine "will soon be back to normal life".
"Of course not all Ukraine as many cities are totally destroyed, some cities are half destroyed and of course those people who left their homes and cities, now they are refugees," he added.
"Many of them have left the country and their lives changed completely. I stay in a relatively safe place and we are trying to help those people who have left their houses."
Horuna is one of several Ukrainian sportspeople to have joined their nation's military effort, including tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky, heavyweight champion boxer Oleksandr Usyk and three-weight champion fighter Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, both former heavyweight world champions, are also defending their homeland.
When asked if he has been treated differently because of his sporting success, Horuna said: "I consider myself just another man on the barricades.
"I do the same that other people do. We stay together and we resist. We help each other, we are so united and stronger than ever before.
"And I don't see anything heroic in my decision to join the army, because everyone here is doing the same."
wo months before his achievement in Tokyo, Horuna became the European champion in his category by defeating Azerbaijan's five-time world champion Rafael Aghayev, and he has no doubt that he will return to his karate training in the near future.
"I guess in 10 days, maybe two weeks we will win this war and my theory is life will get back to normal," he said.
"And I will be able to visit my gym, my dojo and continue my regular training. And I will start the preparation for the next tournament or championship.
"We will see - I hope and believe it will finish soon because Russian army is running out of resources." | /sport/karate/60654026 |
politics | Scottish parliament apologises after suffragette scarf row | Alison Johnstone: "We actively support and promote universal suffrage in a number of ways at Holyrood."
Scottish Parliament's presiding officer has apologised after a woman was ejected from a committee meeting for refusing to remove a scarf in suffragette colours.
woman was asked to leave a session of the equalities committee, which was discussing proposed reforms to Scotland's gender recognition laws.
Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone later said her removal was an error.
She said suffrage colours were not banned from Holyrood.
woman, who had been sitting in the public seats, tweeted a picture of her green, purple and white scarf shortly after being removed from the meeting of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee on Tuesday morning.
Under the Twitter handle Obsolesence, she said: "I have just been asked to remove my new scarf. I refused because its lovely & inoffensive.
"Apparently (the Scottish Parliament) believes these colours are unacceptable while several MSPs wear rainbow lanyards."
urs have been associated with the suffragette movement, which campaigned for women to be given the right to vote in the early 20th century. More recently, they have also become associated with those opposed to changes to gender recognition laws.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wore a suffragette scarf to mark the centenary of women winning the right to vote in 2018, and the Scottish Conservatives said items bearing the colours are on sale in the Scottish Parliament gift shop.
Ms Johnstone later told the Holyrood chamber that staff had removed the woman due to visitor rules on "the display of banners, flags or political slogans, including on clothing and accessories".
MSPs regularly wear symbols associated with political causes during meetings of the parliament.
Ms Johnstone told MSPs: "Let me make one thing crystal clear - suffrage colours are not, and never have been, banned at the Scottish Parliament.
"We actively support and promote universal suffrage in a number of ways at Holyrood and will continue to do so."
residing officer said the woman was not ejected as a result of a request from any member of the committee.
She added: "The action taken was an error, and I would like to apologise on behalf of the Parliament. The wearing of a scarf in those colours does not, in itself, breach the visitor code of conduct.
"The parliament wishes people to engage with the democratic process, including observing elected representatives debate and make the law of the country."
woman's removal had prompted criticism from Conservative MSPs.
Rachael Hamilton, who was wearing suffragette colours in the chamber, thanked the presiding officer for making the clarification.
She said: "I think it's important that you have confirmed that MSPs are treated exactly the same way as members of the public and the suffragette colours were not in breach of the guidelines set by this parliament."
SNP MP Joanna Chery - a vocal critic of the gender reforms - tweeted that the removal of the woman was a "disgraceful episode for Scottish democracy", adding: "This is not the Scotland I entered politics to promote.
"It's completely out of step with what the suffragettes fought for, the spirit of the enlightenment and indeed the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament".
qualities committee is currently examining the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. which aims to make it easier for people to change their legally-recognised gender.
first stage of the parliamentary process at the end of October, although seven SNP MSPs defied the whip to vote against it and minister Ash Regan quit the government in protest.
Opponents of the bill have raised concerns about the potential impact of the proposals on the rights of women and girls, while supporters say it will have little impact outside the trans community. | /news/uk-scotland-63639814 |
politics | Plymouth City Council Conservatives and Labour have 24 seats each | Both the Conservatives and Labour have 24 seats each on Plymouth City Council following the resignation of another Tory councillor.
Stephen Hulme, councillor for Ham, announced his resignation on Wednesday after he asked ward residents whether he should remain in the party.
He said he would be an independent for the next 15 months.
Ahead of his resignation, no one party had an overall majority on the council but the Tory group had the most seats.
Mr Hulme said: "I will represent my ward as they want me to represent them."
Conservative numbers had already been cut following the resignation of Shannon Burden and Dan Collins.
uple were urged to step down following concerns they were unable to serve residents effectively after deciding to move to Gloucestershire, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
r resignation triggered by-elections in their former wards of Moor View and Plympton Chaddlewood which will take place on 12 January.
Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. | /news/uk-england-devon-63901886 |
business | Anti-London policies will slow UK's financial recovery, report says | Divisive "them and us" rhetoric about London and the rest of the UK will hinder national recovery from the cost-of-living crisis, according to a new report.
Centre for London says there is an opportunity for less antagonism and more partnership with "levelling up" likely to fade as a political slogan.
k tank argues investment outside of London should not come at the expense of the capital.
report, London's Contribution in the UK, concluded regional inequalities could be fixed by increasing overall spending, rather than cutting London's funding. Choking off government spending in the capital would hit the tax revenues on which investment around the UK depends, it said.
k tank carried out focus groups involving 2,000 people from London and elsewhere to find out how people feel about London's dominant status as the country's only "global" city.
On the whole, it found people outside London did not resent the capital. However, they were not convinced by arguments about the value of the City financial sector to the UK economy, in terms of tax revenue.
And participants in the focus groups did appreciate London's international reputation and its importance for tourism.
Centre for London analysis describes the impact of "London-plus" tourism, where London is the "gateway" to visitors but the benefits are spread far beyond.
Researchers found 71% of first-time holiday visitors to the UK came to the city.
"This London-plus tourism is estimated to contribute more than £640m in spending a year, driven by the fact that these visitors spend between 24% and 64% more nights in the UK than those who just visit one location," the report said.
Indeed, in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, London was visited by nearly 22 million tourists - around 63% of the total number who visited England and more than 53% of those who visited the UK.
gether, they spent nearly £16bn in the capital, accounting for 55% of tourism spending in the UK.
r spending supported one in seven of all jobs in London, 700,000 of them, and nearly 12% of the city's economic output, according to researchers.
report also found London's arts and cultural attractions were a major draw for domestic and international visitors.
However, this is at risk, due the recently announced cuts to Arts Council funding, which have raised doubts about the future of institutions like the English National Opera. Under the plans, £24m of annual funding will be diverted outside of the capital.
Researchers also believe many Londoners are unable to access the city's wealth of cultural venues, and that cuts to public funding would make them less accessible still, particularly to low income families.
According to the report, the capital "kickstarts" innovations in public transport such as contactless payment, helping to make London fundamental to the UK's productivity and creativity.
And the report said Transport for London had entered into a private-sector partnership that allowed other cities to adapt its systems for their own network.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson made "levelling up" a key slogan of his premiership, although there was little consensus of what it meant.
With the future of levelling up unclear because of the recent political "chaos", Centre for London argues the strategy should focus on increasing overall investment spending, not cutting investment in London.
Claire Harding, research director, said: "Levelling up could help everyone in the UK, but only if it is done properly. It must not be seen as an opportunity to create divisions between places or simply reduce London's funding, which is not a strategy that the public want and would only threaten the economy.
"London's contribution has always been vital to the UK, ranging from a hub of world-class education, research and arts, to a place of pride representing the country on the global stage. We hope this report will convince policymakers to continue making the case for the city."
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sports | Commonwealth Games: Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix & Noah Williams win mixed synchronised 10m platform gold | Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix won her third diving medal at her first Commonwealth Games with mixed synchronised 10m platform gold for England alongside Noah Williams.
James Heatly and Grace Reid earlier claimed the mixed synchronised 3m springboard title to give Scotland their 13th gold - and 50th medal - of Birmingham 2022.
England's Kyle Kothari and Lois Toulson finished 14.52 points behind Spendolini-Sirieix and Williams' tally of 333.06 to take silver.
Australia's Cassiel Rousseau and Emily Boyd won bronze.
"This has definitely exceeded what I hoped. I came here with no expectations - I just wanted to have fun," said 17-year-old Spendolini-Sirieix.
"I made a conscious decision to train even harder than the last couple of months and it's paid off.
"I don't want to put any pressure on myself - that's what makes you crumble. I'm very excited for the next two years."
Spendolini-Sirieix last week won the 10m platform title and Williams the men's synchronised 10m platform with Matty Lee.
ughter of First Dates maitre-d' Fred Sirieix, Spendolini-Sirieix also won women's synchronised 10m platform silver with Eden Cheng.
r is the first time mixed gender synchronised diving has been contested at the Commonwealth Games.
England's divers leave the Games top of the standings with six golds, four silvers and five bronzes.
Heatly and Reid capped a brilliant Games for Scotland with a brilliant final dive which scored 74.40 points, giving them a total of 306.00.
"It's insane. I'm over the moon. I honestly don't know what to say to that," Heatly told BBC Sport.
"It's been tough. I'm really happy to do this with Grace, though, and to save all of this for the last day.
"If it becomes an event at the Olympics then we're up for it."
Australia's Li Shixin and Maddison Keeney took silver, 1.98 points behind, while bronze medallists Muhammad Syafiq Bin Puteh and Nur Dhabitah Binti Sabri of Malaysia were a further 4.98 points back.
England's teenage pair Ben Cutmore and Desharne Bent-Ashmeil were fourth.
Heatly and Reid, who won 3m synchro bronze at the World Championships in Budapest earlier in the summer, had missed out on medals in their individual events.
"It's maybe not been what I've wanted in my individual events, but to come back into this and win gold today, with all of our family here just makes me speechless," said Reid.
"We welcomed the expectation in today and that performance in Budapest a few weeks ago really carried us through today.
"I now need a lie down. I keep seeing people with pizza so I'm definitely having a pizza." | /sport/commonwealth-games/62463941 |
entertainment | Leicester breast cancer patient's art focuses on hope | A woman who is among a group of artists whose work is featured in an upcoming exhibition has described how painting helped her focus on hope while she was undergoing cancer treatment.
Laura Dampney, from Leicester, was 35 when she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.
Breast Cancer and Me exhibition is taking place at the Angear Visitor Centre at Lakeside Arts in University Park, Nottingham.
It will run from 8-30 October.
Ms Dampney said she had wanted to create memories for her children in case she did not survive.
"I wanted to create art for them to remember me by and to have around the house, art with a positive message," she said.
"I have a strong faith and I wanted to create pictures that represented hope and joy and good things for them to remember as they grow older and as they inevitably face difficult times."
39-year-old underwent a mastectomy in November 2018 and began the first of six courses of chemotherapy in January 2019 to reduce the chances of the cancer returning.
She said she was now looking forward to celebrating her 40th birthday, as it was a milestone she had not known if she would reach.
She added she felt very honoured that two of her artworks would feature in the exhibition.
xhibition has been curated by the Breast Cancer Research Centre (NBCRC) at the University of Nottingham.
It will feature 15 artists who will present their experiences of breast cancer through visual pieces.
Deputy director of NBCRC, Dr Andy Green said: "We are incredibly grateful to all the artists.
"Incidence rates for breast cancer are expected to rise 2% in the next 12 years and there continues to be a real need to continue our research and increase awareness of breast cancer."
Carol Pairaudeau, the administrator of the centre who curated the exhibition, said: "I am looking forward to the opening of Breast Cancer and Me and showcasing this amazing artwork to the public."
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. | /news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-63132642 |
sports | Commonwealth Games: England's Bello twins lose in semi-final | England's Bello twins missed out on a guaranteed historic beach volleyball medal after losing to Canada in the semi-final at Birmingham 2022.
But they still have a chance to win a first ever Commonwealth Games medal as they will play off for bronze against Rwanda on Sunday.
Javier and Joaquin Bello won the first set against the 2018 silver medallists.
But the experience of Sam Schachter came through as Canada made it 1-1 before taking the decider 15-7.
"A lot of things went wrong for us," said Joaquin Bello.
"They played an amazing match and pulled themselves back together after we dominated the first set.
"We definitely could have had more pressure on their serve, there were a lot of elements to our game that were lacking in that third set.
"The good thing is we know what we have to do and we will try and bring that tomorrow [Sunday]."
Earlier Australia beat Rwanda in straight sets to set up a re-run of the Gold Coast gold medal game from four years ago. | /sport/commonwealth-games/62444173 |
politics | Sex education: Parents lose legal challenge against curriculum | Parents have lost a legal challenge against the teaching of young children about gender identity and sex in primary schools across Wales.
Campaigners launched a judicial review in the High Court against the Welsh government's new relationships and sexuality education (RSE) curriculum.
It was launched in September and sees the mandatory teaching of these topics to pupils from the age of three.
gal challenge was rejected but claimants plan to appeal.
It follows a two-day legal hearing in November at the Civil Justice Centre in Cardiff.
mants were five parents of children of school age living in Wales who objected on religious and or philosophical grounds to their children being taught the subjects.
Mrs Justice Steyn said: "Teaching should be neutral from a religious perspective, but it is not required to be value neutral."
It referenced sex education that aims to encourage "tolerance between human beings irrespective of their sexual orientation and identity" and enables children to deal critically with influences from society.
urt found the introduction of mandatory RSE had been "the product of a process of careful consideration".
All five claimants have "moral and philosophical objections" to the curriculum and wanted to exercise rights of excusal on behalf of their children to the classes, said Paul Diamond representing them.
"The proposed teaching of RSE in Wales is specifically constructed to be value-laden since much of the teaching, particularly that regarding LGBTQ+, will concern not facts of a scientific nature but highly contentious theories relating to moral and behavioural choices made by individuals," he added.
"Were it to be taught as a stand-alone class and subject to a right of excusal, there would clearly not be any possibility of indoctrination.
"At stake in the present case is the question of whether there is any limit to what can be taught to children in schools or, ultimately, any place including the home and whether the state is to endorse the values of modern, liberal democracy or adopt instead a form of ideological totalitarianism."
However, Jonathan Moffett, representing the Welsh government, rejected the language used by the claimants.
He described "such hyperbolic rhetoric" as "unhelpful", adding the claimants had failed to identify "what allegedly unlawful teaching" the new curriculum would adopt and instead "resort to broad assertions".
"The claimants have not pointed to any passages in the code or the guidance that authorise or positively approve teaching that advocates or promotes any particular identity or sexual lifestyle over another, or that encourage children to self-identify in a particular way," he added.
In the judgement, Mrs Justice Steyn said: "Openness to a plurality of ideas and the ability to engage sensitively, critically and respectfully with such debates, which RSE seeks to encourage and develop, fully accords with the aim of pluralism in a liberal and democratic state."
Welcoming the judgment, education minister Jeremy Miles said he was "appalled by the misinformation that has been purposefully spread by some campaigners".
He added: "Parents can expect schools to engage with them about their plans for teaching RSE and to be able to raise any constructive questions or anxieties they have about those plans.
"We will work closely with schools and communities to ensure that they are heard and they are clear about what their children will and will not be taught."
Kim Isherwood, one of the claimants and spokeswoman for the campaign, said: "We asked the High Court to recognise the overreach of power by the government, we asked the court to help us protect our children from future emotional, physical, and psychological harm.
"The evidence we provided to the court referenced and highlighted concerning levels of betrayal, deceit and false claims made by the government, but it appears as though the judge agrees with them - not only do we parents not have rights, but they were never there to begin with."
He added that the team plans to appeal the ruling to "fight harder to protect our children from a dangerous woke agenda gone off the rails". | /news/uk-wales-64067393 |
health | Weston General Hospital improves after 'inadequate' rating | Hospital staff have been praised for helping it improve, but bosses admit there is more to be done.
Weston General Hospital has been upgraded from its "inadequate" rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
CQC rated the hospital 'requires improvement' after an inspection in August, up from inadequate - the lowest the health regulator can give.
It found staffing was stretched, although there were sufficient numbers to keep patients safe,
's surgical unit and identification of blood clot risks were areas where improvement was found to be needed.
Concerns were also raised about racist behaviour towards staff, highlighted as a priority to hospital leadership, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
But the report also found that staff provided good care, treated patients with kindness, and that the Weston General's leaders had the skills to run the hospital well and were making improvements.
Chief executive of the NHS trust that runs the hospital, Eugine Yafele, said: "I absolutely want to congratulate the team at Weston on getting the hospital to be on a firm footing of recovery and improvement."
Mr Yafele added: "What this also highlights is there is a steely determination, because the people who have done this are people at Weston, and actually 'requires improvement' is the start.
"I think their ambitions, and the ambitions we have for patients, are to go beyond that."
Chief Medical Officer Stuart Walker insisted: "I think its absolutely the case that there has been a very significant improvement.
"Now, that may manifest itself - in CQC function and how they process things - as inadequate to our eye but there has been a major improvement in the quality of care being able to be offered there."
Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk | /news/uk-england-somerset-63996905 |
sports | World Aquatics Championships: US artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez rescued by coach after fainting in pool | American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez was rescued from the bottom of the pool by her coach after fainting at the World Aquatics Championships.
25-year-old was not breathing and had sunk after completing her routine in the solo free final in Budapest.
Her coach, Andrea Fuentes, pulled Alvarez to the surface before she was taken away on a stretcher.
US swim team later released a statement from Fuentes saying Alvarez "feels good now".
Alvarez previously fainted following a routine during an Olympic qualifier in Barcelona last year, with Fuentes also rescuing her on that occasion.
Of the more recent incident, Fuentes said: "Anita is OK - the doctors checked all vitals and everything is normal - [her] heart rate, oxygen, sugar levels, blood pressure etc. All is OK.
"We sometimes forget that this happens in other high-endurance sports [such as] marathon, cycling, cross country. We all have seen images where some athletes don't make it to the finish line and others help them to get there.
"Our sport is no different than others, just in a pool, we push through limits and sometimes we find them.
"Anita feels good now and the doctors also say she is OK. Tomorrow she will rest all day and will decide with the doctor if she can swim free team finals or not."
Spanish newspaper Marca reported four-time Olympic medallist Fuentes as saying she had jumped in "because the lifeguards weren't doing it".
And speaking to Spanish radio, she said: "It felt like a whole hour. I said things weren't right, I was shouting at the lifeguards to get into the water, but they didn't catch what I said or they didn't understand.
"She wasn't breathing. I went as quickly as I could, as if it were an Olympic final."
Alvarez scored 87.6333 points for her routine, finishing seventh in the final. | /sport/swimming/61906249 |
technology | Elon Musk: Twitter won't 'take yes for an answer' | Billionaire Elon Musk has said he aims to complete his purchase of Twitter by the end of the month, but the company "will not take yes for an answer".
In a court filing, he said the social media platform had raised concerns about the "theoretical possibility of a future failure to obtain debt financing" to pay for the deal.
witter said it did not trust that the offer would come through.
witter sued Mr Musk in July after he tried to back out of buying the firm.
judge overseeing the case gave the two sides until 28 October to work out a deal, agreeing to put legal proceedings on hold at the request of Mr Musk.
Mr Musk said litigation was no longer necessary, after he said in a surprise move this week that he was prepared to go forward with the original takeover plan, pending receipt of the financing and an end to the legal battle.
"There is no need for an expedited trial to order defendants to do what they are already doing," Mr Musk's attorneys wrote in a filing.
"Yet, Twitter will not take yes for an answer. Astonishingly they have insisted on proceeding with this litigation, recklessly putting the deal at risk and gambling with their stockholders interests."
In its own filing for Delaware Chancery Court on Thursday, Twitter said it was opposed to suspending litigation, calling such a move "an invitation to further mischief and delay."
It said it did not trust Mr Musk's promises, noting that one bank helping to finance the deal had testified this week that it had not received any notice from Mr Musk about plans to move forward.
"Defendants can and should close next week," the company wrote. "Until defendants commit to close as required, Twitter is entitled to its day in court."
Mr Musk announced a plan to buy Twitter for $54.20 per share in April. But he backed away from the deal just a few weeks later saying he was concerned that spam accounts on the platform were higher than Twitter had claimed.
witter ultimately sued to force Mr Musk to complete the deal.
In its lawsuit, Twitter argued Mr Musk was worried about the price he had agreed to pay, after a sharp downturn in the value of tech shares, including Tesla, the electric car company he leads and is the base of much of his wealth.
Mr Musk was due to be questioned this week as part of the preparation for the trial, which was scheduled to begin 17 October. The trial is now postponed to 28 October to allow a deal to close, according to a court filing.
Shares in Twitter ended the day down more than 3%, amid investor doubts the deal will go through. | /news/business-63166568 |
entertainment | National Television Awards: Ant and Dec to miss ceremony after catching Covid | Ant and Dec have both caught Covid, so will miss the National Television Awards (NTAs) in London on Thursday.
joked on Instagram: "Sadly it's true... we even get ill together!"
uo have won the best TV presenter prize for the past 20 years, and could now scoop their 21st consecutive award - unless Alison Hammond, Graham Norton or Bradley Walsh can beat them.
remony will be live on ITV from Wembley Arena after being postponed following the death of the Queen.
BBC's EastEnders, ITV's Emmerdale and Netflix's Bridgerton and Heartstopper all have three nominations each.
will be hosted by The Masked Singer presenter Joel Dommett, with performances from singers Lewis Capaldi and Sam Ryder, who has replaced Robbie Williams as the opening attraction.
Here are some more things to look out for:
ITV's chief executive last month backed Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield after the hosts were accused of jumping the queue for the Queen's lying-in-state.
NTAs are voted for by the public, though, so it has been up to the people to decide whether the pair will keep their crowns as daytime queen and king, after This Morning won the daytime award in 2021 - or whether they'll be dethroned by Loose Women, The Chase or The Repair Shop.
Notably, neither Holly nor Phil are up for best TV presenter this year, as they have been in previous years. But the nominations were announced in August, long before "queue-gate".
Ant and Dec, Line of Duty, Corrie and more - watch the highlights of the National Television Awards 2021
Ant and Dec underlined their status as the nation's favourite TV hosts last year, after their 20th (yes, 20th) consecutive win in the presenting category.
me they didn't win the award was in 2000, to Michael Barrymore. Most of the nominees in this year's rising star category, including Heartstopper's Joe Locke and Kit Connor, were not even born then.
While the duo will be absent through illness on Thursday, the question is whether voters are sick of seeing them win the same award every year.
Geordie double act are also nominated in the entertainment show category for Saturday Night Takeaway and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, as well as best talent show for Britain's Got Talent - so there's a good chance we may see an acceptance speech made over video call in their PJs at some stage.
uthored documentary category includes heartfelt films chronicling the lives of Kate Garraway and her husband Derek, who has been critically ill with Covid; Julia Bradbury with breast cancer; Paddy and Christine McGuinness alongside their three autistic children; as well as Katie Price and her disabled son Harvey.
final nominee focuses on The Wanted's late singer Tom Parker. Inside My Head, about the music star's brain tumour, was aired in October 2021 - just five months before he died at the age of 33.
Elsewhere, a new category for best expert will see Clarkson's Farm's breakout star Kaleb Cooper, 24, take on 96-year-old broadcasting legend Sir David Attenborough, Money Show Live host Martin Lewis and The Repair Shop's Jay Blades.
A special recognition award will be given to actor and comedy legend Sir Lenny Henry. Previous recent winners have included the Line of Duty team, Sir Michael Palin and David Dimbleby.
Authored documentary
New drama
Returning drama
Drama performance
Serial drama
Serial drama performance
Rising star
V presenter
Bruce Forsyth entertainment award
w
w judge
Quiz game show
Factual entertainment
Expert
Comedy
Daytime
2022 National Television Awards will be broadcast on ITV from 20:00 BST. | /news/entertainment-arts-63226515 |
politics | Wendy Morton: I’ll never forget chaotic vote that sank Liz Truss | Wendy Morton explains how then-PM Liz Truss would not accept her resignation after a Commons vote on fracking.
Former chief whip Wendy Morton handed in her resignation to Liz Truss after a chaotic vote that eventually led to the then-PM's downfall, she has revealed.
Ms Truss refused to accept Ms Morton's resignation, as she battled to hold her government together.
But the PM stepped down the following day, when it became clear she had lost the confidence of her MPs.
It "was one of those nights that I will probably never forget", Ms Morton told the BBC's Politics Live.
As chief whip, she was tasked with ensuring Tory MPs voted with the government, but many had refused to do so on the evening of 19 October because they opposed Ms Truss's policy on fracking.
MPs had been told it amounted to a confidence vote in the government in an effort to get them in line.
"That's why I took the stance that I did, as chief whip," Ms Morton said. "We were expecting colleagues to be in the lobby with us."
But there was confusion over whether it really was a confidence vote and the disarray that followed, including claims Tory MPs were being bullied by ministers into backing the government, proved to be the beginning of the end for Ms Truss's short-lived premiership.
"You can see what ensued, which was chaos," Ms Morton said.
Ms Morton - who was a key political ally of Ms Truss - said she had since "spent a lot of time reflecting on" the vote in October. She confirmed that it had been a confidence vote.
In her first TV interview about the events of that night, Ms Morton said she resigned as chief whip "on the basis that No 10 were interfering" in the vote.
"I feel so strongly about the integrity of the chief whip and the red lines that I have," Ms Morton said. "But the prime minister would not accept my resignation so I continued."
She said her conversation with Ms Truss was "robust but it was respectful", adding: "I have spoken to her since."
"We had coffee with her just the other week," Ms Morton said.
Ms Truss's premiership unravelled within 24 hours of the fateful vote, as a groundswell of Conservative MPs urged her to stand down.
Sir Graham Brady - the chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs - told the BBC he had decided to call Downing Street to tell Ms Truss her position was "unsustainable" following the "utter chaos" of the vote.
Confusion reigned after Labour brought a vote on whether MPs should get a say on the government's fracking plans.
Conservative MPs were initially told the vote would be treated as a test of loyalty to the government - a motion of confidence - and if they did not oppose the Labour plan they could get kicked out of the parliamentary party.
ry whips, who are responsible for discipline in the parliamentary party, ordered their MPs to vote against the motion.
But then, just minutes before the vote, climate minister Graham Stuart rowed back on this at the despatch box, where he suggested it was not a vote of confidence.
Jacob Rees-Mogg - who was business secretary at the time - blamed the confusion on "a junior official at 10 Downing Street [who] sent a message through to the front bench that it was not a vote of confidence and nobody else was aware of that".
Chaotic scenes in the voting lobby followed, as whips tried to get Tory MPs to oppose the Labour motion.
Labour MP Chris Bryant said what he saw was "clear bullying", and House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle ordered an investigation into the incident.
Mr Hoyle said while "the atmosphere was tense", there was no evidence "of any bullying or undue influence placed on other members". | /news/uk-politics-63746602 |
technology | TikTok: Welsh speakers use social media to teach others | Welsh speakers are turning to TikTok to promote the language and teach it to others.
media platform is helping to connect lovers of the language with new learners.
"I think the one thing with TikTok that's different is the videos are short and sweet. You're able to engage with people," said one creator.
It comes as recent census data shows that there is a decline in Welsh speakers.
Bethany Davies from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, has about 44,000 TikTok followers and has made a career out of sharing the Welsh language and culture.
23-year-old history graduate grew up speaking Welsh, and says she feels "privileged" not to have known life without it.
"I am one of five children and when my two eldest siblings were young, [my family] moved to this area and at the time the best school in the area was Welsh," she said.
Having made the decision that her children would have a Welsh-medium education, Bethany's mother threw herself into learning the language.
"She went to night school, while my sisters were really small. Five kids all under the age of 10, while learning this new language. So to me she's this massive inspiration," said Bethany.
"I never knew anything different. I went to a Welsh cylch, like a creche, a Welsh primary school, a Welsh secondary school."
She continued: "After I left school, I went to an English college, and then I went to university. It's not that I lost my Welshness, it's just that it kind of went on the backburner.
"That sense of pride in my Welshness, it kind of went, and I think that happens for so many of us Welsh speakers.
"When I started my TikTok, it was during the pandemic and I was stuck in university in lockdown with my husband, who is not a fluent Welsh speaker.
"I was missing speaking Welsh with people, face to face. It just made me realise how much I took for granted."
Looking to reconnect with Welsh after beginning to feel "rusty" was also the main motivation for TikTok creator Nicky Gamble from Tonyrefail, Rhondda Cynon Taf, who also has more than 40,000 followers on the platform.
"I have grown up speaking Welsh, just through education. I went to a Welsh nursery, a Welsh primary school, a Welsh secondary school. So everything we were taught - history, maths, science - it was all done in Welsh," she said.
"My parents don't speak Welsh. It was something I mainly associated with school and friends."
33-year-old continued: "I've always been really proud of the fact that I can speak Welsh, and I've always been proud that, as a country, [we] have our own language."
Nicky, who works full-time in recruitment, joined TikTok with her two stepdaughters, as a hobby during the pandemic.
She's found that being able to share her Welsh language skills has spurred her on to keep it up.
"I wanted to make it fun, I wanted Welsh to seem cool," she said.
"I started making TikToks with some Welsh in there, and just kind of made it a bit cheeky as well, and I think that's what attracted a lot of attention.
"After school, I didn't really speak a lot of Welsh, so I found TikTok really useful, it's brought it back to life for me."
While both Bethany and Nicky use a variety of social media platforms, they recognise TikTok as being particularly accessible for people looking to learn something new.
Nicky said: "Facebook is more for people you know, Instagram is quite posey, I think. Whereas TikTok is everything. And you have quite a large audience on there as well.
"I think people judge TikTok and think it's just for youngsters, and it's not. It's really for everyone."
She added that the algorithm on TikTok helps people to return to what they like watching.
However, she was shocked to attract such a large following.
"It's surprising to see how many non-Welsh speakers are interested in what I'm saying. That's good, they didn't just scroll past."
Bethany grew up with social media from a young age, but says joining TikTok let her "start a fresh" as a content creator.
"With TikTok, I didn't tell anyone about it. I really carved this name for myself as this Welsh girl, and I am proud of that and I will happily wear that with honour," she said.
"I think the one thing with TikTok that's different from any other app is the videos are short and sweet. You're able to engage with people, I feel, on a better level."
Bethany became a content creator after illness forced her to pause her planned masters degree studies.
She too has been surprised by the large and diverse interest in her Welsh content.
"Definitely in the beginning it was younger people," she said. "I tend to utilise a lot of TikTok trends, and I incorporate Welshness into it.
"But, at the same time, I've been surprised by how many older people I have engaged with.
"They grew up speaking Welsh, but maybe unfortunately their family don't anymore. So it's nice for them to have someone to speak with and for them it represents their community, their childhood and all those things that make them who they are."
Bethany believes there are a lot of "misconceptions" about Welsh.
"I grew up in this bubble where Welsh wasn't even questioned. The status of the language, whether it is alive or dead. And then I went to university it was 'What do you mean you speak Welsh?', 'What is that?', 'I thought that was a dead language?'
"It really just shows there is a world outside my little town. Being on TikTok showed me more of people's misconceptions so I am now on my little mission to correct that."
She continued: "I think as Welsh speakers we have a responsibility to make the language as accessible as possible.
"One thing that I never really thought of as a Welsh speaker was other people's perceptions of Welsh, and how difficult it is for them to learn it.
"I can't do everything, but I can make a community that is non-judgmental and wants to help people.
"It should be a happy thing, you should want to learn it and it should be a fun thing. It shouldn't come from a place of feeling bad or that you should."
On the future of the language, Bethany added: "It's an ancient language, it's one that has survived many campaigns against it. So I think it will survive this little blip as well. I have faith in the language, I have faith in my people, and I have faith in us to keep it going."
Nicky said the decline in Welsh speakers was disappointing, but it motivated her to encourage others to learn the language.
"TikTok, it's free, and you can hear someone speaking Welsh.
"So I think it's easier to access, perhaps, and that pushes me to continue wanting to do Welsh content.
"I'd like to see the numbers rise again and people take an interest in the language. It's a part of who we are, our story. I just feel if we lost the language we would lose our identity."
rested in learning Welsh, she said: "Just give it a go, take it slow. You're not in a competition with anyone. Utilize all the different tools that are out there."
Bethany added: "For any language the best way is to immerse yourself in it as much as you can.
"Just start listening to some Welsh music, watch some Welsh TV or Welsh films. Engage with Welsh media.
"It's meant to be fun, so don't put too much stress on yourself." | /news/uk-wales-64027345 |
sports | Chelsie Giles: GB judoka becomes world number one in -52kg category | Great Britain's Chelsie Giles has become world number one in the judo -52kg category.
25-year-old was crowned European champion earlier this year and won silver at the World Championships.
It is the first time in history that two British athletes have topped the world rankings in two judo weight categories, with Lucy Renshall world number one in the -63kg category.
Giles said: "It's great to see all the years of hard work paying off.
"I have to say a massive thanks to the support team around me, as I would not be here without them helping me."
By winning a world silver medal, the first Briton to do so since Nekoda Davis in 2018, Giles completed a set of major medals after she also won Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020.
British Judo Performance Director Nigel Donohue said: "Chelsie never ceases to amaze. A European, World and Olympic medallist and now world number one.
"To be ranked world number one in your chosen sport is a fantastic achievement and we are all extremely proud of both Lucy and Chelsie for achieving this incredible milestone." | /sport/judo/63462680 |
politics | Are you in business?, Rishi Sunak asks homeless man during shelter visit | rime minister has been criticised by some Labour MPs after he was filmed asking a homeless man if he worked in business.
Rishi Sunak was serving breakfast at a shelter in London when the man, named Dean, asked him if he was "sorting the economy out".
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner posted a clip of the exchange on Twitter, calling it "excruciating".
Later in the video, filmed yesterday, Dean goes on to tell Mr Sunak that he "wouldn't mind" a job in finance, but he would like to get through Christmas first. | /news/uk-64087160 |
business | Mortgage rates still rising as big lenders revise deals | UK's biggest mortgage lender will raise rates on Wednesday as the cost of new fixed rate deals keeps climbing.
Halifax, part of Lloyds Banking Group, will put up the interest rates on a range of deals for new borrowers to well over 5%.
It follows a string of major providers in re-pricing products, which has pushed the average two-year fixed rate deal to 6%.
Four days ago, the rate was 5.43% and at the start of December it was 2.34%.
Brokers say lenders are "playing safe" with rates amid current economic uncertainty, but costs could eventually start to dip.
fall-out from the mini-budget initially led to a slump in the value of the pound, as traders expected a sharper increase in interest rates by the Bank of England than previously anticipated.
rompted mortgage providers to rapidly pull hundreds of deals from the market. This week, the availability of products has started to pick up again.
However, mortgages are now more expensive. That is affecting about 100,000 homeowners each month who remortgage and first-time buyers getting a new home loan.
rest rate on a new, average two-year fixed deal has risen consistently since the mini-budget.
On the morning of the speech it was 4.74%. Now, it is 5.97%. A five-year fixed deal has typically risen from 4.75% to 5.75% over the same period.
In recent days, the biggest lenders have revised their prices.
On Wednesday, the largest of them - the Halifax - will increase its own. A spokesman said this was to "reflect the continued increase in mortgage market pricing over recent weeks".
It means its rate for a two-year fixed deal for a customer offering a 25% deposit is up from 4.61% to 5.84%.
On a 30-year mortgage for somebody borrowing £200,000, that would mean a monthly repayment of £1,179 rather than £1,026.
Similar shocks to the mortgage sector in the past have led to lenders pursuing a "flight to quality", according to Andrew Montlake, of mortgage broker Coreco.
means lenders have concentrated their attention on borrowers able to offer large deposits and absolute certainty of repaying.
He said the current upheaval is likely to be a relatively short-term issue with lenders scrambling to reset prices, rather than a longer-term problem.
Lenders were playing safe with their rates, he added. Notably, the TSB has a stricter test of affordability - checking whether homeowners can cope were rates to rise to 8% (or 7% for first-time buyers) before accepting an application.
Some more specialist lenders, whose customers may include those with a chequered credit history or the recently self-employed, have been raising rates to 6.5-7% or more.
group of customers may be the one that finds their choice of products is curtailed.
Mr Montlake said there was still high demand from borrowers, and money available for providers to lend.
Economic clarity provided by clear forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility should eventually feed through to stop the increase, or see some reversal in mortgage rates, he said.
rospect has already improved the value of the pound.
Some brokers are worried that first-time buyers offering a 5% deposit could find it more difficult to find a deal.
"The 95% loan-to-value mortgage won't die, but there will almost certainly be fewer of them due to the current economic situation," said Ian Hewett, founder of Ashford-based The Bearded Mortgage Broker.
"Equally, I am sure they will be resurrected once stability is back and confidence in the government has resumed."
How are you being affected by the rise in mortgage rates? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | /news/business-63131509 |
sports | Top-ranked Gerwyn Price under 'a bit more pressure' at World Championship | Gerwyn Price accepts he is under "a bit more pressure" going into the PDC World Darts Championship as world number one than at other tournaments.
37-year-old Welshman also hopes to avoid early round nerves as he tries to reclaim the title he won in 2021.
"The pressure's there on every single tournament, obviously a bit more with the World Championship.
"I think it's just the first round jitters if you know what I mean," he told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
Price will play Luke Woodhouse or Vladyslav Omelchenko in his opener on Monday, 19 December aiming to win and then come back "all guns firing" after the festive break.
He will go into action at Alexandra Palace having been at the venue throughout the weekend watching some of the games and practicing.
"I had a couple of exhibitions this week which I think I needed to give me a boost of confidence.
"I used a new set of darts, obviously it's the same set-up that I use, but a new set and I was playing really well so I'm going into this tournament full of confidence off the back of four really good days.
"The back end of this year has been really good to me, so fingers crossed I can get through the first round and have a good Christmas and then that's when the tournament really starts then I think, third round on."
me around, Price hopes to share in success with his family and friends, having won the title by beating Gary Anderson in an empty venue due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I was up there alone," said Price.
"I was in the hotel on my own most of the tournament to go into a World Championship Final, where the venue is obviously completely dead, even the practice room and it was quite eerie, really, and it wasn't nice.
"But it was great to win the tournament, but first and foremost is it will be good to have my family there obviously if I did reach the world final and managed to pick up the trophy again.
"But, yeah, obviously, I want the crowd there, I feed off the ground and I feed off the atmosphere."
Price also reflected on "a lot of ups and downs" in 2022, including breaking a hand and "struggling" with his game.
"But I battled on and as soon as my hand got a little bit better my form started to come back, it did take a while and you know like I said as soon as I found that form it was sort of real me again.
"It was difficult for six months, but those are the periods you need to knuckle down and come through them."
Price's compatriot Jonny Clayton is the seventh seed. Jim Williams, Robert Owen, Lewy Williams and Richie Burnett complete the list of Welsh competitors.
Burnett was the first of them in action, losing 3-2 against Czech Republic's Adam Gawlas on Saturday. Clayton will be the last to begin, on Friday, 23 December.
final is on Tuesday, 3 January.
Listen to the extended interview with Gerwyn Price on Friday's Radio Wales Sport from 19:00 GMT on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Sounds, and on demand after transmission. | /sport/darts/63992627 |
business | Weak pound puts the squeeze on holiday spending | und's weakness against the dollar and the euro spells bad news for British holidaymakers this summer.
Fears over the UK economy are weighing on markets, causing sterling to sink below $1.20 on Tuesday, its lowest level since the start of the pandemic, before partly recovering on Wednesday.
Versus the euro, the pound is hovering near thirteen-month lows.
As a result many Brits travelling in the next few weeks will find their spending money won't stretch as far.
"The pound remains a very vulnerable currency," said Jane Foley, head of foreign exchange strategy at the Dutch bank Rabobank.
"A lot of this is related to fears about growth," she continued, noting that political uncertainty and a potential trade conflict with the European Union were likely to add to investors' concerns about the UK's economic outlook.
weakness of the pound will "add to the gloom" for British holidaymakers, who are already facing the prospect of travel disruption, said Ms Foley.
After more than two years of Covid restrictions, many people are planning their first trips overseas, with the peak summer holiday season and the long school break hovering on the horizon.
But when they get there, they could find the pound in their pocket doesn't go as far, Ms Foley warned.
"If you're going to the Eurozone or the United States, you're going to be able to purchase less," she said.
"When we look at the dollar, it's very strong, so holidaymakers going to the US are really going to see the weakness."
Some holidaymakers will already have adjusted for this, however.
"Sterling's been on the backfoot for several years, so to some extent this weakness is already expected," Ms Foley said.
Fears have grown over the prospects for the UK economy after figures showed it shrank again in April for the second month in a row, with businesses feeling the impact of rising prices.
re is uncertainty over how fast the Bank of England - which is expected to raise interest rates again on Thursday - can tighten policy this year to tame inflation without further hurting the economy further.
However the pound's weakness is also a result of a strong dollar, Ms Foley said, with rising interest rates there making the US currency more attractive.
"A more aggressive pace of US interest rate hikes is certainly propping up the dollar," she said. The US central bank, the Federal Reserve, is expected to raise rates substantially after its policy meeting on Wednesday, to try to curb rising inflation there.
"Also, the dollar does have this safe haven appeal, so when we're looking at concerns perhaps about China, perhaps about the gas crisis in Europe, a large part of this does create an environment where people want to hold dollars."
How is the rising cost of living affecting your travel plans? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | /news/business-61809589 |
health | Shrewsbury hospital rolls out ambulance delay scheme | A scheme aiming to cut ambulance waiting times has launched at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
me of the longest delays in the region, tying up ambulances outside A&E and preventing staff from responding to 999 calls.
Shrewsbury's Ambulance Decision Area allow paramedics to care for patients while they wait to be handed over to hospital staff.
It means other ambulance crews can get back on the road.
West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) has already trialled the scheme at three Birmingham hospitals and said it had seen a "significant impact".
Another decision area is also set to open soon at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital.
Across the West Midlands in September 2019, the service lost a total of 6,259 hours through ambulances being stuck at hospitals waiting to hand over patients, a report revealed.
In September 2022, the equivalent figure was 36,750 hours.
Following a trial of the initiative at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Heartlands Hospital, WMAS was approached by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust in October to set up the scheme at its two sites.
"This is another example of the two organisations doing everything possible to reduce handover delays, which ultimately, will benefit patients," a WMAS spokesperson said.
"We have worked incredibly hard with Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals to get the scheme up and running as quickly as possible after the funding was identified."
Ambulance Decision Areas are also staffed by healthcare assistants with extra training.
Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk | /news/uk-england-shropshire-63788163 |
health | Noble's Hospital emergency care teams stretched, Manx Care says | Emergency care teams at Noble's Hospital are "stretched" after a number of seriously ill patients were admitted over the past 24 hours, Manx Care has said.
ked residents to consider only going to the emergency department if they need to.
People have been asked to visit Ramsey Cottage Hospital for minor injuries.
A spokesman said that would allow staff to focus on "patients who need them most".
re body says it has started to implement plans in order to cope with demand "given the level of treatment that these individuals require", he added
Executive director of nursing and governance Paul Moore has encouraged people to "choose well" when seeking healthcare to help ease pressure on emergency care teams.
"Every day a number of patients are seen in the emergency department that could be treated by their GP or at a community pharmacy," Mr Moore said.
He added the team at the minor illnesses and injuries unit in Ramsey could treat "a broad range of conditions including breaks or sprains".
However, he said those in need of urgent or emergency treatment should still attend the island's main hospital.
Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk | /news/world-europe-isle-of-man-63636445 |
technology | Encouraging self-harm to be criminalised in Online Safety Bill | uragement of self-harm will be criminalised in an update to the Online Safety Bill, the government has said.
Content that encourages someone to harm themselves will be targeted in a new offence, making it illegal.
government said the changes had been influenced by the case of Molly Russell - the 14-year-old who ended her life in November 2017.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said she was strengthening the bill "to make sure these vile acts are stamped out".
"I am determined that the abhorrent trolls encouraging the young and vulnerable to self-harm are brought to justice," she said.
Molly Russell, from Harrow in north-west London, took her own life after viewing suicide and self-harm content on Instagram and Pinterest.
Her father has previously criticised delays to the Online Safety Bill and called for online platforms to stop self-regulating their content.
At the inquest in September, the coroner concluded the schoolgirl died while suffering from the "negative effects of online content".
In October, Coroner Andrew Walker wrote to social media firms and the government to call for changes, including separate platforms for adults and children.
Ms Donelan said social media firms could no longer be "silent bystanders" and they would face fines for "allowing this abusive and destructive behaviour to continue".
She said the update to the Online Safety Bill would create a new offence, bringing self-harm content in line with communications that encourage suicide - which is already illegal.
mendment would mean social media platforms would be required to remove self-harm content and any person found to have posted such content would face prosecution.
More details about the maximum penalty would be published in due course, the government said.
NSPCC's Richard Collard said it was "good news" the government was recognising the dangers of children being exposed to online content promoting self-harm.
But he said a "culture of compliance and accountability" from technology firms that have allowed this type of content "to spread like wild fire" was needed.
Amanda Stephens, whose son Olly was stabbed to death in Reading in 2021 by teenagers who plotted his killing across numerous social media platforms, called the amendment to the Online Safety Bill "positive news".
"Just because something's hard, shouldn't mean that it stops us wanting to push forward," said Ms Stephens.
"At the end of the day, our children are losing their lives; we're losing them from our lives. It's wrong - and we need to, as quickly as possible, but in the best possible way - move forward and I can't stress how strongly I feel about this."
ue to return to Parliament in early December, following a number of delays.
gital department said it could not say when the amendments would be tabled.
Earlier this week the government announced other new offences being added to the bill that would crack down on the sharing of intimate images without consent.
Representatives from both Pinterest and Meta, Instagram's parent company, gave evidence during Molly Russell's inquest.
Meta executive Elizabeth Lagone said she believed posts seen by Molly, which her family say "encourage" suicide, were safe, but the firm agreed that regulation was needed.
Judson Hoffman of Pinterest told the inquest the site was "not safe" when the school girl was using it. The company said it was "committed" to making ongoing improvements to help ensure the platform is "safe for everyone".
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said "lives and families" had been destroyed by "those who encourage vulnerable internet users to self-harm".
"Our changes will ensure the full force of the law applies to those callous and reckless individuals who try to manipulate the vulnerable online in this way," Mr Raab said.
measure should come as no real surprise - it was proposed by a parliamentary committee in December 2021.
And there are obvious questions about how effective it will be. Are police going to prosecute a distressed child for posting pictures of their own self-harm scars? Does this clause weigh the law disproportionately against the individual rather than the platforms?
Might this particular clause have helped Molly? It's hard to know. Coroner Andrew Walker concluded that Molly was likely affected by the dark and depressing content and that some posts "romanticised" acts of self-harm.
Molly Rose Foundation - set up in her memory - today said it "appears a significant move".
But I spoke to Molly's father Ian last week about the progress of the Online Safety Bill. He said years of campaigning "have led me to not believe in anyone's words but instead judge them by their actions, because it's only when a positive step is taken will I believe it".
It would have been Molly's birthday today. She would have been 20 years old. | /news/uk-63768496 |
health | Ex-ministers back bid to end zero hours contracts in social care | wo former health secretaries have backed a campaign to end the use of zero hours contracts in Scotland's social care system.
Alex Neil and Malcolm Chisholm joined academics and patients' relatives in signing an open letter to the current health secretary Humza Yousaf.
It calls for the eradication of zero hours contracts to be included in the National Care Service Bill.
Scottish government said it opposed "inappropriate use" of such contracts.
Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said companies bidding for government work are evaluated on their fair working practices "where it is relevant and proportionate to do so".
r states that, according to the Office for National Statistics, about a million people across the UK are employed on zero hours contracts.
It adds this includes 74,000 in Scotland, of which 20% are employed in the health and social care sector.
Mr Neil, who served in Alex Salmond's SNP government from 2012 to 2014, branded the contracts "pernicious" and warned the health and social care sector was in the midst of a major recruitment crisis.
He said: "Social care shortages are leaving patients stuck in hospital taking up much needed hospital beds at a cost of £4,000 a week when they should be recovering at home with social care support.
"Zero hours contracts are a barrier to people working in the care system and should be banned."
r also claims social care staff shortages are driving delayed discharges in Scotland's NHS.
roblem, often referred to as "bed blocking", occurs when a patient continues to occupy a hospital bed despite being clinically able to be discharged.
Malcolm Chisholm, who held the health brief in the Labour-led coalition between 2001-2004, said social care staff "performed heroically" during the Covid pandemic.
He added: "They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect with a secure contract, fair pay and decent working conditions.
"The Cabinet Secretary has the opportunity to end the use of these contracts once and for all."
Zero hours contracts do not oblige employers to provide a minimum number of working hours but neither do they oblige employees to accept any of the hours offered by their employer.
Workers on zero-hours contracts are still entitled to statutory annual leave and the national minimum wage.
Although such contracts have been controversial, some say they provide flexibility to people such as students, parents and those with other caring responsibilities.
But critics say that zero-hours contracts create insecurity for workers and are used by employers to undercut wages and avoid holiday pay and pension contributions.
Chris Peace, campaign director of Zero Hours Justice, said the contracts were a "stain on Scotland's care system".
She added: "They cause anxiety and fear amongst workers leaving them financially insecure and unable to plan their lives.
"They are a key factor in the recruitment crisis in the Scottish care system which, according to the Scottish government, has a 43% vacancy rate."
Ms Peace called for the contracts to be scrapped in the National Care Service Bill.
Scottish government last month defended its plans for a new National Care Service.
government says the system will be the biggest shakeup of public services since the creation of the NHS and will end a social care "postcode lottery".
But questions have been raised about the cost of setting it up and what it means for local decision-making.
Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said the fair working practices of companies bidding for Scottish government work were already evaluated.
He added: "This includes the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and this will be extended to the National Care Service.
"The Fair Work in Social Care group has developed a set of minimum terms and conditions, including investigating ways to end the misuse of zero hours contracts within the social care sector, and work to deliver these standards with key stakeholders has begun." | /news/uk-scotland-63922257 |
health | Mental health: Former patient shares psychiatric unit diary | Niamh Brownlee talks about penning a hospital diary
"I am the people I was always scared of - insane and imprisoned in hospital. What if they decide I'm too mad and I never leave again?"
Five years ago, like so many people do, Niamh Brownlee was keeping a daily diary.
But hers was being written in a psychiatric hospital. Gripped by depression and bulimia, she was admitted in the spring of 2017 aged 24.
Niamh was consumed by dark thoughts she believed she could never share with anyone, not least because she feared infecting others with the darkness.
Afraid and confused, she detailed her agony, frustration and inner turmoil on the page. Now, having been down a long road to recovery, Niamh has published that diary.
It covers the 31 days she spent as an inpatient and, according to Northern Ireland's mental health champion Prof Siobhan O'Neill, it can offer health care providers a crucial insight into the experiences of patients.
"The diary became a way for me to offload everything that was in my head and to try to understand how I had ended up in hospital," she told BBC News NI.
"Looking in, there was no reason this had happened to me. I had a family and friends and a job and a social life. I remember thinking: 'How have I gotten here?'
"The diary gave me the space to try to work that out."
In the diary, Struggling to Breathe, she describes the daily routine of the hospital and interactions with other patients and staff, all at a time when she was at her most unwell.
On her second day in hospital, Niamh wrote: "I'm afraid that if I speak or open up, the screaming and crying and thrashing in my head will make its way out of my mouth and everyone will hear and be disgusted and horrified."
And later: "My biggest fear is that if I open my mouth it could spread to my friends and family and take them over too."
Niamh said she now realises that part of why she became so unwell was because she kept her feelings a secret for so long.
"The shame I felt for having depression was enough to completely overwhelm me.
"Through all the work I've done to recover, I've realised there was nothing to be ashamed of. I have nothing to feel guilty about for becoming unwell."
She added that it was routine for her "to wake up every morning and think I don't want to be here anymore, I hate myself, I don't offer anything".
"I can hear now that that's shocking, but for me it had become my every day. I don't think I could have been more unwell."
Now, after years of therapy with mental health charities and voluntary organisations, she said she is in a great place.
Once she was discharged and back at home she put the diary away in a box.
"I suppose I felt I didn't need it anymore. It was only during [the pandemic] lockdown that I found it again.
"When I read it, I was just so shocked. I needed to sit with it for a while.
"I thought: 'When I was ill I would have really loved to have read something like that.' To hear someone else's experience and hear about what helped them and how they were able to recover."
Prof O'Neill said it was courageous to publish the diary, describing it as "a really impressive and detailed testament".
"I think it's really important we know about the experience of service users and patients in our hospitals because we have so much to learn from that," she added.
Prof O'Neill said the diary is also now a book that will give people hope: "It's a story about getting through difficult times.
"Not everyone recovers but many people get to a point where they can live really good lives and that's a story that needs to be told."
If you, or someone you know, have been affected by any of the issues in this article you can find information about organisations that can help on the BBC Action Line website. | /news/uk-northern-ireland-64043174 |
business | Energy bills: Tens of thousands of firms 'face collapse' without help | f thousands of businesses are at risk of going under without government support because of soaring energy bills, according to insolvency experts.
Red Flag Alert, which monitors the financial health of firms, told the BBC previously profitable companies are experiencing significant losses.
Among those that survive, many will be forced to make workers redundant, the consultancy said.
Firms are waiting to hear if they will get help with their energy bills.
On Thursday the government, led by new Prime Minister Liz Truss, is expected to announce significant financial support for households facing an 80% rise in the energy price cap in October.
Businesses are not covered by the cap, however, and Red Flag is warning that more than 75,000 larger firms that are high energy users are at risk of insolvency or are likely to lay off staff without government support.
government's plan is expected to include some relief for businesses - but details are not yet known.
According to Red Flag, many firms will face a choice between paying wages or paying energy bills.
"Businesses can't absorb these costs and they're going to be forced very quickly into a decision about headcount or being able to pay energy bills," said chief economist Nicola Headlam. "That's going to be the reality and it's coming down the track very quickly."
According to Red Flag Alert, there are 355,000 companies with a turnover higher than £1m that are designated as high energy users - industries such as steel, glass, concrete, and paper production. Of those, the company estimates 75,972 are at risk of insolvency, and they estimate 26,720 of them could fail because of energy costs. That is in addition to the 26,000 insolvencies they had already predicted this year.
"That is a colossal number of people whose businesses will fail, without a large-scale support package from the government", said Ms Headlam. "That's more than during the pandemic, and more than in any other recession.
"A business turning over a million pounds two years ago would have spent around 8% of that on energy costs and made profits of around £90,000.
"If the cost of energy doubles to 16%, that instantly wipes out profitability, and they're straight into a scenario where it threatens the viability of the business within a year."
Beyond the large, energy-intensive companies, smaller companies with turnover under £1m, were also at risk of failure, Red Flag Alert said. It highlighted the hospitality sector where firms face a triple threat of increasing energy bills, higher supply and staffing costs, and a fall-off in consumer spending, squeezed by inflation.
rtainly the case for James Greenhalgh, who runs Flamingos Coffee House in Leeds, and a bar in the city too. The combined energy bill for both is due to leap from £1,500 to around £10,000 from the beginning of October.
"That's more expensive than our wage bill. That's just catastrophic," said Mr Greenhalgh.
"It's an extinction event for many businesses like mine," said Mr Greenhalgh.
"I've been speaking to so many similar businesses in Leeds and everyone's in the same situation - considering whether to try and battle through, mothball sites over the winter and hope things improve, or whether it's game over."
"The only thing I can do is wait to see what help the government will give. I can't innovate out of it. I can't put prices up because our customers don't have the money."
Without rapid government help, Mr Greenhalgh said he would have to close one of his sites, and make staff redundant.
"If the government had stepped in two months ago, it would have made a much bigger difference. The delays this summer have slammed customer confidence", he added.
Red Flag Alert calculates businesses overall will need £100bn a year in support to tackle the rise in energy bills.
While hospitality is not included in that figure, speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, restaurateur Martin Williams warned that thousands of smaller firms in the industry were also at risk.
f the Gaucho steakhouse chain urged the government to consider energy bills help, as well as VAT cuts and business rates reform.
"There needs to be some confidence and that can only come from government support by the prime minister and the chancellor," he said.
However the government is already under pressure over how it will finance a promised package of support for households, while sticking to promises to cut taxes.
Ms Truss is understood to be planning to borrow up to £100bn to to limit the expected sharp rise in energy bills for households and firms.
Right now, the annual energy bill for a typical household is £1,971. From 1 October, however, that is due to rise 80% - to £3,549. It is understood that the plans will see a typical household energy bill rise to £2,500 instead - about £1,000 less than expected, but still about £500 more than at present.
As well as households, businesses are also expected to receive some help. Many firms are currently facing even sharper rises than households and many fixed-rate deals for business expire this October, exposing thousands of firms to full costs that could rise by four or five times or more.
In her victory speech, Ms Truss pledged to "deliver on the energy crisis". | /news/business-62813782 |
business | Netflix cuts 150 US-based jobs after losing subscribers | Netflix has made about 150 staff redundant, a month after the streaming service said it was losing subscribers for the first time in a decade.
redundancies, announced by the entertainment giant on Tuesday, will mainly affect its US office in California. They account for about 2% of its North American workforce.
Netflix said the job losses were due to the slump in the company's revenue.
reaming service is battling an exodus of viewers this year.
"These changes are primarily driven by business needs rather than individual performance, which makes them especially tough as none of us want to say goodbye to such great colleagues," the company said in a statement.
It wasn't disclosed which parts of the business would see job losses, but the Los Angeles Times reported that recruiting, communications and also the content department were all affected.
Some people also disclosed their job loss online.
In April, the streaming giant shocked the industry when it revealed it had lost 200,000 subscribers in the first three months of 2022, and warned another two million were expected to quit in the coming quarter.
ws sparked an investor sell-off, with the firm's stock plunging 35% in one day. It is now trading at $190 (£152), a 46% drop on its previous premium.
While Netflix has 220 million subscribers globally and remains the clear market leader, it has faced fierce competition in recent years with the arrival of competitor platforms such as Disney Plus, HBO, and Amazon's Prime Video.
In its earnings report last month, the company also said the war in Ukraine and the decision to raise its prices in the US had cost it subscribers.
Pulling out of the Russian market alone had cost the service 700,000 members, it revealed.
Along with job losses, the company is also cutting content and pulling back on its own creations. Earlier in May it cancelled development of Pearl, an animated series created by Meghan Markle, in its move to cut costs.
Some analysts say that after a surge in sign-ups during the pandemic, Netflix has run out of easy ways to grow the business.
mpany says it's looking at a cheaper, ad-based model and also planning on cracking down on password sharing which has cost it 100 million households.
Netflix is not alone in making job cuts. In recent weeks, a slew of US tech companies from start-ups to big names such as Uber and Twitter have said they are slowing or freezing hiring, or, like online car sales firm Carvana, announced redundancies, citing a downturn.
Bristol pupil stars in Last Bus Netflix series | /news/business-61489041 |
sports | Piggy March: Burghley Horse Trials victory 'stuff of dreams' for Northamptonshire rider | BBC Look East speaks to Piggy March at her Northamptonshire stables after winning the Burghley Horse Trials on Vanir Kamira. | /sport/av/equestrian/62810061 |
politics | Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron vow to co-operate on Channel crossings - No 10 | UK and France have pledged to boost co-operation to tackle migrant crossings in the English Channel, Downing Street has said.
Rishi Sunak held his first call, since becoming prime minister, with President Emmanuel Macron on Friday.
No 10 said the two men expressed a commitment to "deepening" their work to deter the "deadly journeys."
A statement from the Elysée Palace after the call made no specific mention of migrant boats.
re have already been promises to deepen co-operation earlier in October, after then-Prime Minister Liz Truss met with Mr Macron in Prague earlier this month.
r pledged an "ambitious package of measures" to be announced this autumn.
Downing Street has refused to give details on any future plans or when an announcement will be made.
But Mr Sunak is said to have "stressed the importance for both nations to make the Channel route completely unviable for people traffickers".
In 2021, the UK agreed to pay France £54m to boost patrols along France's northern coast.
A report, in The Times, says Mr Sunak wants to close a new deal with France, including targets for how many boats are stopped.
It has been claimed that the French "pulled the plug" on a draft agreement back in the summer, after Liz Truss said the "jury's out" on whether Emmanuel Macron was a friend or foe.
Elysée has previously declined to comment while Ms Truss and Mr Macron appeared to patch things up after their October meeting in Prague.
w prime minister chose on Friday to strike a markedly warm tone towards the French president.
Following their phone call, No 10 emphasized areas of co-operation - including climate change, defence, the war in Ukraine and energy.
According to Downing Street, Mr Sunak "stressed the importance he places on the UK's relationship with France - our neighbour and ally".
Elysée said Mr Macron spoke of his willingness to deepen ties in defence and energy.
UK and France have clashed in recent years over post-Brexit fishing rights, the AUKUS security pact and migration.
In November 2021, 27 people died in the worst-recorded migrant tragedy in the Channel.
But the UK was disinvited from a ministerial meeting on the issue after Mr Macron accused Boris Johnson - prime minister at the time - of not being serious.
re is speculation that Mr Sunak may forge a more positive relationship with the French president than his two predecessors.
re close in age, often seen as "slick" in appearance and worked in banking before turning to politics.
"I think in terms of style, they're quite compatible," says Lord Ricketts, who previously served as the UK's ambassador to France.
However the cross-bench peer notes that in substance, they're a long way apart on certain issues.
Mr Sunak was a Brexit supporter in 2016 while Emmanuel Macron is passionately pro-European.
w prime minister has also signalled he intends to push ahead with certain policies, strongly disliked by the Elysée.
ude sending asylum seekers to Rwanda and pursuing legislation that could allow ministers to override parts of the post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.
"But at least there'll be a more serious dialogue than there ever was under Boris Johnson, provided Rishi Sunak can stay away from using France as political football," says Lord Ricketts.
In August, before leaving Downing Street, Boris Johnson said Emmanuel Macron was a "très bon buddy" and described the UK-France relationship as one of "huge importance."
A France-UK summit will go ahead next year. | /news/uk-politics-63430865 |
politics | Conwy councillor denies voting on Zoom while driving | A councillor who took part in an online meeting while sitting in the driver's seat of a car has denied he was driving at the time.
Andrew Wood is seen apparently raising his hand to vote and then seems to reach to turn the camera off while the vehicle appears to be moving.
Mr Wood, an independent councillor who represents Gele and Llanddulas on Conwy council, has denied any wrongdoing.
ublic services ombudsman has confirmed it is investigating.
A Conservative Member of the Senedd had already called for the ombudsman to look into it.
North Wales MS Mark Isherwood said he had received emails from constituents accusing Mr Wood of "making a mockery of the political system, and that "he should be encouraged to resign and apologise".
Conwy council said it was considering what action to take.
meeting of the council's finance and resources scrutiny committee in July.
Like many council meetings around Wales since the pandemic, it was a "hybrid" meeting, which councillors can attend by sitting in a meeting room or by using Zoom.
Mr Wood took part remotely, but only appears on screen briefly, seemingly to vote on council decisions by showing his hand to the camera.
In one vote, the vehicle he is sitting in appears to be moving, before Mr Wood moves his hand towards the camera and the video feed is turned off.
Conwy council said it had only just been made aware of the incident, but that driving while attending a virtual council meeting was not actually covered by any of its existing rules.
A council spokeswoman said "existing policies do not refer to members taking part in meetings while driving".
"The council's monitoring officer will consider appropriate action and also remind all elected councillors of their individual responsibility to conduct themselves in line with the requirements of the code of conduct and members protocol."
Mr Wood did not reply to several messages from BBC Wales asking for a response, but told the Daily Post newspaper: "I can tell you I have not done a Zoom meeting while driving a vehicle.
"The only time I have ever attended a meeting whilst in my vehicle would have been an audio meeting only.
"I play it through my Bluetooth, other than that I do not have a clue as it's never been pointed out to me. I know nothing about it." | /news/uk-wales-63986523 |
business | Interest rate ‘rigger’ guilty conviction thrown out | A British former trader has had a conviction in the US for "rigging" interest rates overturned in spite of pleading guilty.
Mike Curtler, formerly of Deutsche Bank, was among 38 former traders and brokers prosecuted after the US Department of Justice declared their conduct illegal 10 years ago.
But earlier this year a US appeal court decided no rules had been broken.
Mr Curtler's lawyer said they were "extremely pleased" with the decision.
In the past eight years, 38 former brokers and traders have been prosecuted over emails and messages asking colleagues to tweak their estimates of the cost of borrowing cash to suit their bank's commercial interests - a practice which the US Department of Justice declared to be illegal interest rate "rigging" in 2012, when it fined Barclays Bank for it.
mates of the interest rates banks were paying were submitted each morning as part of the process of arriving at Libor (London Interbank Offered Rate), the index that tracks the cost of borrowing cash.
Just as the FTSE tracks the prices of shares, Libor tracks the interest rates banks are paying to borrow cash on the wholesale money markets.
For the past 35 years, it has been used to set interest rates on millions of residential and commercial loans around the world.
work out Libor each day, 16 banks answer a question - at what interest rate could they borrow money? They submit their answers and an average is taken.
gainst Mike Curtler and other traders consisted of messages and emails asking for those interest rates to be submitted "high" or "low".
Mike Curtler admitted he had acted on the emailed requests and, faced with the risk of up to 15 years in a US jail if he went to trial, pleaded guilty.
But in January this year a US appeal court ruled that the requests were not illegal after all, acquitting former Deutsche Bank traders Gavin Black from Middlesex and Matt Connolly from New Jersey.
Now US courts are acquitting even those who pleaded guilty, such as Mike Curtler, saying they must be viewed as innocent.
"I'm very glad the US courts have decided that what we did was not criminal. The past decade has been horrible but hopefully we can now start to rebuild," Mr Curtler told the BBC.
Mr Curtler's lawyer, David Krakoff, said: "We are extremely pleased that Mike Curtler has been cleared and that the courts have decided that there was no wrongdoing whatsoever."
A month ago New York court threw out the conviction of former trader Tim Parietti, 56, who had also pleaded guilty, ordering the government to repay a £1m fine.
It leaves the UK as the only country in the world where convictions for "rigging" interest rates have, so far, been sustained.
Nine have been convicted in the UK, including Tom Hayes, Peter Johnson, Jonathan Mathew, Alex Pabon, Jay Merchant, Christian Bittar, Philippe Moryoussef, Carlo Palombo and Colin Bermingham. | /news/business-62801918 |
sports | Ironman World Championship: Great Britain's Lucy Charles-Barclay claims silver in first women-only race | Great Britain's Lucy Charles-Barclay finished runner-up in the first women-only professional race at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
Californian Chelsea Sodaro, 33, won in eight hours 33 minutes and 46 seconds.
Charles-Barclay, 29 - the 2021 half Ironman world champion - finished in eight hours 42 minutes and 22 seconds.
Germany's Anne Haug came third, in what was the largest elite women's field the race has seen, with 42 competitors at the start line in Kona.
"I knew the calibre of runners and what I'd have to do to stay at the front," Charles-Barclay said after holding off a late challenge from Haug for silver.
"I had to keep digging and doing my own thing. I can't believe I held on for second."
Britons Fenella Langridge and Laura Siddall finished sixth and 10th respectively.
Charles-Barclay had won three Ironman silver medals before claiming her first world title over the 70.3-mile half distance in Utah in 2021.
Find out how to get into triathlon in our special guide.
king on the full 140.6 miles in Hawaii on Thursday, Charles-Barclay was first after the swim and led 2021 winner Daniela Ryf by seven minutes.
2017, 2018 and 2019 runner-up had only compatriot Langridge for company early on the 112-mile bike ride as favourites Laura Philipp and Sarah Crowley both served five-minute drafting penalties.
Ryf, who was was able to make up a nine-minute deficit to Charles-Barclay during the bike stage in 2018, began to reduce the gap and eventually overtook the British pair before the start of the marathon run.
She led Charles-Barclay by 17 seconds at the start of the run but the Briton regained the lead, only to be passed by rookie Sodaro, who produced a superb run to win by more than eight minutes. | /sport/triathlon/63163524 |
health | How play therapy helps children in hospital | Like any six-year-old, Afonso loves his toys but play has taken on a different meaning since he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia two-and-a-half years ago.
A big part of his hospital experience is the play area and the NHS play technicians. They support the young patients, playing games and interacting with toys with them.
gy for children's play at Kingston Hospital has been donated by Starlight. The charity is fundraising to provide more play resources to children's wards across the country.
r Christmas appeal aims to raise £400,000 to bring play to every seriously ill child who needs it. The charity estimates there will be over 1.3 million A&E and hospital admissions for under 18s in England this December alone. | /news/uk-england-london-63990353 |
politics | Stephen Doughty: Police 'standing by its decision' in MP's diazepam case | South Wales Police says it is "standing by its original decision", after it was asked to re-examine why it treated a man cautioned for supplying diazepam to an MP differently to the politician himself.
Labour's Stephen Doughty admitted last year asking Byron Long for the prescription-only drug on one occasion.
Mr Doughty has not been cautioned.
Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) upheld some of Mr Long's complaints in an initial review in May.
South Wales Police has now told BBC Wales it has "reviewed its investigation" and has "replied to Mr Long clarifying and standing by its original decision".
An IOPC spokesperson said "we are aware that South Wales Police has responded to the complainant following their further investigation".
Mr Long, the Labour Party and Mr Doughty declined to comment.
Byron Long, 63, had complained to South Wales Police, which told him it took no action against Mr Doughty, the MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, because the allegation he possessed a controlled drug "cannot be proved in these circumstances".
, in a letter to Mr Long, the IOPC said this "does not appear to be borne out by the available evidence".
Evidence suggested an "inconsistency in the manner in which you were dealt with by South Wales Police, following your admission of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug, and Mr Doughty's apparent acknowledgement regarding obtaining a controlled drug, which did not result in further investigative lines of enquiry".
IOPC had said a police investigation "should address the apparent difference in the outcomes experienced by Mr Long and Mr Doughty".
It added that the police "may wish to take into consideration Mr Long's belief that Mr Doughty was treated differently due to his status as an MP, and also due to a personal relationship with Alun Michael".
Mr Michael is South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and a senior Labour Party figure.
Mr Doughty denied Mr Long's claim that he gave him pills at up to 20 meetings in a Cardiff coffee shop, saying it only happened once.
In May 2021, the MP apologised "unreservedly for any error he made".
Via a spokesperson, he said at the time that he asked his "friend" Mr Long for "a few spare diazepam" in 2019 ahead of a flight because he had not been able to see a GP.
kesman explained last year: "To the best of his recollection, at the time he was panicking, had been unable to get to a GP for an appointment, and as a friend who he regularly shared confidential personal mental health worries and anxieties with, asked Byron if he had a few spare diazepam, which he had previously been prescribed for such circumstances, and taken without any issues."
In October 2021, Mr Doughty was cleared of breaking the MPs' code of conduct.
In a report, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards said the MP "was complicit in a criminal offence", but that the police took no action and that there was only evidence that he received diazepam once.
Mr Michael has also denied any involvement in the case.
Possession of diazepam, which is a class C drug without a prescription, carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
It is available on prescription only and is used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms and fits. | /news/uk-wales-politics-63502527 |
technology | BGMI: Why India has blocked the popular combat mobile game | A popular combat and survival game similar to hit video game PlayerUnknown's Battleground (PUBG) has been blocked in India.
Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has been taken off the Google and Apple app stores.
Google said it had blocked access to the game in the country after receiving a government order.
Developer Krafton confirmed the news and said it was talking to authorities to understand why it was suspended.
BGMI is a rebranded avatar of PUBG, which was among a slew of Chinese-origin apps blocked by the Indian government in 2020.
2020 took place against the backdrop of tensions between the two countries along a disputed Himalayan border.
In several phases throughout the year, India banned apps like WeChat Work and TikTok, that had Chinese links.
"The government had banned these apps citing security concerns, data of Indian citizens going out etc, but it was essentially meant to put pressure on China over the border conflict," says tech analyst Prasanto K Roy.
PUBG was developed by a subsidiary of the South Korean company, Krafton, and operated in India through Tencent Games, a division of the Chinese multinational Tencent Holdings.
mpany cut ties with Tencent in India and released BGMI in 2021. A year after its launch, the Krafton said the game had 100 million registered users in India.
In June, PUBG made headlines again after a 16-year-old boy in Lucknow city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh allegedly shot his mother dead for scolding him about playing the game.
renewed a debate about the violence in such games and also came up in the ongoing session of the parliament.
In response to an MP's question about such apps, the government said it was looking into reports of rebranded and similar sounding apps.
urrent BGMI ban links itself back to the Chinese apps ban, says Mr Roy.
"Since 2020, the government had added a further layer of scrutiny to funding sources which come from a country with which India shares a land border," he says. "It has also been looking harder and harder at apps with Chinese origin."
r, the government and the Reserve Bank of India have been cracking down on lending-related apps. "These apps are not regulated and triggered genuine issues but the scrutiny has essentially to do with the concerns with China," he says.
While BGMI is published by the South Korea's Krafton, China's Tencent Holdings has a 13.6% stake in the company through its subsidiary Image Frame Investment.
Under intense government scrutiny, Mr Roy says, apps that are Chinese-owned or have significant Chinese investment will continue to find it extremely difficult to operate in India. | /news/world-asia-india-62344926 |
health | Breastfeeding: Nigeria's first breast milk bank | Meet Chinny Obinwanne, the Doctor behind the first breast milk bank in Nigeria.
It was her own struggle with breastfeeding that led her to start this self-funded initiative.
Reporter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producer: Princess Abumere
Executive producer: Ann-Marie Yiannacou
Edited by: Joshua Akinyemi | /news/world-africa-63781415 |
sports | Ben Spencer: Club captain agrees to contract extension at Bath | Bath scrum-half Ben Spencer has signed a contract extension with the club.
30-year-old was named club captain at the start of the season and has been a key member of a side that have begun to improve under head of rugby Johann van Graan, who joined in the summer.
Spencer signed for Bath from Saracens in 2020 and has won four England caps.
"Since I arrived, Ben has stood out as a true leader who leads by example and is a superb communicator in the group," Van Graan told the club website.
"He has the ability to run a game from scrum-half and he will continue to be a significant member of our squad for years to come."
Spencer will have Finn Russell outside him next season after the Scotland international agreed a move to Bath from Racing 92.
"The direction the club and Johann have committed to is incredibly exciting," said Spencer.
"We have a group of players who are determined to succeed and achieve great things."
f Spencer's new deal with the Premiership club are undisclosed.
Bath will hope to snap a five-match losing run in all competitions when they host Newcastle in the league on Saturday. | /sport/rugby-union/64120284 |
politics | Mothers in Cambridge start campaign to support congestion charge | A group of mothers have gathered together to support a controversial traffic scheme which could see a Cambridge congestion charge brought in.
Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) is proposing a £5 charge to be introduced by 2026-27.
But it has sparked opposition from shopkeepers who fear it will hit trade.
Elisabeth Whitebread, from Parents for the Cambridge Sustainable Travel Zone, said it was fair that drivers pay for the pollution their car's produce.
group is holding a protest meeting at Parker's Piece in Cambridge city centre on Saturday, which was also the site of a demonstration against the charging plans in November.
rge would affect private vehicles across the whole city, including Addenbrooke's Hospital and the rest of the BioMedical Campus, between 07:00 and 19:00 on weekdays.
would also see £50m of investment to expand the bus network and improved walking and cycling routes.
Cambridgeshire County Council would have final approval of any plans.
Ms Whitebread told BBC Politics East: "Cambridge is great place to raise children, but we need a transport system fit for the 21st Century.
"There are no easy answers to this sort of thing, and of cause the charges are going to come in, in a staggered way. There will be upfront investment before the charge comes in.
"I do think it is fair that people who are driving and causing pollution and congestion are the ones who should pay for it. The council has signed up to a climate emergency so it is really time for them to 'walk the walk.'"
Elissa Meschini, Labour councillor and chair of the Greater Cambridge Partnership which is looking to put forward the plans, said: "We have to come clean about the challenges we face. All we ask at this point is that people appreciate the extent of the challenge we have to address. We haven't made a final decision and it's important people understand it isn't an easy solution."
GCP said the scheme would cut the number of car trips in Cambridge by 50% .
John Whitelegg, a visiting professor at Liverpool John Moores University who has studied congestion charge schemes, said: "I'm surprised to hear the 50% figure.
"I think that might prove to be wildly out of line with the outcome."
But Prof Whitelegg, who is a former Green Party spokesperson in sustainable transport, believed congestion charge schemes are the way forward, and people who originally oppose it will come around to supporting it in the end.
"There's a pattern. There is initial opposition, then reluctantly accepting the scheme is being done, and then really liking it and everyone finding the advantages of it," he said.
But the plans have provoked strong opposition.
Clare King, 64, who has lived in Cambridge for 30 years and drives across the city every day for her job in a supermarket, said: "Rather than the 10 minute car journey, I would need to walk to a bus stop, wait for a bus, catch two buses, then get off a bus near work and then walk to work.
"That journey would take me between 45 and 50 minutes, provided the buses came pretty quickly.
"We need to improve the buses. We don't need to do it through treating residents as cash cows."
Neil Mackay's family has been running a hardware store in Cambridge for more than 100 years, selling items including heavy duty metal piping, tools, ladders, workwear and gardening equipment.
"The sorts of materials we supply. You can't take those on a bus," he said.
"If I was a tradesman coming into Cambridge and I wanted some materials and I had a choice between coming down to see my old friend Neil Mackay in East Road and paying £10, or going to an alternative supplier who might be outside the zone - of which there are plenty - who has similarly priced goods, which is he going to do?"
You can see more on this story on Politics East on BBC One on Sunday, 11 December at 10:00 GMT, with it also available on BBC iPlayer afterwards.
Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion please email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk | /news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-63919087 |
technology | Meta, Amazon, Twitter layoffs: 'Tech layoffs won't destroy American dreams of Indians’ | Many Indians who work on temporary visas in the US are facing an uncertain future after mass layoffs at big tech firms. Surbhi Gupta, who lost her job at Meta, tells her story of in her own words.
It was my mum's birthday. I was staying up late to wish her and that's when I started getting messages from my friends about layoff announcements. They were all anxious.
At around 6am here, I received an email that I'd been let go. I had joined Meta earlier this year as a product manager. My team was shocked because I'd been performing really well.
It went against my motto, work is worship, instilled early by my favourite teacher at school. Initially, it felt like the Titanic sinking because I was losing access to things one by one - workplace, then email, then laptop. But I was pleasantly overwhelmed and surprised in a positive way by my network on LinkedIn. Many colleagues, ex-colleagues and friends reached out in a very supportive way, making introductions and referrals. It made me feel like I have so many people in this country who care for me, made me feel like I belong to this country.
My last day at Meta is in January and my H1-B visa [a non-immigrant visa that allows firms in the US to hire foreigners for up to six years] allows me to stay in the US for another 60 days, so early March is the deadline for me to find another job.
job search is going to be difficult now as hiring will be slow in December because of the holidays. But I'm very focused. I am in touch with multiple companies and exploring options.
What I'll miss most about Meta is the workplace and my colleagues. Being at Meta meant not only being able to build an amazing product for millions of people, but also being able to participate in fireside chats and growth and learning opportunities. As a product manager, it would have been rewarding to see the project I was working on go further.
My parents taught me to never give up in life. They tell me to stay strong because I'm a person who can convert problems into opportunities. They tell me 'aur kuch accha mil jayega' [you'll find something better].
But my ability to work and stay in the US depends on my H1-B visa. I moved to the US in 2009 and I have worked very hard to build my career on my own strength and intellect. I have worked in prominent companies like Tesla, Intuit, etc., built great products, got top ratings, paid taxes, and contributed to the US economy for more than 15 years, but I feel that I am in the same place as far as permanent residency goes because of the limitations of the H1-B. I was crowned Miss Bharat California [a beauty pageant] by my idol, Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen. I have walked the ramp at New York Fashion Week. I have my own podcast.
We face unnecessary stress because the US has a country cap which takes forever for Indian H1-B holders to get a green card (permanent residency). Even though I am in the green card queue, when I track my status, I sometimes get a wait-time of two decades, and at other times, 60 years.
Our personal life suffers because of the uncertainty. Buying a home has been a question mark in my mind - do I invest in a home and then what if I have to leave. In spite of having gone ahead with the YC [Y Combinator is an American technology start-up accelerator], I can't start a company even though I have a great idea because I don't have a green card.
I travelled to 30 countries before turning 30 years old, but now I'm unable to travel much, even though it's my dream to travel the world, because I'm nervous about facing problems while trying to get my H1-B visa re-stamped. I have heard from my friends who work at great companies like Google and PayPal about getting stuck abroad.
I have even curtailed my travels home to India. A few years back, I got stuck in India. I had gone to attend a wedding and I had to get my H1-B visa stamped. But that took several months as it went into random administrative processing and I wasn't even sure when it would come through. The uncertainty and the wait caused problems in my marriage. The visa issues had a very big role in my marriage. It was not the only reason, but it became one of the major reasons for the break-up of my marriage. I also had to drop out of a semester at New York University, where I was studying at the time, because I didn't know when I would be able to return to the US. Why do people on H1-Bs have to deal with this?
I have not met my parents since the Covid-19 pandemic because they haven't been able to come to visit me for three-and-a-half years. They are elderly, and don't keep too well. I constantly think - if my parents need support, will I be able to go to help them? Nobody realises how it impacts our life.
But despite whatever has happened, I believe this experience too has a silver lining. Spirituality is a significant part of my life. I am a believer and follower of Sadhguru ji [as followers refer to Indian yoga guru Jaggi Vasudev]. He says that we should not be identified only by or limit our identity to our professional role. In Silicon Valley, the most frequently asked question is - Which company do you work for? But I am still me, not just a product manager. Everyone should realise that they are more than just the company they work for.
As told to Savita Patel | /news/world-asia-india-63804055 |
sports | Tom Daley: Olympic champion says Commonwealth Games LGBT+ manifesto is 'first step' | Olympic champion Tom Daley says his Commonwealth Games LGBT+ manifesto is "the first step" and that other major sports events now need to follow suit.
British diver Daley, 28, has worked closely with the Commonwealth Games Federation to draw up a number of action points.
ude a commitment to install Pride Houses within the athletes' villages at every future Games, sensitivity training for staff, and resources for asylum-seeking charities where LGBT+ people can seek safety.
"There are other sporting events that aren't taking a stand in any way," Daley told BBC Sport.
"There are so many examples of major events being held in places where it is illegal to be gay. For instance, the Fifa World Cup being held in Qatar, Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia.
"The silence speaks a thousand words."
In the lead-up to the Qatar World Cup this winter, 16 LGBTIQ+ organisations - representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer or questioning fans - have been engaging with Fifa, presenting action points on rights they want to see implemented before the tournament. They said in March that "progress has been slow". Tournament organisers have said "everyone will be welcome".
Within Formula 1, where races have been held in both Qatar and Saudi Arabia, individual drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have worn Pride colours during races.
It is illegal to be gay in more than half the 54 countries that competed at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Many of these include countries where laws were exported by the UK during colonial rule.
During the opening ceremony in Birmingham, four-time champion Daley joined athletes and advocates from different countries within the Commonwealth carrying 'Progress Pride' flags into Alexander Stadium.
"In the UK, I think the Pride flag can be taken for granted," Daley told BBC Sport. "For lots of people around the Commonwealth, it's a sign of safety and acceptance."
One of the flag-bearers was Jason Jones - an LGBT+ activist from Trinidad who, in 2018, won a legal challenge at the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago which decriminalised adult same-sex intimacy.
He said what happened at the opening ceremony was "a small step for LGBT+ people, but a giant leap in the sports world for LGBT+ people".
Daley added: "This was the first time any sporting event had anything so bold."
In order to draw up his plan, Daley spent much of the last year travelling to - or speaking to people from - a number of countries where laws are hostile to LGBT+ people, including Jamaica, Pakistan and Nigeria.
All of this is documented in a one-off film, which will be shown on BBC One on Tuesday, 9 August, at 21:00 BST.
Daley hears horrific stories of people being beaten, stoned and killed for their sexuality.
His initial stance was any country in which it is illegal to be gay should be banned from hosting the Games, but he has since modified that.
"There shouldn't be further oppression of telling people what they should and shouldn't do, but instead allowing the sporting federation to draw up a set of values," he said.
"That way, it's on individual countries to embrace those values if they do want to host the Games." | /sport/commonwealth-games/62479810 |
politics | UK Royal Family: Who is in it and what does the King do? | Preparations for the coronation of King Charles III have begun, ahead of the May 2023 ceremony.
Life in the Royal Family is under increased scrutiny following the release of a Netflix documentary series about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
King Charles was the first-born son of Queen Elizabeth II, and he inherited the throne on 8 September, immediately after her death at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle.
A period of national mourning was declared, and he was formally proclaimed king two days later.
usands of people queued up to see the Queen's coffin lying in state in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament in the days leading up to her funeral.
Her funeral service at Westminster Abbey was attended by 2,000 people, including leaders and dignitaries from around the world.
usands of people lined the streets as her coffin was transported to Windsor Castle where a committal service was held. She was buried later, alongside her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh.
King is the UK head of state. However, his powers are symbolic and ceremonial, and he remains politically neutral.
He receives daily dispatches from the government in a red leather box, such as briefings ahead of important meetings, or documents needing his signature.
rime minister normally meets the King on a Wednesday at Buckingham Palace, to keep him informed on government matters.
meetings are completely private and there is no official record of what is said.
King also has a number of parliamentary functions:
In addition, the King hosts visiting heads of state, and meets foreign ambassadors and high commissioners based in the UK. He leads the annual Remembrance event in November at the Cenotaph in London.
King is also head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.5 billion people. For 14 of these countries, known as the Commonwealth realms, he is their head of state.
A coronation is the ceremony at which the monarch is formally crowned. It takes place after a period of mourning for the previous sovereign.
Elizabeth II became Queen on 6 February 1952 on the death of her father King George VI, but was not crowned until 2 June 1953.
King Charles III's coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey in London. He will be the 40th monarch to be invested there.
During the ceremony, the King will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.
will be marked by an additional bank holiday across the UK on Monday 8 May 2023.
ronation is an Anglican religious service, carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
monarch is anointed with "holy oil", and receives the orb and sceptre, symbols of royalty. At the climax of the ceremony, the Archbishop will place St Edward's Crown on Charles's head - a solid gold crown, dating from 1661.
repiece of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, and is only worn by the monarch at the moment of coronation itself.
Unlike royal weddings, the coronation is a state occasion - the government pays for it, and ultimately decides the guest list.
Queen Elizabeth's coronation was the first to be broadcast live on TV, and was watched by more than 20 million people.
After stepping down, they moved to Montecito in California. They said they wanted space to raise their family.
Harry remained a Prince, and the couple kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, but they are no longer addressed as His/Her Royal Highness (HRH).
Duke also gave up his official military titles.
Since June 2020, the couple has not received any money from Royal sources. They earn much of their income from commercial arrangements.
Previously, they had been funded through the Sovereign Grant and the then Prince of Wales' estate, the Duchy of Cornwall.
Sussexes have a media company called Archewell Productions, which is behind various podcasts for Spotify and is making a range of programmes for Netflix.
udes a six-part documentary series in which the couple discuss life in the Royal Family, press intrusion and racism.
Harry and Meghan returned to the UK for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, and her funeral in September.
It is not clear whether they will attend King Charles' coronation.
rder of succession sets out which member of the Royal Family takes over as monarch when the existing one dies or abdicates. First in line - the heir to the throne - is the monarch's eldest child.
Royal succession rules were amended in 2013 to ensure that sons no longer take precedence over their older sisters.
As Queen Elizabeth's first-born child, Charles became King on his mother's death and his wife, Camilla, became Queen Consort.
King Charles's heir is his elder son, Prince William.
Prince William's eldest child Prince George is second in line to the throne, and his daughter Princess Charlotte is third. Prince Louis is fourth and Prince Harry is fifth.
King Charles and the Queen Consort live in Buckingham Palace. They previously split their time between Clarence House in London and Highgrove in Gloucestershire.
Other Royal residences include Windsor Castle, Sandringham in Norfolk, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire.
In August 2022, the Prince and Princess of Wales moved from Kensington Palace in west London to live in Adelaide Cottage, on the Windsor Estate. | /news/uk-56201331 |
politics | SNP: Sunak suffers ‘self-inflicted loss’ over Williamson | Ian Blackford has said Rishi Sunak’s handling of Gavin Williamson's exit showed his judgment was “every bit as bad as his predecessor's".
SNP Westminster leader also asked the PM about reports that Boris Johnson's resignation honours list would include peerages for four Tory MPs.
Mr Sunak would not be drawn on the “speculation” but said Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, rumoured to be on the list, and himself were both focused on "working constructively" with the Scottish government.
Live: Sunak pressed on Gavin Williamson resignation at PMQs | /news/uk-politics-63569157 |
entertainment | The Mumbai B-boy taking India to the breakdance world championship | "If you ask what breaking is for me, I’d say it’s life and happiness."
Eshwar Tiwari has been breaking - also called breakdancing or b-boying - since he was 14.
24-year-old, who hails from India's Mumbai city, began doing backflips for fun as a young boy. But soon, breaking became a full-fledged passion for him.
r will represent India at the Red Bull BC One World Finals in New York city later in 2022.
Video produced by Kinjal Pandya and edited by Sharad Badhe. | /news/world-asia-india-62912448 |
entertainment | Strictly Come Dancing: Tony Adams withdraws with an injury | Former footballer Tony Adams has pulled out of Strictly Come Dancing after hurting himself in Saturday's show.
His decision saved DJ Tyler West and Strictly dancer Dianne Buswell from Sunday night's dance-off, meaning they will go through to next week's show.
Adams, 56, said the show had taught him a lot about himself and described his dance partner Katya Jones as an "exceptional human being".
uple were in bottom place after a 1960s-themed jive on Saturday night.
Speaking about his time on Strictly, ex-England player Adams said he had "cried for the first month".
"I thought this 'journey' rubbish was nonsense but, my god, the rollercoaster of emotion. I've got to be honest, it's tough, physically it's really tough out there, but dancing is really fantastic for you.
"Go out there and enjoy it and pick up new skills and explore," he said.
On the one message he wanted to bring to the show, he told viewers: "If you've got an issue with mental health then please don't suffer in silence and reach out for help."
Head judge Shirley Ballas was full of praise for the former Arsenal player, saying he had become "one of the nation's favourite entertainers" and encouraged him to carry on dancing.
"On behalf of all the judges, we've enjoyed watching every second. You are truly what this show is all about, and we can only wish you the best as you move forward," she said.
Katya Jones expressed how grateful she was to have partnered Adams.
"I loved that we didn't care what people thought, we did every single dance our way.
"You led by example, and put yourself out there, and showed everyone you can do anything. And everyone deserves love and to be loved," she said.
uple performed their Saturday night jive to Wilson Pickett's Land of 1000 Dances, making the studio audience cheer with excitement after executing a series of roly-polies.
But their efforts failed to impress the judges who only scored them 24 points. Craig Revel Horwood branded their dance a "technical disaster".
Sunday's results show opened with a touching Remembrance Sunday tribute as Strictly professionals performed a ballroom dance.
Adams and Jones will join hosts Rylan Clark and Janette Manrara on Strictly It Takes Two on Monday evening.
remaining eight couples will take to the dancefloor in Blackpool next week.
Withdrawals from Strictly have been very rare over its 20 series to date, with just a handful leaving the ballroom bonanza without being voted off: | /news/entertainment-arts-63615618 |
entertainment | Music therapy gives Cardiff amputee reason to live again | "Music pulls you through things," says Tim, who was left with serious injuries after trying to take his life.
55-year-old, from Cardiff, said his work with a music therapist helped give him a reason to live again.
guitarist suffered brain injuries in 2020, leaving him partially sighted. His left arm was amputated just below his shoulder and he is a full-time wheelchair user.
"Losing my arm, being a guitar player was horrendous," he said.
But he rediscovered his love of music at a rehabilitation unit and now writes music on a computer and sings. | /news/uk-wales-63502622 |
sports | Commonwealth Games: Javier and Joaquin Bello win beach volleyball bronze | Twins Javier and Joaquin Bello cruised to a historic triumph as they won England's first beach volleyball medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Bellos won 21-11 21-12 in their bronze medal match against Rwanda's Olivier Ntagengwa and Venuste Gatsinzi.
Birmingham's Smithfield erupted when they won with their second match point.
"It would've been amazing for us to win the first medal anywhere but to do it here, at home, it felt like the whole country was behind us," said Javier.
"Having all those people supporting us and enjoying beach volleyball, having our family there and being able to enjoy this moment with them is indescribable really.
"It's amazing and I hope we live another moment like this."
22-year-old twins were born in Madrid and started playing volleyball when they were six, but moved to London aged 10.
won gold for England at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games before claiming the first World Tour medal for a British men's team with a bronze in 2019.
r topped that achievement by securing World Tour gold in Portugal last year and warmed up for the Commonwealths by winning the NEVZA Beach Championships in June.
Away from the beach volleyball court, Javier is a graduate of politics, philosophy and economics from the Royal Holloway University, while Joaquin is studying medicine at Imperial College.
A series of superb performances in Birmingham captured the imagination of the home fans, who provided plenty of noise in a boisterous atmosphere where music and dancers provide entertainment throughout the match.
Bellos missed out on a guaranteed medal after losing to Canada in the semi-final on Saturday, but responded with a quality performance against their Rwandan opponents to deliver bronze on Sunday.
"We were gutted after the loss yesterday but today we had the most important match of our lives," said Joaquin.
"We performed incredibly, probably the best match we played all tournament, and I'm so proud of my brother and the way he played."
Australia won gold for the second successive Games as Chris McHugh - who triumphed alongside the now-retired Damien Schumann in 2018 - and Paul Burnett beat Canada's Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing later on Sunday.
In the women's tournament, Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan won gold, beating Australia's Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar 22-24 21-17 15-12.
Miller Pata and Tini Toko won bronze for Vanuatu - the South Pacific nation's first medal of the Games. | /sport/commonwealth-games/62458399 |
entertainment | Mercury Prize: Rapper Little Simz wins album of the year award | Watch: 'It's crazy!' - Little Simz tells the BBC's Lizo Mzimba what the Mercury Prize means to her
London rapper Little Simz has won the Mercury Prize, for the best British or Irish album of the last 12 months.
28-year-old took the £25,000 award for her fourth album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, a hip-hop coming-of-age tale delivered with a cinematic sweep.
She told the ceremony in London on Tuesday she was "very overwhelmed and grateful" to receive the honour.
And the star paid tribute to the other nominees, who included Self Esteem, Wet Leg, Harry Styles and Sam Fender.
"We all made incredible albums," she said on stage. "We all changed people's lives with our music, and that's the most important thing."
Little Simz adds the Mercury to the Brit Award she won earlier this year. That was for best newcomer, despite the fact she released her debut album seven years ago.
But she has grown in stature and acclaim with every release, and was also nominated for the Mercury for her last LP, Grey Area, in 2019.
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert reached number four in the UK album chart when it was released a year ago, and topped a BBC News "poll of polls", which combined the results of 30 critics' end-of-year lists for 2021.
Her appearances at the Reading and Leeds festivals over the summer also cemented her status as a crowd-pleasing main stage performer.
She is the 31st winner of the Mercury Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in music. Singer-songwriter Arlo Parks won last year, while other recent holders include Michael Kiwanuka, Dave and Wolf Alice.
Contrary to the title, Little Simz is bursting with confidence on her fourth album, which takes you on a journey through her family background and artistic struggles over a funky, orchestral brand of hip-hop.
On Little Q, she raps from the perspective of her cousin, who was stabbed in the chest in south London. The moving I Love You / I Hate You, meanwhile, is addressed to the father who abandoned her when she was 11. "Never thought my parent would give me my first heartbreak," she observes.
r's laid-back delivery balances the sadness with empathy and understanding, and the music pulses with an unstoppable life force.
As well as rapping about her family, it is a deeply personal album on which Little Simz, real name Simbiatu Ajikawo, confronts her own inner self plus themes of race, womanhood and community.
She told BBC News after the ceremony: "I just pray I can do what I can and contribute what I can to the landscape of music and society in whatever way, shape or form, and just try and speak for those that don't have a voice and use my platform and my gift for the greater good."
In her acceptance speech, she paid tribute to her family and her co-writer and producer Inflo.
"There was times in the studio when I didn't know if I was going to finish this record," she told the audience at the Hammersmith Apollo. "I was feeling all the emotions and really going through it. He stuck by me and pushed me to deliver this album for you guys."
Mercury Prize judges said: "This accomplished and complex yet entirely accessible album is the work of someone striving constantly to push herself.
"It deals with themes both personal and political while putting them against music that is as sophisticated as it is varied. The Mercury Prize is all about shining a light on albums of lasting value and real artistry. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert has both."
uesday's ceremony, which featured performances from 11 of the 12 nominated acts, took place almost six weeks later than planned, after it was postponed at the last minute due to the death of the Queen.
On 8 September, several of the artists had already arrived and rehearsed for the show when news broke of the Queen's death.
full list of Mercury Prize nominated albums: | /news/entertainment-arts-63296907 |
sports | Elnaz Rekabi: Iranian climber 'says hijab fell off accidentally' at competition | Watch: Iran rock climber competes without hijab
A female Iranian climber who competed with her hair uncovered did so because her hijab fell off "inadvertently", a post on her Instagram account says.
Elnaz Rekabi, 33, was praised by those protesting against Iran's dress code after video showed her violating it at the Asian Championships in South Korea.
BBC Persian reported on Monday that friends had been unable to contact her.
Before dawn on Wednesday morning, she flew into Tehran, where large crowds had gathered to greet her.
Videos on social media show many of them clapping and chanted "Elnaz is a heroine" as she arrived. Where the athlete is heading now is unknown.
red on Instagram on Tuesday apologised for "getting everybody worried".
"Due to bad timing, and the unanticipated call for me to climb the wall, my head covering inadvertently came off," it explained.
was on her way back to Iran "alongside the team based on the pre-arranged schedule".
BBC Persian's Rana Rahimpour says that to many people the language used in this post looks like it has been written under duress.
Other Iranian women who have competed abroad without wearing a headscarf in the past have said they came under pressure from Iranian authorities to issue similar apologies, she adds. Some of them decided not to go back to Iran.
Women in the country are required to cover their hair with a hijab and their arms and legs with loose clothing. Female athletes must also abide by the dress code when they are officially representing Iran in competitions abroad.
Earlier, the Iranian embassy in South Korea said Ms Rekabi had left Seoul for Iran on Tuesday morning. It also strongly denied what it called "all fake news, lies and false information" about her.
International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) said it had been in contact with Ms Rekabi and the Iranian Climbing Federation, and that it was "trying to establish the facts".
"It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation," it added. "The IFSC fully support the rights of athletes, their choices, and expression of free speech."
A source told BBC Persian on Monday that Ms Rekabi's passport and mobile phone were confiscated, and that she left her hotel in Seoul two days before her scheduled departure date. Her family and friends lost contact with her after she said she was with an Iranian official.
wo years ago, an Iranian international chess referee said she had received death threats after a photo circulated that appeared to show her without a hijab at the Women's World Chess Championship in Shanghai.
Shohreh Bayat insisted that she had been wearing a headscarf loosely over her hair at the time, but she subsequently stopped covering her hair and claimed asylum in the UK after being warned that she could face arrest in Iran.
"I had to chose my side because I was asked to write an apology on Instagram and to apologise publicly," Ms Bayat told BBC World News on Tuesday.
"I was given a list of things to do. I knew that if I just followed those things that I did not believe in, if I apologised for not wearing a headscarf, then I could not forgive myself."
Asked what she thought about Elnaz Rekabi's Instagram post, she said: "I think actions speak louder than words. And she made a very powerful statement in not wearing a headscarf."
Ms Bayat has called on the international community to act over the violent crackdown by Iranian authorities in response to nationwide protests against the compulsory hijab laws and the clerical establishment.
rotests were sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by morality police in Tehran on 13 September for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely.
reports that she was beaten on the head with a baton and said she suffered a heart attack.
On Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Office said it was deeply worried by the "unabated violent response by security forces against protesters, and reports of arbitrary arrests and the killing and detention of children".
"Some sources suggest that as many as 23 children have been killed and many others injured in at least seven provinces by live ammunition, metal pellets at close range and fatal beatings," spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said.
She added that a number of schools had also been raided and children arrested by security forces, while some principals had been arrested for not co-operating.
Norway-based Iran Human Rights has reported that 215 people have been killed by security forces. Authorities have denied killing peaceful demonstrators and instead blamed foreign-backed "rioters". | /news/world-middle-east-63297219 |
entertainment | Snape Maltings: Exhibition finds power in community stories | A series of creative workshops has provided a platform for the sharing of community stories for a new art collection.
Power of Stories exhibition, a collaboration between Aspire Black Suffolk and Britten Pears Arts, will be held at Snape Maltings in Suffolk.
"We're having workshops with members of the black, African-Caribbean community, to create artworks which are around senses of identity, how they feel about their home and environment and what that means to them," said curator Devi Singh.
"It enables people to visually describe their stories and experiences... everybody's stories are important."
free exhibition, which includes three costumes from Marvel's Black Panther film, is on show from 22 October to 19 February, 2023.Video by Dawn Gerber. | /news/uk-england-suffolk-63288793 |
technology | Inside a US military cyber team’s defence of Ukraine | Russia failed to take down Ukrainian computer systems with a massive cyber-attack when it invaded this year, despite many analysts' predictions. The work of a little-known arm of the US military which hunts for adversaries online may be one reason. The BBC was given exclusive access to the cyber-operators involved in these global missions.
In early December last year, a small US military team led by a young major arrived in Ukraine on a reconnaissance trip ahead of a larger deployment. But the major quickly reported that she needed to stay.
"Within a week we had the whole team there ready to go hunting," one of the team recalls.
me to detect Russians online and their Ukrainian partners made it clear they needed to start work straight away.
"She looked at the situation and told me the team wouldn't leave," Maj Gen William J Hartman, who heads the US Cyber National Mission Force, told the BBC.
"We almost immediately got the feedback that 'it's different in Ukraine right now'. We didn't redeploy the team, we reinforced the team."
Since 2014, Ukraine has witnessed some of the world's most significant cyber-attacks, including the first in which a power station was switched off remotely in the dead of winter.
By late last year, Western intelligence officials were watching Russian military preparations and growing increasingly concerned that a new blizzard of cyber-attacks would accompany an invasion, crippling communications, power, banking and government services, to pave the way for the seizure of power.
US military Cyber Command wanted to discover whether Russian hackers had already infiltrated Ukrainian systems, hiding deep inside. Within two weeks, their mission became one of its largest deployments with around 40 personnel from across US armed services.
In January they had a front-row seat as Russia began paving the way in cyberspace for a coming invasion in which Ukraine's cyber-defences would be put to an unprecedented test.
filtration of computer networks had for many years been primarily about espionage - stealing secrets - but recently has been increasingly militarised and linked to more destructive activities like sabotage or preparation for war.
means a new role for the US military, whose teams are engaged in "Hunt Forward" missions, scouring the computer networks of partner countries for signs of penetration.
"They are hunters and they know the behaviour of their 'prey'," explains the operator who leads defensive work against Russia.
US military asked for some operators to remain anonymous and others to be identified only by their first names due to security concerns.
Since 2018, US military operators have been deployed to 20 countries, usually close allies, in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region. - although not countries like the UK, Germany or France, which have their own expertise and are less likely to need or want outside help.
Most of their work has been battling state-hackers from China and North Korea but Russia has been their most persistent adversary. Some countries have seen multiple deployments, including Ukraine, where for the first time cyber attacks were combined with a full-scale war.
Inviting the US military into your country can be sensitive and even controversial domestically, so many partners ask that the US presence remains secret - the teams rarely wear uniform. But increasingly, governments are choosing to make missions public.
In May, Lithuania confirmed a three-month deployment had just finished working on its defence and foreign affairs networks, prioritised because of concerns over threats from Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion.
Croatia hosted the most recent deployment. "The hunt was thorough and successful, and we discovered and prevented malicious attacks on Croatian state infrastructure," Daniel Markić, the head of the country's security and intelligence agency, says.
"We were able to offer the US a new 'hunting ground' for malicious actors and share our experience and acquired knowledge," he adds.
But warm public statements mask the reality that these missions often begin uneasily.
Even countries allied to the US can be nervous about allowing the US to root around inside sensitive government networks. In fact, revelations from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden 10 years ago suggested that the US spied on friends as well as enemies.
uspicion means the young men and women arriving on a mission are often faced with a stern test of their diplomatic skills. They show up at an airport hauling dozens of boxes of mysterious technical equipment and need to quickly build trust to get permission to do something sensitive - install that equipment on the host country's government computer networks to scan for threats.
"That is a pretty scary proposition if you're a host nation," explains Gen Hartman. "You immediately have some concern that we're going to go do something nefarious or it's some super-secret kind of backdoor operation."
Put simply, the Americans need to convince their hosts they are there to help them - and not to spy on them.
"I'm not interested in your emails," is how Mark, who led two teams in the Indo-Pacific region, describes his opening gambit. If a demonstration goes well they can get down to work.
Local partners sometimes sit with US teams around in conference rooms observing closely to make sure nothing untoward is going on. "We have to make sure we convey that trust," says Eric, a 20-year veteran of cyber operations. "Having people sit side-saddle with us is a big factor in developing that."
And although suspicion can never be totally dispelled, a common adversary binds them together.
"The one thing that these partners want is the Russians out of their networks," Gen Hartman recalls one of his team telling him.
US Cyber Command offers an insight into what the Russians, or others, are up to, particularly since it works closely with the National Security Agency, America's largest intelligence agency which monitors communications and cyberspace.
In one case, proof of infiltration came in real-time. One US operator, Chris, who has led multiple European missions, recalls observing someone move suspiciously around the computer network of a partner country.
What was bizarre was that it appeared to be one of the local network administrators the team was working with. That person was standing right behind Chris. Could it be some kind of insider threat?
"Is that you?" Chris asked.
"That is my computer, but I swear that's not me," the administrator responded, transfixed as if watching a movie. Someone had stolen his online identity.
"Finding someone on your network is not a good moment especially when they are using your credentials," Chris recalls. That moment conveyed the reality of the threat and in turn helped secure more access.
US teams say they share what they find to allow the local partner to eject Russians (or other state hackers) rather than do it themselves. They also use commercial tools so that local partners can continue after the mission is over.
A good relationship can pay dividends. At the end of one mission, US operators say that local partners handed them a parting gift - a computer disc containing malicious software, or malware, from another network the team had not been inside.
Each mission is different and there are some where an adversary has been found on the very first day of looking, explains Shannon who has led two missions in Europe. But it often takes a week or two to unearth more advanced hackers who have burrowed deeper.
A cat-and-mouse game is often played with hackers from Russian intelligence agencies who are particularly adept at changing tactics.
In 2021, it emerged the Russians had used software from a company called SolarWinds to infiltrate the networks of the customers who bought it, including governments.
US operators began looking for traces of their presence. A tech sergeant in Cyber Command who liked puzzles spotted the way the Russians were hiding their code in one European country, General Hartman says. Unscrambling it, he was able to establish the Russians were hiding on a network. Eight different samples of malicious software, all attributed to Russian intelligence, were then made public to allow industry to improve defences.
Hunting is not an altruistic act by the US military. As well as providing hands-on experience for its teams, it can also help at home. In one mission, a young enlisted cyber operator found the same malware they had discovered in a European country was also present on a US government agency. The US has often struggled to identify and root out vulnerabilities domestically, whether in industry or government, because of overlapping responsibilities between different agencies even as it sends out its operators abroad.
Hunt Forward missions are classed as "defensive" but Gen Paul Nakasone, who leads both the military's Cyber Command and the National Security Agency confirmed offensive missions have also been undertaken against Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. But he and others declined to provide further detail.
January, the team in Ukraine were trying to avoid slipping on icy pavements when a series of major cyber-attacks hit. "Be afraid and expect the worst," read a message posted by hackers on the Foreign Ministry website.
US team watched in real-time as a wave of so-called wiper software, which renders computers unusable, hit multiple government websites.
"They were able to assist in analysing some of the ongoing attacks, and facilitate that information being shared back to partners in the United States," Gen Hartman says.
m was to destabilise the country ahead of the February invasion.
By the time Russian troops flooded over the border, the US team had been pulled out. Knowledge of the physical risk for their Ukrainian partners who remained weighed heavily on them.
Hours before the invasion began on 24 February, a cyber-attack crippled a US satellite communications provider that supported the Ukrainian military. Many predicted this would be the start of a wave of attacks to take down key areas like railways. But that did not happen.
"One of the reasons the Russians may not have been so successful is that the Ukrainians were better prepared," says Gen Hartman.
"There's a lot of pride in the way they were able to defend. A lot of the world thought they would just be run over. And they weren't," says Al, a senior technical analyst who was part of the Ukrainian deployment team. "They resisted."
Ukraine has been subject to continued cyber-attacks which, if successful, could have affected infrastructure. But the country has continued to defend itself better than many expected. Ukrainian officials have said that this has been in part thanks to help from allies, including US Cyber Command and the private sector as well as their own growing experience. Now, the US and other allies are turning to the Ukrainians to learn from them.
"We continue to share information with the Ukrainians, they continue to share information with us," explains Gen Hartman. "That's really the whole idea of that enduring partnership."
With Ukrainian and Western intelligence officials expressing concerns that Moscow may respond to recent military setbacks by escalating its cyber-attacks, it is a partnership that may still face further tests. | /news/uk-63328398 |
sports | BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2022: Para-athlete Olivia Breen wins | Para-athlete Olivia Breen is the BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year for 2022.
In August, Breen won Commonwealth Games gold as she beat English rival Sophie Hahn in a spectacular T37/38 100m race in Birmingham.
Breen's top career win was earned with a personal best time of 12.83 seconds.
"I'm shocked. I didn't expect to win [the award]... this is a massive honour with such strong performances in Welsh sport," said Breen.
"Being part of the team was just amazing and being a team captain [in athletics] with Osian Jones was a real special moment for me.
"At Team Wales everyone was so supportive, we supported one another and also after Covid, it makes you appreciate life and having a crowd as well."
26-year-old's medal was the first by a Welsh woman on the track at a Commonwealth Games since Kay Morley won the 100m hurdles in 1990 in Auckland.
Breen has so often had to play second fiddle to Hahn.
revious year Breen could only look on from seventh as Hahn defended her Paralympic T38 title at the Tokyo Games.
But in Birmingham the tables were finally turned as Breen produced the performance of her career.
Her emotional post-race interview in Birmingham proved to be one of the most memorable moments of the Games.
"Getting any kind of medal would've been amazing but getting a gold was so special, and having my family and friends there was amazing," she added.
"I've had a rivalry with Sophie Hahn for nine years now, she's been winning for years and I think it made the rivalry.
"It shows that hard work pays off."
Breen was selected for the BBC Cymru Wales award by an expert panel chaired by Welsh Rugby Union performance director Nigel Walker, and consisting of Paralympic great Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Leshia Hawkins the Cricket Wales chief executive, former Wales footballer and netball player Nia Jones and Sport Wales' Owen Lewis.
"Olivia Breen was the unanimous choice of the panel to be Wales' Sports Personality of the Year 2022 for her outstanding performance during Birmingham 2002," Walker said.
"It was a performance which resonated across the UK as it was replayed for many days following her breath-taking performance in defeating defending champion, and heavy favourite, Sophie Hahn.
"It was a performance which was one of the outstanding highlights of the whole Games. The quality of the performance was evident but it was also the way her obvious delight was shared by those lucky enough to be in the stadium - and also by many of the millions watching on television. A truly special moment.
"There were honourable mentions for skier Menna Fitzpatrick who added to her vast collection of medals on the world stage despite a late change of guide, for Gareth Bale whose outstanding performances in qualification meant that Wales appeared in its first men's football World Cup since 1958 and for Jeremiah Azu who announced his arrival as senior track and field athlete with eye catching performances in the Commonwealth Games and European Championships."
Breen also competes in the F38 long jump category and is now focusing on the World Para-Athletics Championships in Paris in July 2023.
"I've been injured the last six weeks but I'm getting back into it," added Breen.
"Its been my knee, when I was on a training camp in Portugal.
"I was on such a high but came back to training and everything was going really well, so it was a bit of a low but I've got to keep positive and it will come.
"I want more PB's [in Paris], more medals, to get faster, stronger and jump further. That's my main goal." | /sport/wales/63946392 |
health | NHS Wales: Grange Hospital A&E needs urgent improvement - HIW | Urgent improvements are being called for at a new south Wales hospital's emergency department.
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales' (HIW) main concern is poor patient flow through the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran, which opened only two years ago.
rns about potential cross contamination in the "Covid corridor", out of date medicines and the security of harmful substances.
Aneurin Bevan health board said it welcomed the findings.
Staff told inspectors they could not always deliver the standard of care they wanted to, due to increasing pressures and demand on the department.
report mirrors concerns raised in a previous inspection of Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales, where patients were found sitting on bins in waiting areas.
Grange, Wales' newest hospital, which opened on 17 November, 2020, has come under heavy criticism.
A report by the Royal College of Physicians in 2021 found that some trainee doctors and consultants were scared to come to work, with chronic understaffing and excessive workloads.
Earlier this year the hospital's medical director said the site needed to expand because demand had been higher than anticipated.
rd said it had acknowledged and responded to concerns raised, adding: "We're also pleased to see that the report highlights the hard work and dedication of our staff during periods of extreme pressure on our services, during which patients were treated with courtesy, dignity and respect."
's report paints a more positive picture of the running of the hospital, with staff feeling supported and patients praising the medical teams and their treatment.
However, the flow of patients through the hospital is hindering care.
Inspectors said until it can be improved, "the health board will find it challenging to address a number of our concerns".
One anonymous member of staff said patient flow was "a national problem" and believed there was "good evidence that patients come to harm".
used the analogy, "If the bath is full and overflowing, don't make a bigger bath, sort out the plug hole".
Patient Lee Pomroy echoed these comments.
He said: "I've been there about three or four times. The hospital is fine, it's just the waiting times... half the time it's not their fault, it's just when people come in they have nowhere to put them."
Lesley Hardy, 64, said: "They did a Covid test and then they put me into an observation ward but that was really awful. There were four chairs in each corner of the room and they were hard chairs, there was no recliners so you couldn't sleep.
"When I asked for a pillow just to put my head, because the pain was so bad, they said they didn't have the pillow in the actual hospital that I could have."
Another patient, Kirsten Lapping, said: "The patients got offered tea, coffee, sandwiches twice while I was there. The seats are not comfortable, but they never are. Relatives are asked to leave a couple of times so there was room for patients.
"There were so many people in there. I think they made an announcement there were 150 people in A&E at one point while we were there. So the wait was understandable.
"It was frustrating, I'm not going to lie but I understand that they are understaffed."
Across Wales - and the rest of the UK - a shortage of staff in social care means patients are unable to be safely discharged from hospitals, despite being medically well enough.
means beds are unavailable for those arriving at A&E needing to be admitted to hospital.
In turn, this causes longer waits for patients in the emergency department.
Inspectors noted the waiting area at The Grange was very small and unfit for purpose.
gthy waits for patients caused some to be "frustrated and sometimes angry", though "the majority were very complimentary about the staff".
Some patients told inspectors they had sat on the floor because of a lack of space.
report said there could be more than 50 patients in the waiting room, with the majority physically or mentally unwell, posing "a significant risk" which "placed stress and risk on the staff members".
Inspectors spent three days at the hospital during August.
About three-quarters of patients will be treated in their own rooms with ensuite facilities
During August 7,530 people turned up at The Grange hospital - making it the second busiest A&E in Wales that month.
Nearly one in five patients waited longer than 12 hours during that month.
On the inspectors' first day, 14 ambulances were waiting outside, with one patient waiting18 hours to be "offloaded" from the ambulance to hospital staff because of an infection control risk.
Patients were assessed and triaged to reduce risks, but efforts to free up ambulances were sometimes hindered by the lack of space in the hospital.
In response to the HIW report, Welsh government said it was "providing an additional £25m this year to transform urgent and emergency care services across Wales, with Aneurin Bevan UHB receiving £3m".
In a statement it added that it had "provided an additional £260k to the health board for improvements to its emergency department waiting areas this winter".
"I fully accept there are mounting pressures on the NHS across Wales, but the problem seems particularly acute in Gwent where patient complaints at The Grange continue to mount," said Monmouth MP and Welsh Secretary David TC Davies.
He added: "We are being let down by those in charge who are pretending the current situation is acceptable when it is clearly not." | /news/uk-wales-63571316 |
entertainment | Mediahuis: Belfast Telegraph publisher to close Newry site | ublisher of titles including the Belfast Telegraph, Irish Independent and Sunday Life has announced the closure of its newspaper printing facility in Newry, County Down.
will be vacated by the end of 2022.
Mediahuis plans to contract work to the Dublin-based Irish Times Group and other third party providers.
From January the Belfast Telegraph will be printed at Interpress in Belfast.
Interpress is a sister company of the Irish News newspaper.
mpany already prints Mediahuis's Sunday Life title.
Mediahuis, a Belgian media group, has owned the former Independent News and Media group of newspapers since 2019.
It consolidated its printing operations in Newry shortly after taking over the group, closing its presses in Dublin.
mpany blamed reduced newspaper volumes and rising costs as reasons for closing the Newry facility.
A statement sent to staff on Tuesday said: "Our priority is on protecting the future of our business by responding to the changing needs of our industry, and to ensure a future sustainable publishing model as we continue our transition to a digital focused news organisation."
mpany also announced the closure of The Fingal Independent newspaper, which serves north County Dublin, due to falling revenues. | /news/uk-northern-ireland-63055504 |
technology | Twitter drama continues with blue-tick confusion | witter halted its new $8 blue tick subscription offering on Friday in the latest head spinning reversal at the social media platform since billionaire Elon Musk bought the company.
move came as a number of accounts impersonating big brands received the blue tick, previously a signal that the firm had verified the user as real.
In one instance, a user claiming to be drugs firm Eli Lilly said "insulin was free".
witter did not comment.
rns about how Mr Musk's leadership was affecting the spread of misinformation on the platform.
"We apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account," Eli Lilly tweeted a few hours after the prank post went up on Thursday, reiterating the name of its real Twitter handle.
firm's shares fell 4% on Friday amid the confusion.
US-based PR strategist Max Burns said he had seen fake accounts with the verified blue tick badge bought through Twitter Blue posing as support accounts for real airlines and asking customers who were trying to contact them on Twitter to direct message the fake accounts instead.
"How long until a prankster takes a real passenger's ticket information and cancels their flight? Or takes their credit card info and goes on a spending spree?" he said.
"It will only take one major incident for every airline to bail on Twitter as a source of customer engagement."
Mr Musk completed his $44bn purchase of Twitter late last month, and swiftly set about overhauling the company.
He has fired roughly 3,700 people - about half of the company's former staff - and pushed the firm to focus on finding ways other than advertising to make money.
His first email to employees warned: "The road ahead is arduous and will require intense work to succeed."
"Without significant subscription revenue, there is a good chance Twitter will not survive the upcoming economic downturn," he said.
firm's troubles as the digital ad market hits a downturn have been compounded as big brands and marketing firms halt spending on the platform amid concern about its direction.
witter Blue subscription service asked users to pay £6.99 ($7.99) per month for a blue tick, a symbol that was previously free.
move immediately raised concerns about fake accounts - the reason that Twitter had first introduced the system.
Lou Paskalis, president of marketing firm MMA Global, wrote on Twitter that Mr Musk needed to appoint a new chief executive and commit to stepping away from the company's operations.
"It's clear that leading Twitter is not among your many talents," he wrote.
Mr Musk had also said Twitter users engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying a "parody" account would be permanently suspended without a warning.
Several fake brand accounts, including those of Nintendo and BP, have been suspended.
Mr Musk's actions have prompted the departures of a rash of high-profile executives who had survived the staff cuts, including people in charge of protecting user data.
"I've made the hard decision to leave Twitter," tweeted chief security officer Lea Kissner.
Federal Trade Commission on Thursday said it was watching events with "deep concern".
Yoel Roth, the site's head of trust and safety, also resigned just a day after staunchly defending Mr Musk's content moderation policy to advertisers.
Late on Thursday, Mr Roth's Twitter bio described him as "Former Head of Trust & Safety at @Twitter."
Mr Roth had became the public face of Twitter's content moderation after Mr Musk took over.
Mr Musk had praised him for defending Twitter's ongoing efforts to fight harmful misinformation and hate speech.
I've heard Twitter in its current state described as an aeroplane, mid-flight, without pilots.
udden departure of the head of trust and safety, the chief information security officer, and both the chief privacy and compliance officers is a dramatic development. It's not clear how soon they will be replaced, while the firm remains this unstable and sweeping job cuts have already been made.
From a security perspective, Twitter will, like all big platforms, be a constant target for hackers and bad actors around the world, meaning it cannot afford to take its eye off the ball and it must continue to ensure that its systems are robust, and threats are monitored.
As for users' privacy, you don't need me to tell you how important that is. And indeed, as we've seen, the US regulators are already keeping a very close eye on what's going on.
Elon Musk, on the other hand, says engagement and user numbers are higher than ever. We only have his word for it - I have to say that anecdotally I'm seeing plenty of Twitter Blue subscribers who seem happy with their new "blue tick". And however many of them there are, that's all fresh income that the firm did not previously have.
But it's also causing its own headache because now anybody can have a badge which until very recently was a symbol of authenticity - including fakes. And the confusion continues as this service appears to have been paused.
Musk has also said that bankruptcy is not out of the question. While it may feel like we are watching Twitter speeding towards the edge of a cliff, I think it's too early to tell whether it will manage to put the brakes on in time. In the early days of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg's motto was "move fast and break things" - Elon Musk appears to have taken this to another level. | /news/technology-63597087 |
business | Covid: Qantas says pandemic 'existential crisis' is over | rriers of Australia and New Zealand say that the worst of the coronavirus crisis is now behind them, even as they posted annual losses for a third year in a row.
Qantas says it is seeing demand increase "with the existential crisis posed by the pandemic now over".
Air New Zealand says it has also experienced "a very strong recovery in bookings and revenues" since March.
Both countries had imposed some of the world's strictest pandemic travel bans.
Qantas said in a statement on Thursday that its underlying loss before tax had widened to A$1.86bn ($1.3bn; £1.1bn) in the year to the end of June, from the previous year.
mpany said it had lowered its net debt to a better than expected A$3.94bn.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said "the speed and scale of that recovery has been exceptional".
"Our teams have done an amazing job through the restart and our customers have been extremely patient as the whole industry has dealt with sick leave and labour shortages in the past few months," Mr Joyce added.
Australia reopened its borders to international visitors in February. That marked a closure of nearly two years.
Like much of the global airline industry, Qantas has been struggling to resume its services as borders reopened.
It asked senior executives to work as baggage handlers at the Sydney and Melbourne airports to tackle an acute labour shortage.
Analysis by Simon Atkinson, BBC News, Brisbane
With vast distances and lack of a decent inter-city rail network (even between Sydney and Melbourne, one of the busiest air routes in the world) flying is the only realistic way to get around Australia if you're in a hurry.
But as traveller demand bounces back, it hasn't always been a particularly enjoyable experience.
On a recent Qantas flight out of Sydney, my fellow passengers surged to get on board with a fervour I'd never seen. But it became clear why.
f lost and delayed baggage have been so commonplace that, perhaps understandably, flyers are not risking putting luggage in the hold.
Instead they're scrabbling for overhead locker space. Finding somewhere, even for a laptop bag, was a real test of my Tetris skills.
An hour's delay on the tarmac didn't help anyone's mood, but we were the lucky ones. Departure boards are littered with last-minute cancelations as airlines struggle with crew phoning in sick, as flu and Covid continue to be a strain.
Other airlines have struggled with staffing and baggage issues too. But as the national carrier, Qantas is the most high profile. And having laid off thousands of baggage handlers during the pandemic, it is an easy target.
Earlier this week, under-fire chief executive Alan Joyce was on the front foot - wielding not only apologies, but discount vouchers, lounge passes and status extensions for those frequent flyers which underpin the business.
results suggest its problem is not so much tempting people back in the air. The pick up in bookings shows that people want to travel again.
In time that will help repair its balance sheet. But just as urgently, Qantas knows it needs to fix its reputation.
Also on Thursday, Air New Zealand said that its pre-tax losses had risen to NZ$725m ($449.8m; £380.7m) in the year to the end of June.
However, operating revenue jumped by 9% to NZ$2.7bn over the same period.
Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran said the firm was in the "revive" phase of its Covid-19 turnaround.
"When travel restrictions began to lift in March the company recorded a very strong recovery in bookings and revenues," Mr Foran said.
"This trend continues, with high booking levels through July and August," he added.
New Zealand fully opened its borders to travellers earlier this month for the first time since March 2020.
Watch emotional scenes as Australia’s border opens | /news/business-62655455 |
health | My mum's 40-hour wait to get to A&E with hip break | When 85-year-old Koulla fell at home, her family immediately rang for an ambulance. She was in agonising pain - she had broken her hip.
It was around 8pm. It took another 14 hours for an ambulance to get to her, leaving her pregnant granddaughter to care for her through the night.
When they arrived the crews were able to give her pain relief and quickly transported her to the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
But there the wait continued - there were around 30 ambulances queuing to handover patients to A&E staff.
It was another 26 hours before she was taken inside to A&E.
She then faced many hours in A&E before being taken for surgery.
Koulla's daughter, Marianna Flint, 53, said: "It was awful. You feel helpless because you're giving your trust over to them to look after a family member who's in agony and who needs surgery."
She has since received a written apology from the Royal Cornwall for the care provided to her mother in August.
rust said it was "sincerely" sorry for the failings.
Ms Flint said: "I almost feel sorry for those looking after her. It's not down to them. There was no room inside to accept her in."
But Koulla is just one of many thousands of patients getting caught up in these delays.
When ambulance crews bring patients to hospital they are meant to be able to handover their patients to A&E staff within 15 minutes.
But an analysis by the BBC shows by late November more than 11,000 ambulances were spending over an hour stuck in queues outside hospital every week.
f all arrivals and the highest since records began in 2010.
Rishi Sunak said he will sit down with the NHS "relatively soon" to discuss the issues around ambulance waiting times.
Speaking on Thursday evening, the prime minister said he wanted to see waiting times come down and the government had put more money into the NHS to help address the issue.
He said more money had also been put into social care to allow people to move out of hospitals and back into their homes.
He added: "I want to make sure the extra funding we're putting in is actually going to make a difference on the ground."
College of Paramedics said crews were facing a "perfect storm", with the queues outside A&E preventing them reaching patients who need a 999 response.
College chief executive Tracy Nicholls said: "We all know patients are coming to harm and in some cases severe harm."
And even when patients are admitted into A&E they can face long waits for a bed on a ward, with hospital bosses blaming a shortage of beds and problems discharging patients back into the community.
Experts believe these problems are a contributing factor to the high levels of deaths being recorded - in recent months 1,000 more deaths a week are being seen than would be expected.
Royal College of Emergency Medicine believes disruption to emergency care may account for around a quarter of these deaths.
College president Dr Adrian Boyle said ambulances had effectively become "wards on wheels".
Both ambulance response times and A&E waits have hit their worst levels on record in all parts of the UK in recent months.
In Cornwall, patients facing emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes are now waiting more than two hours on average for an ambulance. The target is 18 minutes.
re thought to be among the worst delays in the country, but none of England's ambulance services is close to the target, while Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all missing their targets.
Alongside Cornwall, parts of Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Somerset and Bristol have the longest waits, Freedom of Information requests by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.
roblems come as NHS staff prepare to take strike action.
Unions have cited the problems facing the emergency care system as one of the factors motivating members to vote for a walkout.
A strike by members of the Royal College of Nursing is planned for 15 and 20 December in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while earlier this week the two main unions representing ambulance staff said their members had also backed walkouts.
government said the NHS will publish its emergency care recovery plan in the new year, which will set out proposals to improve ambulance response times and A&E performance in England.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said an extra £500m was being made available to speed up hospital discharges and free up space in A&E, creating the equivalent of at least 7,000 more beds this winter
"This will be supported by an additional £6.6bn in the NHS over the next two years to enable rapid action to improve urgent and emergency care performance towards pre-pandemic levels," he added.
Have you experienced a long wait for an ambulance or at A&E? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC News journalist. You can also make contact in the following ways:
If you are reading this page but cannot see the form, visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit a question or comment, or email HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | /news/health-63808516 |
business | Plans to cut energy bills if peak-time use avoided | Plans to enable households to get discounts on electricity bills if they cut use at peak times are set to be announced in the next two weeks.
me would allow people to save cash if they avoid high-power activities, such as cooking or using washing machines, when demand is high.
It is understood the service is likely to apply to homes which have smart meters installed.
re are hopes it can be put in place this winter, when energy bills rise.
"We are developing a new service that will be available for consumers to benefit from across this winter and will be announcing further information soon," a spokesman for National Grid ESO - which will run the scheme - said.
It is understood the company's proposals of how it will work, such as how money will be paid back to customers, are expected to be revealed in the next fortnight, with consultations taking place with energy providers and the UK's energy regulator Ofgem.
It has been reported that rebates for minimising the use of goods such as tumble dryers, dishwashers and games consoles during the peak hours of 17:00 and 20:00 could be as high as £6 per kWh saved.
National Grid ESO previously told the BBC the service is "not about energy rationing", despite fears over supplies, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine affecting oil and gas supplies to Europe.
usehold energy bill is forecast to reach £3,553 a year in October.
when the price cap - the maximum amount suppliers can charge customers in England, Scotland and Wales for each unit of energy - goes up again. It has been forecast to rise further to £4,650 in January.
Jack Beckwith, 25 and from County Durham, said the scheme would mean he is able to put his heating on this winter.
He expects his bill to go up to £238 per month in October - from his current monthly average of £100 - wiping out his savings.
"I generally keep on top of my usage and pay for what I use. I have some savings - but that was meant for emergencies - my leaky roof fund. That'll all go towards paying for the price increase," he told the BBC.
"It's been a gradual realisation that I can't afford it."
Jack said he was expecting to not meet up with friends, and has already said no to taking on a gym membership. He is also considering cutting back on his Spotify subscription, which could save around £10 per month.
"Off peak heating will be a lifeline," he said. "It will literally will save lives if people can be made aware of it, and can use it, because it will mean they can put the heating on."
National Grid ESO has hosted webinars with energy firms to ask for feedback on its proposals.
move follows a trial where Octopus Energy offered incentives for 100,000 customers who reduced consumption.
Octopus Energy has said during the trial its consumers received credit on their energy accounts and also had a "self-refund option" where they could get cash transferred to their bank accounts.
How will this scheme affect your energy use? You can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | /news/business-62626908 |
entertainment | Rex Orange County: Singer has sexual assault charges dropped before trial | Rex Orange County has had sex assault charges against him dropped, shortly before he was due to stand trial.
rt-topping singer-songwriter, real name Alexander O'Connor, from Surrey, had faced six charges of touching a woman without consent.
But on Thursday, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the evidence "no longer met" its test for a prosecution.
O'Connor, who denied the allegations, said it had been "a difficult time for everyone involved".
In a statement on Instagram, he wrote: "Today, all charges against me have been dropped.
"The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial. Not guilty verdicts were entered to all the charges.
"I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing.
"I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behaviour of any kind."
He also addressed "inaccuracies" that he said had circulated about his case.
"I was wrongly accused of touching someone one evening on their leg, neck, back, and bottom," he said.
"That led to six charges of sexual assault. The only evidence against me was the individual's account.
"However, CCTV footage obtained by the police contradicted their version of events. Their partner was also present throughout the evening in question and gave a statement to the police, which did not support the allegations against me.
"It's been a difficult time for everyone involved and I'd like to thank the people who have helped me through it, as well as my family and loved ones for their continued support."
A CPS spokesperson said: "CPS prosecutors have a duty to keep each case under review. Having carefully considered all the evidence, our legal test for a prosecution was no longer met and so we will not be continuing a prosecution.
"We will always seek to prosecute sexual offences, where our legal test is met, no matter how challenging."
Rex Orange County's third studio album went to number one in the UK this March.
He cancelled tour dates in July, saying, "due to unforeseen personal circumstances, I am having to spend some time at home this year", and news of the charges emerged in October. | /news/entertainment-arts-64063665 |
politics | National Care Service costs significantly understated, says spending watchdog | Scottish government's "price tag" for a new National Care Service is likely to be significantly understated, Audit Scotland has said.
g watchdog has highlighted a number of concerns about the service which would make ministers accountable for adult social care in Scotland.
government initially said it could cost up to £0.5bn to deliver.
By mid-October, Scottish Parliament researchers estimated the bill over five years to be £664m to £1.261bn.
In a written submission to parliament, Audit Scotland has highlighted issues with pensions, VAT changes, capital investment and health board transition costs, which could see the final total increase further.
It says "a number of costs associated with the measures... have yet to be assessed" and that "the potential for additional cost is significant".
roposed National Care Service is currently the subject of a bill making its way through parliament.
It would see the setting-up of a series of care boards that operate in the same way as health boards, with Scottish ministers directly responsible.
It means local authorities would no longer run social care services, while aiming to support people in their own homes or among family, friends and community wherever possible.
Scottish government has touted the move as potentially the most significant since the creation of the NHS.
However, opposition parties and union leaders have described it as a government "power grab" and an "all-out assault on local democracy".
Some SNP MSPs have also been publicly critical, with Kenneth Gibson saying the policy "seemed like a sledgehammer to crack a nut" if it does not provide the funding to address issues in the healthcare sector.
His party colleague Michelle Thomson also said she had "no confidence whatsoever" that the service's financial memorandum represents any level of accuracy or value for money.
Holyrood's finance and public administration committee has begun hearing evidence from health and social care bosses, as well as Audit Scotland's audit director Mark Taylor.
Mr Taylor told MSPs lessons should be learned from the creation of other new services like Social Security Scotland.
He said: "Government needs to be able to be much clearer, at a much earlier stage, about its financial plans."
Responding to a question from the SNP's Michelle Thomson, he said the purpose of the National Care Service was to improve standards and consistency.
"What's not clear, and understandably so, is the price tag that will ultimately be associated with that," he said.
"If that is to be levelling up - to use that politically loaded phrase - if it's about areas where the quality and consistency of the service falls below a certain standard, does that have a price tag attached to it?"
Mr Taylor added: "What's the price tag, what's the cost associated with that service redesign?
"I understand at this stage of the process that it's very difficult to get a sense of that, but that's the hidden cost here."
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf previously said the creation of a National Care Service for Scotland would end the "postcode lottery" in the sector.
rvice was proposed after an independent review into the future of adult social care triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. | /news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-63471687 |
sports | Netball Australia to change to new 'inclusive' uniform in 2023 | Netball Australia will allow players to choose their own uniform to try and make the sport more inclusive.
Female Australian players largely wear dresses but will now have the option of wearing a dress, singlet, bodysuit, short sleeve or long-sleeve shirt, skirt, shorts or long pants.
uniform variations recognise individual preferences, religious beliefs and climate.
rules will apply to its eight member organisations from 1 January.
"Netball is ever evolving, and we need to reflect this in all aspects of our game, including uniform choices," said Netball Australia's executive general manager Glenn Turnor.
"We are excited to implement these inclusive uniform guidelines going into 2023 and ensure that everyone can feel comfortable playing netball."
Football teams Manchester City, West Brom, Stoke and Scottish side Livingston recently changed their kit colour because of concerns about having to wear white shorts while on their periods.
ue was also raised by England's Beth Mead during Euro 2022external-link. | /sport/netball/63959811 |
technology | Elon Musk claims he's buying Twitter to 'help humanity' | Elon Musk claims that he is buying Twitter to "help humanity" as the billionaire set out his aims for taking over the social media platform.
In a tweet, Mr Musk said he didn't buy the firm "to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love".
repreneur has until Friday to complete a $44bn (£38bn) takeover of Twitter or risk going to trial.
weet addressed to Twitter's advertisers states that he has "acquired" the firm.
However, there has been no official confirmation that the deal has been completed.
Earlier this week, Mr Musk published a video of himself walking into Twitter's headquarters carrying a sink, raising speculation about his aims for the firm.
"Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!" Mr Musk wrote.
In business parlance, "kitchen sinking" means taking radical action at a company, though it is not clear if this was Mr Musk's message - he also updated his Twitter bio to read "chief twit".
In his latest tweet, Mr Musk set out some of his goals for the company, saying that Twitter must be "warm and welcoming for all".
He wrote that he wanted "civilization to have a common digital town square" but he denies the platform will take an anything-goes approach.
"Twitter cannot become a free-for-all hellscape where anything can be said with no consequences!" He also said the platform must adhere to the laws of the land.
Mr Musk has said the social media site needs significant changes.
It was not clear whether Mr Musk met Twitter executives Wednesday when he made his trip with the sink but he listed his location as the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco on the social media platform.
When Mr Musk first revealed plans to buy Twitter, he said he wanted to clean up spam accounts on the platform and preserve it as a venue for free speech.
But Mr Musk, the world's richest man and a prolific Twitter user known for his impulsive style, baulked at the purchase just a few weeks later, citing concerns that the number of fake accounts on the platform was higher than Twitter claimed.
witter executives denied the accusations, arguing that Mr Musk wanted out because he was worried about the price.
mpany eventually filed a lawsuit to hold him to the deal, and Mr Musk revived his takeover plans on the condition that legal proceedings were paused.
must be completed by 28 October, or he will face trial over the contract.
"I'm excited about the Twitter situation," Mr Musk recently said during a call to discuss Tesla's financial results. Mr Musk is electric car maker's chief executive.
"I think it's an asset that has just sort of languished for a long time but has incredible potential, although obviously myself and the other investors are overpaying for Twitter right now," he added.
Given the history of this deal, you can see why people are hesitant about announcing it prematurely.
Elon Musk we're talking about, an erratic and capricious character.
However, everything we have seen today here in San Francisco would suggest that he will own Twitter in the coming days.
It is hard to believe he would be meeting staff if the deal wasn't as good as done.
He laughed and smiled as he entered Twitter, but he has a lot of work to do to warm up the social media platform's employees.
Reports he would dramatically reduce headcount have not gone down well with staff.
k of allowing Donald Trump and other banned accounts back onto the platform has also frustrated many employees.
It has been widely reported he is due to speak to Twitter workers on Friday, about what lies in store.
Perhaps then we'll finally get more information about "X", the app for everything that Mr Musk wants Twitter to become. | /news/business-63408384 |
entertainment | Manchester's Night & Day Cafe at risk over noise complaint | future of a Manchester music venue which has hosted bands such as Wet Leg, Elbow and the Arctic Monkeys hangs in the balance after a noise complaint.
Owners of the Night & Day Cafe will appear in court next month over alleged breaches of statutory noise levels.
It comes after Manchester City Council issued the venue with a noise abatement notice last year.
If found in breach, the bar - which has been a Northern Quarter staple for more than 30 years - could close.
row centres on a complaint from neighbours in an adjoining property, which has recently been converted for residential use.
Owner Jennifer Smithson, daughter of the late founder and Manchester icon Jan Oldenburg, has said she now "faces an impossible task".
Ms Smithson said to comply with the requirements of the abatement notice would effectively ruin Night & Day's business and likewise a court hearing could mean "the closure and the end of the venue altogether".
She added: "It's just so unfair. We believe that the fault lies squarely with Manchester City Council.
"They could cancel the noise abatement notice and rectify the problem that they originally caused, rather than close down a business that's been the beating heart of the Manchester music scene for decades."
Elbow lead singer Guy Garvey added: "This a shameful disgrace and we are furious. Manchester's music and arts are things we all share and are rightfully proud of.
"Night & Day has taken hundreds of Manchester artists from bedrooms and garages to the world stage. The vibrant scene started by Night & Day triggered enormous redevelopment.
"That this corner stone of our city's culture is under attack again is bewildering."
A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said the local authority has "never threatened to close down this venue".
: "It is important to reiterate throughout this process extensive discussions have taken place to try and address the statutory noise nuisance which was the sole reason a Noise Abatement Notice (NAN) was served.
"It is also important to state that the source of complaints regarding this venue relate to very loud music played into the early hours of the morning and not live band performances.
"The council's planning records show that an acoustic report was provided during the development of surrounding units, and the council completely rejects any suggestion that planning conditions were not met."
ment added the council would work towards an "amicable resolution".
urt hearing is listed for 29 November.
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