BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC SportMenuHomeFootballCricketFormula 1Rugby URugby LTennisGolfBoxingAthleticsMoreA-Z SportsAmerican FootballAthleticsBasketballBoxingCricketCyclingDartsDisability SportFootballFormula 1Gaelic GamesGet InspiredGolfGymnasticsHorse RacingMixed Martial ArtsMotorsportNetballOlympic SportsRugby LeagueRugby UnionSnookerSwimmingTennisWinter SportsFull Sports A-ZMore from SportEnglandScotlandWalesNorthern IrelandMy SportMatch of the DaySports Personality5 Live SportSport on the BBCNews FeedsHelp & FAQsAmerican FootballScores & FixturesTablesNFL: Jason Kelce confirms retirement after 13 seasons with Philadelphia EaglesPublished5 hours agocommentsCommentsShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Last year Jason and Travis Kelce became the first brothers to play against each other in a Super BowlBy Ben CollinsBBC SportA tearful Jason Kelce confirmed his retirement on Monday after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.The 36-year-old spent his entire career with Philadelphia, helping them win their first Super Bowl in 2018 and reach the NFL showpiece again in 2023.Kelce was a sixth-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2011 but is now regarded as one of the NFL’s best-ever centres.He cried as he began a statement lasting more than 40 minutes and continued to hold back tears.”I am very proud knowing where I was once was and the legacy I have left behind,” he said. Kelce denied that he had decided to retire in January, in the wake of the Eagles’ exit from last season’s play-offs, saying he needed time to consider his future. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, he played 205 games and holds the franchise record for consecutive starts. He will be remembered as a Philadelphia legend, securing that status with a passionate speech during their Super Bowl parade in 2018 – on the steps made famous by the Rocky movies. The Eagles returned to the Super Bowl to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023, with Kelce facing his brother Travis.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jason Kelce’s brother Travis and their parents also wiped away tears at the news conference in PhiladelphiaThe Kelces, who are from Cleveland, made history as they became the first brothers to play against each other in the NFL showpiece, with Travis’ Chiefs winning 38-35.”There is no chance I’d be here without the bond Travis and I share,” said Jason. “It is only too poetic that I found my career being fulfilled in the city of brotherly love.”Some people struggle to play in this city – I considered it a blessing to play in the most passionate sports town in America. Thank you Philadelphia, for letting me represent this city.”After finishing his statement, Kelce was applauded by the gathered media and hugged Travis, his parents, and his wife, Kylie.The Kelce brothers have become two of the most popular players in the NFL. Their New Heights podcast ended 2023 as the sixth biggest podcast in the United States,, external they have had their own Amazon Prime documentary, have appeared on Saturday Night Live and recorded a Christmas song which made it to the number one spot on iTunes.Jason was also named as one of People magazine’s sexiest men of the year, external for 2023 while Travis, 34, is now dating music superstar Taylor Swift.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jason Kelce has been one of the most colourful characters in the NFL, celebrating shirtless as his brother’s team beat Buffalo in JanuaryAfter the Eagles’ play-off exit, Jason supported his brother by attending the Chiefs’ play-off games.When he met Swift at Kansas City’s win at Buffalo in January, Jason went shirtless as he celebrated one of his brother’s touchdowns before jumping into the crowd and chugging a beer with the Bills fans. He then wore Chiefs dungarees for the Super Bowl and again went viral as he celebrated Kansas City’s win with his brother and Swift, wearing a luchador wrestling mask as they partied at a Las Vegas nightclub.Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said: “He gave everything he had to all of us for 13 years. And he did it in a way that was truly authentic.”Jason was an incredible football player: A future Hall of Famer who would have been successful anywhere. But has there ever been a more perfect marriage between a player, a city and a team?”How Taylor Swift has led to even more headlines for Travis and Jason KelceGet American Football alerts in the BBC Sport appBig laughs and top quality content with Elis and John: Join the UK’s youngest and most relevant broadcastersCan three million people disappear from public memory? This is the story of the Bengal Famine of 1943Related TopicsAmerican FootballRelated Internet LinksNFLThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View commentsTop Stories’One of worst displays I’ve ever seen’ – Sheff Utd’s new lowPublished34 minutes agoUK plans bid to host 2029 World ChampionshipsPublished2 hours agoBen Sulayem investigated for alleged race interferencePublished8 hours agoElsewhere on the BBCThe hidden world of drugs debtHow drug users are spiralling deeper into crime to pay dealers what they oweAttributioniPlayerWhat was it like to be at the Brit Awards?Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw spill the beans from the big night in the back of a cab!AttributionSoundsWhat keeps Dame Siân Phillips ‘match fit’ at 90?The acclaimed actress opens her heart on camera for the first time about her life and careerAttributioniPlayerCan you afford to retire?Research suggests we’ll all need an extra £8,000 a year for a so-called moderate retirementAttributionSoundsElsewhere in SportWhich player has come of age? 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[ad_1] A tearful Jason Kelce confirmed his retirement on Monday after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 36-year-old spent his entire career with Philadelphia, helping them win their first…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaFrance to enshrine abortion right in constitutionPublished4 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPImage caption, Protesters outside the Senate in February with placards reading “my body my choice” (L) and “abortion in the constitution”By Hugh SchofieldBBC News, ParísFrance is preparing to become the first country in the world to put the right to abortion in its constitution.On Monday, parliamentarians from the upper and lower chambers will meet in special session in the Palace of Versailles, summoned by President Emmanuel Macron.If, as expected, they vote for the government’s motion by a three-fifths majority, then the country’s 1958 constitution will be revised to enshrine women’s “guaranteed freedom” to abort.It will be the 25th amendment to the Fifth Republic’s founding document, and the first since 2008.Spurred by the end of federal protection of abortion rights in the US two years ago, supporters are exuberant over the revision – which they see as insurance against any similar backpedalling in France.Polls show around 85% of the French public support the reform. Resistance from right-wingers in parliament has failed to materialize.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, On 1 February French protestors voiced their support for abortion rights from a balcony during a debate on a draft law on the constitutionalisation of the right to abortion at the Senate in ParisOpposition, instead, has largely focused on the politics of the move: President Macron is accused of debasing the constitution for electoral ends.Critics say the revision is not necessarily wrong in itself, but unnecessary – and they see a weakened president trying to use the cause to boost his left-wing credentials and to flush out opposition to abortion.PoliticalPresident Macron lacks a majority in the National Assembly and faces an uphill task getting any reforms into law. His January reshuffle of his government meanwhile slanted it to the right.Following controversial laws last year on pension reform and immigration, this has given the jitters to left-leaning components of his Renaissance party – for whom the abortion revision is now a welcome re-balancing.”It is a big relief to be able to proclaim our unity again on an issue over which the whole of the party can agree. There have been a lot of tensions inside Renaissance, but now we can remind ourselves of the values we share,” said one left-wing member of the party who asked not to be identified.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The proposal, approved earlier by the lower house, the National Assembly, was backed by 267 votes to 50 on WednesdayBut, in taking up what had originally been a left-wing parliamentary initiative, Mr Macron was doing more than just shoring up his left-wing support. He was also setting a trap.With European elections approaching in June, the president hoped the constitutional revision on abortion might open a clear fault line between his party and its main opponents, Marine Le Pen’s far-right. If enough parliamentarians from the right and far-right objected to the reform, then they could easily be cast as reactionaries.Unfortunately for him, neither the Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) nor the conservative Republicans (KLR) took the bait. Given a free vote in Assembly and Senate debates which preceded Monday’s special congress, most right-wing parliamentarians voted for the bill. No parallelWhich is not to say many of them did not have misgivings about the constitutional reform. They just decided it was not worth fighting.In fact the main argument against the revision has nothing to do with the matter of abortion. The argument is over whether abortion is a matter for the constitution. In France, the right to abortion has been enshrined in law – not, as it was in the US, by a single supreme court ruling – since 1975. Since then the law has been updated nine times – and on each occasion with the aim of extending access.France’s constitutional council – the body that decides on the constitutionality of laws – has never raised a query. Image source, ReutersImage caption, On 28 February, people held a banner which read “Abortion is a fundamental right” during a demonstration organised by the collective “Abortion Europe, women decide”In a 2001 ruling, the council based its approval of abortion on the notion of liberty enshrined in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man, which is technically part of the constitution. So, according to many jurists, abortion is already a constitutional right. “Beyond being a symbol,” says Anne Levade, a law professor at Paris-Sorbonne University, “the revision will change absolutely nothing.”Misuse of constitution?She and other experts worry the purpose of the constitution – to set out a sparse set of immutable rules inside which law and politics can function – risks being undermined if it becomes a repository for a succession of “rights”. What if in the future elected representatives become convinced having a child is also a right? Will surrogate motherhood be put in the constitution? Or what about gay marriage? Or the attainment of carbon reduction targets?”There is a French particularity which leads politicians – in an almost Pavlovian way – to look for a constitutional change each time they want to signal the importance they attach to an issue,” Levade laments.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, French professor of public law Anne Levade is in favour of abortionSupporters of the reform however say it must happen to guard against a new wave of “reactionary” social change in Europe that could bring to power those who are minded to restrict the right to abortion. They point to countries like Malta, Hungary and Poland where limits are already in place or the subject of much debate.”In women’s rights, symbols count,” feminist lawyer Rachel-Flore Pardo said of the constitutional change. “Tomorrow they become our battlements. To wait until abortion was actually under threat would be to wait too long.”Related TopicsEuropeAbortionFranceEmmanuel MacronMore on this storyFrench Senate backs constitutional right to abortionPublished3 days agoTop StoriesI will only cut taxes in responsible way – HuntPublished4 minutes agoHopes rise of new Gaza ceasefire in Egypt talksPublished2 hours agoBrit Awards 2024: The real winners and losersPublished5 hours agoFeaturesBrit Awards 2024: The real winners and losersIn pictures at the Brits: Black dresses, neon pops and a giraffeKate, the King and three other big challenges for royalsThe Papers: Hunt aims to cut tax or risks ‘losing grey vote’Faisal Islam: Why this won’t be the Budget that Jeremy Hunt wantedHow Israel-Gaza war is spilling into cultural life’There was heartache but we had to keep going’Friends struggle to comprehend US airman’s Gaza protest deathFive ways to save on train tickets as fares riseElsewhere on the BBCFrom the seizure of Crimea to the war in UkraineThe story of a decade of clashes, told by the Western leaders who traded blows with PutinAttributioniPlayerFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayer’I never tried to be famous…it was accidental’Michael Parkinson with guests Ricky Gervais, Michael Palin and Kate AdieAttributioniPlayerIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Girl, 7, dies in English Channel crossing attempt2Brit Awards 2024: The real winners and losers3The ‘banned’ Star Trek episode that promised a united Ireland4The Unknown star of viral Willy Wonka event unmasked5Nadiya Hussain: A letter to my teenage daughter6Horner situation can’t continue – Jos VerstappenAttributionSport7Kate, the King and three other big challenges for royals8Hunt aims to cut tax or risks ‘losing grey vote’9Brits red carpet: Black dresses, pops of neon and a giraffe10Five ways to save on train tickets as fares rise

[ad_1] Macron’s popular move is expected on Monday – but critics say he is using the issue for a political advantage.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael-Gaza war: UN chief urges probe into deadly aid convoy incidentPublished16 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, AFPImage caption, Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia said it had received dead and wounded from western Gaza CityBy Thomas MackintoshBBC NewsThe head of the UN has called for an independent investigation into the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians during an aid delivery in Gaza. At least 117 people were killed and more than760 injured on Thursday as they crowded around aid lorries.UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the incident and said “desperate civilians” need urgent help.Hamas accused Israel of firing at civilians, but Israel said most died in a crush after it fired warning shots.On Thursday international criticism of Israel mounted with French President Emmanuel Macron saying civilians had been “targeted by Israeli soldiers”.The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, described the incident as “totally unacceptable carnage”.Reacting to the incident, Mr Guterres wrote on social media: “I condemn Thursday’s incident in Gaza in which more than 100 people were reportedly killed or injured while seeking life-saving aid.””The desperate civilians in Gaza need urgent help, including those in the north where the UN has not been able to deliver aid in more than a week.”Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry called the incident a “massacre”.The UN Security Council scheduled a closed-door emergency meeting to discuss the incident, during which Algeria – the Arab representative of the body – put forward a draft statement blaming Israeli forces for “opening fire”.While 14 of the Council’s 15 members supported the motion, the US blocked it, according to AP news agency, citing the Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour who spoke to reporters afterwards. US envoy Robert Wood said the facts of the incident remained unclear.More than 30,000 killed in Gaza, Hamas-run health ministry saysChecking Israel’s claim to have killed 10,000 Hamas fightersThursday’s incident took place shortly after 04:45 (02:45 GMT) at the Nabulsi roundabout, on the south-western edge of Gaza City.A convoy of 30 lorries carrying Egyptian aid was making its way north along what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described as a “humanitarian corridor” which it said its forces were securing. IDF’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said civilians surrounded the convoy and people began climbing on the lorries.”Some began violently pushing and even trampling other Gazans to death, looting the humanitarian supplies,” he said. “The unfortunate incident resulted in dozens of Gazans killed and injured.”Image source, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCESImage caption, The Israeli military released aerial video showing hundreds of Palestinians crowding round aid lorriesIsraeli tanks, he said, “cautiously tried to disperse the mob with a few warning shots” but pulled back “when the hundreds became thousands and things got out of hand”.Hamas rejected the IDF’s account, citing “undeniable” evidence of “direct firing at citizens, including headshots aimed at immediate killing”.The incident came hours before Gaza’s health ministry announced that more than 30,000 people, including 21,000 children and women, had been killed in Gaza since the start of the current conflict on 7 October. Some 7,000 were missing and 70,450 were injured, it said.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Devastation after dozens killed at Gaza aid dropMr Gutteres added: “I am appalled by the tragic human toll of the conflict in Gaza – more than 30,000 people reportedly killed and over 70,000 injured.”I reiterate my call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages.”The executive director of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in the UK, Natalie Roberts, said delivering aid to a starving population without adequate security was risking disaster.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she said: “We know that there have been very few aid convoys in the last weeks in the north, people have been unable to get anything to eat.”We know from our own colleagues that they’re having to eat animal food, that they go without food for days on end sometimes. And so people are just completely desperate, and the minute you start trying to deliver food to the region without any sort of security for the convoy, then this was always going to happen.”The UN is warning of a looming famine in the north of the territory, where an estimated 300,000 people are living with little food or clean water.Israeli military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign to destroy Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and others – after its gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October and took 253 back to Gaza as hostages.Related TopicsMiddle EastIsrael-Gaza warIsraelGazaUnited NationsMore on this storyGazans surviving off animal feed and rice as food dwindlesPublished10 FebruaryMore than 100 killed in crowd near Gaza aid convoyPublished2 hours agoWorld Food Programme stops deliveries to northern GazaPublished20 FebruaryMore than 30,000 killed in Gaza, health ministry saysPublished15 hours agoTop StoriesLive. This is for Gaza, says Galloway on Rochdale by-election winChris Mason: Rochdale shows how Gaza is shaping UK politicsPublished25 minutes agoLive. Heavy police presence as people gather for Navalny’s funeralFeaturesWeekly quiz: What word had Mary Poppins reaching for a spoonful of sugar?George Galloway: Latest win for political maverickWhere and when is Eurovision 2024 taking place?Analysis: A royal dilemma as public curiosity over Kate growsWhy some singles are more likely to cut things off after bad datesThe Papers: Gaza convoy ‘chaos’ and rogue police ‘hiding in plain sight’How three police forces failed to stop Sarah Everard killerRock star: I’ve spent 30 years making a Scotland map from pebblesChris Mason: Looming election takes centre stage in Budget weekElsewhere on the BBCMead, Poirot and a stinky BrontosaurusLaugh along with Frank and his all-star panel as they decode the absurdity of online reviewsAttributionSoundsSoviet Russia’s most popular holiday campMaria Kim Espeland tells Lucy Burns about life in the camp in the 1980sAttributionSoundsBig Brother behind closed doorsHow Britain’s first ‘official’ reality show became a global phenomenonAttributionSoundsCan we really find Anglo-Saxon double entendre?Ian Hislop’s on the hunt for the earliest examples of enduring British jokesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Suicide poison seller tracked down by BBC2Analysis: A royal dilemma as public curiosity over Kate grows3Eleven people hospitalised after Kensington fire4Olly Alexander reveals the UK’s Eurovision entry5This is for Gaza, says Galloway on by-election win6Parts of UK may have had wettest February on record7Weekly quiz: What word had Mary Poppins reaching for a spoonful of sugar?8Gaza convoy ‘chaos’ and rogue police ‘hiding in plain sight’9Mystery sea creature discovered in UK waters 10More than one billion people now obese – study

[ad_1] At least 117 people were killed on Thursday as crowds gathered round aid lorries in Gaza City.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael-Gaza war: More than 100 reported killed in crowd near Gaza aid convoyPublished7 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Devastation after dozens killed at Gaza aid dropBy Paul Adams & David GrittenBBC News, in Jerusalem and LondonAt least 112 Palestinians are said to have been killed and 760 injured trying to get desperately needed aid in Gaza.Crowds descended on a convoy of lorries on the coastal road south-west of Gaza City, in the presence of Israeli tanks.Israel’s military say tanks fired warning shots but did not strike the lorries, adding may of the dead were trampled or run over.Hamas rejected Israel’s account, saying there was “undeniable” evidence of “direct firing at citizens”.The UN Security Council scheduled a closed-door emergency meeting to discuss the incident, during which Algeria – the Arab representative on the body – put forward a draft statement blaming Israeli forces for “opening fire”.While 14 of the council’s 15 members supported the motion, the US blocked it, according to AP news agency, citing Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour, who spoke to reporters afterwards. US envoy Robert Wood said the facts of the incident remained unclear.United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the incident, saying “the desperate civilians in Gaza need urgent help, including those in the north where the UN has not been able to deliver aid in more than a week”.Earlier US President Joe Biden expressed concern the incident would complicate efforts by mediators to broker a temporary ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas while France said “fire by Israeli soldiers against civilians trying to access food” was “unjustifiable”.Hamas has warned that talks in Qatar to try and secure a new ceasefire along side the release of Israeli hostages it is holding could now be jeopardised. Image source, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCESImage caption, The Israeli military released aerial video showing hundreds of Palestinians crowding round aid lorriesIsraeli aerial footage shows hundreds of people on and around the lorries, while graphic videos posted online show bodies loaded on to emptied aid lorries and a donkey cart.Thursday’s incident took place shortly after 04:45 (02:45 GMT) at the Nabulsi roundabout, on the south-western edge of Gaza City.A convoy of 30 lorries carrying Egyptian aid was making its way north along what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described as a “humanitarian corridor” when it was surrounded by civilians, with people climbing on to the trucks.”Some began violently pushing and even trampling other Gazans to death, looting the humanitarian supplies,” said the IDF’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm Daniel Hagari. “The unfortunate incident resulted in dozens of Gazans killed and injured.” Israeli tanks, he said, “cautiously tried to disperse the mob with a few warning shots” but pulled back “when the hundreds became thousands and things got out of hand”.”No IDF strike was conducted towards the aid convoy,” he said, insisting the Israeli military had been trying to help the aid convoy reach its destination.A Palestinian witness, speaking to the BBC, described panic in the crowd and among the drivers, who tried to move forward. Most of those who died were run over, the witness added.Dozens of casualties in a critical or severe condition were brought to the nearby al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where medics were unable to cope with the number and severity of cases.One man at the hospital who was cradling the body of this dead friend, Tamer Shinbari, told the BBC he had gone to the Nabulsi roundabout hoping to get a bag of flour for his family. He said Israeli soldiers had opened fire “and the aid lorry ran over the bodies”.All or most of the casualties being treated at two other hospitals, Kamal Adwan and al-Awda, were said by officials there to have bullet or shrapnel wounds.Image source, AFPImage caption, Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia said it had received dead and wounded from western Gaza CityThe incident came hours before Gaza’s health ministry announced that more than 30,000 people, including 21,000 children and women, had been killed in Gaza since the start of the current conflict on 7 October. Some 7,000 were missing and 70,450 were injured, it said.The UN is warning of a looming famine in the north of the territory, where an estimated 300,000 people are living with little food or clean water.The Israeli military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign to destroy Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and others – after its gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 253 hostages.More than 30,000 killed in Gaza, Hamas-run health ministry saysChecking Israel’s claim to have killed 10,000 Hamas fightersReacting to Thursday’s incident, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a rival of Hamas based in the occupied West Bank, accused Israeli forces of a “heinous massacre”.A spokesman for UN Secretary General António Guterres said he condemned the incident and called again for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages”.The north of Gaza suffered widespread devastation after being the focus of the first phase of the Israeli ground offensive and has been largely cut off from humanitarian assistance for several months.Last week, the World Food Programme said it had been forced to suspend aid deliveries to the area after its first convoy in three weeks had been surrounded by crowds of hungry people close to an Israeli checkpoint and had then faced gunfire in Gaza City. On Tuesday, a senior UN aid official warned that at least 576,000 people across the Gaza Strip – one quarter of the population – faced catastrophic levels of food insecurity and one in six children under the age of two in the north were suffering from acute malnutrition and wasting.Ten children died from dehydration and malnutrition at hospitals in northern Gaza in recent days, the health ministry said.Related TopicsIsrael & the PalestiniansIsrael-Gaza warIsraelPalestinian territoriesMore on this storyGazans surviving off animal feed and rice as food dwindlesPublished10 FebruaryWorld Food Programme stops deliveries to northern GazaPublished20 FebruaryTop StoriesLive. George Galloway wins Rochdale by-election by nearly 6,000 votesThis is for Gaza, says Galloway on by-election winPublished1 hour agoSuicide poison seller tracked down by BBCPublished6 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Gaza convoy ‘chaos’ and rogue police ‘hiding in plain sight’Analysis: A royal dilemma as public curiosity over Kate growsWeekly quiz: What word had Mary Poppins reaching for a spoonful of sugar?George Galloway: Latest win for political maverickWhy some singles are more likely to cut things off after bad datesWhere and when is Eurovision 2024 taking place?How three police forces failed to stop Sarah Everard killerRock star: I’ve spent 30 years making a Scotland map from pebblesChris Mason: Looming election takes centre stage in Budget weekElsewhere on the BBCMead, Poirot, and a stinky brontosaurusLaugh along with Frank and his all-star panel as they decode the absurdity of online reviewsAttributionSoundsSoviet Russia’s most popular holiday campMaria Kim Espeland tells Lucy Burns about life in the camp in the 1980sAttributionSoundsBig Brother behind closed doorsHow Britain’s first ‘official’ reality show became a global phenomenonAttributionSoundsCan we really find Anglo-Saxon double entendre?Ian Hislop’s on the hunt for the earliest examples of enduring British jokesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Suicide poison seller tracked down by BBC2Mystery sea creature discovered in UK waters 3Gaza convoy ‘chaos’ and rogue police ‘hiding in plain sight’4’No hearse’ for Navalny as family prepares funeral5Son of killed farmer describes devastation of TB6Olly Alexander reveals the UK’s Eurovision entry7Analysis: A royal dilemma as public curiosity over Kate grows8This is for Gaza, says Galloway on by-election win9Trans prisoner Tiffany Scott dies in jail10Nineteen councils can sell assets to cover services

[ad_1] The incident came hours before Gaza’s health ministry announced that more than 30,000 people, including 21,000 children and women, had been killed in Gaza since the start of the…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaMajor Alabama hospital pauses IVF after court rules frozen embryos are childrenPublishedJust nowShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Carlos DuarteImage caption, In vitro fertilization is a common form of fertility care in the US.By Kayla EpsteinBBC NewsA ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos are considered children, and that a person could be held liable for accidentally destroying them, has opened up a new front in the US battle over reproductive medicine.The southern US state’s largest hospital has paused its in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) services in the wake of the decision, over fears it could expose them to criminal prosecution.The University of Alabama at Birmingham health system said it would continue retrieving eggs from women’s ovaries. But it said it would halt the next step in the IVF process, in which the eggs are fertilised with sperm before being implanted into the uterus.”We are saddened that this will impact our patients’ attempt to have a baby through IVF,” the leading state medical provider said in a statement.”But we must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments.”Medical experts and reproductive advocacy groups warned the ruling could have negative consequences for fertility treatments in Alabama and beyond. Conservative groups welcomed the ruling, arguing that even the tiniest embryo deserved legal protection.Why did this lawsuit occur and what did the court rule?The case stems from a wrongful death lawsuit brought by three couples whose embryos were lost at a fertility clinic in 2020.A patient had wandered into the place where the embryos were stored, handled them, and accidentally dropped them. As a result, the embryos were destroyed.The couples sought to sue the Center for Reproductive Medicine and the Mobile Infirmary Association under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. That law covers foetuses, but did not specifically cover embryos resulting from IVF.A lower court had ruled that the embryos did not qualify as a person or child, and that a wrongful death lawsuit could not move forward. But in its ruling, the Alabama Supreme Court sided with the couples, and ruled that frozen embryos were considered “children”. The wrongful death law applied to “all unborn children, regardless of their location”, the decision said.Concurring with the majority opinion, Chief Justice Tom Parker wrote: “Even before birth, all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”What are the implications for Alabama fertility patients?The ruling does not ban or restrict IVF and in fact, the couples who brought the case actively sought out the procedure.But the decision may cause confusion about whether some aspects of IVF are legal under Alabama law, experts say. If an embryo is considered a person, it could raise questions about how clinics are allowed to use and store them.Elisabeth Smith, director of state policy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, told the BBC in a statement: “Not all [IVF] embryos are used, nor can they be. “To enact legislation granting legal personhood to embryos could have disastrous consequences for the use of IVF – a science many people rely on to build their families.” Ambiguity over the law could also extend to patients themselves, who may worry about whether the procedure remains available or legal.The Medical Association of the State of Alabama said in a statement: “The significance of this decision impacts all Alabamians and will likely lead to fewer babies – children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins – as fertility options become limited for those who want to have a family.”How does this tie in with the US abortion debate?When the US Supreme Court struck down a nationwide right to abortion in 2022, it opened the door for states to make their own laws on the issue.Since the decision, Democratic-controlled states have expanded access while Republican-controlled states have restricted it.Alabama already has a total ban on abortion, at all stages of pregnancy.The White House called the Alabama ruling “exactly the type of chaos that we expected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and paved the way for politicians to dictate some of the most personal decisions families can make”.Abortion opponents are also watching this ruling closely. The question of when an embryo or a foetus is legally considered a person is a factor in many state abortion restrictions.The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group, described the Alabama ruling as a “tremendous victory for life”.”No matter the circumstances, all human life is valuable from the moment of conception,” spokeswoman Denise Burke said in a statement to the BBC. “We are grateful the Court correctly found that Alabama law recognises this fundamental truth.”Other anti-abortion activists said IVF was not as clear-cut an ethical issue in their eyes, compared to terminating a pregnancy.Eric Johnston, a lawyer who helped draft Alabama’s constitutional language on abortion in 2018, told the BBC: “By and large the pro-life community would say that fertilised eggs are in need of protection.”But he acknowledged there were couples with anti-abortion views who had used IVF to have children, and said he would never condemn them.”It’s a dilemma, and a dilemma is something where you don’t have a satisfactory answer,” he added.What is IVF? Invitro fertilisation offers a possible solution where a woman faces challenges getting pregnant. Around 2% of US pregnancies are the result of IVF, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The process involves retrieving the woman’s eggs with a needle from her ovaries and combining them with a man’s sperm in a lab. The fertilised embryo is then transferred into the woman’s uterus, where it may create a pregnancy. But the process is not guaranteed, and it can take multiple attempts to create a successful pregnancy. In some cases, as in the Alabama trial, the fertilised embryos are frozen and stored in tanks containing liquid nitrogen. They can be held for up to a decade, experts say. What could happen in other states?US states often tend to replicate each other’s legislation, and the US has seen this pattern play out with abortion. Often, states will take cues from each other about what laws or policies have successfully passed legislatures or withstood legal challenges.Though the Alabama ruling only applies within the state, experts said other states could see legislative attempts or lawsuits aimed at advancing the concept that frozen embryos should legally be considered children or people.But they said it appeared unlikely this particular case would end up at the US Supreme Court, as the issue of abortion did, because the Alabama ruling originated in state court and concerns an interpretation of state, not federal, law.According to the Centers for Disease Control, 97,128 babies were born in the US as a result of IVF treatments in 2021.How could this ruling affect US politics?The right to abortion has been a winning issue for Democrats since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion up to the point of foetal viability, about 23-25 weeks. In the wake of the Alabama ruling, Democratic candidates could run on a platform of protecting access to fertility treatment across the United States.Republican politicians, meanwhile, often side with religious conservatives who want abortion banned or limited in the US.Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, the only significant contender remaining in the race against Donald Trump for the party’s nomination, endorsed the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday.”Embryos to me, are babies,” she said. “When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that’s life and so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that.”You may also be interested in:This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Manon and Chris have been unable to conceive since having their daughter EfaRelated TopicsIVFAlabamaUnited StatesMore on this storyAlabama passes bill banning abortionPublished15 May 2019Four ways the end of Roe v Wade has changed AmericaPublished24 June 2023Top StoriesLive. SNP’s Flynn says party has no confidence in Speaker after Commons chaosPost Office victims set to be cleared under new lawPublished12 minutes agoUK targets Russian military with further sanctionsPublished46 minutes agoFeatures‘I miss you’: Ukraine’s children orphaned by Russian missileRosenberg: How two years of war have changed RussiaSahil Omar: The real story behind a fake criminalPostcode check: How’s the NHS coping in your area?Family share memories of Kenya’s marathon legendWhat does the Speaker of the House of Commons do?How AI is helping the search for extraterrestrial lifeWhy US politicians are on a pilgrimage to TaiwanOlivia Colman on why sweary letters were original trollingElsewhere on the BBCThe screening dilemma…Could good intentions to detect illnesses early actually be causing more harm?AttributionSoundsBritain’s toughest job interview is backLord Sugar’s class of 2024 chase the ultimate investmentAttributioniPlayerThe news remixed into weird shapes…Welcome to The Skewer, a twisted comedy treatAttributionSoundsOne of the world’s biggest scientific projects…Pallab Ghosh goes inside the largest particle accelerator in the worldAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Post Office victims set to be cleared under new law2Former world’s oldest dog stripped of title3Footballer Dani Alves guilty of nightclub rape4Warning over flooding as heavy rain lashes UK5Strictly dancer Windsor’s family thank fans6UK targets Russian military with further sanctions7’Little Britain’: How Russian media mocked UK missile failure8Sex assault case against Aerosmith star dismissed9First alopecia treatment recommended on the NHS10Dune 2 ‘like no other blockbuster’, say critics

[ad_1] The Medical Association of the State of Alabama said in a statement: “The significance of this decision impacts all Alabamians and will likely lead to fewer babies – children,…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael Gaza: China condemns US veto of call for immediate ceasefire at UNPublished24 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, EPAImage caption, Palestinians search for bodies and survivors after Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza on TuesdayChina has sharply criticised the US for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.Beijing said the move sent the “wrong message” and effectively gave a “green light to the continued slaughter”. The White House said the Algerian-proposed resolution would “jeopardise” talks to end the war.The US has proposed its own temporary ceasefire resolution, which also warned Israel not to invade the city of Rafah.There has been widespread condemnation of the US decision to block Algeria’s resolution as fighting continued in Gaza. It was backed by 13 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council – with the UK abstaining. In response to the veto, China’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun said the claim the motion would interfere with ongoing diplomatic negotiations was “totally untenable”.”Given the situation on the ground, the continued passive avoidance on an immediate ceasefire is nothing different from giving a green light to the continued slaughter,” he said. “The spill-over of the conflict is destabilising the entire Middle East region leading to rising risk of a wider war,” he added. “Only by extinguishing the flames of war in Gaza can we prevent the fires of hell from engulfing the entire region.”Algeria’s top UN diplomat declared that “unfortunately the Security Council failed once again”. “Examine your conscience, how will history judge you,” Amar Bendjama added.US allies were also critical of the move. France’s UN envoy Nicolas de Rivière expressed regret that the resolution had not been adopted “given the disastrous situation on the ground”.Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washington’s ambassador to the UN, said it was not the right time to call for an immediate ceasefire while negotiations between Hamas and Israel were continuing.Her UK counterpart, Barbara Woodward, said the plan could “actually make a ceasefire less likely” by endangering talks.Israel launched its operations in Gaza following an attack by Hamas on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 others taken hostage.The Israeli military campaign has left more than 29,000 people dead in Gaza, according to the Palestinian territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.The draft resolution proposed by the US calls for a temporary ceasefire “as soon as practicable” and on the condition that all hostages are released, as well as urging barriers on aid reaching Gaza to be lifted.The White House has previously avoided the word “ceasefire” during UN votes on the war, but it is unclear if or when the Security Council will vote on the proposal. It also states a major ground offensive in Rafah would result in more harm to civilians and their further displacement, including potentially into neighbouring countries – a reference to Egypt. But Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he was “committed to continuing the war until we achieve all of its goals” and no pressure could change it. Why are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Israel’s Rafah deadline raises stakes as Ramadan approachesMore than a million displaced Palestinians – about half of the Strip’s population – are crammed into Rafah after being forced to seek shelter there. The southern city, which borders Egypt, was home to only 250,000 people before the war.Many of the displaced are living in makeshift shelters or tents in squalid conditions, with scarce access to safe drinking water or food. The UN has issued its own warning that a planned Israeli offensive in the city could lead to a “slaughter”. The Israeli military has previously insisted it only targets Hamas fighters. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz has warned the ground assault will be launched unless Hamas frees all its hostages by 10 March.Related TopicsMiddle EastIsrael-Gaza warIsraelFranceChinaHamasAlgeriaBenjamin NetanyahuMore on this storyUS vetoes call for immediate Gaza ceasefire at UNPublished5 hours agoIsrael indicates deadline for offensive in RafahPublished2 days agoWhy are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Published13 FebruaryTop StoriesPatient care hit by disrepair in NHS buildingsPublished1 hour agoHospitals may introduce Martha’s rule from AprilPublished1 hour agoChina says US veto sent wrong message over GazaPublished24 minutes agoFeatures’The Premier League caught my online troll. Should I forgive him?’The Papers: Prince’s call for peace and Labour revolt threatThe strangers who saved each other’s livesThe secret to my Mr Universe title? 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[ad_1] Beijing suggests blocking calls for an immediate ceasefire gives a “green light to continued slaughter”.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael-Gaza war: US calls for temporary ceasefire in UN textPublished17 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Rafah is sheltering more than a million people who have been forced to flee other parts of the Gaza StripBy Nada Tawfik and James FitzGeraldBBC News, New York and LondonThe US has proposed a draft resolution at the UN Security Council which calls for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza.It has also warned Israel against invading the overcrowded city of Rafah.The US has previously avoided the word “ceasefire” during UN votes on the war, but President Joe Biden has made similar comments.However, the US plans to veto another draft resolution – from Algeria – which calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.More than a million displaced Palestinians, who represent about half of Gaza’s population, are crammed into Rafah after being forced to seek shelter there.The southern city, which borders Egypt, was home to only 250,000 people before the war.Many of the displaced are living in makeshift shelters or tents in squalid conditions, with scarce access to safe drinking water or food.The UN has issued its own warning that a planned Israeli offensive in the city could lead to a “slaughter”. Its aid chief says civilians in Rafah, “like the entire population of Gaza, are the victims of an assault that is unparalleled in its intensity, brutality and scope”. The UN says women and children continue to be killed in air strikes. The Israeli military has previously insisted it only targets Hamas fighters. Israel launched its operations in Gaza following an attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 others taken hostage.The Israeli military campaign has killed 29,000 people in the Palestinian territory, according to the Hamas-run health ministry there.Why are Israel and Hamas fighting in Gaza?Israel indicates March deadline for Rafah offensiveWashington has come under immense international pressure to use its leverage to rein in Israel’s devastating operations, having spent much of the war emphasising its ally’s right to self-defence. While it has vowed to block the Algerian draft, its rival text does register opposition to Israel’s plans. Talks will begin on the US draft this week, but it is not clear when or if the proposal might be put to a vote.Israel would be bound to follow any Security Council resolution, as these are legally binding. This issue distinguishes the Security Council from the General Assembly. It is the first time the US has called for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza at the UN, having vetoed previous resolutions using the word.The US draft also states that a major ground offensive in Rafah would result in more harm to civilians and their further displacement, including potentially into neighbouring countries – a reference to Egypt. It also says such a move would have serious implications for regional peace and security.The draft resolution calls for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable, echoing remarks by President Joe Biden in his conversations with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week. Mr Netanyahu has so far resisted international pressure to reconsider the plan – vowing to rescue remaining hostages and defeat Hamas throughout Gaza. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz has warned the manoeuvre will be launched unless Hamas frees all its hostages by 10 March. The date marks the start of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.The Arab group of nations says the Security Council cannot turn a deaf ear to the pleas of the international community demanding a ceasefire. 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[ad_1] Its draft resolution features tougher language, echoing comments made by President Joe Biden.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaDiego Garcia asylum seekers feel unsafe on remote British island territoryPublished16 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, HANDOUTImage caption, An image previously sent to the BBC by a migrant shows the housing tents on the island of Diego GarciaBy Alice CuddyBBC NewsA group of asylum seekers on an isolated British island territory have told UN investigators they feel unsafe and forgotten, as they reported sexual assaults and harassment of children, as well as self-harm and suicide attempts.Inspectors from the UN’s refugee agency visited Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, to check on their welfare.A draft report says that conditions there amounted to arbitrary detention.The Foreign Office said the island was not suitable for migrants to live on.Other than the migrant camp, the island is used as a UK-US military base. Thousands of troops are stationed there, usually on a one-year deployment, along with a smaller number of military contractors. For all allegations of sexual assault and harassment, the alleged perpetrators were other asylum seekers.Civilian visitors are not allowed – and the island has officially had no resident population since the early 1970s when the UK relocated all the people living there so it could develop the base.The 61 people currently in the island camp are mostly Sri Lankan Tamils and the first of them landed on Diego Garcia in October 2021 after their boat ran into trouble while trying to sail to Canada, according to migrants and officials.Their subsequent asylum claims were the first ever to be launched on British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) – an area described as being “constitutionally distinct and separate from the UK”, and where the UK government argues that the refugee convention does not apply.In its response to the UN report on the asylum seekers, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “BIOT is not a suitable location for migrants, which is why we have been working tirelessly to process the migrants’ claims for protection and to find a suitable third country for those whose claims are upheld.”At all times, the welfare and safety of migrants on BIOT has been our top priority.”UNHCR – the UN Refugee Agency – says the visit by its inspectors in late November marked the first time an “external party” had gained access to the island to monitor conditions there since the asylum seekers’ arrival. The draft report it produced following its visit was released to the BBC by the supreme court of BIOT.Sexual violence likely ‘under-reported’During its visit, UNHCR representatives heard several allegations of sexual assault and harassment, with alleged victims including young children. In all instances, the alleged perpetrators were other asylum seekers, the report says.It adds that there was likely to be an “under-reporting” of sexual violence because of shame and stigma, and a view among asylum seekers that there would not be an effective response.”It was clear from speaking to asylum seekers, both the general population and those who had made allegations, that they did not see anything to be gained by reporting, both in terms of justice and safety, including due to the fact that alleged perpetrators of sexual assault remain living in the camp alongside alleged victims,” the report says.A decision made last July to designate family tents and single male tents was a “positive step” but “unlikely to be sufficient as a prevention mechanism”, it notes, adding that there was “little evidence of other preventive measures”.Full report: Migrants stuck in “hell” on UK military island (June 2023)UK to begin talks over future of Chagos Islands In the UN report, the asylum seekers on the island, which is hundreds of miles away from any other population, describe being bitten by rats in a fenced-off camp and say that they are only permitted to leave it under security escort, even if they just want to walk to the beach.That has led to feelings of despair and incidents of self-harm and suicide attempts, the UN’s draft report – one of the first detailed insights into conditions on the island – says.The group of asylum seekers, which includes 16 children, said they felt bored, depressed, and hopeless. Some said they felt “forgotten”, while one woman said: “Many of us think about ending our lives.” Some of the children told the inspectors they had witnessed violence and self-harm, and made multiple references to suicide during the UN visit, the draft report says.Some of them recalled a time when a security dog came to visit the camp and they watched it through the security fence. “The children said that it made them sad that the dog was able to be outside the fence and they were not,” the report says. Image source, HANDOUTImage caption, A photo, previously provided to the BBC, shows one of the groups of Tamils on their fishing boat, on which they intended to voyage to CanadaThe asylum seekers do not have access to the internet and have never met their lawyers in person. Until now, details of the conditions they are being held in have been scarce – recounted mainly in court hearings in the UK.A process has been established to determine if the group should be sent back to Sri Lanka or to a “safe third country”.The BBC last year established contact with multiple asylum seekers on the island, who described conditions there as hellish. UNHCR says it considers that the 61 Tamils on Diego Garcia are “subject to deprivation of liberty”.”They reside in a closed place with no possibility to leave at will, which amounts to detention under international law,” it explains. In its report, the UN agency says the conditions on the island “fail to provide the necessary standards of privacy, safety and dignity”.The draft report says asylum seekers are held in a fenced area of approximately 100m by 140m, and are barred from leaving unless with a security escort. Most of the children have never left the camp other than infrequent visits to the beach under security escort, the report says.Image caption, The island of Diego Garcia is a British overseas territory situated 6,000 miles from the UKThe children showed UN representatives pictures they had drawn depicting the wired fence surrounding the camp and said their lives generally consisted of eating meals with their families, walking to the education tent for classes and then returning to their own tent.”Living here is like living in hell,” a mother is quoted as saying. “Children go to bed late and in [the] night do not sleep because they do not feel at peace. And that is because the children feel that we as parents are not at peace.”The asylum seekers are given three meals a day, and do not have the option to cook their own food. UNHCR observers found the meals to be varied and nutritional, but asylum seekers complained that the meals were sometimes not culturally appropriate, and that they had no say in what they ate.’We think it may be better to die’The UN report describes a deterioration in mental health in the camp, and observers saw signs of clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.The draft report says that while children in the camp appeared “playful and responsive” there were “worrying signs that living in an enclosed environment, in close proximity to adults who were suffering from poor mental health was having an impact on their emotional health”.”Children have witnessed violence and self-harm. They are aware that many of the adults, including in some cases their own parents, have tried to end their lives.”During the UN’s visit, one teenage girl asked a UNHCR representative: ‘”Do you think that if I kill myself, my brother and parents could go to another country where they would have a better life?”Image source, HANDOUTImage caption, At one point, a group of the migrants were sent to Rwanda for medical treatment – some of them were later returned to Diego GarciaAsylum seekers, including children, told the UN “they often feel their suffering is without end, and frequently consider the idea of purposely inflicting bodily harm or ending their life”.Medical services on the island reported 21 incidents of self-harm between May and October 2023.”I feel I am alive on the outside but dead from inside. My body hurts me, and if the pains will further increase, I may have to hurt myself to end this all,” one man said.Several people have been transferred to Rwanda – a 3,000-mile flight away – for medical care following self-harm and suicide attempts.If you are affected by the mental health issues raised in this story, the BBC Action Line provides support information here. Those who have had their claims for international protection approved are still waiting for a third country – where they can have a new life – to be identified.’Not a safe place’ UNHCR frequently heard concerns that asylum seekers felt they had been “forgotten” on the island and had “no way to speak up about their current conditions or perceived injustices”. The UN report acknowledges that the sudden arrival of asylum seekers on Diego Garcia presented “enormous challenges” and says “important efforts were pursued to ensure that those who wished to make international protection claims were able to do so” and that services such as medical care were made available. But, it says, the “existing situation is not tenable”.Its draft report calls for the asylum seekers to be “urgently relocated”, for final decisions on international protection to be expedited, and solutions secured for those whose claims are approved.It also calls for the UK government to conduct “contingency planning” for possible future arrivals on the island, and for an independent mechanism to be established to monitor the treatment of asylum seekers.One of the group’s lawyers, Tessa Gregory, from London firm Leigh Day, said she was “extremely concerned” about their wellbeing, describing conditions on the island as “appalling”.Lawyers had been denied access to visit their clients on the island, she added.The UK took control of the Chagos Islands, of which Diego Garcia is part, from its then colony, Mauritius, in 1965 and went on to evict its population of more than 1,000 people to make way for the base.Mauritius, which won independence from the UK in 1968, maintains the islands are its own and the UN’s’ highest court has ruled that the UK’s administration of the territory is “unlawful” and must end. UNHCR says its visit to the island does not constitute recognition of BIOT.Related TopicsChagos IslandsRefugees and asylum seekersSri LankaMore on this storyMigrants stuck in ‘hell’ on a remote UK military basePublished11 June 2023UK to begin talks over future of Chagos IslandsPublished3 November 2022Top StoriesLive. By-election losses came against ‘very difficult backdrop’, says Tory ministerNavalny’s team accuses Russia of ‘hiding’ his bodyPublished17 hours agoBiden assures Zelensky US will send $60bn in aidPublished1 hour agoFeaturesUN: Asylum seekers report assault and self-harm on remote UK islandWhat should you do if a dog attacks?Case of US sailor stirs unease over Japan military tiesWest Africa’s Michelin-starred cuisine wows LondonHow London Overground’s new line names were chosenThe Papers: Starmer ‘attacks Trump’ and ‘No way back for Harry’The Oscar-winning film that captured Navalny’s life and possible deathHow an Australian stuntwoman conquered Indian action filmsBafta Film Awards 2024: The nominees in fullElsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerA billionaire’s playground…What is it really like in the boom town of Mumbai?AttributioniPlayerCould this Italian dream turn into a real nightmare?Amanda Holden and Alan Carr don their boiler suits to renovate a dilapidated house in TuscanyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1A US soldier killed two at Mount Fuji. 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[ad_1] “It was clear from speaking to asylum seekers, both the general population and those who had made allegations, that they did not see anything to be gained by reporting,…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC SportMenuHomeFootballCricketFormula 1Rugby URugby LTennisGolfBoxingAthleticsMoreA-Z SportsAmerican FootballAthleticsBasketballBoxingCricketCyclingDartsDisability SportFootballFormula 1Gaelic GamesGet InspiredGolfGymnasticsHorse RacingMixed Martial ArtsMotorsportNetballOlympic SportsRugby LeagueRugby UnionSnookerSwimmingTennisWinter SportsFull Sports A-ZMore from SportEnglandScotlandWalesNorthern IrelandMy SportMatch of the DaySports Personality5 Live SportSport on the BBCNews FeedsHelp & FAQsAmerican FootballScores & FixturesTablesSuper Bowl 2024: Chiefs v 49ers – UK start time, half-time show, how to follow on BBC & will Taylor Swift be there?Published10 hours agocommentsCommentsShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Super Bowl 2024: NFL stars give predictions for San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City ChiefsBy Ben CollinsBBC SportSuper Bowl 58: San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City ChiefsVenue: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas Date: Sunday, 11 February Start: 23:30 GMT (15:30 PST)BBC coverage: Listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and follow live text on the BBC Sport website and appThe Super Bowl is a sporting and cultural phenomenon, as much about the spectacle as the game itself.Now the show is set to be bigger and better than ever as – for the very first time – the NFL’s championship game is taking place under the bright lights of Las Vegas.Sin City has been transformed into a sports city over the past decade and now the biggest annual event in American sport will be staged on the Strip.Defending champions Kansas City will play in their fourth Super Bowl in five years and ‘Chiefs Kingdom’ has gained a legion of new fans this season as music superstar Taylor Swift has been a regular at games since she began dating tight end Travis Kelce.They face one of the NFL’s most popular teams in the San Francisco 49ers, who have won five Super Bowls but lost on their last trip to the big game – to the Chiefs in 2020.Super Bowl 2024 predictions: Who will win & why?How Taylor Swift has led to even more headlines for the Kelces’Mr Irrelevant’ leads 49ers cast aiming to steal show in VegasThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Super Bowl 58: Watch best plays from Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ersThere is normally lots of speculation about the half-time show but it seems casual fans are more interested in whether Swift will be there than who might join Usher on stage.Either way, dozens of music and screen stars will be at Allegiant Stadium for all the glitz and glamour of a Vegas Super Bowl.The game starts at 23:30 GMT on Sunday and you’ll be able to follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, plus live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, followed by post-match video highlights.How Las Vegas fell in love with big sportMahomes v Brady – Can Chiefs quarterback be the new GOAT?In pictures – build-up to Super Bowl 58 in Las VegasCan Chiefs cement dynasty and Mahomes chase down Brady?This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Super Bowl 2024 – what you need to know about the Las Vegas showKansas City have not been at their scintillating best this season yet Andy Reid’s team still have a chance to become just the fourth team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in five years.After winning last year’s classic in Phoenix, Arizona, Patrick Mahomes became the 13th quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls. Victory in Vegas would see him become just the fifth quarterback to win three – and Reid the fifth coach to win three.Tom Brady holds the all-time record of seven Super Bowl wins and retired last year as the NFL’s GOAT, but are we already watching the man who will take that title off him?This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Super Bowl 58: Watch best plays from Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick MahomesMahomes has some way to go, of course but, at just 28, another NFL title on Sunday would keep him firmly on track to surpass Brady’s many records.It would also see the Chiefs cement their dynasty by becoming the NFL’s first back-to-back champions since Brady’s New England Patriots in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.Sportshour podcast: Super Bowl SundayIt’s a family affair for the 49ersImage source, ReutersImage caption, Christian McCaffrey is expected to be named this season’s Offensive Player of the Year during Super Bowl weekSan Francisco have not won the Super Bowl since the days of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young, who helped the 49ers win five from 1982 to 1995.They have since lost two – in 2013 and 2020 – and after building a star-studded roster in his seven years in charge, coach Kyle Shanahan hopes for his first Super Bowl win.The mid-season addition of Christian McCaffrey in 2022 took the 49ers to another level and the star running back aims to emulate his father Ed. The former wide receiver helped the 49ers win Super Bowl 29 before winning two more with Denver under Kyle’s father Mike Shanahan.The families were close, and it was rumoured a teenage Kyle used to babysit Christian, although it turns out his sister was actually in charge., externalWhile the Chiefs have potentially the future GOAT, the 49ers are led by Brock Purdy, who was the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 draft – which comes with the title of ‘Mr Irrelevant’.Yet Purdy became San Francisco’s starting quarterback in December 2022 and the 24-year-old has continued to prove his doubters wrong, reaching the Super Bowl in his first full season.Get American Football alerts in the BBC Sport appWill Taylor Swift be at the Super Bowl?This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Super Bowl 58: Travis Kelce says ‘it’s fun to gather the Swifties in the Chiefs Kingdom’Some called last year’s big game the Kelce Bowl as it was the first Super Bowl to feature brothers on opposing teams.Jason and Travis Kelce expected a media circus during Super Bowl week, but it was nothing compared to what Travis has experienced since his relationship with Taylor Swift became public when she attended her first Chiefs game on 24 September.The NFL and broadcasters have embraced the extra attention Swift’s presence has brought to the league, although perhaps it has gone to Jason’s head.With his Philadelphia Eagles having been knocked out of the play-offs, Jason met his younger brother’s new girlfriend for the first time at Kansas City’s game in a freezing Buffalo and celebrated a Travis touchdown by taking his shirt off, jumping into the crowd and chugging a beer with the Bills fans.Now fans are wondering if they will both be at Super Bowl 58, in particular Swift as she is playing a concert in Tokyo the night before. Even the Japanese Embassy has got involved,, external saying that given Tokyo is 17 hours behind Vegas and it’s a 12-hour flight, “she should comfortably” arrive in time.As for whether Jason manages to keep his shirt on, that’s anyone’s guess.Half-time show the ‘honour of a lifetime’Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Usher, who now lives in Las Vegas, was recognised for his contributions to the city and his philanthropic endeavoursUsher appeared as a special guest of the Black Eyed Peas during the 2011 half-time show but now the American R&B star is the headline act.The 45-year-old completed a 100-show residency in Vegas in December and has been such a hit on the Strip that he was awarded the key to the city in October.He said being the Super Bowl headliner is the “honour of a lifetime” and promised “a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before”.While the only surprise for last year’s half-time show was Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal, Usher has collaborated with many artists who could make a guest appearance. Who knows, perhaps he’ll ask Swift to join him.Listen – Usher: Artist Icons CollectionThis year’s Super Bowl statsLas Vegas is the 16th city to host the Super BowlCompleted in 2020, the Allegiant Stadium cost $1.9bn and has a capacity of 65,000The cheapest resale ticket costs about $5,200The US TV audience is expected to be more than 100m (one in three US adults) TV commercials will cost about $7m for a 30-second slot, with more than 50 advertisers featuredAdvertising on the Sphere has sold out for Super Bowl week, with only two brands appearing on Super Bowl Sunday, for which they have each paid more than $1.5mThe National Chicken Council predicts that 1.45bn chicken wings will be eaten during the gameThe American Gaming Association says a record 67.8m American adults (26%) are expected to bet on the game, with an estimated $23.1bn being wageredSuper Bowl 58 is expected to generate more than $600m for the Las Vegas economy, with 330,000 visitors expectedRelated TopicsAmerican FootballRelated Internet LinksNFLNFL UKUS college footballBritish American FootballThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Top StoriesLive. Premier League: Aston Villa 0-1 Man Utd – Hojlund opens scoring from close rangeIreland too strong for Italy in bonus-point winPublished13 minutes agoArsenal thrash West Ham in their biggest PL away winPublished1 hour agoElsewhere on the BBCToxic love, ruthless ambition and shocking betrayalTell Me Lies follows a passionate college relationship with unimaginable consequences…AttributioniPlayerThe inside story of Putin’s invasion of UkraineTold by the presidents and prime ministers tasked with making the critical decisionsAttributioniPlayerFrom Maga to mugshotRevisit the most memorable times when Donald Trump went viralAttributioniPlayerA celebration of Caroline Aherne’s comic geniusFeaturing contributions from Steve Coogan and Craig CashAttributioniPlayerElsewhere in SportChiefs or 49ers – who will win? Super Bowl predictions’Underwhelming England fail to entertain but are two from two’From ‘panic’ to ‘one of best debuts ever’ for Paterson’Far from pretty’ – England fight back to edge past Wales. Video’Far from pretty’ – England fight back to edge past WalesFrance win after dramatic TMO review denies Scotland try. VideoFrance win after dramatic TMO review denies Scotland tryHow De Bruyne unlocked ‘frustrated’ Haaland – analysis. VideoHow De Bruyne unlocked ‘frustrated’ Haaland – analysisNigeria aim to deny Ivorian hosts in Afcon finalMan City spell was ‘stressful’ says PhillipsSouth Africa finish third after penalty shootout win. VideoSouth Africa finish third after penalty shootout winAre blue cards a good idea for the Premier League? VideoAre blue cards a good idea for the Premier League?How Taylor Swift ‘supersized’ the history-making Kelce brothersIn pictures – F1’s 2024 cars so farFrom Sin City to Sports Town USA – how Vegas fell for sport

[ad_1] Some called last year’s big game the Kelce Bowl as it was the first Super Bowl to feature brothers on opposing teams. Jason and Travis Kelce expected a media…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaEcowas in crisis: Why West Africa’s united front is in tattersPublished51 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPImage caption, File photo of Nigerian soldiers dancing with their rifles around flags at the closing ceremony of joint military exercises in BeninBy Paul MellyWest Africa analystAs West African ministers gathered in Nigeria’s capital for yet another emergency meeting, they must have been wondering what further shocks could befall their region – its stability and political cohesion already tested to breaking-point.The session of the mediation and security council of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) had originally been summoned to discuss last month’s announcement from the military juntas leading Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger of their intention to withdraw from the 15-member bloc “without delay”.But by the time they arrived in Abuja, the ministers found themselves confronted with an entirely new crisis added to their agenda – the decision of Senegal’s head of state, Macky Sall, to postpone the 25 February presidential election.On Monday, with gendarmes ejecting opposition members from the national assembly, his parliamentary supporters voted to push the polls back until 15 December.This sparked a storm of protest from the opposition and civil society, with even the governing party’s own candidate, Prime Minister Amadou Ba, opposed to a decision that shakes to its foundations a country that had hitherto been seen as one of West Africa’s most resilient and institutionally rooted democracies.Just when Ecowas’ civilian-led member states most need to maintain a united front in defence of constitutional rule in the face of the military regimes that have swept across West Africa since 2020, one of the region’s most high-profile democratically elected presidents has unilaterally changed the rules.Mr Sall intends to extend his stay in power by nine months beyond the official 2 April handover date, in the possibly vain hope of boosting his camp’s hopes of victory at the polls when he does eventually stand down. Many wonder if his ultimate goal is a U-turn, abandoning his promise to stand down and instead running for a further term.Image source, EPAImage caption, President Macky Sall’s decision to delay elections in Senegal has sparked protestsAlready Ecowas was struggling to sustain serious pressure on the military leaders of the Sahel region – who have bolstered their domestic support by painting the regional bloc as bullying neighbours in thrall to France, the former colonial power in much of the region.The heavy-duty economic sanctions imposed previously on Mali and now on Niger, have hurt their populations – driving up prices as key import supplies are squeezed, hitting government finances, and putting the payment of salaries at risk.But this has only generated popular resentment which has bolstered support for the military regimes, at least in the short term.Soft diplomacy – mediation by Togo, which has kept friendly relations with the military regimes despite being an Ecowas state – looked like it might bring a breakthrough, with rumours of a draft agreement on a timetable for Niger’s restoration of civilian rule, only for the country then to suddenly announce its departure from the bloc altogether.Mali’s transitional head of state, Colonel Assimi Goïta, did not even bother to suggest a new election schedule after abandoning his earlier promise to organise polls this month.Instead his regime this week simply issued a new statement denouncing sanctions and reiterating its determination to walk out of the regional bloc.One of the most awkward challenges for Ecowas as it tries to resist and reverse the tide of coups is the accusation of hypocrisy or double standards – that the bloc talks tough when soldiers seize power from civilians, but rarely speaks or acts with any force when elected civilian leaders stage “constitutional coups” and change or bend the rules to prolong their own stay in office – as happened in Guinea in 2020. And that is not the only example. The previous year, Togo had passed constitutional amendments to allow President Faure Gnassingbé to stand for two more terms.In neighbouring Benin all opposition parties were excluded from the legislative polls and then in 2021 two of the leading opposition contenders for the presidency were detained before the election and later sentenced to long jail terms.Against the background of such manipulations and abuses by civilian-led governments, the Ecowas 2001 protocol on “democracy and good governance” risks reading like empty words. Among the bloc’s senior policymakers there has been a spreading recognition that this undermines its moral leverage and chances of mobilising public support for efforts to pressure coup leaders into restoring democracy. Image source, EPAImage caption, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali – which all face jihadist insurgencies – feel Ecowas is too deferential to France, a former colonial powerThat is why its reaction to President Sall’s postponement of the Senegalese election will be so critical.After earlier attempts to agree a region-wide limit of only two presidential terms were blocked by some member governments, officials have been exploring other ways of toughening the rules to penalise or block constitutional manipulation.But those changes have not yet been finalised or approved. So for now Ecowas civilian leaders have to work with tools that they have – of which peer-group pressure, traditionally a real strength of West African regional political culture, may be the strongest.There have been successes.Last month, George Weah, Liberia’s incumbent president, handed over power to the opposition challenger Joseph Boakai, having gracefully accepted defeat at the polls.And mediation by Ecowas persuaded the Sierra Leone government to allow former head of state Ernest Bai Koroma – who faced dubious accusations of links to a failed coup attempt – to leave for Nigeria on “medical grounds”.Yet in the case of larger or more influential countries, the bloc has generally lacked the diplomatic clout, and sometimes the political will, to enforce meaningful and consistent adherence to its proclaimed democratic governance standards.Responding to the insistence of the Nigérien, Malian and Burkinabè regimes on pulling out of Ecowas, Thursday’s ministerial meeting refrained from threats or further sanctions. It simply noted that the juntas had not consulted their citizens on this move and then made the positive case for staying in the bloc, to co-operate together in tackling common challenges like climate change, violent extremism, migration and organised crime.However, this shift away from confrontation will probably not change the minds of the military leaders.It marks an Ecowas recognition that restoring regional unity will have to be a long-term game, based on restoring goodwill and waiting for pressure from the ordinary citizens of the Sahel states – including the millions who live as long-term settled immigrants in coastal West African countries – to begin to make itself felt. But this comes close to an admission that extending common democratic principles to the Sahel once more will have to wait for another day.Tackling the urgent new threat to Senegal’s democracy cannot be shelved or phased. The country is a cornerstone of Ecowas – and albeit with flaws, its political system is built on fundamental principles and institutions. The stakes are huge.Much of the Senegalese political class and public are in uproar over the president’s postponement of the election.Numerous constitutional experts insist that President Sall and his parliamentary majority do not even have the legal power to change the date of the polls or extend the head of state’s term beyond its previously scheduled end on 2 April.And there is international pressure too: the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for example, has accused Mr Sall of putting his country “on a dangerous path towards dictatorship”. Against this background, if Ecowas retreats from clear defence of basic constitutional principles, opting instead for a soft stance towards an incumbent civilian leader who is “a member of the club”, its already eroded credibility as a defender of any common democratic principles will be profoundly damaged in the eyes of many West Africans.Paul Melly is a consulting fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London.You may also be interested in:Senegal on the brink after elections postponed The doctor forced to go to the jihadist front lineWhy Niger is saying goodbye to France but not the USBoost for Wagner as Mali shuns UN troopsRelated TopicsNigeriaEcowasBurkina FasoSenegalMaliNigerAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsRelated Internet LinksEcowasThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Top StoriesClapham attack: Police to search Thames for suspect’s bodyPublished17 minutes agoIsraeli soldier videos from Gaza could breach international law, experts sayPublished7 hours agoEx-Fujitsu boss ‘shocked’ by Post Office’s actionsPublished2 hours agoFeaturesDinosaur Island: 40 years of discoveries on SkyeThe Papers: Gaza bloodbath fears and King bonds with FergieIs Iceland entering a new volcanic era?Celebrities and the perils of oversharing daily routinesCash-strapped clubbers make their nights out countHave we lost faith in tech?Swift, swimming and snow: Photos of the weekAn ‘impossible’ country tests its hard-won democracyWeekly quiz: Who beat Miley to win Song Of The Year?Elsewhere on the BBCBritain’s toughest job interview is backLord Sugar’s class of 2024 chase the ultimate investmentAttributioniPlayerThe art of healthy eatingProfessor Tim Spector offers a new approach to the way we eat foodAttributionSoundsThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerExpensive vs High Street skincare products…investigating whether more expensive face creams really are worth the moneyAttributionSoundsMost Read1Man’s indefinite sentence a ‘serious injustice’2Ex-Fujitsu boss ‘shocked’ by Post Office’s actions3Tory donors and 27-year-old among new peers4Clapham suspect died in Thames, police believe5Mum found under coat in A&E died days later6Gaza bloodbath fears and King bonds with Fergie7Israeli soldier videos from Gaza could breach international law, experts say8Celebrities and the perils of oversharing daily routines9German chancellor finds doppelganger in US senator10Cash-strapped clubbers make their nights out count

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCould you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Could you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersCloseJury selection is under way in Donald Trump’s New York City hush-money trial, with hundreds of people selected as potential jurors.They must answer a questionnaire to determine, among other things, if they can be impartial about the former president.The BBC asked some of those questions to Manhattan residents.SubsectionUS & CanadaPublished50 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionExplore moreCould you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New Yorkers. Video, 00:02:16Could you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished50 minutes ago2:16Up Next. A view from inside court for Trump’s blockbuster trial. Video, 00:01:15A view from inside court for Trump’s blockbuster trialSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished19 hours agoUp Next1:15Press, police and protesters: Outside Trump courthouse. Video, 00:01:12Press, police and protesters: Outside Trump courthouseSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished1 day ago1:12Trump’s ‘perp walk’ moment explained in 60 seconds. Video, 00:01:00Trump’s ‘perp walk’ moment explained in 60 secondsSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished31 March 20231:00Editor’s recommendationsCopenhagen stock exchange engulfed by huge fire. Video, 00:01:03Copenhagen stock exchange engulfed by huge fireSubsectionEuropePublished12 hours ago1:03Moment spire collapses at Copenhagen stock exchange. Video, 00:00:43Moment spire collapses at Copenhagen stock exchangeSubsectionEuropePublished11 hours ago0:43Dormice ladders built in the Forest of Dean. Video, 00:00:51Dormice ladders built in the Forest of DeanSubsectionGloucestershirePublished1 day ago0:51Liz Truss: The world was safer under Trump. Video, 00:00:35Liz Truss: The world was safer under TrumpSubsectionUK PoliticsPublished22 hours ago0:35Huge fires blaze along Miami highway. Video, 00:00:33Huge fires blaze along Miami highwaySubsectionUS & CanadaPublished12 hours ago0:33Watch: Georgia opposition leader punches MP during debate. Video, 00:00:34Watch: Georgia opposition leader punches MP during debateSubsectionEuropePublished21 hours ago0:34Wheelie bins fly and a caravan overturns in strong wind. Video, 00:00:24Wheelie bins fly and a caravan overturns in strong windSubsectionStoke & StaffordshirePublished1 day ago0:24Hannah Waddingham calls out demanding paparazzi. Video, 00:00:28Hannah Waddingham calls out demanding paparazziSubsectionEntertainment & ArtsPublished1 day ago0:28Endangered California condor chicks hatched in LA. Video, 00:01:28Endangered California condor chicks hatched in LASubsectionUS & CanadaPublished1 day ago1:28

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityUKEnglandN. IrelandScotlandAlbaWalesCymruIsle of ManGuernseyJerseyLocal NewsFirst product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealedPublished11 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Meghan pictured at a polo match in Florida last weekBy Sean CoughlanRoyal correspondentA first glimpse of the new business venture from the Duchess of Sussex has been teased on social media, with pictures of a jar of strawberry jam.In a bid to preserve a sense of mystery, the jam from the new American Riviera Orchard brand seemed to be spread among friends and influencers.Fashion designer Tracy Robbins posted a picture of the jam on Instagram.It was numbered “17 of 50”, suggesting the number of recipients of this first fruit of the new business.The arrival of Meghan’s new California-based lifestyle brand had been signalled on social media last month and this suggests that it will be selling food products.What do we know about Meghan’s new brand?Five things about Harry and Meghan’s brand revampWhy did Harry and Meghan leave the Royal Family?There seemed to be have been something of a re-launch for Meghan and husband Prince Harry’s brands and businesses this year, beginning with the overhaul of their regal-looking website under the sussex.com label.Their latest projects seem to be moving away from a previous focus on their time as working royals, such as their Netflix film Harry and Meghan and Prince Harry’s memoir Spare.The hint about the strawberry jam from Meghan’s American Riviera Orchard brand seems to fit with the couple’s latest Netflix plans.Meghan is going to launch a Netflix show which will “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining, and friendship”.Prince Harry will be involved in another Netflix venture showing the inside track on the world of polo. That’s the equestrian sport, not the mints.Delfina Blaquier, married to Prince Harry’s polo-playing friend Nacho Figueras, also posted a picture of the new jam, with hers labelled “10 of 50”.The social media trail for American Riviera Orchard evokes a sense of the couple’s home in California – and this soft launch for the jam show pictures of the jars in a sunny basket of lemons.It’s not known how much items from the new lifestyle brand will cost. Although there are already plenty of other royals getting into jams. Visitors to the gift shops in royal palaces can get a Buckingham Palace Strawberry Preserve for £3.95 or Windsor Castle Fine Cut Seville Orange Marmalade, also for £3.95.On both sides of the Atlantic they seem to be conserving their finances.Related TopicsUK Royal FamilyMeghan, Duchess of SussexMore on this storyWhat we know about Meghan’s regal lifestyle brandPublished16 MarchMeghan launches surprise new lifestyle brandPublished14 MarchTop StoriesMPs back smoking ban for those born after 2009Published8 minutes agoMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished2 hours agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished7 hours agoFeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlinePlaying Coachella after cancer emotional, says DJHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Nursery boss ‘killed baby she strapped to beanbag’2Birmingham Airport flights disrupted by incident3Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge4First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed5MPs back smoking ban for those born after 20096Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference7Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames8Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline9Marten a ‘lioness’ who ‘loved her cubs’, court told10Sons of McCartney and Lennon release joint single

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSupreme Court hears 6 Jan case that may hit Trump trialPublished2 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS Capitol riotsImage source, Brent StirtonImage caption, Hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol after holding a “Stop the Steal” rally on 6 January, 2021By Nadine YousifBBC NewsThe US Supreme Court have begun hearing a case that could undo charges for those who stormed the Capitol in 2021. It focuses on whether a 2002 federal law created to prevent corporate misconduct could apply to individuals involved in the 6 January riots. More than 350 people have been charged in the incident under that law, which carries a 20-year prison penalty.Donald Trump faces the same charge in the pending federal case accusing him of election interference. The law makes it a crime to “corruptly” obstruct or impede an official proceeding. On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justices heard two hours of arguments over the law’s interpretation. However, it remained unclear how they would rule. A lawyer for a man who stormed the Capitol and was prosecuted under the law argued before the Justices that “a host of felony and misdemeanour” crimes already exist to prosecute his clients actions.The 2002 law passed in the wake of the Enron accounting scandal, Jeffrey Green said, was not one of them. US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar counterargued that rioters deliberately attempted “to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the election,” therefore obstructing an official proceeding. Both fielded sceptical questions from the Justices. At one point, Mr Green argued that there is no historical precedent in which the law was used to prosecute demonstrators.Justice Sonia Sotomayor replied: “We’ve never had a situation before where (there was an attempt) to stop a proceeding violently, so I am not sure what a lack of history proves.”On the other hand, Ms Prelogar fielded questions from Justice Neil Gorusch on whether the law could then be stretched to apply to a “sit-in that disrupts a trial” or “a heckler” at the State of the Union Address. “Would pulling a fire alarm before a vote qualify for 20 years in federal prison?” he asked, appearing to reference an incident in which Jamaal Bowman, Democrat House representative, pressed a fire alarm in the Capitol.How the top court rules could have wide-ranging effects on the hundreds of people charged, convicted or sentenced under the law, as well as the prosecution of Mr Trump. Here is a breakdown of the key players and the law being argued: What is the 2002 federal law at the centre of the trial?The law is called the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. It was passed in response to the Enron scandal in the early 2000s, after it was exposed that those involved had engaged in massive fraud and shredding documents. It criminalizes the destruction of evidence – like records or documents. But it also penalises anyone who “otherwise obstructs, influences or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so.” How has it been used in response to the 6 January riots?Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) has brought obstruction charges against those who participated in the storming of the Capitol. Federal prosecutors argue they did so to impede Congress’ certification of the presidential electoral vote count to cement Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election. Therefore, the latter portion of the law that deals with obstructing an “official proceeding” would apply, the DoJ says. Who is challenging the law’s use in this case, and why? The Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to the law’s application brought forward by a former Pennsylvania police officer.Joseph Fischer was charged under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with obstruction of a congressional proceeding on 6 January, as well as assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct. His lawyers argue that prosecutors overreached with applying the Act, which they say deals explicitly with destroying or tampering with evidence integral to an investigation. Those who challenge the law’s application in 6 January cases also argue that a broad interpretation of the law would allow the prosecution of lobbyists or protestors who disrupt matters in Congress.How could the Supreme Court ruling impact Trump?The former president is charged under the very same law in a federal case accusing him of working to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Mr Biden.If Supreme Court justices rule that the law does not apply to the 6 January rioters, Mr Trump could seek dismissal of half the charges he faces in that case.It also could be seen as a political win for the former president, who is seeking re-election in November, as he repeatedly has accused prosecutors of overreach. A final ruling is not expected until June. Related TopicsUS Capitol riotsDonald TrumpMore on this storySupreme Court to hear appeal over Capitol riot chargePublished13 December 2023A very simple guide to Trump’s indictmentsPublished25 August 2023Supreme Court asked to rule on Trump’s immunityPublished12 December 2023Top StoriesMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished1 hour agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished5 hours agoNo liberty in addiction, says health secretary on smoking banPublished4 minutes agoFeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlineMeteorite ‘repeatedly transformed’ on space journeyHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? 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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaNational Conservatism Conference: Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels eventPublished4 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Nigel Farage said the decision to shut the conference down was as an attempt to stifle free speechBy Nick Beake in Brussels and Laura GozziBBC NewsBrussels police have been ordered to shut down a conference attended by right-wing politicians across Europe, including Nigel Farage and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.Organisers say the National Conservatism Conference in the Belgian capital is continuing, but guests are no longer allowed to enter. Local authorities had raised concerns over public safety.A UK spokeswoman called reports of police action “extremely disturbing”. She said that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was a “strong supporter and advocator for free speech” and that he was “very clear that cancelling events or preventing attendance and no-platforming speakers is damaging to free speech and to democracy as a result”.Alexander De Croo, the Belgian prime minister, said that the shutting down of the conference was “unacceptable”.Referring to the fact that it was the local mayor, Emir Kir, who opposed the conference, Mr De Croo added that while municipal autonomy was a cornerstone of Belgium’s democracy it could “never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech”. “Banning political meetings is unconstitutional. Full stop,” Mr De Croo wrote on X.In a message to organisers, Mr Kir had said some of the attendees of Tuesday’s conference held anti-gay and anti-abortion views. “Among these personalities there are several particularly from the right-conservative, religious right and European extreme right,” his statement said.Mr Kir also wrote on X: “The far right is not welcome.”Nigel Farage, who took to the stage this morning, told the BBC the decision to close down the conference because there were homophobes in the audience was “cobblers”, and that he condemned the decision as an attempt to stifle free speech. “Thank God For Brexit”, he said.Organised by a think-tank called the Edmund Burke Foundation, the National Conservatism Conference is a global movement which espouses what it describes as traditional values, which it claims are being “undermined and overthrown”. It also opposes further European integration.The conference said it aimed to bring together “public figures, journalists, scholars and students” who understood the connection between conservatism and the idea of nationhood and national traditions. French far-right politician Eric Zemmour, arriving for the conference after police had blocked the entrance, told journalists that Mr Kir was “using the police as a private militia to prevent… Europeans from taking part freely”.Organisers said Mr Zemmour was not allowed into the venue and that his address would be postponed.Former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman and far-right French politician Eric Zemmour were listed as keynote speakers. The National Conservatism Conference reportedly started around 08:00 (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday and carried on for three hours until police showed up and asked the organisers to make attendees leave.Later, organisers wrote on X: “The police are not letting anyone in. People can leave, but they cannot return. Delegates have limited access to food and water, which are being prevented from delivery. Is this what city mayor Emir Kir is aiming for?”Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki were due to speak tomorrow. Earlier, the organisers said on X that they would challenge the order to shut the conference down. “The police entered the venue on our invitation, saw the proceedings and the press corps, and quickly withdrew. Is it possible they witnessed how peaceful the event is?,” they wrote on X.The Claridge event space – located near Brussels’s European Quarter – can host up to 850 people. Around 250 people were in attendance on Tuesday afternoon.Mohamed Nemri, the owner of Claridge, told the BBC he had decided to host the event because “we don’t reject any party…. even if we don’t have the same opinion. That’s normal”.”I am Muslim and people have different opinion and that’s it. We are living in a freedom country. I’d like to people to talk freely,” he added.It is the third venue that was supposed to hold the event, after the previous two fell through. Belgian media reported that one venue pulled out after pressure by a group called the “Antifascist coordination of Belgium”.Related TopicsBelgiumTop StoriesMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished43 minutes agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished5 hours agoLive. US expects to impose further sanctions on Iran ‘in the coming days’FeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlineMeteorite ‘repeatedly transformed’ on space journeyHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge2First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed3Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference4Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline5Superdry boss hits back at ‘not cool’ criticism6Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames7MPs to vote on smoking ban for those born after 20098Stabbed TV presenter ‘feeling much better’9Sons of McCartney and Lennon release joint single10Baby hurt in Sydney stabbing out of intensive care

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaNasa says part of International Space Station crashed into Florida homePublished40 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, NASAImage caption, The recovered object was part of a stanchion used to mount batteries to a cargo palletBy Max MatzaBBC NewsUS space agency Nasa confirmed that an object that crashed into a home in Florida earlier this month was part of the International Space Station (ISS). The metal object was jettisoned from the orbiting outpost in March 2021, Nasa said on Monday after analysing the sample at the Kennedy Space Center.The 1.6lb (0.7kg) metal object tore through two layers of ceiling after re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. Homeowner Alejandro Otero said his son was nearly injured by the impact. Nasa said the object was part of some 5,800lbs of hardware that was dumped by the station after it had new lithium-ion batteries installed. “The hardware was expected to fully burn up during entry through Earth’s atmosphere on March 8, 2024. However, a piece of hardware survived and impacted a home in Naples, Florida,” the agency said.The debris was determined to be part of a stanchion used to mount batteries on a cargo pallet. The object, made from metal alloy Inconel, has dimensions of 4in by 1.6in (10.1cm by 4cm).Mr Otero told CBS affiliate Wink-TV that the device created a “tremendous sound” as it blasted into his home.”It almost hit my son. He was two rooms over and heard it all,” he said.”I was shaking. I was completely in disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage,” Mr Otero continued.”I’m super grateful that nobody got hurt.”According to Nasa, the ISS will “perform a detailed investigation” on how the debris survived burn-up.What’s the risk of being hit by falling space debris?Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s more space junkSpace junk has been a growing a problem. Earlier this month, sky watchers in California watched mysterious golden streaks moving through the night sky.US officials later determined that the light show was caused by burning debris from a Chinese rocket re-entering earth’s orbit.In February, a Chinese satellite known as “Object K” burned up as it re-entered the atmosphere over Hawaii.Last year, a barnacle-covered giant metal dome found on a Western Australian beach was identified as a component of an Indian rocket. There are plans to display it alongside chunks of Nasa’s Skylab, which crashed in Australia in 1979. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Object thought to be a satellite burns up on re-entering Earth’s atmosphereRelated TopicsSpace debrisNasaFloridaUnited StatesMore on this storyIs it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s more space junkPublished3 AprilRobot dog trains to walk on Moon in Oregon trialsPublished3 days agoTop StoriesMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished50 minutes agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished4 hours agoLive. US expects to impose further sanctions on Iran ‘in the coming days’FeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlineMeteorite ‘repeatedly transformed’ on space journeyHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge2First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed3Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference4Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline5Superdry boss hits back at ‘not cool’ criticism6Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames7MPs to vote on smoking ban for those born after 20098Stabbed TV presenter ‘feeling much better’9Baby hurt in Sydney stabbing out of intensive care10Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice forever

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaFormer Marine jailed for nine years for bombing abortion clinicPublished7 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS abortion debateImage source, CBSBy Max MatzaBBC NewsA former US Marine has been jailed for nine years for firebombing a California Planned Parenthood clinic and plotting other attacks to spark a “race war”.Chance Brannon, 24, pleaded guilty to the March 2022 attack on the healthcare clinic, which provides abortions in some of its locations.He also plotted to attack Jewish people and an LGBT pride event taking place at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. At the time of his arrest, he was an active duty member of the US Marines. Prosecutors said Brannon was a neo-Nazi who frequently spoke of “cleansing” the US of “particular ethnic groups”. In November, Brannon pleaded guilty to conspiracy, destruction of property, possession of an explosive and intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility.Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, said the attack “was designed to terrorise patients seeking reproductive healthcare and the people who provide it”.The explosion damaged the front entrance to the clinic in Costa Mesa, Orange County. No one was injured.However, Mehtab Syed, of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said Brannon’s “deep-rooted hatred and extremist views… could have killed innocent people”. Mr Syed added that Brannon plotted to rob Jewish residents in the Hollywood Hills, and had also discussed plans to attack the power grid. Further to this, in 2022, Mr Syed said Brannon, of San Juan Capistrano, placed calls to two US “adversaries” hoping to offer himself as a “mole” providing US intelligence.Two co-defendants, Tibet Ergul and Xavier Batten, have pleaded guilty to similar charges and will be sentenced next month.According to the National Abortion Federation, a group representing US abortion providers, there was a “sharp increase” in violence against clinics in 2022. Related TopicsAbortionUS abortion debateUnited StatesCaliforniaMore on this storyWhat is Planned Parenthood?Published25 September 2015Top StoriesMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished53 minutes agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished3 hours agoLive. Israel demands sanctions on Iranian missile projectFeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlineMeteorite ‘repeatedly transformed’ on space journeyHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge2Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference3Superdry boss hits back at ‘not cool’ criticism4First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed5Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline6Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames7MPs to vote on smoking ban for those born after 20098Stabbed TV presenter ‘feeling much better’9William to return to duties after Kate diagnosis10Baby hurt in Sydney stabbing out of intensive care