BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAlabama lawmakers race to protect providers of IVFPublished33 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Supporters of IVF have lobbied Alabama lawmakers to act quickly to protect access to the fertility treatment in the stateBy Nadine YousifBBC NewsBoth chambers of Alabama’s legislature have voted to approve bills protecting doctors from prosecution if they damage or destroy an embryo created by in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The House and Senate need to vote on a unified bill before it can enter law. It follows a ruling by the state’s top court that frozen embryos have the same rights as children and people can be held liable for destroying them.The ruling created a legal headache for clinics, many of which pulled services.On Thursday, the Alabama House of Representative passed a bill to provide legal immunity “for death or damage to an embryo to any individual or entity” responsible for providing services related to IVF. Several hours later, the state’s Senate passed a similar measure. A unified bill could be put before both chambers for a vote by next Wednesday, before being sent to Gov Kay Ivey for her approval. Alabama’s legislature pushes to protect IVFWhat does Alabama ruling mean for fertility patients?Both bills come less than two weeks after the ruling by Alabama’s Supreme Court that frozen embryos are considered children, which was met with backlash by medical experts, IVF mothers and reproductive advocacy groups. It has also divided devout Christians in the state, some of whom celebrated it as “a beautiful defence of life”, while others worried it could lead to restrictions for fertility patients who want to have children. The response has sent lawmakers scrambling to protect access to fertility treatments. It has also sparked political debates on women’s reproductive rights and how the beginning of life is defined by the state. The Republican-majority House passed its bill overwhelmingly with a vote of 94-6 after nearly three hours of debate, during which some lawmakers expressed concern that it could undermine Alabama’s status as a pro-life state.Mark Gidley, a Republican representative, said he was worried the bill is a “knee-jerk reaction” to the court ruling, and that it is important the law recognise that frozen embryos are human life.Another, Ernie Yarbough, asked if it is “possible to do IVF in a pro-life way that treats embryos as children”. Others, like Democrat representative Mary Moore, disagreed with the court’s ruling and said it is important to protect IVF treatments as they help many families who otherwise could not have children.Similar debates broke out in the state’s Senate. One senator, Republican Larry Stutts, described the issue as a “moral quandary”, but noted that discarded embryos through IVF are a “small percentage” compared to the ones that are used or kept. Lawmakers also heard from women undergoing fertility treatments, one of whom testified before a House committee that she had spent nearly $400,000 (£317,000) on IVF and that she hopes that the money was not wasted.Terri Collins, a Republican representative who initially brought the House bill forward, said her aim was to “at least keep the clinics open and the families moving forward” while lawmakers work on a longer-term solution. “This solution is for opening the clinics right away, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” she said.Related TopicsFertilityRepublican PartyIVFAlabamaMore on this storyAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellPublished6 days ago’Fewer children will be born’: Alabama embryo ruling divides devout ChristiansPublished4 days agoFour ways the end of Roe v Wade has changed AmericaPublished24 June 2023Top StoriesLive. Counting begins after polls close in Rochdale by-electionMore than 100 reported killed in crowd near Gaza aid convoyPublished5 hours agoSarah Everard killer should never have been police officer, says inquiryPublished7 hours agoFeaturesAnalysis: A royal dilemma as public curiosity over Kate growsChecking Israel’s claim to have killed 10,000 Hamas fightersMore than 30,000 killed in Gaza, health ministry saysWatch: Hairy Biker Dave Myers rides on to Ready Steady Cook. 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[ad_1] It follows a ruling by the state’s top court that frozen embryos are considered children.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAlabama’s legislature pushes to protect IVF after court rulingPublished33 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Some hospitals and clinics pulled fertility services after the court ruling on 16 February (file image)By Nomia Iqbal & Alex LedermanBBC News, AlabamaRepublicans in Alabama will introduce a bill designed to protect access to IVF treatment, after a court ruling cast doubt on its availability.The state’s top court ruled earlier this month that frozen embryos have the same rights as children and people can be held liable for destroying them.While it did not ban or restrict IVF, it created a legal headache for clinics and some pulled their services.The bill is expected to be introduced in the Alabama Senate on Tuesday.Republicans hold a majority in the chamber and Senator Tim Melson, who is putting forward the bill, said he was confident “reasonable minds” would come together to pass it.Mr Melson, who is also a doctor, told the BBC that the issue became his priority after “a lot of people came into my office in Montgomery and explained that this is the only option they have for a family and it’s in jeopardy”.”We need to make sure that clinics are not put in jeopardy for manslaughter, or some criminal homicide or negligent homicide when an unused embryo is discarded,” he said. “I think we need to make it clear that when embryos are discarded, it was because it was not the optimal embryo to use.”Alabama’s attorney general earlier said he had no intention of prosecuting clinics, but many are still waiting for legal clarity.Mr Melson expects the bill to progress quickly. “It’ll get introduced on Tuesday, be in a committee on Wednesday and then on the special order calendar on Thursday,” he said.The whole process should take two to three weeks, he said, before the bill is eventually signed into law by the governor.Image caption, Republican Senator Tim Melson put forward a bill which is set to be introduced on TuesdayA separate bill was put forward by Democrats in the Alabama House shortly after the ruling on 16 February. That bill states that any fertilised embryo outside a uterus is not an unborn child. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, who introduced the bill, told the BBC it “essentially pauses the Supreme Court decision” and makes it law that “a fertilised embryo cannot be considered a child”.”Alabama is ground zero,” he said. “Those other countries and other places that consider themselves to be extremely conservative could follow suit. And so we must address this head on.”His office told the BBC that it received more than 600 emails related to IVF in the 48 hours after he introduced the bill.Mr Daniels said he “sees an opportunity for Democrats to have a seat at the table in addressing this issue”. That’s often not the case, with Democrats outnumbered in the Alabama by a significant margin.”If we don’t have a seat at the table, then we’re going to be very vocal,” he said.But given the Republican supermajority in Alabama’s legislature, Mr Melson’s bill is much more likely to pass than Mr Daniels’.The Republican bill is not likely to fully oppose the Supreme Court ruling, in order to avoid alienating conservatives who believe an embryo is a human life regardless of its location. But crucially it has to also satisfy those who disagree with the ruling and its implications.”I know my bill works,” Mr Melson said. “I’ll be glad to listen to the House bill. But I know mine works. And that’s after talking with some of the greatest minds in Montgomery.”Among those minds are legislative experts, lawyers and physicians.’Fewer children will be born’: Alabama embryo ruling divides devout ChristiansWhat does Alabama ruling mean for fertility patients?Clinics pause IVF treatments over court rulingOne of the doctors is Beth Malizia, the co-founder of Alabama Fertility Specialists which has put new IVF treatments on hold.”I’ve spoken with Senators,” she said. “I’ve spoken with many, many people in that area to offer our support and whatever we can do to help them to move this process along. So, I’m feeling cautiously optimistic.”Meanwhile, Eric Johnston, the president of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition, told the BBC he has been speaking to lawmakers about finding a legislative solution.”If we can have an agreement between the pro-life community and the medical community, then the bill will be introduced in the legislature,” he said. “It will go through the processes very quickly and can be done within two weeks once we come to an agreement.”There are broader political considerations in passing legislation too, especially for Republicans.The court decision in Alabama risks setting up a political backlash heading into the November presidential election. It threatens to undermine the party’s attempts to court suburban women and independent voters, especially those who are already uncomfortable with abortion restrictions.Democrats, meanwhile, have said the ruling is a major reason for voters to come out in support of them. They believe the reproductive rights debate includes increasing concerns over access to medication, care and now IVF treatment.Former President Donald Trump, the clear front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination, called on Alabama lawmakers to preserve access to the treatment. Has that pressure impacted Republicans? Mr Melson is emphatic it has not.”No. No… President Biden came out, Nikki Haley commented. And if they thought we should go the opposite way, I’m still going to do what I think is right,” he said.Is he worried about losing votes if Republicans do not get it right?”‘I’m not worried about it. Every decision we make, I’m sure we lose votes,” he said. “And you know, it’s okay. Let’s just get it right.”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 storyTrump calls on Alabama to protect IVF treatmentPublished3 days agoWhat does Alabama ruling mean for fertility patients?Published5 days agoAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellPublished4 days agoTop StoriesPost Office boss under investigation, claims ex-chairPublished22 minutes agoLive. ‘We keep our bags packed in case we need to flee’: Follow daily life in GazaPrince William pulls out of memorial service due to ‘personal matter’Published4 hours agoFeatures’Who will call me Dad?’ Tears of Gaza father who lost 103 relativesWhy firms are racing to produce green ammoniaSecondary school places: What parents need to knowWalkers spot ‘breathtaking’ cloud inversionsThe young refusing to become Myanmar’s ‘human shields’Hear the fish louder than a jackhammer. 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[ad_1] Republicans will introduce a bill designed to protect access, after a court ruling cast doubt on its availability.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAlabama IVF ruling divides devout Christians: ‘Fewer children will be born’Published3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Ian DruceImage caption, Margaret Boyce was days away from her first appointment for IVF when Alabama made its rulingBy Nomia IqbalBBC News in Birmingham, AlabamaWhen Alabama’s Supreme Court defined frozen embryos as children, the shock and confusion was immediate. Major hospitals pulled fertility services and would-be parents scrambled for clarity on what would happen next.The debate over reproductive rights in America has long been driven, in part, by opposition to abortion from Christian groups – but this ruling has divided that movement and ignited debate about the role of theology in US lawmaking.Margaret Boyce is soft-spoken, a private person, and certainly not – in her words – a “crier”.She had been taking fertility drugs for 10 months and was days away from her first appointment for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) when the justices of Alabama’s top court upended her life.Their ruling, which prompted many fertility clinics to pause their work, has left her turning to the Bible daily for comfort.The 32-year-old and her husband have a young boy but, second time round, she is experiencing unexplained infertility. Building a family has always been the dream.”I’m one of three. I feel like it’s the greatest gift to give your child a sibling,” she said.”The journey to becoming parents is different for every single couple – mentally, emotionally and financially,” she added, welling up.”This ruling has added more unnecessary anxiety to something that is already so hard.”For a devout Christian like Margaret, the ruling – given its consequences for what she sees clearly as a process to create life – is even more difficult to comprehend.”God,” she said, “tells you to go forth and be fruitful and multiply.”What is the ruling and what does it mean for fertility patients?IVF is a difficult and lengthy treatment, involving the fertilisation of a woman’s eggs with sperm in a lab to create a microscopic embryo. The fertilised embryo is then transferred into a woman’s uterus, where it may create a pregnancy – but a successful outcome is not guaranteed.Embryos are often frozen or eventually destroyed as part of IVF, which accounts for around 2% of US pregnancies.The Alabama court ruled that an existing law – wrongful death of a minor – covers not just foetuses in the womb, but embryos held in a lab or storage facility too.It did not explicitly restrict or ban IVF, but it has still created deep uncertainty for clinics and medical workers who handle embryos and fear prosecution. In recent days the office of the state’s attorney general said he had “no intention” of pursuing criminal charges against IVF clinics – but one clinic told the BBC this statement lacked detail and did not quell their fears.While the majority of the justices rooted their ruling in law, Chief Justice Tom Parker also had a higher authority in mind, repeatedly invoking scripture in explaining his decision.The people of Alabama, he wrote in a concurring opinion, had adopted a “theologically-based view of the sanctity of life” in their state constitution.Image source, Supeme Court of AlabamaImage caption, Chief Justice Tom Parker, of the Alabama Supreme CourtDelving into religious sources from classic Christian theologians like St. Thomas Aquinas and also a modern conservative Christian manifesto, he concluded that “even before birth, all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory”.Some anti-abortion groups celebrated the explicit use of scripture in Justice Parker’s opinion to justify what for them was a momentous decision. Tony Perkins, president of evangelical activist group the Family Research Council, described it as “a beautiful defence of life”.But the chief justice’s theocratic justification has left Margaret puzzled. She doesn’t believe in abortion but she also struggles to see a frozen embryo as a living person. For her, life begins with a heartbeat.”Nobody understands more that an embryo is not a child,” she said, before taking a pause, “than the person yearning for that embryo to be a child.”US courts do sometimes make decisions that seem to be based on religious premises, said Meredith Render, a professor at the University of Alabama School of Law.But, she added, “rarely do you see it as explicitly stated” as in the chief justice’s opinion.Alabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellTrump calls on Alabama to protect IVF treatment The ruling was however “not an outlier” for a conservative court in a red state, said Kelly Baden, the vice president for public policy at the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion legislation across the US. “We do see that many elected officials and judges alike are often coming at this debate from a highly religious lens,” she said.While the Alabama state Supreme Court is not appointed by the US president, more than 200 judges were appointed by Donald Trump to federal courts during his four-year term, winning him lasting support from American evangelicals.During his presidency he was able to nominate three new justices to the nine-member Supreme Court – all of whom sided with the majority in striking down the 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had guaranteed a federal right to abortion.Since that decision in 2022 re-opened a national battle over reproductive rights, courts in Missouri have quoted Biblical teachings to justify restricting abortion rights and a Trump-appointed judge in Texas who previously worked for a Christian legal organisation tried to impose a nationwide ban on Mifepristone, a commonly used abortion pill.While many Republican politicians comfortably agree with such rulings, restrictions on abortion imposed by conservative courts have proved a potent campaign issue for Democrats in recent elections, including the 2022 midterms. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Donald Trump has said he supports the availability of IVF treatment, calling on Alabama to find “an immediate solution”The Alabama decision, made by Republican judges and affecting fertility treatments widely supported by the US public, went one step further, prompting immediate fear of a political backlash in a presidential election year. Any sign of IVF being endangered could worsen the anger that’s already cost Republicans since the fall of Roe v Wade, especially among suburban women and those who are uncomfortable with abortion bans.Donald Trump himself, the clear frontrunner in the Republican nomination race, came out strongly in support of IVF, calling on Alabama lawmakers to preserve access to the treatment. His last remaining rival Nikki Haley at first appeared to support the ruling, but then backtracked.Alabama IVF ruling a political gift for Democrats, headache for Republicans”It’s a win philosophically for the pro-life movement because it carries on the pro-life recognition of unborn life,” said Eric Johnston, president of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition. “But you get into a very difficult situation, where you have this medical procedure that’s accepted by most people, and then how do you deal with it? That’s the dilemma.”I agree with the opinion overall – I think it’s well written opinion from the legal side and from the medical side,” he added. “But I think the pro-life community in general supports IVF, and I’ve known and worked with many people who have had children via IVF. And at the same time, they think abortion is wrong. This issue is so different from abortion, but it has to do with life.”What next for fertility patients in Alabama and beyond?For patients in the deep-south state, the last week has been one of panicked phone calls to clinics, emails to local lawmakers and a rush by some to try and transfer frozen embryos out of the state.Rodney Miller, 46, and his wife Mary Leah, 41, spent a decade trying to have children, before IVF allowed them to give birth to a set of twins 18 months ago, who were adopted as frozen embryos.He said he “thanks the Lord for the advances in science and medicine” that made that possible.Image source, Ian DruceImage caption, Rodney Miller warned the ruling could mean fewer children are bornThe couple are now going through the process again, and waiting to see if two embryos transplanted this week will develop into a pregnancy.”This is not a win [for the Christian right],” says Rodney, who works for Carrywell, an organisation that supports families through infertility.”It’s the classic case of you won the battle but lost the war. Fewer children will be born because of this unless things change.”How did we become a state where if you want to terminate a pregnancy, you have to leave the state and if you want to initiate a pregnancy, via IVF you [also] have to leave the state?”Whether the ruling in Alabama influences decisions elsewhere is an open question. Foetal personhood bills, which enshrine the idea that life begins at conception, have been introduced in more than a dozen states. But these bills, while pushing the idea that a foetus or embryo is a person, don’t explicitly relate that to the context of IVF, said Kelly Baden of the Guttmacher Institute.The Alabama ruling – with its implications that go far beyond abortion access – does not therefore constitute a trend, she said.Alabama family lawyer Ashleigh Meyer Dunham, who has used IVF herself, has been working with a large number of cases affected by the ruling. She said she was “terrified” that fertility patients in other states could eventually be affected.Image source, Ian DruceImage caption, Ashleigh Meyer Dunham is worried that more states might make similar rulings”I think the biggest concerns are that people elsewhere forget about us and they think, ‘Oh they’re just the conservative state, and they’re all country bumpkins. Don’t worry it will never happen here.'”And the next thing you know, it is happening in other states that are ultra-conservative.”Because the Alabama ruling involves an interpretation of state, not federal law, it is unlikely to reach the US Supreme Court. Currently a bill is going through the state house in Alabama, introduced by Democrats, which would aim to effectively pause the ruling and allow treatments to resume as before. Republicans are expected to propose their own bill. If they do, they have to find a way to balance a divided religious constituency, with some celebrating the court’s ruling and others disturbed by its potential implications for IVF.Margaret is praying that lawmakers find a solution.”I’m not very outspoken, I keep myself to myself. But if any of my friends or family heard that I was sending emails to every single representative and senator, I think they would be shocked.”She takes a breath.”But this has got me fired up. It is all I can think about now.”Alex Lederman contributed reporting from Alabama. Additional research from Kayla Epstein in New York.Related TopicsIVFAlabamaUnited StatesMore on this storyAlabama clinics pause IVF treatments over court rulingPublished3 days agoWhat does Alabama ruling mean for fertility patients?Published3 days agoTrump calls on Alabama to protect IVF treatmentPublished1 day agoAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellPublished2 days agoTop StoriesDeputy PM declines to say whether MP’s remarks were IslamophobicPublished5 hours agoZelensky says 31,000 troops killed in war in UkrainePublished4 hours ago’Fewer children will be born’: Alabama embryo ruling divides devout ChristiansPublished3 hours agoFeaturesThe converted landmark buildings given new lifeIn pictures: Celebrating the Lantern FestivalDissent is dangerous in Putin’s Russia, but activists refuse to give upThe winners and nominees at the SAG AwardsKim Petras on sexual liberation and fighting TikTokInside the long-abandoned tunnel beneath the ClydeHow a £525 bet gave birth to your morning commuteThe man who tried to eat every animal on Earth. 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[ad_1] After Alabama rules that frozen embryos are children, some fertility patients pray that lawmakers find a solution.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaDefeat to Donald Trump looms over Nikki Haley. So why stay in the race?Published11 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS election 2024Image source, Getty ImagesBy Holly Honderichin Columbia, South CarolinaRepublican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is staring down another resounding loss to Donald Trump, this time in her home state of South Carolina. But Ms Haley has vowed not to quit, raising speculation about the ambitions of her long shot campaign. Three days before the state primary, a crowd of Republican voters in Augusta, South Carolina, packed shoulder-to-shoulder in to the sunny top floor of a municipal building for a Nikki Haley campaign event. As the state’s former governor, Ms Haley gave the gathering an assured and newly combative stump speech. She made frequent and pointed jabs at her rival and the Republican frontrunner, former President Donald Trump – a tactic she had long avoided. “He was literally unhinged,” she said at one point, remarking on his victory speech after the New Hampshire primary. “He’s obsessed with himself,” she added later.In this room at least, Ms Haley’s pitch and criticism of the former president were landing. Her jokes received loud laughs, the applause breaks were long, and at least a dozen voters in attendance told the BBC they were all in on Ms Haley. “She’s got an outstanding record,” said supporter Holt Moran. “She’s just the perfect person.”But again and again, when asked if Ms Haley had a chance of winning the primary – or even another Republican contest down the line – each voter seemed to wince before saying no. “Unfortunately not,” Mr Moran said. Despite her publicly sunny outlook, the packed events, and beaming crowds, it will be nearly impossible for Ms Haley to find a path to the nomination. She has lost every contest to Mr Trump so far, and is likely to do so again on Saturday, this time in her home state. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: How has Haley’s tone on Trump changed?Polls show the former UN ambassador is trailing by nearly 30 points in South Carolina and her odds are even worse in votes to come. Barring a dramatic and unforeseen twist, Mr Trump will – for the third time in a row – be his party’s nominee. But Ms Haley has so far shown no signs of quitting.So is Ms Haley’s enduring campaign a quixotic exercise or – as she says – a principled stand against Mr Trump? Or is she perhaps playing a longer game and laying the groundwork for future political ambitions?’I refuse to quit’With pundits and commentators – and her own party leadership – claiming she is wasting Republicans’ time and money, Ms Haley has struggled to defend her resolve. In Greenville this week, in what her campaign had billed as a “state of the race address,” Ms Haley gave a 26-minute speech devoted entirely to why she still sought the Republican nomination.”I refuse to quit,” she said. “South Carolina will vote on Saturday. But on Sunday, I’ll still be running for president.” There, and in most public appearances since, Ms Haley has cast her enduring campaign as an act of principle, a decision meant to give Republicans an alternative to Mr Trump or President Joe Biden – who she contends are “are the most disliked politicians in America”.”There are 70% of Americans who don’t want another Biden-Trump rematch and 60% of Americans who think Biden and Trump are both too old,” one of Ms Haley’s spokeswomen, Olivia Perez-Cubas said. “They [voters] deserve a better choice.” Image source, Getty ImagesFriends and allies of Ms Haley have insisted that her public remarks are sincere, and that she is focused solely on this year’s Republican nomination. “When you talk to her in private, she says I’m sticking with this,” said Jenny Sanford-McKay, South Carolina’s former first lady and Ms Haley’s friend. “The opportunity for her is now.” Some contend Ms Haley is continuing as a candidate in case Mr Trump, who faces numerous criminal and civil legal challenges, suddenly had to bow out of the race.But Republican strategists have also raised another theory: perhaps Ms Haley is looking four years ahead, with an eye toward the next presidential election in 2028.If that is the plan, Ms Haley’s current campaign would provide her a significant head start, functioning as a nationwide rehearsal for her messaging and fundraising. Even as she trails Mr Trump, Ms Haley has assembled teams in at least a dozen states and planned a seven-figure ad buy ahead of Super Tuesday on 5 March, when Republicans in 16 states will vote. “People will remember her, and that she was a solid candidate,” Ron Bonjean, a political strategist, said.The road aheadDeep-pocketed donors are helping her ongoing efforts by pouring millions of dollars into her campaign, with several saying publicly they see her as a competent counter to Mr Trump’s chaos. In January alone, campaign officials said Ms Haley raised $16.5m (£13m) – her largest monthly total. That money seems to correlate with the energy on the ground. Almost in spite of the steady drum beat of bad polling, on the campaign trial this week Ms Haley appeared relaxed and upbeat, drawing out her tightly-rehearsed stump speeches with new riffs, laughing at her own jokes. The voters in attendance seemed energised too, both about Ms Haley and about leaving Mr Trump behind.”She’s a real path forward,” supporter David Hood said at a campaign event in Georgetown on Thursday. “Trump is an embarrassment.” More on the US electionExplained: A simple guide to the US 2024 electionAnalysis: Where Biden v Trump will be won and lostPolicies: What a Trump second term would look likeEconomy: Voters feel better – will that help Biden?Recap: The Trump story to dateAnother voter, Tim Ferguson said he would be proud to cast his ballot for Ms Haley, after twice voting for Mr Trump. “I’ve always said, after I vote for him I go home and take a shower – I don’t feel right,” he said. But just outside the bubble of Ms Haley’s campaign and her future prospects is the reality of the current Republican Party, with a base still very much devoted to Mr Trump. And, despite sending Ms Haley to the statehouse and then to the governor’s mansion two times over, South Carolina is proving no different. In Lexington County, where Ms Haley lived with her young family when she launched her political career, residents mostly shrugged when asked about their former neighbour’s campaign for president. “I don’t care where somebody’s from,” said Gregg Moore, who owns an antique store in downtown Lexington. “Mr Trump is from New York and Florida. I’m not from New York and Florida, but he has what this country needs and therefore I’m voting for him.” Image source, Getty ImagesMr Moore, like other Lexington County voters who spoke to the BBC, was not particularly critical of Ms Haley. Most said simply she could not compete with the former president, who they believed had proved his mettle in the White House. And it is not just South Carolina’s voters who are lining up behind Mr Trump. The state’s Republican lawmakers and leadership have as well.”We all know it’s Trump’s party at this point, right?” South Carolina Republican strategist and Trump critic Chip Felkel said. That may be true. But for now, as long as there’s money left to spend, Ms Haley can simply carry on. After all, he said, “what has she got to lose?” Related TopicsRepublican PartyNikki HaleyUS election 2024United StatesMore on this storyAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellPublished23 hours agoCan Nikki Haley really stop Donald Trump?Published12 JanuaryNikki Haley won’t quit despite trailing in home statePublished3 days agoTop StoriesTwo years into Russia’s invasion, exhausted Ukrainians refuse to give upPublished5 hours agoLive. Western leaders visit Kyiv as war in Ukraine enters third yearWW2 bomb detonated at sea after days of disruptionPublished54 minutes agoFeatures’King and tonic’ and potential abortion rule changeThe Creator’s Gareth Edwards on shaking up HollywoodThe ‘strange’ story of man who killed a familyIs this the most chaotic by-election ever? 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AudioListen: No Return for Shamima BegumAttributionSoundsTurning regret into action after friends’ deathsElsewhere on the BBCExperience Apollo 11’s adventure first-hand!Discover the awe-inspiring journey of Apollo 11 and its crew with newly released cockpit audioAttributioniPlayerWhat is it really like to be a monk?’To be a monk is something very vast, very high and very beautiful’AttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerThe 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?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1WW2 bomb detonated at sea after days of disruption2Oprah and Nigella deepfaked in influencer ‘manifestation’ ads3King Charles enjoys jokes in cards of support4Strictly’s Dowden says cancer check finds no evidence of disease5Trump calls on Alabama to protect IVF treatment6’King and tonic’ and potential abortion rule change7Two years into Russia’s invasion, exhausted Ukrainians refuse to give up8Labour calls for action over Tory MP Islamist claims9Odysseus Moon lander ‘tipped over on touchdown’10The ‘strange’ story of man who killed a family

[ad_1] Despite her publicly sunny outlook, the packed events, and beaming crowds, it will be nearly impossible for Ms Haley to find a path to the nomination. She has lost…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaTrump calls on Alabama to protect IVF treatment after court rulingPublished3 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS election 2024Image source, EPABy Lisa LambertBBC News, WashingtonDonald Trump has said he supports the availability of IVF treatment, joining a growing number of Republicans who are seeking to distance themselves from an Alabama court ruling on the issue.The state’s top court ruled last week that frozen embryos have the same rights as children and people can be held liable for destroying them.At least three clinics paused IVF treatment in the wake of the ruling.On Friday, Mr Trump called on lawmakers to find “an immediate solution”.”We want to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies, not harder! That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every State in America,” the former president wrote on his Truth Social platform.”[Like] the VAST MAJORITY of Republicans, Conservatives, Christians, and Pro-Life Americans, I strongly support the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby,” he added.His comments were his first on the issue, and signalled his opposition to a ruling which some Republicans fear could harm them electorally by hindering plans to win back suburban women as well as swing voters.What does Alabama ruling mean for fertility patients?IVF row an election-year political bombshellMr Trump is the front-runner to win the Republican nomination for November’s election and arguably the leading voice in the party. In a further sign of the party’s efforts to distance itself from the Alabama ruling, the National Republican Senate Committee, which helps members get elected to Congress, sent out a memo to candidates on Friday which directed them to express support for IVF and “campaign on increasing access” to the treatment. “There are zero Republican Senate candidates who support efforts to restrict access to fertility treatments,” the committee’s executive director, Jason Thielman, wrote in the memo which was obtained by the BBC’s US partner CBS.The memo also cited polling that claimed access to IVF is overwhelmingly popular.A number of Senate candidates, including Kari Lake in Arizona, came out to publicly support access to the treatment after the memo was circulated.Mr Trump’s only challenger for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley, initially appeared to back the ruling after she said she considers frozen embryos to be babies. She later denied that she supported the court’s decision.While the Alabama ruling does not ban or restrict IVF, several medical providers in the state cited fears of legal repercussions as they paused fertility services in recent days.It was made by the state’s Supreme Court and all of its justices are Republican.Democrats are already depicting the Alabama case as what they see as a portent of further assaults on women’s rights if their rivals make headway in the coming general election.Mr Biden said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the Alabama decision was only possible because of the 2022 ruling by the US Supreme Court – which has three Trump appointees – to nullify abortion rights.While many conservatives celebrated the end of Roe v Wade, it proved a potent get-out-the-vote motivator for Democrats and a messaging nightmare for Republicans.Related TopicsUS election 2024AlabamaDonald TrumpUnited StatesMore on this storyAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellPublished10 hours agoWhat does Alabama ruling mean for fertility patients?Published1 day agoTop StoriesWW2 bomb taken through city and out to seaPublished46 minutes agoTrump calls on Alabama to protect IVF treatmentPublished3 minutes agoSpanish police search gutted flats after nine killedPublished13 minutes agoFeaturesWhy jet streams mean ‘piggy-backing’ planes can fly across the Atlantic faster. VideoWhy jet streams mean ‘piggy-backing’ planes can fly across the Atlantic fasterAttributionWeatherFrom crying in the toilets to cycling world titlesFrontline medics count cost of two years of Ukraine warWhat are the sanctions on Russia and are they working?Special year ahead for R&B, says new 1Xtra hostFirst private Moon mission marks new era for space travelThe young Bollywood star taking on HollywoodListen: No Return for Shamima Begum. 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[ad_1] Several clinics paused treatment after a court ruled frozen embryos have the same rights as children.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael’s PM Netanyahu lays out Gaza plan for after the warPublished11 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersImage caption, Under Mr Netanyahu’s plan, Palestinians with no links to armed groups would run GazaBy Jenny HillBBC News, JerusalemIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has laid out his vision for a post-war Gaza. Under his plan Israel would control security indefinitely, and Palestinians with no links to groups hostile to Israel would run the territory. The US, Israel’s major ally, wants the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern Gaza after the war. But the short document – which Mr Netanyahu presented to ministers last night – makes no mention of the PA. He has previously ruled out a post-war role for the internationally backed body. He envisages a “demilitarised” Gaza; Israel would be responsible for removing all military capability beyond that necessary for public order. There would be a “Southern Closure” on the territory’s border with Egypt to prevent smuggling both under- and overground. And “de-radicalisation” programmes would be promoted in all religious, educational and welfare institutions. The document suggests Arab countries with experience of such programmes would be involved, though Mr Netanyahu has not specified which. Why is the Gaza war happening?Under the plan Israel would also maintain security control over the entire area west of Jordan from land, sea and air. Mr Netanyahu has been under pressure – at home and internationally – to publish proposals for Gaza since he began his military operation. He is keen to restore a crumbling reputation as a leader who can keep Israel safe and will want to appeal to right wing hardliners in his coalition government. A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the PA, said Mr Netanyahu’s plan was doomed to fail. Nabil Abu Rudeineh said: “If the world is genuinely interested in having security and stability in the region, it must end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and recognise an independent Palestinian state.” Mr Netanyahu repeated his rejection of any unilateral recognition by Western countries of a Palestinian state.Meanwhile negotiators trying to broker a temporary ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages are expected to meet in Paris. The US wants a deal in place before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in just over a fortnight. And, as the humanitarian situation worsens in Gaza, there is international pressure too for the war to end. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health reports that more than 29,500 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since the war began in October.Israel’s military offensive was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on 7 October in which gunmen killed about 1,200 people – mainly civilians – and took 253 back to Gaza as hostages.Overnight the head of the UN body responsible for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) warned that Gaza faces a “monumental disaster with grave implications for regional peace, security and human rights”.Mr Netanyahu – who has accused Unrwa workers of participating in the October attacks – aims to close the agency as part of his post-war plan and replace it with – as yet unspecified – international aid organisations. And he has insisted that he will continue his war until Israel has dismantled Hamas and Islamic Jihad – the second largest armed group in Gaza – and all Israeli hostages are returned. Related TopicsIsrael-Gaza warIsraelHamasMore on this storyHuge challenges for Israel on its vague ‘day after’ Gaza planPublished6 JanuaryTop StoriesLive. Thousands evacuated in Plymouth before unexploded WW2 bomb movedShamima Begum loses bid to regain UK citizenshipPublished1 hour agoLive. Death toll rises after huge fire in Valencia apartment blocksFeaturesThe ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AIWeekly quiz: What word did Emma Stone have trouble saying?Frontline medics count cost of two years of Ukraine warDozens of cars pile up after icy Chinese highway crash. 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[ad_1] And, as the humanitarian situation worsens in Gaza, there is international pressure too for the war to end. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health reports that more than 29,500 people,…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUS targets Russia with more than 500 new sanctionsPublished29 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, Getty ImagesBy George WrightBBC NewsThe United States has announced more than 500 new sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and the death in custody of the opposition figure Alexei Navalny.The sanctions target people connected to Navalny’s imprisonment and Russia’s war machine, President Joe Biden said.Export restrictions will be imposed on nearly 100 firms or individuals.The EU also announced sanctions, which Moscow responded to by banning EU officials from entering Russia.It is unclear what impact the sanctions will have on Russia’s economy.In a statement, President Biden said the sanctions “will ensure” Russian President Vladimir Putin “pays an even steeper price for his aggression abroad and repression at home”.The sanctions mark a week since Navalny suddenly died in an Arctic Circle jail. Mr Biden has said there can be “no doubt” the Russian president was to blame.The sanctions also come on the eve of the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”Two years ago, he tried to wipe Ukraine off the map. If Putin does not pay the price for his death and destruction, he will keep going,” Mr Biden said in the statement. On Friday, the EU also announced its own raft of sanctions on nearly 200 companies and people accused of helping Russia procure weapons, or of involvement in kidnapping Ukrainian children, something Moscow denies.They included 10 Russian companies and individuals involved in the shipping of North Korean armaments to Russia, including North Korea’s defence minister. The EU has now listed more than 2,000 individuals since the war started.In response, Russia’s foreign ministry said it had significantly expanded a list of EU officials and politicians banned from entering Russia.”The European Union is continuing its fruitless attempts to put pressure on Russia through unilateral restrictive measures,” it said in a statement.Related TopicsEuropeWar in UkraineInternational sanctionsRussiaAlexei NavalnyMoscowVladimir PutinUkraineRussia sanctionsMore on this storyRussia superyacht symbolises challenge of seizing assetsPublished20 September 2023Inside the capture of a Russian oligarch’s superyachtPublished11 November 2022Owners of firms behind UK properties stay hiddenPublished7 February 2023Top StoriesLive. Thousands evacuated in Plymouth before unexploded WW2 bomb movedShamima Begum loses bid to regain UK citizenshipPublished50 minutes agoLive. Many missing as deadly fire in Valencia devastates apartment blockFeaturesThe ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AIWeekly quiz: What word did Emma Stone have trouble saying?Frontline medics count cost of two years of Ukraine warDozens of cars pile up after icy Chinese highway crash. VideoDozens of cars pile up after icy Chinese highway crashBengal famine: Searching for lost voices from WW2’s forgotten tragedyWhile energy cap has fallen, standing charges are going upThe young Bollywood star taking on HollywoodWATCH: Bodycam footage from Rust shooting aftermath. VideoWATCH: Bodycam footage from Rust shooting aftermathAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellElsewhere on the BBCWhat holds us back from exercising as we age?James Gallagher explores the mental and physical barriers that may stop usAttributionSoundsThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsDo you really know when historic events happened?Take the mind-boggling time quiz and find outAttributionBitesizeThe Swedish furniture king’s billionaire lifestyleDeconstructing IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad and his eccentric way of livingAttributionSoundsMost Read1Mansplaining TikTok reaction ‘crazy’, says golf pro2Coronation Street actor John Savident dies aged 863Shamima Begum loses bid to regain UK citizenship4US targets Russia with more than 500 new sanctions5Miss Moneypenny actress Pamela Salem dies aged 806Fossil reveals 240 million year-old ‘dragon’7Israel threatens to withdraw from Eurovision8Typical energy bill to fall £238 a year from April9American company makes historic Moon landing10Masterful Root hundred rallies England in RanchiAttributionSport

[ad_1] The new restrictions are related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the death of Alexei Navalny.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaGermany set to legalise cannabis, but it’s complicatedPublished50 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Omer Messinger/Getty ImagesImage caption, Police in some areas of Germany, including Berlin, already turn a blind eye to smoking of cannabis in publicBy Damien McGuinnessBBC News, BerlínThe German parliament is about to vote on a new law to allow the recreational use of cannabis. If MPs vote yes, over 18s in Germany will be allowed to possess substantial amounts of cannabis, but strict rules will make it difficult to buy the drug.Smoking cannabis in many public spaces would then become legal from 1 April.Possession of up to 25g, or almost an ounce, would be allowed in public spaces, and in private homes the legal upper limit would be 50g.Already police in some parts of Germany, such as Berlin, often turn a blind eye to smoking in public, although possession of the drug for recreational use is illegal and can be prosecuted. 

Use of the drug among young people has been soaring for years despite the existing law, says Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who is instigating the reforms.He wants to undermine the black market, protect smokers from contaminated cannabis and cut revenue streams for organised crime gangs. But legal cannabis cafes will not suddenly spring up all over the country. A ferocious debate about decriminalising cannabis has been raging for years in Germany, with doctors’ groups expressing concerns for young people and conservatives saying that liberalisation will fuel drug use. As so often in Germany, the resulting bill being voted on by MPs is complicated. Smoking cannabis in some areas, such as near schools and sports grounds, will still be illegal. Crucially, the market will be strictly regulated so buying the drug will not be easy. Original plans to allow licensed shops and pharmacies to sell cannabis have been scrapped over EU concerns that this could lead to a surge in drug exports. Instead, non-commercial members’ clubs, dubbed “cannabis social clubs”, will grow and distribute a limited amount of the drug. Each club will have an upper limit of 500 members, consuming cannabis onsite will not be allowed, and membership will only be available to German residents. Growing your own cannabis will also be permitted, with up to three marijuana plants allowed per household.This means that Germany could be in the paradoxical position of allowing possession of rather large amounts of the drug – 25g is the equivalent of dozens of strong joints – while at the same time making it difficult to purchase. Regular smokers would benefit, but occasional users would struggle to buy it legally and tourists would be excluded. Critics say this will simply fuel the black market.Over the next few years, the government wants to assess the impact of the new law, and eventually introduce the licensed sale of cannabis.But given how tortuous the debate has been so far, nothing is certain.Meanwhile, opposition conservatives say that if they get into government next year, they will scrap the law entirely. Germany is unlikely to become Europe’s new Amsterdam anytime soon. Related TopicsGermanyDrug legalisationLegality of cannabisMore on this storyCannabis clubs plan dilutes German drugs reformsPublished12 April 2023Biden grants pardons for certain marijuana offencesPublished22 December 2023Has Canada’s legal cannabis industry gone to pot?Published17 October 2023US agency recommends looser marijuana restrictionsPublished31 August 2023Top StoriesLive. Shamima Begum loses appeal over UK citizenshipLive. Many missing as deadly fire in Valencia devastates apartment blockCoronation Street actor John Savident dies aged 86Published8 minutes agoFeaturesThe ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AIWeekly quiz: What word did Emma Stone have trouble saying?Frontline medics count cost of two years of Ukraine warFinding the last survivors of the Bengal famineWhile energy cap has fallen, standing charges are going upThe young Bollywood star taking on HollywoodRust movie shooting: Moments from armourer trial. VideoRust movie shooting: Moments from armourer trialAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellWitnesses recount horror of Valencia tower block fire. VideoWitnesses recount horror of Valencia tower block fireElsewhere on the BBCWhat holds us back from exercising as we age?James Gallagher explores the mental and physical barriers that may stop usAttributionSoundsThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsIconic roles, from the Doctor to Malcolm Tucker!Peter Capaldi reflects on his 40-year career and what he’s learned from his life so farAttributionSoundsThe Swedish furniture king’s billionaire lifestyleDeconstructing IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad and his eccentric way of livingAttributionSoundsMost Read1Coronation Street actor John Savident dies aged 862Miss Moneypenny actress Pamela Salem dies aged 803Israel threatens to withdraw from Eurovision4Fossil reveals 240 million year-old ‘dragon’5Biden meets Alexei Navalny’s widow and daughter6Typical energy bill to fall £238 a year from April7The ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AI8Masterful Root hundred rallies England in RanchiAttributionSport9V&A museum to recruit Taylor Swift super fan10Grange Hill actor Stuart Organ dies aged 72

[ad_1] Already police in some parts of Germany, such as Berlin, often turn a blind eye to smoking in public, although possession of the drug for recreational use is illegal…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureAlia Bhatt: The young Bollywood star taking on HollywoodPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Noor NanjiCulture reporterAlia Bhatt’s superstar appeal cannot be overstated.At the age of 30, she has become a megastar in Bollywood. For certain people (your writer includes herself among them), she’s one of the hottest names out there.If you’re not into Indian films, you might not have come across her – until recently, that is.Last year, Bhatt made her Hollywood debut. All of a sudden, she was introduced to a global audience.Now, she’s backing a new drama series about wildlife crime.”People have the power to make a difference, whether it’s in this industry or any other,” she tells BBC News.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Bhatt’s mother is also an actressBhatt was born into a Bollywood family, to a film-maker father, Mahesh Bhatt, and an actress mother, Soni Razdan.Razdan was born in Birmingham, England, and Bhatt, though born in India, describes herself as British.In an interview with Wired last year, she answered the most googled questions about her, one of which was: “Is she British?” Bhatt responded with a resounding yes.Bhatt had her first leading role at the age of 18, and has starred in dozens of Hindi films since then.She lives in Mumbai with her actor husband, Ranbir Kapoor, and their one-year-old daughter.The pair are one of Bollywood’s power couples. It’s an industry that has always been ruled by family dynasties.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Bhatt starred alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan last yearBhatt starred in 2023 romantic comedy Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which was a smash hit at the box office.Weeks later, she appeared alongside Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot and 50 Shades actor Jamie Dornan in Netflix’s Heart of Stone, which got mixed reviews.She’s not the first Bollywood star to break through to Hollywood – others such as Priyanka Chopra have as well.But not all of them have. Shah Rukh Khan, also known as the “King of Bollywood”, has never ventured into Hollywood despite having fans around the world. At an event in Dubai last week, he said he had to “learn to deliver to the audience that likes me, instead of spreading myself too thin”. Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Bhatt turned heads at a London screening last weekWhen we meet, in central London, Bhatt is wearing a black velvet Sabyasachi saree. (Again, if you know, you know. Sabyasachi is one of the most sought-after fashion designers in India.)Bhatt is in London to attend a preview of Poacher, the new crime drama series she is executive producing. Based on true events, the series tells the story of the largest ivory poaching ring in India.A worldwide ban on ivory sales came into effect in 1989. But elephant poaching is still a major problem globally, fuelled by demand for ivory in parts of the world where it is seen as a luxury status symbol.Why there are so many Bollywood deepfakesWhy Bollywood remains ‘sexist and regressive’More than 40 elephants a day are killed for their tusks, according to a 2020 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.Bhatt, who is an animal lover, was asked to get involved in the series by its director Richie Mehta.”He showed me a couple of episodes, and I wanted more,” she says. “I’m just a lover of cinema or content in general that has the power to influence and really move you emotionally and physically.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Bhatt famously reused her wedding sareeThis is not the first time Bhatt has lent her voice to the cause of sustainability and conservation.She has launched her own sustainable clothing brand, and last year she earned praise for re-wearing her wedding saree. She has also championed animal welfare before.”We have to somehow as a society create our own conscience, things we want to passionately speak about, passionately support,” she says.”I’ve always said I don’t have the answers but I have the questions,” she adds. “I’m not saying I do everything right, but there’s something within me that wants to know more.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Bhatt was among the stars at the 2023 Met Gala in New YorkIn Poacher’s opening scene, an elephant is shot dead, killed for its tusks.It’s “upsetting” to watch, admits Bhatt. “But it should be upsetting, that’s when the stakes become really high.”Mehta, an Emmy Award-winning director, adds that this is very much an international problem, affecting the UK too.”If you pass through Heathrow Airport, when you’re waiting at customs, you see signs of what they’ve seized, the contraband they’ve seized. And it’s immense. It’s happening all the time,” he says.Bollywood, India’s hugely popular Hindi film industry, produces hundreds of movies every year and has a massive following among Indians globally. The sway the films and the stars have on their fans’ imaginations cannot be overstated.But it is often described as a man’s world.It’s something that’s been talked about for a long time, with a study last year showing just how little gender equality there is – both on and off screen.Over the years, many Bollywood films have been criticised for being regressive, promoting misogyny and gender biases.Bhatt, who has made a career out of playing various troubled women – from a sex worker to a kidnapping victim – is keen to stress things are changing when it comes to representation in Bollywood.She points to Poacher, which has a female protagonist, a forest officer called Mala Jogi, at the heart of its story.Mala – played by Nimisha Sajayan – didn’t actually exist in real life, but Mehta added her in when writing the series.”So here we have Nimisha at the heart of the show playing Mala Jogi, being absolutely outstanding, heroic, and doing all those things you’d see a man do, which you’re seeing a woman doing the same thing,” says Bhatt.As for Bhatt herself, she has often been described as a trailblazer for up-and-coming young women in Bollywood and beyond.”I would like to lead by example,” she says, “and be led by example, like we have been in this case.”Poacher is available now on Amazon Prime Video.Additional reporting by Zarghuna Kargar, Sadia Khan and Amrit Cheema.Related TopicsAsiaBollywoodIndiaAnimal welfarePoachingMore on this storyWhy there are so many Bollywood deepfakesPublished22 December 2023Why Bollywood remains ‘sexist and regressive’Published11 July 2023Top StoriesLive. Shamima Begum loses appeal over UK citizenshipLive. Many missing as deadly fire devastates Valencia apartment blockAmerican company makes historic Moon landingPublished2 hours agoFeaturesWeekly quiz: What word did Emma Stone have trouble saying?The ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AIFrontline medics count cost of two years of Ukraine warFinding the last survivors of the Bengal famineWhile energy cap has fallen, standing charges are going upThe young Bollywood star taking on HollywoodRust movie shooting: Moments from armourer trial. VideoRust movie shooting: Moments from armourer trialAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellWitnesses recount horror of Valencia tower block fire. VideoWitnesses recount horror of Valencia tower block fireElsewhere on the BBCHow Captain Sir Tom Moore captured the nation’s heartThe 100 year old man who became a global sensation and the controversy that followed…AttributionSoundsUnwrap the science of Egyptian mummies…Learn about the scientific techniques helping to uncover the lives of Ancient EgyptiansAttributionSoundsIconic roles, from the Doctor to Malcolm Tucker!Peter Capaldi reflects on his 40-year career and what he’s learned from his life so farAttributionSoundsAre grudges beneficial or detrimental?Two men find themselves entangled in a bitter grudge way beyond what they could imagineAttributionSoundsMost Read1Fossil reveals 240 million year-old ‘dragon’2Israel threatens to withdraw from Eurovision3Policeman charged with murder of missing Sydney couple4Tony’s sued by Milka-maker over the colour purple5Typical energy bill to fall £238 a year from April6Grange Hill actor Stuart Organ dies aged 727Biden meets Alexei Navalny’s widow and daughter8V&A museum to recruit Taylor Swift super fan9The ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AI10American company makes historic Moon landing

[ad_1] Actress Alia Bhatt, adored by fans in India, is making her mark around the world.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaTracking down the last survivors of the Bengal faminePublished57 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Sailen SarkarBy Kavita PuriBBC NewsThe Bengal famine of 1943 killed more than three million people in eastern India. It was one of the worst losses of civilian life on the Allied side in World War Two. There is no memorial, museum, or even a plaque, anywhere in the world to the people who died. However, a few survivors remain, and one man is determined to gather their stories before it is too late. ‘Hunger stalked us'”Many people sold their boys and girls for a little rice. Many wives and young women ran off, hand-in-hand with men they knew or didn’t know.” Bijoykrishna Tripathi is describing the desperate measures people took to find food during the Bengal famine. He is not sure of his exact age, but his voter card says he is 112. Bijoykrishna is one of the last people to remember the disaster. He talks faintly and slowly about growing up in Midnapore, a district in Bengal. Rice was the staple food, and he remembers its price rising “by leaps and bounds” in the summer of 1942. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Millions died during the Bengal famine of 1943Then came the cyclone of October that year, which blew the roof of his house off and destroyed that year’s rice crop. Rice soon became unaffordable for his family. “Hunger stalked us. Hunger and epidemics. People of all ages began to die.” Bijoykrishna remembers some food relief, but says it was inadequate. “Everyone had to live with half-empty stomachs,” he says. “Since there was nothing to eat, many people in the village died. People started looting, searching for food.” Listening to him on his veranda are four generations of his family. Also with them is Sailen Sarkar who, for the past few years, has been travelling around the Bengali countryside, gathering first-hand accounts from survivors of the devastating famine. Image caption, Bijoykrishna Tripathi and Sailen SarkarThe 72-year-old is warm, has a youthful air, and smiles easily. You can see why people like Bijoykrishna open up to him. He travels around the countryside in his open-toed sandals, whatever the weather, with his backpack and a supply of roll-up cigarettes. He is old-school, taking down the testimonies with pen and paper. Sailen says he first became “obsessed” by the Bengal famine because of a family photograph album. He would flick through it as a little boy in Calcutta (now Kolkata), staring at the photographs of emaciated people. The pictures had been taken by his father, who had been involved with a local Indian charity, giving out relief during the famine. Sailen says his father was a poor man. “In my childhood I saw the terror of starvation in his eyes,” he says. However, it was not until 2013 when Sailen – now a retired teacher – started his quest. While walking in Midnapore, he fell into conversation about the famine with an 86-year-old man. Image source, Sailen SarkarImage caption, The famine forced Sripaticharan Samanta to leave his home village and take his chances in the citySripaticharan Samanta, like Bijoykrishna, also remembered the devastating cyclone. Life was already getting harder by that point, and the price of rice had been increasing steadily. By October 1942 he was eating one small meal of rice a day. Then the storm hit. Sripaticharan remembered how the price of rice skyrocketed after the cyclone, and how traders bought up whatever was left at any price. “Soon there was no rice in our village,” he told Sailen. “People lived off saved stocks for a while but started to sell off their lands just to have rice to eat.” After the storm, his family’s household rice reserves lasted for only a few days, then ran out. Like tens of thousands of others, Sripaticharan left the countryside for the city – in his case, Calcutta – in the hope of relief. He was lucky – he had a family member to stay with – and he survived. But many were not so fortunate, collapsing on roadsides, around dustbins, and dying on the pavements – strangers in a city they thought would help them. Three MillionThe devastating story of the Bengal Famine of 1943 in British India, where at least three million people died, told for the first time by the eyewitnesses to it.Listen now on BBC Sounds A forgotten fateThe causes of the famine are many and complex, and continue to be widely debated. In 1942, rice supplies in Bengal were under intense pressure. Burma – which bordered Bengal – was invaded by Japan early in the year, and rice imports from that country stopped abruptly. Bengal now found itself near the front line and Calcutta became host to hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers and workers in wartime industries, increasing the demand for rice. Wartime inflation was rife, putting the price of rice out of reach for millions who were already struggling. Meanwhile, British fears that the Japanese would attempt to invade east India prompted a “denial” policy – this involved confiscating surplus rice and boats from towns and villages in the Bengal Delta. The aim was to deny food supplies and transport to any advancing force, but it disrupted the already fragile local economy, and caused prices to rise further. Rice was hoarded for food security, but often for profit.To cap it all, the devastating cyclone of October 1942 destroyed many rice crops, with crop disease ruining much of the rest. There is a long-running and often heated debate over culpability for this humanitarian catastrophe and in particular whether British Prime Minister Winston Churchill did enough – in the middle of a war on many fronts – to alleviate the crisis and help Indians, once he knew about its severity. Relief efforts started to be put into place by the end of 1943 with the arrival of a new viceroy, Field Marshall Lord Wavell. But many had already died by then.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Queuing for soup in Calcutta (Kolkata) in late 1943’A living archive’Discussions over the causes and who was to blame have often overshadowed the stories of the survivors. Sailen has now gathered more than 60 eyewitness accounts. In most cases, the people he says he talked to were uneducated, and had rarely spoken about the famine or been asked, even by their own family. There is no archive dedicated to collecting survivor testimonies. Sailen believes their stories were overlooked because they were the poorest and most vulnerable in society. “It is as if they were all waiting. If only someone would listen to their words,” he says. Niratan Bedwa was 100 when Sailen met her. She described the agony of mothers trying to look after their children. “Mothers didn’t have any breast milk. Their bodies had become all bones, no flesh,” she said. “Many children died at birth, their mothers too. Even those that were born healthy died young from hunger. Lots of women killed themselves at that time.” She also told Sailen that some wives ran off with other men if their husbands could not feed them. “At that time people weren’t so scandalised by these things,” she said. “When you have no rice in your belly, and no-one who can feed you, who is going to judge you anyway?”  Sailen also talked to people who had profited from the famine. One man admitted that he bought up a lot of land “in exchange for rice and dal or a little money”. He also told Sailen that another household died without an heir, so he took the land as his own. Kushanava Choudhury, a Bengali-American writer, accompanied Sailen on one of his visits to meet some of the survivors. Image source, Kushanava ChoudhuryImage caption, Sailen Sarkar with Kushanava Choudhury “We didn’t have to search for them – they weren’t hiding, they were all in plain sight, in villages all across West Bengal and Bangladesh, who were just sitting there as the largest archive in the world,” he says. “Nobody had bothered to talk to them. I felt tremendous shame about that.” The famine is remembered in iconic Indian films, and photographs and sketches from the time, but Kushanava says it has rarely been recalled in the voice of the victims or survivors: “The story is written by the people who it didn’t affect. It’s a curious phenomena via who tells stories and who constructs reality.” Prof Shruti Kapila of Cambridge University says the fate of the famine victims has perhaps been overshadowed because the 1940s were, for India, a “decade of death”. In 1946, Calcutta was the scene of massive communal riots in which thousands died. A year later, the British left, dividing the country into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. There was joy at independence, but the partition was bloody and traumatic – more than a million people died as people turned on those of the other religion. Up to 12 million people crossed the new border. Bengal itself was divided between India and East Pakistan, which would later become Bangladesh. Prof Kapila says of this period, “There’s very little punctuation to a series of mass death events that take place. And that’s why I would think that the Bengal famine in a way struggles to find its own place in that narrative.” But while the victims – in their own words – have not been widely heard, she says famine and hunger is seen by many Indians as one of the enduring legacies of Empire.Image source, Sailen SarkarImage caption, Anangamohan DasEighty years on, there are only a handful of survivors. Sailen remembers going to talk to one man, Anangamohan Das, who was then 91. On hearing why he was there, the man was quiet for some time. Tears then streamed down his sunken cheeks as he said, “Why did you come so late?” But the dozens of accounts Sailen has collected are a small testament to an event that left millions dead, and millions more lives changed. “When you want to forget your history,” he says, “you want to forget everything.” Sailen is determined this should not happen. 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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