BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUN team says Hamas likely carried out sexual violence in Israel on 7 OctoberPublished17 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, EPAImage caption, The Nova festival was one of the sites of alleged sexual violence on 7 OctoberA UN team has concluded there are “reasonable grounds to believe” sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, was committed during the Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October.They also said there was “convincing information” that hostages had been subjected to sexual violence.The trip was led by Pramila Patten, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.Hamas has denied its gunmen sexually assaulted women during the attacks.”The mission team found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred in multiple locations during the 7 October attacks,” the UN report said.These happened in at least three locations – the Nova music festival site and its surroundings, Road 232, and Kibbutz Re’im, it added. On 7 October Hamas gunmen infiltrated southern Israel, where they killed about 1,200 people and took 253 others hostage.Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which 30,500 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.Reports of sexual violence carried out by Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and others – began to emerge soon after 7 October and have accumulated steadily ever since.The BBC has also seen and heard evidence of rape, sexual violence and mutilation of women.Warning: Contains graphic descriptions of rape and sexual violenceIn the report, the UN said it had “found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has been committed against hostages”.It also said it “has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing against those still held in captivity”. The UN team visited Israel between 29 January and 14 February.The mission made up of Ms Patten and nine experts and was not investigative in nature, but designed to gather and verify allegations, the UN said. It added that 33 meetings were held with Israeli representatives, and more than 5,000 photographic images were examined as well as 50 hours of video footage.The report said that “despite concerted efforts to encourage” victims to come forward, the team was unable to interview any of them.Some allegations of rape and sexual violence could not be verified or were “unfounded”, the report explained, including the graphically publicised case of a pregnant woman whose womb was reportedly torn open and her foetus stabbed. It also said it had not been able to establish a discernible pattern of genital mutilation.The UN team said it also received information about sexual violence against Palestinian men and women in detention settings, during house raids and at checkpoints after 7 October. Israel has rejected similar allegations made previously by a panel of independent UN experts as “despicable and unfounded”.Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has accused the UN of trying to “keep quiet the serious UN report”. He criticised UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for not convening the Security Council to discuss the findings and in order to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation.UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that Mr Guterres “has fully supported” Ms Patten’s work in her visit to Israel.”In no way, shape or form did the secretary-general do anything to keep the report ‘quiet.’ In fact, the report is being presented publicly today,” Mr Dujarric said.Related TopicsMiddle EastSexual violenceIsrael-Gaza warIsraelHamasMore on this storyHamas raped and mutilated women on 7 October, BBC hearsPublished5 December 2023Top StoriesTop court says states can’t ban Trump from ballotsPublished2 hours agoFrance makes abortion a constitutional rightPublished3 hours agoGeorge Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seatPublished43 minutes agoFeaturesKate Middleton’s uncle joins Celebrity Big BrotherWould a £150,000 wage tempt you to a Scottish island?Trump: The Sequel? An Americast x Panorama SpecialAttributionSoundsThe Ukrainian teenagers who returned for their school promDaughter ‘desperate’ as mum missing for five monthsDid the last Budget deliver growth and cheap beer?In pictures: Bollywood stars and billionaires at lavish partyTrump supporters target black voters with AI fakesMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedElsewhere on the BBCWhat went wrong that fateful night?A new two-part documentary series examines the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter crashAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsGary Neville returns to the Den…Can the aspiring entrepreneurs win him, and the fiery five over?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Murder investigation after girl, 10, dies2George Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seat3Kate Middleton’s uncle joins Celebrity Big Brother4Stop ‘rude’ vicar behaviour, wedding photographers say5Gatcombe Horse Trials cancelled after 40 years6Would a £150,000 wage tempt you to a Scottish island?7Police officer drags homeless man along ground8Daughter ‘desperate’ as mum missing for five months9France makes abortion a constitutional right10Top court says states can’t ban Trump from ballots

[ad_1] The report also said there was “convincing information” hostages were subjected to sexual violence.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUS Supreme Court rules Colorado cannot ban Trump from presidential ballotPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS election 2024This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Trump calls Supreme Court ruling a ‘unifying factor’By Bernd Debusmann JrBBC News, WashingtonThe US Supreme Court has struck down efforts by individual states to disqualify Donald Trump from running for president using an anti-insurrection constitutional clause.The unanimous ruling is specific to Colorado, but it also overrides challenges brought in other states.Colorado had barred Mr Trump from its Republican primary, arguing he incited the 2021 Capitol riot. The court ruled that only Congress, rather than the states, had that power. The top court’s decision clears the way for Mr Trump to compete in the Colorado primary scheduled for Tuesday.Mr Trump is the front-runner for the Republican nomination and looks likely to face a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in November’s general election.On Monday, the ex-president immediately claimed victory following the ruling, taking to his Truth Social media platform to claim a “big win for America”. The message was quickly followed by a fundraising email sent to supporters of his campaign. Speaking from his estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida soon after, he said that the decision was “very well crafted” and will “go a long way towards bringing our country together, which it needs”.”You can’t take someone out of a race because an opponent would like it that way,” Mr Trump added. Colorado’s Secretary of State, Jena Griswold, said that she was disappointed by the ruling and that “Colorado should be able to bar oath-breaking insurrections from our ballot”.Additionally, the watchdog group that brought the case in Colorado, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), said in a statement that while the court “failed to meet the moment”, it is “still a win for democracy: Trump will go down in history as an insurrectionist”.Trump wins as Supreme Court sidesteps political landminesWhat is Super Tuesday and why is it important?A simple guide to the US 2024 electionTwo other states, Maine and Illinois , had followed Colorado in kicking Mr Trump off the ballot on similar grounds. The efforts in both states were put on hold while his challenge to the Colorado ruling was escalated to the Supreme Court. “We conclude that states may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office,” the court’s opinion says. “But states have no power under the Constitution to enforce Sections 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the presidency.” The nine justices ruled that only Congress can enforce the 14th Amendment’s provisions against federal officials and candidates.Part of the Civil War-era amendment – section 3 – bars federal, state and military officials who have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the US from holding office again. Groups including Free Speech For People had argued that the attempt to delay the peaceful transfer of power on 6 January 2021 matched the definition of insurrection outlined in the amendment. One of the court’s justices, Amy Coney Barrett, wrote separately that the fact that all nine justices agreed on the outcome of the case is “the message that Americans should take home”. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The case argued that President Trump had incited the crowd that stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021″The court has settled a politically charged issue in the volatile season of a presidential election,” Ms Barrett wrote. “Particularly in this circumstance, writings on the court should turn the national temperature down, not up.” But the court’s three liberal justices argued that the ruling seeks to “decide novel constitutional questions to insulate this Court and [Trump] from future controversy” by announcing “that a disqualification for insurrection can occur only when Congress enacts a particular kind of legislation”.”In doing so, the majority shuts the door on other potential means of enforcement,” they added. Atiba Ellis, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, told the BBC that while the court’s concerns about Mr Trump’s exclusion from the ballot are “fair”, the ruling “may have far-reaching consequences”. “It opens the door to constitutional interpretation matters that weren’t at issue in the case. The decision throws the problem to Congress at a time when partisan deadlock will guarantee inaction on this matter,” Mr Ellis added. “The decision effectively ensures that the question of the former president’s constitutional eligibility under Section 3 will not be resolved prior to the 2024 election.”Another legal scholar, Albany Law School’s Ray Brescia, said the court’s decision prevents a situation in which there is a “patchwork of states with different processes”. “If the court was to allow Colorado to proceed in this way, what’s to stop some rogue prosecutor in another state from saying that a candidate from a different party is not a viable candidate because they engaged in insurrection?,” he said. Republican voters in Colorado and 14 other states will vote on Tuesday in a marathon contest dubbed Super Tuesday. The former president is widely expected to sweep the board and defeat his sole remaining opponent, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, in every battleground. Related TopicsColoradoRepublican PartyUS Supreme CourtUS election 2024Donald TrumpMore on this storyTrump wins as Supreme Court sidesteps political landminesPublished4 hours agoWhat is Super Tuesday and why is it important?Published6 minutes agoA simple guide to the US 2024 electionPublished24 JanuaryVoter panel: What it means that Trump got kicked off the ballotPublished21 December 2023Top StoriesTop court says states can’t ban Trump from ballotsPublished1 hour agoFrance makes abortion a constitutional rightPublished2 hours agoGeorge Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seatPublished3 hours agoFeaturesCelebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-upWould a £150,000 wage tempt you to a Scottish island?The Ukrainian teenagers who returned for their school promDaughter ‘desperate’ as mum missing for five monthsDid the last Budget deliver growth and cheap beer?In pictures: Bollywood stars and billionaires at lavish partyTrump supporters target black voters with AI fakesMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedCan a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?Elsewhere on the BBCWhat went wrong that fateful night?A new two-part documentary series examines the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter crashAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsGary Neville returns to the Den…Can the aspiring entrepreneurs win him, and the fiery five over?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Murder investigation after girl, 10, dies2George Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seat3Celebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-up4Stop ‘rude’ vicar behaviour, wedding photographers say5Gatcombe Horse Trials cancelled after 40 years6Would a £150,000 wage tempt you to a Scottish island?7Daughter ‘desperate’ as mum missing for five months8France makes abortion a constitutional right9Top court says states can’t ban Trump from ballots10Sarah Everard police recall learning killer was PC

[ad_1] Additionally, the watchdog group that brought the case in Colorado, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), said in a statement that while the court “failed to meet…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaJack Teixeira: US airman pleads guilty to Pentagon documents leakPublished42 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersBy Mike WendlingBBC NewsAn Air National Guard member has pleaded guilty to posting dozens of classified documents online in one of highest-profile intelligence leaks in recent years.Prosecutors recommend that Jack Teixeira, 22, be sentenced to up to 16 years and eight months in prison.While working at an Air National Guard base, he posted documents to Discord, a platform popular with gamers.The material included maps, satellite images and intelligence on US allies.Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts of wilful retention and transmission of national defence information in a US federal court in Boston on Monday. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. However, under the terms of a plea deal, prosecutors said they would ask for 200 months in prison – which Teixeira has agreed not to contest.At minimum, he will serve 11 years and pay a fine of $50,000 (£39,000). Teixeira also agreed to be debriefed by intelligence and defence officials. During the hearing he spoke briefly to confirm his agreement to the plea deal. US prosecutor Joshua Levy told reporters that the government is seeking a “very serious sentence” in order to send “a powerful deterrent message”. “One of the reasons this case is so serious is that once things are posted on the internet, shared on the internet, it’s almost impossible to track down what happens to every document,” Mr Levy said.Teixeira’s attorney Michael Bachrach called his client “very much a kid” and said that his youth played a “significant role” in his actions.Mr Bachrach said he hoped to be able to successfully argue for a jail term of 11 years at a sentencing hearing scheduled for 27 September.Teixeira initially began sharing information in late 2022 to a small community of gun and military enthusiasts on a Discord server, or chatroom.Initially the documents stayed within the group – and Teixeira expressed frustration that his online friends did not realise their significance – but the information was soon re-shared to more public channels.Eventually, the documents spread to fringe message boards and bigger social media networks, and were picked up by pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and military bloggers.Some copies of the documents were later altered by others, for instance to inflate Ukrainian casualty figures. Teixeira was warned by supervisors after he was seen making notes while looking at classified documents, prosecutors said, and he posed specific questions based on classified intelligence during a briefing.Teixeira was based at the Otis Air National Guard Base, near his home a little more than an hour south of Boston, Massachusetts.He worked as a cyber defence operations journeyman – an information technology job maintaining the Air Force communications network – and held the rank of Airman 1st Class. Despite his junior role, he had a top-secret security clearance.The leak prompted an investigation and led the Pentagon to examine its systems for handling classified information. The Air Force disciplined 15 of its members in connection with the case in December. A report from the Air Force’s inspector general said officers were aware of Texiera’s “intelligence-seeking activities” and failed to stop him, and that leaders in his unit knew of up to four instances of “questionable activity” involving his access to classified material.Several officers knew of other incidents, the report said, but did not report them, fearing that security officials would “overreact”.But the report also said Texiera’s supervisors did not know the full extent of his online activity.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: How damaging are Jack Teixeira’s US intelligence leaks?The report said there was a lack of supervision during overnight shifts at the base, when a three-person crew was responsible for answering phones and ensuring the heating and air conditioning systems were operating. Teixeira would print and smuggle out classified documents when working those shifts. Screenshots of the classified information appeared to showed creased printouts photographed at his home. Image source, unknownImage caption, Teixeira took photographs of the documents and posted them onlineIn court filings, prosecutors said Teixeira was once suspended from high school after a classmate overheard him making racial threats and discussing weapons. Even though Teixeira said he was talking about a video game, local police then denied him a firearms identification card needed to purchase weapons.He was eventually approved, however, and authorities found a number of guns when they searched his house after his arrest. Prosecutors also said he attempted to destroy evidence, smashing his tablet, laptop and Xbox and encouraging members of a Discord chat room to delete their messages as authorities closed in.Teixeira’s family has a history of military service. His stepfather served 34 years in the Air Force, and his mother previously worked for non-profit organisations focused on veterans. Both attended his plea hearing on Monday.In a statement the family said Teixeira was “a good person” who has “has taken responsibility for his part in this”.They said the Air Force Inspector General report revealed “shocking details” about lack of training and oversight at the base, and that they hoped “substantive changes are made to stop this from ever happening again.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jack Teixeira’s stepfather Thomas Dufault and mother Dawn Dufault arriving at the court house in Boston on MondayMore on this storyHow secret US files first spread then vanished onlinePublished14 April 2023Top StoriesTop court says states can’t ban Trump from ballotsPublished47 minutes agoFrance makes abortion a constitutional rightPublished1 hour agoGeorge Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seatPublished2 hours agoFeaturesCelebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-upWould a £150,000 wage tempt you to a Scottish island?The Ukrainian teenagers who returned for their school promDaughter ‘desperate’ as mum missing for five monthsDid the last Budget deliver growth and cheap beer?In pictures: Bollywood stars and billionaires at lavish partyTrump supporters target black voters with AI fakesMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedCan a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?Elsewhere on the BBCWhat went wrong that fateful night?A new two-part documentary series examines the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter crashAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsGary Neville returns to the Den…Can the aspiring entrepreneurs win him, and the fiery five over?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsMost Read1George Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seat2Stop ‘rude’ vicar behaviour, wedding photographers say3Gatcombe Horse Trials cancelled after 40 years4Would a £150,000 wage tempt you to a Scottish island?5France makes abortion a constitutional right6Celebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-up7Daughter ‘desperate’ as mum missing for five months8Top court says states can’t ban Trump from ballots9US airman pleads guilty to Pentagon documents leak10Sarah Everard police recall learning killer was PC

[ad_1] Jack Teixeira was accused of one of the highest-profile national security breaches in years.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaChildren starving to death in northern Gaza – WHOPublished10 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A woman and child stand among makeshift tents at Jabalia refugee camp in northern GazaBy George WrightBBC NewsChildren are dying of starvation in northern Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief says. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency’s visits over the weekend to the Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals were the first since early October.In a post on social media, he spoke of “grim findings”.A lack of food resulted in the deaths of 10 children and “severe levels of malnutrition”, while hospital buildings have been destroyed, he wrote. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported on Sunday that at least 15 children had died from malnutrition and dehydration at the Kamal Adwan hospital. A 16th child died on Sunday at a hospital in the southern city of Rafah, the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported on Monday.Dr Tedros reported “severe levels of malnutrition, children dying of starvation, serious shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies, hospital buildings destroyed” in northern Gaza, where an estimated 300,000 people are living with little food or clean water.”The lack of food resulted in the deaths of 10 children,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.The visits were the WHO’s first in months “despite our efforts to gain more regular access to the north of Gaza”, he wrote.”The situation at Al-Awda Hospital is particularly appalling, as one of the buildings is destroyed,” he added.Gaza Strip in maps: How life has changedGaza residents surviving off animal feed and rice as food dwindlesThe UN warned last week that famine in Gaza was “almost inevitable”.A senior UN aid official warned that at least 576,000 people across the Gaza Strip – one quarter of the population – faced catastrophic levels of food insecurity and one in six children under the age of two in the north were suffering from acute malnutrition.And the regional director of the UN’s children’s agency, Unicef, said “the child deaths we feared are here, as malnutrition ravages the Gaza Strip”. “These tragic and horrific deaths are man-made, predictable and entirely preventable,” Adele Khodr said in a statement on Sunday.The Israeli military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign to destroy Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK, US and others – after the group’s gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October and took 253 back to Gaza as hostages.More than 30,500 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Devastation after dozens killed at Gaza aid dropRelated TopicsMiddle EastIsrael-Gaza warMore on this storyGazans surviving off animal feed and rice as food dwindlesPublished10 FebruaryWhat video and eyewitness accounts tell us about Gazans killed around aid convoyPublished3 days agoTop StoriesTop court says states can’t ban Trump from ballotsPublished1 hour agoFrance makes abortion a constitutional rightPublished4 minutes agoGeorge Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seatPublished1 hour agoFeaturesCelebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-upWould a £150,000 wage tempt you to a Scottish island?The Ukrainian teenagers who returned for their school promDaughter ‘desperate’ as mum missing for five monthsDid the last Budget deliver growth and cheap beer?In pictures: Bollywood stars and billionaires at lavish partyTrump supporters target black voters with AI fakesMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedCan a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?Elsewhere on the BBCWhat went wrong that fateful night?A new two-part documentary series examines the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter crashAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsGary Neville returns to the Den…Can the aspiring entrepreneurs win him, and the fiery five over?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsMost Read1George Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seat2Stop ‘rude’ vicar behaviour, wedding photographers say3France makes abortion a constitutional right4Would a £150,000 wage tempt you to a Scottish island?5Celebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-up6US airman pleads guilty to Pentagon documents leak7Sarah Everard police recall learning killer was PC8Rare Ferrari recovered after being stolen in 19959Daughter ‘desperate’ as mum missing for five months10Apple fined €1.8bn for breaking streaming rules

[ad_1] Dr Tedros reported “severe levels of malnutrition, children dying of starvation, serious shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies, hospital buildings destroyed” in northern Gaza, where an estimated 300,000…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaFrance makes abortion constitutional rightPublished14 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, People gathered in Paris to watch abortion being constitutionalisedBy George WrightBBC NewsFrance has become the first country in the world to put the right to abortion in its constitution.Parliamentarians voted to revise the country’s 1958 constitution to enshrine women’s “guaranteed freedom” to abort.It becomes the 25th amendment to modern France’s founding document, and the first since 2008.Polls show around 85% of the public supported the reform. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told parliament that the right to abortion remained “in danger” and “at the mercy of decision makers” before the vote.”I am telling women, within our borders and beyond: The era of a world of hope is starting,” he said at a rare parliamentary congress in Versailles.Why Macron hopes abortion rights are a political winnerWhile resistance from right-wingers in parliament failed to materialise, President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of using the constitution for electoral ends.Critics say the revision is not necessarily wrong in itself, but unnecessary, and accused the president trying to use the cause to boost his left-wing credentials.In France, the right to abortion has been enshrined in law since 1975.Since then the law has been updated nine times – and on each occasion with the aim of extending access.France’s constitutional council – the body that decides on the constitutionality of laws – has never raised a query.In a 2001 ruling, the council based its approval of abortion on the notion of liberty enshrined in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man, which is technically part of the constitution.So many jurists say abortion was already a constitutional right.The constitutional change was prompted by recent developments in the US, where the right to abortion was removed by the Supreme Court in 2022. Individual states are now able to ban the procedure again, ending the right to an abortion for millions of women. The move to enshrine abortion in the French constitution has been welcomed by many. “At the moment of the vote, the Eiffel tower should sparkle and it will send a message to the world too. It’s an important message for the world,” said Anne-Cécile Mailfert, an activist for the Fondation des Femmes, a women’s rights organisation. “These emotions that fill us up today and really energise us, we would like to transmit them to other women and feminists in the world that fight for similar rights.”But not all have welcomed the vote, with the Vatican repeating its opposition to abortion.”There can be no ‘right’ to take a human life,” the Vatican institution said in a statement, echoing concerns already raised by French Catholic bishops.It appealed to “all governments and all religious traditions to do their best so that, in this phase of history, the protection of life becomes an absolute priority”.Related TopicsEuropeAbortionFranceMore on this storyWhy Macron hopes abortion rights are a political winnerPublished1 day agoTop StoriesLive. US Supreme Court rules Trump can remain on presidential ballotFrance makes abortion constitutional rightPublished14 minutes agoGeorge Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seatPublished1 hour agoFeaturesCelebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-upThe Ukrainian teenagers who returned for their school promDid the last Budget deliver growth and cheap beer?In pictures: Bollywood stars and billionaires at lavish partyTrump supporters target black voters with AI fakesMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedCan a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?A pioneering women’s World Cup erased from history’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’ Video’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’Elsewhere on the BBCWhat went wrong that fateful night?A new two-part documentary series examines the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter crashAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsGary Neville returns to the Den…Can the aspiring entrepreneurs win him, and the fiery five over?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsMost Read1US airman pleads guilty to Pentagon documents leak2George Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seat3Stop ‘rude’ vicar behaviour, wedding photographers say4Rare Ferrari recovered after being stolen in 19955Celebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-up6Sarah Everard police recall learning killer was PC7Germany under pressure to explain leaked phone call8Bee-harming pesticide use ‘makes a mockery’ of ban9Apple fined €1.8bn for breaking streaming rules10Record find leads to record deal for 1980s band

[ad_1] France becomes the first country in the world to put the right to abortion in its constitution.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIran elections: Record low turnout in polls as hardliners winPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated Topics2022 Iran protestsImage source, EPAImage caption, Run-offs will be held for more than half of the 30 seats in Tehran after winning candidates failed to win 20% of the votesBy David GrittenBBC NewsHardliners have won a majority of the seats in the parliamentary elections in Iran, which saw a record low turnout of 41% after calls for a boycott.Most moderate and reformist figures were disqualified from standing in Friday’s polls, which were the first since the 2022 nationwide protests.Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told a news conference that 25 million of the 61 million eligible voters took part.He also revealed that about 5% of the ballots cast were “invalid”, or spoilt.Hardline President Ebrahim Raisi earlier praised the “passionate turnout”, which he described as an “extreme blow” to opponents of the Islamic Republic.Analysts said a low turnout would be a show of disenchantment with politics, after the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had urged people to vote.Some 42% of those eligible voted in the last parliamentary elections in 2020. Turnout had been consistently above 50% before then.Iranian voters tell BBC: ‘We need to be decisive for Iran’s future’Why Iranians look dimly on first chance to vote since unrestIranian women ‘ready to pay the price’ for defying hijab rulesIran’s election headquarters announced on Monday that 245 of the 290 seats in parliament had been decided in the first round. The remaining 45 seats will go to second round run-offs because the winning candidates had not received the 20% of the votes required.Only 14 candidates reached the threshold in the capital, Tehran, and its surrounding province, meaning that run-offs will be held for more than half of the 30 seats there.Most of the winning candidates nationwide are considered to be conservative hardliners, who are staunchly loyal to the Islamic ruling system and are opposed to political or social freedoms.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: The BBC’s Carrie Davies visits a Tehran polling station as voting beginsConservatives also dominated separate elections held on Friday for the Assembly of Experts – an 88-member clerical body that is responsible for appointing the next Supreme Leader when the time comes.Ayatollah Khamenei – the Islamic Republic’s most powerful figure and commander-in-chief – is 84 and the new assembly will sit for eight years.As with the parliamentary polls, many prospective candidates were disqualified by the Guardian Council, a hardline watchdog made up of theologians and jurists. Among those barred was former president Hassan Rouhani, a moderate who had previously served on the assembly for 24 years.Mr Rouhani warned in January that such decisions would “undermine the nation’s confidence in the system” but still turned out to vote on Friday.Another former president, the reformist Mohammad Khatami, was among those who did not vote, having warned last month that Iran was “very far from free and competitive elections”. Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Narges Mohammedi denounced the elections as a “sham”, following what she called the “ruthless and brutal suppression” of the 2022 protests. The unrest was triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly”.Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands detained in a continuing crackdown by security forces, which have portrayed the protests as “riots”.Related TopicsIran2022 Iran protestsTop StoriesLive. US Supreme Court rules Trump can remain on presidential ballotSarah Everard detective recalls shock at learning killer was PCPublished15 minutes agoGeorge Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seatPublished31 minutes agoFeaturesCelebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-upThe Ukrainian teenagers who returned for their school promDid the last Budget deliver growth and cheap beer?In pictures: Bollywood stars and billionaires at lavish partyTrump supporters target black voters with AI fakesMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedCan a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?A pioneering women’s World Cup erased from history’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’ Video’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’Elsewhere on the BBCWhat went wrong that fateful night?A new two-part documentary series examines the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter crashAttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsGary Neville returns to the Den…Can the aspiring entrepreneurs win him, and the fiery five over?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsMost Read1George Galloway vows to take Angela Rayner’s seat2Stop ‘rude’ vicar behaviour, wedding photographers say3Rare Ferrari recovered after being stolen in 19954Germany under pressure to explain leaked phone call5Sarah Everard police recall learning killer was PC6O’Connor’s estate asks Trump not to use her music7Celebrity Big Brother: The rumoured line-up8Record find leads to record deal for 1980s band9Apple fined €1.8bn for breaking streaming rules10Church fund ‘not enough’ to right slavery wrongs

[ad_1] Most reformists were barred from the elections, which saw a turnout of only 41% after boycott calls.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaHaiti gangs: The spiralling power of criminal groupsPublished12 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Protests against Prime Minister Ariel Henry have been mounting in recent weeksBy Vanessa BuschschlüterBBC News Online Latin America and Caribbean editorThousands of prisoners on the loose after gangs stormed the jails they were in, a government without a single elected official and a gang leader who openly threatens the prime minister. The scenes unfolding in Haiti are shocking even to those who have been following the seemingly unstoppable rise of armed groups in the country in recent years. Here we take a closer look at how gangs have come to dominate huge swathes of the capital and, increasingly, of rural areas of this Caribbean country.Armed groups have long played a bloody role in Haiti’s history. During the 29 years of the dictatorship of François Duvalier, known as Papa Doc, and his son Jean Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, a paramilitary force called the Tonton Macoutes used extreme violence to stamp out any opposition to the Duvalier regime.The younger Duvalier was forced into exile in 1986, but gangs have continued to exert varying degrees of power, sometimes shielded and encouraged by the politicians with whom they forged alliances.The most recent widespread outbreak of gang violence has been fuelled by the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on 7 July 2021.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jovenel Moïse was shot dead in July 2021The president was shot dead by a group of Colombian mercenaries at his home outside of Port-au-Prince after he had started denouncing “dark forces” inside Haiti.While the Colombians and a number of other suspects have been arrested, an investigation into his killing has still not determined who ordered the president’s assassination. Gang violence had already been rampant under President Moïse, but the power vacuum created by his murder allowed these gangs to seize more territory and become more influential.And it is not just the position of president which is vacant. Following repeated delays to hold legislative elections, the terms of all elected official have run out, leaving the country’s institutions rudderless. Since Jovenel Moïse’s murder, the country has been governed by Ariel Henry.Mr Henry had been designated by President Moïse as his prime minister shortly before he was killed, but he is unelected and some therefore question his legitimacy. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Ariel Henry has been serving as prime minister since 2021 – the post of president has remained vacantOpposition to Ariel Henry’s leadership has been increasing as the elections he promised to hold have failed to materialise.Moreover, insecurity has spiralled, forcing hundreds of thousands of Haitians to flee their homes.One of the most outspoken rivals of Mr Henry is Jimmy Chérizier, a former police officer who became a gang leader after he was fired from the police force. Also known by his nickname of Barbecue, the ex-cop leads G9, an alliance of nine gangs founded in 2020 which reportedly has links to late President Moïse’s Tèt Kale Party.Barbecue has opposed Prime Minister Henry from the start. The gang leader used Moïse’s assassination, which he blamed on the “stinking bourgeoisie”, to encourage his followers to engage in what he called “legitimate violence”. Brutal attacks and looting spread, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where Barbecue has his power base.In October 2021, Ariel Henry was prevented from laying a wreath at a monument, when heavily armed members of Jimmy Chérizier’s gang suddenly showed up and fired shots into the air.Dressed in a pristine white suit and flanked by his men, the gang leader then proceeded to lay a wreath at the monument – an extraordinary show of force.His G9 gang has also been fighting a bloody war with G-Pèp, a rival gang which is reportedly linked to the parties who opposed murdered President Moïse.Shootouts and battles over territory between the two groups are common and have spilled over from the poorer neighbourhoods into the centre of Port-au-Prince. Schools and hospitals have had to close and more than 100,000 people fled their homes in 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration. The International Committee of the Red Cross told the BBC its staff had to talk to hundreds of gangs in order to be able to deliver humanitarian aid.Where aid delivery depends on talking to 300 gangsIn a further flexing of its muscles, the G9 gang also blocked access to the Varreux fuel terminal in 2022, causing fuel shortages and hampering other key deliveries, such as medicines and drinking water. Haiti’s national police force – which according to 2023 figures only has 9,000 active-duty officers in the country of 11 million inhabitants – has struggled to confront the gangs, which are well armed with high powered weapons smuggled in from the US.Eighty percent of the capital is now estimated to be under gang control and the people living in these areas face “inhuman” levels of violence, according to the United Nations’ humanitarian co-ordinator, Ulrika Richardson.Ms Richardson said that there had been a 50% increase in sexual violence between 2022 and 2023 with women and young girls in particular targeted by the gangs. Mr Henry has repeatedly called for international support to combat the violence, but so far only The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados and Chad have formally told the UN that they plan to send security personnel.But none have arrived so far. During this latest spike in violence, Mr Henry went to Kenya to lobby officials there to make good on their promise to deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti. While Haitian civilians are desperate for more security, the deployment of foreign security personnel is viewed with concern by some.Haiti, which became independent from France after the successful 1791 slave revolt, was occupied by the US from 1915 to 1934. Subsequent US military interventions between 1994 and 2004 have also made many wary of outside “meddling”.Some critics of Mr Henry fear he wants to use the Kenyan police force to prop up his power, just as protests calling for his resignation are mounting.Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier is one of those who has accused Ariel Henry of trying to cement his power by inviting in foreign security personnel.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier is a gang leader who likes to style himself as a revolutionaryIn 2022, the gang leader put forward his own plan for “peace”, suggesting members of his gang be offered an amnesty and a “council of sages” be created with representatives from Haiti’s 10 regions. At the time he also suggested that his gang be given posts in the cabinet. Since then, he has been ratcheting up the pressure, trying to present himself as a “revolutionary” who aims to overthrow what he says is an “illegitimate” leader. On 1 March, Chérizier said he would “keep fighting Ariel Henry”. “The battle will last as long as it needs to,” he added.It is not currently clear where Mr Henry is, but with thousands of prisoners on the run and the powerful leader of the G9 openly calling for him to step down, the odds of the prime minister quickly re-stablishing order have just become more remote. Related TopicsHaitiGangsMore on this storyGangs threaten Haiti takeover after mass jailbreakPublished3 hours agoHaiti leader urges calm as violent protests mountPublished8 FebruaryTop StoriesSarah Everard detective recalls shock at learning killer was PCPublished5 minutes agoLive. US Supreme Court rules Trump can remain on presidential ballot£100m Church fund not enough to address slavery links, says reportPublished4 hours agoFeaturesThe Ukrainian teenagers who returned for their school promDid the last Budget deliver growth and cheap beer?In pictures: Bollywood stars and billionaires at lavish partyTrump supporters target black voters with AI fakesMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedCan a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?A pioneering women’s World Cup erased from history’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’ Video’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’Why Macron hopes abortion rights are a political winnerElsewhere on the BBCWhat went wrong that fateful night?A new two-part documentary series examines the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter crashAttributioniPlayer’Bob’s music is an attempt to redeem us’How has Bob Marley’s Redemption Song inspired generations around the world?AttributionSoundsGary Neville returns to the Den…Can the aspiring entrepreneurs win him, and the fiery five over?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Stop ‘rude’ vicar behaviour, wedding photographers say2Rare Ferrari recovered after being stolen in 19953Sarah Everard police recall learning killer was PC4Germany under pressure to explain leaked phone call5O’Connor’s estate asks Trump not to use her music6George Galloway sworn in as MP for Rochdale7Church fund ‘not enough’ to right slavery wrongs8Apple fined €1.8bn for breaking streaming rules9Paul Scully to stand down at general election10Record find leads to record deal for 1980s band

[ad_1] Gang leaders have seized control of large swathes of Haiti, a country without any elected officials.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityTechnologyApple fined €1.8bn by EU for breaking streaming rulesPublished10 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Shiona McCallumTechnology reporterApple has been fined €1.8bn (£1.5bn) by the EU for breaking competition laws over music streaming.The firm had prevented streaming services from informing users of payment options outside the Apple app store, the European Commission said.Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said Apple abused its dominant position in the market for a decade.She ordered the US tech giant to remove all the restrictions. Apple has said it will appeal against the decision.The European Commission’s decision was triggered by a complaint by Swedish music streaming service Spotify, which was unhappy about the restriction and Apple’s 30% fee..Ms Vestager said Apple had restricted “developers from informing consumers about alternative, cheaper music services available outside of the Apple ecosystem”. “This is illegal under EU antitrust rules,” she said.However, Apple said it would appeal, adding there was no evidence consumers had been harmed. “The decision was reached despite the Commission’s failure to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast,” the company said in a statement.”The primary advocate for this decision, and the biggest beneficiary, is Spotify, a company based in Stockholm, Sweden.”Spotify has the largest music streaming app in the world, and has met with the EC [European Commission] more than 65 times during this investigation,” it said.Spotify attacks Apple’s ‘outrageous’ 27% commissionSpotify called the fine handed out to Apple “an important moment” and said it sent “a powerful message” that “no company, not even a monopoly like Apple, can wield power abusively to control how other companies interact with their customers”.Apple said the Swedish company pays no commission to them as it sells its subscriptions on its website and not on the app store. Spotify had argued that the restrictions benefit Apple’s rival music streaming service, Apple Music.Digital Markets Act In January, Apple announced plans to allow EU customers to download apps outside of their own app store, as the introduction of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) drew closer. The aim of the European Union’s DMA is to help competition in the technology sector and to try to break down the stronghold the likes of Apple and Google have on the market. The tech companies were given six months from August last year to comply with a full list of requirements under the new legislation, or face a fine of up to 10% of their annual turnover. The firms have until later this week to comply with a raft of changes announced since the start of the year, as Apple, Meta and TikTok pursue challenges to aspects of the law.Last week, Spotify and 33 other companies operating across a wide range of digital sectors wrote to the European Commission with a renewed attack on Apple’s “lack of compliance” with the DMA. “Apple’s new terms not only disregard both the spirit and letter of the law, but if left unchanged, make a mockery of the DMA and the considerable efforts by the European Commission and EU institutions to make digital markets competitive,” it said. Related TopicsSpotifyMargrethe VestagerEuropean CommissionAppleMore on this storyApple unplugs electric car project, reports sayPublished5 days agoDon’t dry your iPhone in a bag of rice, says ApplePublished21 FebruarySpotify attacks Apple’s ‘outrageous’ 27% commissionPublished18 JanuaryTop StoriesSarah Everard detective recalls shock at learning killer was PCPublished41 minutes ago£100m Church fund not enough to address slavery links, says reportPublished3 hours agoGermany under pressure to explain leaked phone call over Ukraine warPublished29 minutes agoFeaturesThe Ukrainian teenagers who returned for their school promDid the last Budget deliver growth and cheap beer?Bollywood stars and billionaires at lavish pre-wedding partyTrump supporters target black voters with AI fakesMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedCan a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?A pioneering women’s World Cup erased from history’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’ Video’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’Why Macron hopes abortion rights are a political winnerElsewhere on the BBCWhat went wrong that fateful night?A new two-part documentary series examines the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter crashAttributioniPlayer’Bob’s music is an attempt to redeem us’How has Bob Marley’s Redemption Song inspired generations around the world?AttributionSoundsGary Neville returns to the Den…Can the aspiring entrepreneurs win him, and the fiery five over?AttributioniPlayerHow Trump’s golf dream turned into a nightmare…His controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire was greenlit with awful consequencesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Stop ‘rude’ vicar behaviour, wedding photographers say2Rare Ferrari recovered after being stolen in 19953Sarah Everard police recall learning killer was PC4Germany under pressure to explain leaked phone call5O’Connor’s estate asks Trump not to use her music6Record find leads to record deal for 1980s band7Church fund ‘not enough’ to right slavery wrongs8Paul Scully to stand down at general election9Dan Wootton show in breach of rules, Ofcom says10Trump supporters target black voters with AI fakes

[ad_1] It comes after Spotify complained about a block on telling users about cheaper alternatives to app store.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureCopa 71: Film shows record-breaking women’s World CupPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, New Black Films/Victor Crawshaw/Marina AmaralImage caption, The English players and manager took part without the permission of the footballing authoritiesBy Ian YoungsEntertainment & arts reporterIn 1971, an unofficial women’s football World Cup attracted crowds of more than 100,000, but was quickly erased from history. Now a new film tells the remarkable story of the tournament, and the disappointment that followed.For the English players, landing in Mexico was like being “launched into a parallel universe”, captain Carol Wilson recalls.She and other female footballers were used to being obstructed, overlooked and ridiculed at home. They played on park pitches to handfuls of spectators. A ban on the women’s game had only just been lifted by the Football Association after 50 years.So the players were unprepared for the reception they received in the tournament’s host country.Treated like superstarsHundreds of Mexican fans were waiting, as were photographers. “We went from nothing to flashlights that blinded you once we got off the plane,” Wilson recalls. “And it didn’t stop for the whole five weeks that we were there.”They were treated like superstars, with crowds waiting for autographs, camping outside their hotel and mobbing their team coach.”The public took us straight to their hearts,” Wilson continues. “They just followed us everywhere. We were so welcomed by everybody. I can’t personally put that into words to make you understand how that really was.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The squad attended the UK premiere at the London Film Festival in OctoberThe story of England’s “Lost Lionesses” was told in a BBC article in 2019. Now, a documentary called Copa 71 shines a light on the tournament. The film’s opening is narrated by tennis legend Serena Williams, who is an executive producer alongside sister Venus.The pair are “two of the greatest female athletes of all time and are both heavily involved in activism and in wanting to promote stories which deepen our understanding of the history of women’s sport”, the film’s co-director Rachel Ramsay says.Ramsay echoes the idea that the film shows a glimpse of a “parallel universe” in which women’s football had not been suppressed.”When we started researching the story and started speaking to the women, you realise that they have so much to say, and that they’ve had their voices taken away from them for 50 years.”Image source, New Black Films/TopFoto/Marina AmaralImage caption, The final is estimated to have been watched by more than 100,000 fansWomen from the different nations all recount similar stories of being told football was not for girls. So it’s sweeter for them when the Mexico tournament offers a taste of equality and popularity.Although no official attendance figures exist, estimates suggest the final was watched by more than 100,000 people – which would make it the best-attended women’s sporting event in history.Ironically, the tournament owed its success to the fact that world football’s governing body Fifa tried to block it.The documentary says Fifa’s ban forced organisers to find stadiums that were not controlled by the Mexican football federation. So the games ended up being played in the country’s two biggest venues, which were controlled by the country’s dominant media group – and the company heavily promoted the event in order to sell tickets.The matches were shown live on Mexican TV. Ramsay and her team have tracked down that footage, which has not been seen for more than 50 years, as well as home movies shot by fans. Image caption, Many players kept scrapbooks from the tournamentThe result is not a typical sports documentary, she says. For one thing, viewers don’t root for a particular team or player. For another, it’s about women.”There are whole films, series and books written and made about single men’s tournaments, matches, goals and players – and they’re done multiple times,” Ramsay says.”We hope that this film is the start of a whole genre of women’s sports films. Because when we started making this, it was very hard to find comparisons, to find other films that were similar, especially films told from the perspective of women in their 70s.”It was difficult to convince people at some points that these women should be on screen and should be telling their story.” That was a “deal breaker” for Ramsay, however.”The number of times I was told, ‘You can’t have a sports film where you don’t have one winner that you want to win’. I said, ‘Well actually I think we can because I think the winner is the tournament itself, the fact that it happened, and the shared experience of those women together is a huge part of the film’.”So being able to play with the genre, and tell stories in a different way and not feeling like we have to go with a cookie-cutter version of what people think sports film looks like, that was really important.”Once the tournament was over, however, the participants came back down to earth with a jolt.Image source, New Black Films/Mirrorpix/Marina AmaralImage caption, Manager Harry Batt was banned for life for going against the wishes of the Women’s Football AssociationThe English team’s manager, Harry Batt, was blacklisted by the fledgling Women’s Football Association, which was in the process of putting together the first official England team. Some players were also banned.Mexico 1971 had shown that women’s football could be popular and commercially viable, but the male footballing authorities saw that as a threat, the documentary claims. The memory of the event, and the potential for women’s football, were buried for decades.”The women involved themselves didn’t speak much about it, especially the England team,” Ramsay says.”When they came back after the tournament, they believed quite rightly that the world had shifted and that women’s football was here to stay. They saw a whole new dawn for women’s sport.”And then it was violently taken away from them. They lived with that trauma and that disappointment and that feeling of being gaslit by society.”And on an establishment level, a wildly successful record-breaking women’s football tournament did not work with the narrative of the international and national football associations around the world.”I think there was an understanding that it would dilute the power of men’s football to have women playing the same game. That is something that we’re only just recovering from now.”The growth in the women’s game has been extraordinary in the last couple of years. But we’re still playing catch-up.”Emotional memoriesThe documentary received glowing reviews after its premiere at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, with Screen International’s Fionnuala Hannigan calling it “a crowd-pleaser, like those record-breaking matches”.The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg said it “exposes an obscured chapter in history and thrusts its heroes into a well-deserved spotlight”.He wrote: “I got teary at several points because the sense that these are stories that have been waiting for an outlet for decades is so very palpable.”For Wilson, watching the film was “very emotional”.”It took me straight back to 1971. I felt like I was there. I was transported, if you like.”Recent World Cups and Euros have started to fulfil the potential for women’s football, but “we could have been a lot further a lot sooner”, she says.Another English player, Chris Lockwood, agrees that it was “so good” to see the film.The memories it brought back are tinged with sadness, though. “The sadness of Harry being banned for life, and the sadness that the story was hidden.”But not any more.”Read the full story of 1971’s Lost LionessesCopa 71 is released in UK cinemas on Friday, 8 March.Related TopicsFilmMore on this story’Lost lionesses’ reunited 48 years onAttributionSportPublished26 June 2019Fate reunites World Cup trailblazersAttributionSportPublished15 June 2019England give ‘many answers to questions’ – WiegmanAttributionSportPublished5 days agoTop StoriesUS urges more aid for starving people in GazaPublished4 hours agoHunt hints at tax cuts ahead of BudgetPublished1 hour agoMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedPublished3 hours agoFeaturesDid the last Budget deliver what was promised?The Papers: Hunt looks for £9bn and German leaks on UkraineThe Ukrainian teenagers who returned for their school promMystery of giant star sand dunes solvedCan a rubberstamp parliament help China’s economy?’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’ Video’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’Why Macron hopes abortion rights are a political winner’There was heartache but we had to keep going’Kate, the King and three other big challenges for royalsElsewhere on the BBCExclusive access to two of F1’s biggest teams…Featuring star drivers Lewis Hamilton and Alex AlbonAttributionSounds’Thick smoke fills the air, and vehicles are damaged’Watch the moment a private jet crashes onto a highway in FloridaAttributioniPlayerCan you spot the real from the AI?See if you can get full marks…AttributionBitesizeA satirical poke at the world of pop musicRob Brydon narrates this six-part musical odyssey about a novelty band…AttributionSoundsMost Read1Nikki Haley defeats Trump in Washington DC primary2Mystery of giant star sand dunes solved3Hunt looks for £9bn and German leaks on Ukraine4’No option of life on benefits for young’ – Labour5Nissan accused of dumping its electric car pioneers6Haiti gangs free 4,000 inmates in mass jailbreak7Warning cost of living fund closure ‘catastrophic’8Israel agrees to change Eurovision song lyrics9Police to return Mia Janin’s lost phone to family10Hunt hints at tax cuts ahead of Budget

[ad_1] “The number of times I was told, ‘You can’t have a sports film where you don’t have one winner that you want to win’. I said, ‘Well actually I…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaFearless Nadia: The Australian stuntwoman who captivated IndiansPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AlamyImage caption, ‘To school kids of the mid-forties Fearless Nadia meant courage, strength and idealism’By Meryl SebastianBBC News, Kochi”The single most memorable sound of my childhood was the clarion call of ‘Hey-y-y’ as Fearless Nadia, regal upon her horse, her hand raised defiantly in the air, rode down upon the bad guys,” acclaimed Indian playwright and director Girish Karnad wrote in 1980.”To school kids of the mid-forties, Fearless Nadia meant courage, strength and idealism.”Actress and stuntwoman Mary Ann Evans, best known by her stage name Fearless Nadia, took the Indian film industry by storm in 1935 when she appeared in the Hindi film Hunterwali (The Woman with a Whip). A blonde, blue-eyed woman of Australian origin, she made a splash as she appeared in a cape, leather shorts and knee-high boots with a whip in hand. In pictures: Indian cinema turns 100Evans was born in Perth, Australia, in 1908 to a Greek mother and British father, according to Rosie Thomas, author of Bombay before Bollywood. She arrived in India in 1911 with her father’s army unit but settled with her family in Bombay (now Mumbai) after his death.According to Thomas, Evans – who’d grown up learning dance and horse-riding – toured India with a Russian ballet troupe and briefly performed for a circus. The young performer became known as a singer and dancer, performing at all kinds of venues across the country. She was working in theatre and circus in the early 1930s when she was discovered by prominent Bollywood movie director JBH Wadia.Image source, AlamyImage caption, Fearless Nadia took the Indian film industry by storm in 1935 when she appeared in Hunterwali (The Woman With a Whip)Wadia initially cast her in small roles in films produced by his studio Wadia Movietone, which he ran with his brother Homi. Evans was great at stunts and had a “can-do-anything attitude”, says Roy Wadia, JBH Wadia’s grandson.So the Wadia brothers cast her in her first lead role in Hunterwali, in which she played an avenging princess who turns into a masked vigilante as she seeks revenge for her father’s death at the hands of an evil court official. 10 things about BollywoodBut while they were thrilled with their new star, others were not quite as ready to embrace their vision. “The financiers of the film were quite horrified that these Parsi brothers would star a blonde, blue-eyed, white woman in a film where she was wearing hot pants and leather vests and carrying a whip and basically beating up all these bad guys in the film,” Roy Wadia says.So they pulled out and the Wadia brothers released the film themselves. The 1935 film was a huge hit, running houseful in theatres for weeks, and Evans went on to become the top box-office female star of the 1930s and 1940s, according to Thomas. The film’s success also transformed Wadia Movietone into a studio known for films with fantastic stunts and theatrics. Evan’s famous yell “hey-y-y” in Hunterwali became a catchphrase. Image source, Film and Television Institute of IndiaImage caption, Fearless Nadia was perhaps the first foreigner to attain cult status in Bollywood”The roles she played, and the screenplays that my grandfather created for her, were about emancipation, about the freedom struggle, about literacy, about anti-corruption – all themes that were particularly relevant at that time of huge social change and turmoil [of the Indian Independence movement],” says Roy Wadia.”Although strict British censorship forbade overt references to the freedom movement, film-makers of the 1930s and 1940s would slip casual references to Congress [party] songs and symbols into the soundtrack or screen,” Thomas writes. “Nadia saw her role – on-screen and off – as supporting the nationalist movement and stated explicitly, ‘In all the pictures there was a propaganda message, something to fight for, for example for people to educate themselves or to become a strong nation’.”Her roles often featured her as a cosmopolitan woman who took charge to physically fight off villains in her films, often flipping burly men over her shoulder.”She would be jumping off waterfalls, jumping off planes, riding horses bareback, swinging on chandeliers, jumping 30ft from the roof of a castle – all stunts she did herself,” Roy Wadia says.”In those days, there were no safety nets, no body doubles and certainly no stamped insurance.”The actor’s dynamism and skill at stunts helped sell her on-screen persona to a fascinated audience. But they were not always an easy feat.In a 1980 interview with Karnad, Evans talked about one of her most terrifying moments from a film shoot. The actor was working on Jungle Princess (1942), which had a scene with a lion.”We started shooting and suddenly a lioness called Sundari gave an enormous roar and jumped. She jumped straight across my head, Homi’s head, the photographer’s head and barged through the cage, and there she was, hanging with her head and front paws on the outside and the rest of her inside.” The lion trainer eventually got her out unharmed.In her films, Evans often switched easily from Western clothing to Indian attire. “Always with a sense of humour and glint in the eye that lets you know that she’s like a chameleon but not really changing because under all that she remains the same person,” Roy Wadia says.Evans eventually fell in love and became Homi Wadia’s partner, a relationship that was not approved by many in the Wadia family. The couple had the staunch support of his brother JBH Wadia, but they only married after Wadia’s mother passed away.Roy Wadia remembers Evans as a down-to-earth, ordinary woman with a great sense of humour. “She had this huge laugh, she would make all sorts of jokes – naughty ones as well.”Every year Evans and Homi Wadia would throw a Christmas party at their shack in Juhu, where they entertained everyone from industry colleagues, family members to friends. “Homi would dress up as Santa Claus and make his appearance in all sorts of dramatic ways. And Mary was his partner in crime there,” Roy Wadia recalls.The couple did not have children, but Homi Wadia adopted Evans’s son from a previous marriage. Evans died in 1996 soon after her 88th birthday. She was perhaps the first foreigner to attain cult status in Bollywood. Read more India stories from the BBC:Delhi turns into fortress as farmers plan huge marchRockstar Indian fintech start-up faces serious crisisQatar frees ex-Indian navy officers on death rowFour dead in clashes over India mosque demolitionIndian textiles tycoon hit with fresh allegationsRelated TopicsAsiaBollywoodIndiaTop StoriesNavalny’s team accuses Russia of ‘hiding’ his bodyPublished10 hours agoZelensky warns of ‘artificial deficit’ of weaponsPublished1 hour agoGaza ceasefire talks not very promising, says QatarPublished6 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Starmer ‘attacks Trump’ and ‘No way back for Harry’A US soldier killed two at Mount Fuji. 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[ad_1] Known by her stage name Fearless Nadia, Mary Ann Evans ruled the Indian box office in the 1930s and 40s.

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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? 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 challenge2Birmingham Airport suspends flights over incident3First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed4Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference5Marten a ‘lioness’ who ‘loved her cubs’, court told6Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline7Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames8No liberty in addiction, says minister on smoking ban9Sons of McCartney and Lennon release joint single10Boy, 4, dies after fire at family home in Wigan

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