BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaFamine looms in Sudan as civil war survivors tell of killings and rapesPublished17 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Dany Abi Khalil / BBCImage caption, Three-year-old Manasek is suffering from severe malnutrition – her mother Ikram says food prices have soaredBy Feras Kilani in Sudan & Mercy Juma in ChadBBC NewsCivilians caught up in Sudan’s civil war have given graphic accounts to the BBC of rape, ethnic violence and street executions. Our journalists have managed to make it to the front line of the fighting close to the capital, Khartoum.Top UN officials have said the conflict has plunged the country into “one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history” and could trigger the world’s largest hunger crisis.There are also fears that in Darfur, in the west of the country, a repeat of what the US called genocide 20 years ago may be beginning to unfold. WARNING: This article contains accounts of physical and sexual violenceAs if out of nowhere, a huge blast shakes the road in Omdurman. People scream and run in all directions, shouting: “Go back, go back, there’ll be another one.” Thick smoke blankets everything.Moments earlier, the battered street had been dotted with pedestrians picking up rice, bread and vegetables from the shops, which had only recently begun to re-open.In mid-February, the Sudanese army retook the city – one of three along the River Nile that form Sudan’s wider capital, Khartoum.Civilians have now started to return, but mortars, like the one that landed in the middle of this main street, still fall daily.For international media, gaining access to cover the civil war that erupted last April has been difficult – but the BBC has managed to get to the front line. Our team found the once-bustling heart of Omdurman transformed into a thinly inhabited wasteland.Image source, Dany Abi Khalil / BBCImage caption, Most of the vehicles driving on the damaged streets of Omdurman are militaryThe vicious power struggle between the country’s military and its former ally, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, has killed at least 14,000 people across the country – possibly many more.For nearly a year, the army and the RSF have battled over Khartoum and the nearby cities.The RSF has taken control of areas south of the capital, as well as large swathes of Darfur, which has been in turmoil for years with violence between its various African and Arab communities.Women who escaped Darfur to neighbouring Chad have given the BBC accounts of being raped – sometimes multiple times – by militiamen. Men in the camps told us they had escaped street executions and abductions.Embedded on the front line with the army in Omdurman, the BBC team’s movements were carefully controlled – we had a minder with us and were not allowed to film military activity.The army fears information about its activities will be leaked.Image source, .When our cameraman begins filming the aftermath of the mortar explosion, armed men in civilian clothing surround him, one pointing a gun at his head.They turn out to be from military intelligence, but it’s a sign of how high tensions are.Despite the army’s recent gain in Omdurman, we can still hear exchanges of fire crackling around the area from time to time.Image source, Dany Abi Khalil / BBCImage caption, Stones and boards with numbers on mark burial sites on a patch of ground near a mosque in OmdurmanPart of the front line now runs along the Nile, which separates Khartoum on the eastern side from Omdurman, which is west of the river.The military tell us RSF snipers are stationed in apartment blocks across the water from Sudanese army positions at the badly damaged parliament building.Omdurman’s old market, once busy with locals and visitors, is in ruins, its shops looted bare. Most vehicles on the roads are military.More than three million people have fled Khartoum State in the past 11 months, but some Omdurman residents have refused to leave. Most we meet are elderly.Image source, Dany Abi Khalil / BBCImage caption, “It’s just me left,” says Mukhtar al-Badri Mohieddin, listing friends and acquaintances who are now buriedLess than a kilometre from the front line, Mukhtar al-Badri Mohieddin is walking with a stick near a mosque with a damaged minaret.The open space opposite is covered with makeshift graves – rough earth mounds marked with broken bricks, boards and concrete slabs.”There are 150 people here. I knew many of them, Mohamed, Abdullah… Jalal,” he says, pausing for a long moment before one name, Dr Youssef al-Habr, a well-known professor of Arabic literature. “It’s just me left,” he adds. The Sudanese military has been criticised for its heavy use of aerial bombing, including in civilian areas where RSF fighters hide out – though it says it takes “necessary precautions” to protect civilians.People here hold both sides responsible for the destruction in and around the capital.But many accuse the RSF of looting and attacks during the time it controlled the area.”They cleared the houses of belongings, they stole cars, TVs, they beat up old people, even women,” resident Muhammad Abdel Muttalib tells us.”People died of hunger, I pulled some of them out of their houses so the bodies wouldn’t rot inside,” he adds.He says it is “widely known” that women were raped in their homes and groped during security checks.Image source, Dany Abi Khalil / BBCImage caption, Afaf Muhammad Salem says RSF fighters looted her home and shot her brother in the legAfaf Muhammad Salem, in her late fifties, was living with her brothers in Khartoum when the war broke out.She says she moved across the river to Omdurman after they were attacked by RSF fighters, who she says looted their house and shot her brother in the leg.”They were beating up women and old men and threatening innocent girls,” she says.It is a veiled reference to sexual violence, which is a taboo topic in Sudan. “Insulting honour does more harm than taking money,” she adds.’A weapon of revenge’Victims of rape can face a lifetime of stigma and marginalisation from their own families and communities. Many people in Omdurman did not want to discuss the issue.But more than 1,000km (621 miles) to the west, in the sprawling refugee camps over the border in Chad, the volume of emerging testimonies of sexual violence is forcing a new, grim, level of openness.Image source, Marek Polaszewski / BBCImage caption, Hundreds of thousands of people have fled from Sudan into ChadAmina, whose name we have changed to protect her identity, has come to a temporary clinic run by the charity Médecins Sans Frontières, seeking an abortion. She greets us without looking up.The 19-year-old, who has fled from Darfur in Sudan, only found out she was pregnant the previous day. She desperately hopes her family will never know.”I’m not married and I was a virgin,” Amina says in faltering sentences.If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.In November, militiamen caught her, along with her aunt and cousins, as they were fleeing from their hometown of Ardamata to the nearby city of Geneina, she tells us.”The others escaped but they kept me for a whole day. There were two of them, and one raped me many times before I managed to escape,” she says.Image source, Marek Polaszewski / BBCImage caption, Amina desperately hopes her family will never know she sought an abortionThe RSF’s expanding domination in Darfur, supported by allied Arab militias, has brought with it a surge in ethnically driven attacks on the black African population, especially the Masalit ethnic group.Amina’s story is just one of many testimonies of attacks against civilians that happened around 4 November when the RSF and its allies seized a Sudanese military garrison in Ardamata.It follows violence earlier in the year – a recent UN report seen by the BBC says that more than 10,000 people are believed to have been killed in the area since last April.The UN has documented about 120 victims of conflict-related sexual violence across the country, which it says is “a vast under-representation of the reality”.It says men in RSF uniform and armed men affiliated with the group were reported to be responsible for more than 80% of the attacks. Separately, there have also been some reports of sexual assaults by the Sudanese military.Image source, .Just outside the same camp, which is in the border town of Adré, about 30 women and girls meet in a hut at midday.Pink and blue balloons hang from a string above their heads, along with handwritten notes. “Rape is not destiny; it is a practice that can be stopped,” one reads.Tears flow freely as the women speak of their experiences of both physical and sexual violence.Image source, Marek Polaszewski / BBCImage caption, Women wept in the meeting as experiences of physical and sexual violence were sharedMaryamu – not her real name – says she was raped by armed men wearing the turban-style headdresses typical of Arab fighters in the area, in November in her home in Geneina.She had difficulty walking afterwards, she says, sobbing as she describes fleeing: “People were running, but we couldn’t because my grandmother can’t run. I was also bleeding.”Zahra Khamis, a social worker who is a refugee herself, runs the group.Both Amina and Maryamu are from black African communities, and Ms Khamis says these, particularly the Masalit ethnic group, are being targeted in Darfur.Image source, Marek Polaszewski / BBCImage caption, Balloons and handwritten signs hang in the hut where women gather to share their experiencesDuring the war in Darfur 20 years ago, an Arab militia called the Janjaweed – in which the RSF has its roots – was mobilised by former President Omar al-Bashir to crush a rebellion by non-Arab ethnic groups.The UN says 300,000 people were killed and rape was widely used as a way to terrorise black African communities and force them to flee. Some Janjaweed leaders and Mr Bashir have been indicted by the ICC on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. They have denied the charges and no-one has been convicted.Ms Khamis believes rape is being used in this conflict “as a weapon of revenge”.”They are doing this to the women because rape leaves an impact on society and the family,” she adds.In a rare insight into the attitudes driving violence against women, one RSF member who describes himself as a “field commander” posted a video on social media in November.”If we rape your daughter or your girl, it’s an eye for an eye. This is our country and this is our right and we took it,” he says in the clip, which has now been deleted.In response to the BBC’s questions about rapes and other attacks, the RSF said Sudanese military intelligence was “recruiting people to wear RSF clothes and commit crimes against civilians so it can be said that RSF are committing crimes, sexual assault and ethnic cleansing”.”Maybe one or two incidents were committed by RSF fighters and they were held accountable,” Omran Abdullah Hassan from the RSF leader’s advisory office told the BBC.Last year. the RSF said it would set up a process to investigate alleged human rights abuses by its forces, but the UN says no details have been given.’If you’re Masalit, they kill you’In another shelter in the same camp, Ahmat’s hands shake as he grasps a phone, watching a video, which has been verified by the BBC, showing five unarmed men lined up on a street in Ardamata in November.”I’m just going to finish them off,” a voice shouts in Sudanese Arabic, before the men are raked with gunfire from an assault rifle at point blank range.”This is Amir, and this is Abbas…,” Ahmat says, a tear rolling down his cheek.Image source, .Image caption, The video posted on social media shows the group of men lined up on a streetThis is the first time the 30-year-old, whose name we have changed, has seen the footage of the moment he was shot. It was filmed, apparently by one of the armed men, on 5 November – the day after the RSF seized the garrison – and posted online. Ahmat says his cousin Amir and his friend Abbas died instantly, but he and the two others survived.A large scar on his back marks the exit wound where a bullet ripped through his shoulder. He says he was a teacher before the war and that all five of them were civilians.”We lay down as if we were dead,” he says. “I remember praying. I was thinking it was the end.”Ahmat says he was abducted from near his home by members of the RSF and their allies. The video shows men dressed in the style typical of these forces.Two other men gave the BBC detailed testimony of being abducted and injured by armed men they believe were linked to the RSF during the same period in Ardamata.One of them, 55-year-old Yussouf Abdallah, told us he had managed to escape after being held by armed men. He says he saw them kill a mother and her newborn baby.Image source, Marek Polaszewski / BBCImage caption, Ahmat shows the exit wound on his shoulder where the bullet came out”They asked if we are from the Masalit community and, if you are, they automatically kill you,” he added.Sudan entered a fresh period of instability in 2019, when street protests and a military coup ended the near three-decade rule of Mr Bashir. A joint military-civilian government was established, but that was overthrown in another coup by the army and RSF in October 2021.But the two allies fell out over the proposed move towards civilian rule – and how the RSF should be integrated into the regular armed forces.Last April, when the RSF redeployed its members around the country, the Sudanese army saw the move as a threat, and the violence began, with neither side wanting to give up the lucrative dividends of power.’On the brink of famine’Nearly a year on, aid agencies warn of a humanitarian situation spiralling out of control, with the UN’s children’s agency, Unicef, saying some communities are on the brink of famine.Three-year-old Manasek is one of hundreds of thousands of children already suffering from severe malnutrition. She does not have the strength to walk and can barely hold her own head up.Her mother Ikram cradles her in a Unicef hospital in Port Sudan, a city on the Red Sea where thousands of people fleeing the fighting in Khartoum have sought refuge – and to which most government institutions and humanitarian organisations have also relocated.She does not know if Manasek has an underlying illness, and cannot pay for medical investigations to find out.”We lost our life, we lost our jobs,” she says, explaining that her husband has gone to northern Sudan to seek farm work and how food prices have soared out of reach. She bows her head, wiping away tears, unable to say more.Image source, Dany Abi Khalil / BBCImage caption, Zubaida (centre) has leukaemia and is sheltering in a school with her grandmother (left), her mother and three of her childrenWe visit a school in Port Sudan. Classrooms where pupils once learned are now crammed with desperate families.A stream of sewage flows along the side of the yard, where children play barefoot by piles of rubbish. We are told five people have died of cholera here.Zubaida Ammar Muhammad, a mother of eight, coughs as she tells us she has leukaemia and has been in pain since April, when her medication ran out. She was unable to get more when the war broke out and the family fled from the Khartoum area.Her husband volunteered to fight with the Sudanese military, and she has not heard from him for two months. Her mother, grandmother and the three children staying with them can do little but watch her health deteriorate.In Port Sudan we also meet a group of Coptic Christians who have fled the capital, to escape RSF threats and attacks, and the military’s air strikes.”The air force in Khartoum destroyed us,” says one of them, Sarah Elias.She says an air strike killed her husband, and another hit a neighbour’s home, killing nine people, as the military targeted RSF fighters hiding in residential areas and churches.The US says both sides have committed war crimes, and the RSF and its allied militias have also committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.Both sides deny the allegations.Eleven months into the war, there is little sign of any will on either side to end to the fighting.Most of those able to leave have fled the country – and as conflict, hunger and disease continue, many people here wonder what will be left for anyone to declare victory over.Additional reporting by Peter Ball and Mohamed Ibrahim, verification by Peter MwaiRelated TopicsSudanKhartoumMore on this storySudan’s army recaptures state broadcaster HQPublished12 MarchTop StoriesFamine looms in Sudan as civil war survivors tell of killings and rapesPublished17 minutes agoEntire Gaza population facing acute hunger – USPublished6 hours agoData watchdog ‘assesses’ Kate privacy breach claimPublished20 minutes agoFeaturesThe Papers: Kate’s records ‘breached’ and Labour’s fiscal rulesWhat is Hong Kong’s tough new security law?Trump needs a $464m bond in six days. 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[ad_1] BBC teams report from the devastated capital and hear accounts of rapes and street executions from refugees.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaGaza desperately needs more aid but agencies can’t copePublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warBy Paul AdamsBBC NewsThe images have been searing. Children scrabbling in the dirt, gathering handfuls of spilled flour which they stuff into their pockets.Aid trucks surrounded by angry mobs of mostly young men, who attack the drivers and make off with whatever they can carry. And young Maryam Abed-Rabu, trying but ultimately failing to stay composed as she answered a journalist’s questions about the daily struggle to stay alive.A girl who has already been through so much, including the loss of her father, wailing at her inability simply to find bread.Northern Gaza is almost entirely cut off from the outside world. The population, estimated at around 300,000 people, reduced to a feral existence in a world where shops barely exist and aid never arrives. The south, meanwhile, is crammed with the displaced – hundreds of thousands of people constantly on the move, looking for food, shelter and safety. Israel says it’s doing what it can to limit the suffering of civilians, but four and a half months of relentless military assault have left the Gaza Strip on its knees, with aid agencies unable to cope.”Every time you go back it gets worse,” Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s interim coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said on Friday. Just back from his latest visit to the Gaza Strip, he found despair was rife. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Palestinians carry bags of flour from an aid truck in Gaza City”People feel as though this is the end of their journey.”At the far southern end of the Gaza Strip, between 1.2 and 1.5 million people are crammed into every available space in and around the city of Rafah. Nearby, in the sandy coastal area known as al-Mawasi, designated by Israel as a humanitarian safe zone, at least 250,000 people are now living in flimsy accommodation with little support.Doctors working for the British medical charity UK-Med have watched a tent city springing up around them.”Two weeks ago, there were one or two tents dotted along the beachfront,” UK-Med’s CEO David Wightwick told me on a scratchy line from his al-Mawasi base.”They’re now six tents deep.”A few miles south is the crossing point Israelis call Kerem Shalom (Karem Abu Salem in Arabic), where almost all aid destined for the Gaza Strip enters, after exhaustive Israeli checks.At a holding area on the Palestinian side, aid is offloaded and reloaded onto local trucks, for distribution throughout Gaza. The trucks traverse a 3km corridor to the “blue gate” at Rafah, before entering Gaza.But the collapse of security in Gaza means that for some of the aid, the journey never really begins.Trucks are attacked and looted inside the corridor.Much of the looting is by organised Palestinian gangs, with donkey carts and vehicles waiting across the fence and spotters reporting the arrival of aid.But for those trucks lucky enough to reach the blue gate, the problems have only just begun. Much of what happens next is opportunistic, and frequently violent.”Many of these trucks, before they even get 200 metres, are stopped by cars, attacked and looted,” Mr McGoldrick said.With just a few roads available for aid deliveries, and most convoys travelling in the early hours of the day, the UN says people are using social media to alert each other to the movement of convoys, allowing roadblocks and ambushes to be set up in advance.Image source, DPA / AlamyImage caption, A truck loaded with German aid enters Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing”People know when we’re coming,” Mr McGoldrick said.The envoy said he had seen trucks with windows and rear-view mirrors smashed. He said he had spoken to traumatised drivers, who’d had axes thrown through their windscreens and come under fire.Rather than reaching UN warehouses and being distributed in an orderly fashion, aid often ends up being sold in street markets at vastly inflated prices which few can afford.After a World Food Programme truck was hit by gunfire on 6 February (the UN blamed Israeli naval gunfire), WFP suspended all aid deliveries to the north.Attempts to resume deliveries this week collapsed amid scenes of violent looting.The UN says it has approached Israel about opening up supply routes from the north but that discussions are at an early stage.The hope – a slender one at the moment – is to reduce incentives for looting by dramatically increasing the volumes of food and other essential goods entering Gaza.”We need to flood the north with aid,” Mr McGoldrick said, “so it doesn’t become a product that people want to use for extortionist purposes or the black market.”Israel, for its part, says it is doing what it can to facilitate the arrival of humanitarian assistance. “We are doing everything in our power… to reduce any harmful consequences of the war [to] the civilian population,” Col. Moshe Tetro, head of the military’s coordination and liaison administration for Gaza, told reporters at a briefing this week.On Friday, the military said more than 13,000 trucks, carrying over 250,000 tons of humanitarian aid, had entered the Gaza Strip since the start of the war.That’s a little over 90 trucks a day, way below the 500 UN staff say is needed to meet the growing demands of a hungry, sick, repeatedly displaced population. Israel says the problems with aid distribution are not of its making, despite the fact that the chaos reigning inside the Gaza Strip is a direct consequence of its military assault. “Unfortunately, today and yesterday, the UN didn’t show up for work,” Col Tetro said.Delays on the Palestinian side, he said, were leading to a backlog of trucks waiting to enter Gaza.”The UN should increase their capabilities inside Gaza.”But in recent weeks, security has been further eroded by a series of Israeli attacks on civilian police officers.According to David Satterfield, the Biden administration’s envoy for humanitarian issues, such attacks had made it “virtually impossible” to distribute aid safely.For the UN, Israeli calls for it to do more sound hollow. The Israeli government has embarked on a campaign to dismantle UNRWA, the UN agency responsible for assisting Palestinian refugees, following allegations that as many as 12% of UNRWA’s 13,000 staff in Gaza were also working for Hamas, with some even participating in the murderous attacks of 7 October.The UN says it’s investigating but that Israel has yet to share its intelligence. In the meantime, the Netanyahu government has already started stripping UNRWA of its functions.Responsibility for 29,000 metric tonnes of flour from USAID, currently stored at the Israeli port of Ashdod, has already been transferred to the World Food Programme.In an anguished letter to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, UNRWA’s director Philippe Lazzarini said the agency had reached “breaking point” and listed a number of measures the Israeli government was taking to hamper its work, including limiting visas for international staff, blocking an UNRWA bank account and suspending the shipment of UNRWA goods.Bad as it is at the moment, the thought of an all-out Israeli assault on Rafah, which the government threatens to do if Israeli hostages are not released before the start of Ramadan on 10 March, raises fears among aid workers that the worst is yet to come.UK-Med’s David Wightwick has already had a glimpse. When he drove to Khan Yunis to extract a medical team from Nasser Hospital, he found himself surrounded by crowds of desperate people.”The prospect of that happening in Rafah and al-Mawasi, where you’ve got hundreds of thousands of people is not one I think you really want to contemplate,” he told me. Israel-Gaza war: Death and Israel’s search for ‘total victory’What are routes out of this ‘dangerous moment’ in Middle East?Huge push for Gaza aid – but little hope for those sufferingIran’s sudden strikes show just how perilous region has becomeTough choices for Israel in US’s Middle East visionHuge challenges for Israel on its vague ‘day after’ Gaza planStakes are immense as Biden presses Israel to change courseHamas support soars in West Bank – but full uprising can still be avoidedThe status quo is smashed. 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[ad_1] The Israeli government has embarked on a campaign to dismantle UNRWA, the UN agency responsible for assisting Palestinian refugees, following allegations that as many as 12% of UNRWA’s 13,000…

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityScience & EnvironmentFirst commercial Moon mission marks new era for space travelPublished58 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Intuitive Machines’ Moon lander took off on a Space X rocketBy Jonathan Amos, Science correspondent and Harrison Jones BBC NewsThe landing of a first commercial spacecraft on the Moon has sparked excitement about a new age of possibilities in the Solar System. News of the touchdown of Odysseus near the lunar south pole was greeted with cheers by staff at American firm Intuitive Machines’ (IM) mission control in Houston, Texas, on Thursday.It is the first time an American craft has successfully landed on the Moon since 1972 – and the first time ever that a private company has done so. But the giant leap for commercial kind could also help future state missions to the lunar surface and perhaps even aid plans to set up a lunar – or Martian – base for humans.Neil deGrasse Tyson, one of America’s most famous astrophysicists, believes missions of this kind “should have been happening decades ago.” But he told the BBC’s Americast that further state-funded missions might be needed before many private businesses look seriously at opportunities in space, given the level of up-front funding needed to get ventures off the ground. American company makes historic Moon landingIntuitive Machines: the firm behind first private Moon landingMoon Race 2.0- Why so many nations and private companies are aiming for lunar landings Future”There is no business case to go into space first,” Mr deGrasse Tyson argued.He suggested that if the US put a base on Mars then “after that’s done, the expensive way, private enterprise can say ‘well, maybe there is another way to get there that is cheaper’.” “Maybe you set up an amusement park or a tourist visiting site if it’s cheap enough. “But if you can’t get the price down then it’s not going to happen.” There are hopes that the touchdown could plant the seeds of a wider, thriving lunar economy. The vision involves a range of companies buying and selling services such as transport, communication and power. Nasa is trying to encourage firms to get involved in exploration beyond Earth, with the US space agency engaging a number of companies to take its scientific instruments to the Moon. These private entities build, launch and operate their missions. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: There were celebrations at the Texas company Intuitive MachinesNasa purchased room on Odysseus for six scientific instruments, and some of its equipment helped the robot craft overcome technical issues – demonstrating the capacity for private and state actors to co-operate successfully in the space exploration industry.The mission is part of Nasa’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme, in which the agency is paying various private American companies for transport services to the Moon – in this particular case, with a fee of $118M (£93m).IM’s effort follows that of another private entity, Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic, which set off for the Moon in early January but could not even attempt a landing because of technical problems.IM, which claims to “open access to the Moon for the progress of humanity”, was founded by Kam Ghaffarian, Stephen Altemus and Tim Crain – all of whom have significantly lower profiles than the likes of Elon Musk and Richard Branson.That billionaire duo have both tried their hands at different forms of private space exploration – with varying degrees of success – and are planning further forays.Many firms will see the risks and costs involved as reason enough to remain Earth-bound. But other companies are also hoping to get involved in trips to the Moon, which had seen relatively little interest compared with the much-hyped – and state-based – “Space Race” of the mid to late 20th Century.Only a handful of other countries have since successfully landed a spacecraft on the Moon’s surface – the state space programmes of the then Soviet Union, China, India and Japan.Image source, Intuitive MachinesImage caption, Odysseus successfully touched down on ThursdayYet in Europe, too, interest now appears to be picking up. Some of Odysseus’ communications are being facilitated by Goonhilly Ltd in Cornwall, UK, which has several large radio dishes capable of picking up signals from the Moon’s surface. Nearby Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, of Guildford, is building a telecoms spacecraft that will circle the Moon to provide a relay service to anyone who needs to get data back to the Earth.Meanwhile, Nasa has a shortlist of lunar locations to send astronauts to later this decade in its Artemis programme – and one of them is Odysseus’ targeted landing site, known as Malapert.It is the southernmost point on the Moon ever visited by a spacecraft, and scientists think there could be frozen water nearby which could be vital to future missions. But the key question is how sustainable a lunar economy can become long-term.Will there be enough activity at the Moon to justify investors’ courage in building the emerging infrastructure? For the foreseeable future, government funding will have to prop up this industry. That all means it may be quite some time before a thriving lunar economy is able to establish itself. Related TopicsNasaThe MoonSpace explorationMore on this storyAmerican company makes historic Moon landingPublished7 hours agoStricken Japanese Moon mission landed on its nosePublished25 JanuaryThe companies offering delivery to the MoonPublished7 January 2022American company aims for historic Moon landingPublished19 hours agoUS spacecraft completes Moon landing missionPublished20 hours agoTop StoriesLive. Thousands evacuated in Plymouth before unexploded WW2 bomb movedShamima Begum loses bid to regain UK citizenshipPublished2 hours agoLive. Death toll rises after huge fire in Valencia apartment blocksFeaturesThe ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AIWeekly quiz: What word did Emma Stone have trouble saying?Frontline medics count cost of two years of Ukraine warWhat are the sanctions on Russia and are they working?Dozens of cars pile up after icy Chinese highway crash. VideoDozens of cars pile up after icy Chinese highway crashFirst private Moon mission marks new era for space travelBengal famine: Searching for lost voices from WW2’s forgotten tragedyWhile energy cap has fallen, standing charges are going upThe young Bollywood star taking on HollywoodElsewhere on the BBCFamily life with no filterLife is changing for the Jessops, but the chaos continuesAttributioniPlayerThe good, the bad and the bafflingWhen the British public leave a review, they almost always write something hilariousAttributionSoundsFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayerShould I let my kids use AI for their homework?Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong answer the questions that really matter to usAttributionSoundsMost Read1Husband ‘made millions’ eavesdropping on BP wife2Germany legalises cannabis, but makes it hard to buy3Mansplaining TikTok reaction ‘crazy’, says golf pro4Shamima Begum loses bid to regain UK citizenship5Coronation Street actor John Savident dies aged 866Top sumo wrestler demoted due to student’s violence7Astronomers crack 37-year cosmic ‘murder mystery’8US targets Russia with more than 500 new sanctions9Ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells stripped of CBE10Miss Moneypenny actress Pamela Salem dies aged 80

[ad_1] Odysseus’ successful landing has sparked excitement around a possible expansion of the lunar economy.

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael’s PM Netanyahu lays out Gaza plan for after the warPublished11 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersImage caption, Under Mr Netanyahu’s plan, Palestinians with no links to armed groups would run GazaBy Jenny HillBBC News, JerusalemIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has laid out his vision for a post-war Gaza. Under his plan Israel would control security indefinitely, and Palestinians with no links to groups hostile to Israel would run the territory. The US, Israel’s major ally, wants the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern Gaza after the war. But the short document – which Mr Netanyahu presented to ministers last night – makes no mention of the PA. He has previously ruled out a post-war role for the internationally backed body. He envisages a “demilitarised” Gaza; Israel would be responsible for removing all military capability beyond that necessary for public order. There would be a “Southern Closure” on the territory’s border with Egypt to prevent smuggling both under- and overground. And “de-radicalisation” programmes would be promoted in all religious, educational and welfare institutions. The document suggests Arab countries with experience of such programmes would be involved, though Mr Netanyahu has not specified which. Why is the Gaza war happening?Under the plan Israel would also maintain security control over the entire area west of Jordan from land, sea and air. Mr Netanyahu has been under pressure – at home and internationally – to publish proposals for Gaza since he began his military operation. He is keen to restore a crumbling reputation as a leader who can keep Israel safe and will want to appeal to right wing hardliners in his coalition government. A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the PA, said Mr Netanyahu’s plan was doomed to fail. Nabil Abu Rudeineh said: “If the world is genuinely interested in having security and stability in the region, it must end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and recognise an independent Palestinian state.” Mr Netanyahu repeated his rejection of any unilateral recognition by Western countries of a Palestinian state.Meanwhile negotiators trying to broker a temporary ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages are expected to meet in Paris. The US wants a deal in place before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in just over a fortnight. And, as the humanitarian situation worsens in Gaza, there is international pressure too for the war to end. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health reports that more than 29,500 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since the war began in October.Israel’s military offensive was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on 7 October in which gunmen killed about 1,200 people – mainly civilians – and took 253 back to Gaza as hostages.Overnight the head of the UN body responsible for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) warned that Gaza faces a “monumental disaster with grave implications for regional peace, security and human rights”.Mr Netanyahu – who has accused Unrwa workers of participating in the October attacks – aims to close the agency as part of his post-war plan and replace it with – as yet unspecified – international aid organisations. And he has insisted that he will continue his war until Israel has dismantled Hamas and Islamic Jihad – the second largest armed group in Gaza – and all Israeli hostages are returned. Related TopicsIsrael-Gaza warIsraelHamasMore on this storyHuge challenges for Israel on its vague ‘day after’ Gaza planPublished6 JanuaryTop StoriesLive. Thousands evacuated in Plymouth before unexploded WW2 bomb movedShamima Begum loses bid to regain UK citizenshipPublished1 hour agoLive. Death toll rises after huge fire in Valencia apartment blocksFeaturesThe ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AIWeekly quiz: What word did Emma Stone have trouble saying?Frontline medics count cost of two years of Ukraine warDozens of cars pile up after icy Chinese highway crash. VideoDozens of cars pile up after icy Chinese highway crashBengal famine: Searching for lost voices from WW2’s forgotten tragedyWhile energy cap has fallen, standing charges are going upThe young Bollywood star taking on HollywoodWATCH: Bodycam footage from Rust shooting aftermath. VideoWATCH: Bodycam footage from Rust shooting aftermathAlabama IVF row an election-year political bombshellElsewhere on the BBCFamily life with no filterLife is changing for the Jessops, but the chaos continuesAttributioniPlayerThe good, the bad and the bafflingWhen the British public leave a review, they almost always write something hilariousAttributionSoundsFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayerShould I let my kids use AI for their homework?Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong answer the questions that really matter to usAttributionSoundsMost Read1Mansplaining TikTok reaction ‘crazy’, says golf pro2Shamima Begum loses bid to regain UK citizenship3Coronation Street actor John Savident dies aged 864Astronomers crack 37-year cosmic ‘murder mystery’5Top sumo wrestler demoted due to protege’s violence6US targets Russia with more than 500 new sanctions7Policeman charged with murder of missing Sydney couple8Miss Moneypenny actress Pamela Salem dies aged 809Husband ‘made millions’ eavesdropping on BP wife10Fossil reveals 240 million year-old ‘dragon’

[ad_1] And, as the humanitarian situation worsens in Gaza, there is international pressure too for the war to end. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health reports that more than 29,500 people,…

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

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

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

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

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

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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