Rodríguez addressed the nation on state television channel VTV more than two hours after the quakes.

Prior to that, official information had been very scant, no doubt due to the fact that communication channels to some of the worst affected areas were down. But it is also a result of restrictions placed on independent media under the Maduro government, which have led to the closure of hundreds of mainly local radio stations and news sites, which in the past would have been key to providing localised updates.

Rodríguez was flanked by her brother Jorge, who in his role as president of the National Assembly swore her into office as interim president just days after Maduro was seized, and by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, another staunch Maduro ally.

Unlike he so often did in the months leading up to the US military intervention, Cabello was not wearing military fatigues. He stood silently next to Rodríguez, as did her brother.

Rodríguez was visibly shaken as she delivered her speech, in which she called “first and foremost” for unity from the Venezuelan people, who for more than a decade have been deeply divided between those who supported Maduro, and his predecessor and mentor Hugo Chávez, and those who opposed him.

She also declared a state of emergency and tasked General Juan Ernesto Sulbarán, the commander of Venezuela’s National Guard, with leading the emergency response.

During the more than a quarter century that Chávez and Maduro were in power, key positions in the government have been held by high-ranking military officers.

Many state ministries have for years been in the hands of generals, and analysts have said that part of the reason why Venezuela’s infrastructure has become so run down is the lack of expertise of those in charge.

Under the watchful eyes of the Trump administration, Rodríguez has recently replaced the general running the ministry of housing with a civilian who has a degree in architecture and the general who headed the electricity ministry with an electrical engineer.

However, years of shortages – exacerbated by US sanctions – and mismanagement have meant that much of the public housing stock in particular has deteriorated.

A shortage of cement, for example, triggered by the collapse of the state-owned cement industry after its nationalisation under Chávez, has meant that badly needed repairs have often not been carried out on buildings and home, making them more prone to collapse.

Claire Walker told Teesside Crown Court how Isabelle Welsh “was the worst [she] had seen her” just a day before she suffered fatal head injuries at her Thornaby home.

The two-year-old’s mother, Alexander Walker, and her new boyfriend, Harrison Simpson, are on trial accused of murder after she suffered a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain.

The grandmother’s police recorded interview was played to jurors as evidence in the trial, which is listed to last six weeks.

Isabelle Rose Welsh (Image: Family handout)

During the interview, she told detectives Isabelle had suffered a broken leg weeks before she died.

Miss Walker recounted how the toddler looked pale when she visited her daughter but believed she was struggling with a virus.

She said “she was the worst I had seen her” when she visited her the day before Isabelle died.

Miss Walker said Isabelle was also complaining about her stomach hurting but thought it was because she had been ‘throwing up’.

Struggling to contain her emotions during the police interview, she said she “is going to regret it for the rest of her life” that she didn’t take Isabelle to the doctors on that day.

When asked about Isabelle’s health and wellbeing in the weeks leading up to her death, Miss Walker told the officers she spotted a bump on her head, bruising around her spine and a ‘fingerprint’ bruise on her hip.

The jury heard how Isabelle was found unconscious at her home when paramedics were called, and they discovered the two-year-old was “gravely unwell and her heart had stopped beating”.

Dan Ackroyd, Walker’s stepfather, told the police he had tried to perform CPR when he arrived at her home before paramedics took over and managed to restart her heart.

When asked by Mark McKone KC, representing Walker, how she was acting when he arrived at her home, Mr Ackroyd said she was ‘visibly shaking’ and crying.

Despite the best efforts of medical staff, the toddler died in the early hours of September 14 after suffering a fractured skull and brain damage.

Jurors were told Isabelle suffered 21 fractures, including a fatal one to her skull, as well as enduring significant sexual abuse in the weeks leading up to her death.

Earlier in the trial, the jury heard how Walker searched online, checking for any information about Simpson being a child sex offender.

Tributes to Isabelle Welsh were outside her Thornaby home (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

The court had heard the pair had only been in a relationship for a few months when Isabelle suffered all of her injuries, including the fatal skull fracture.

Simpson, 22, of Greenham Close in Thorntree, Middlesbrough, and Walker, of Hartington Close in Thornaby, deny murder.

The pair also deny four other charges involving Isabelle, including: causing or allowing the death of a child on September 14; two counts of assault by penetration between September 10 and September 14 last year; and cruelty to a person under 16.

The trial continues.

Emergency services remain at the scene of a police incident on the A4232 heading towards the M4. Drivers were seen attempting to cool off outside their cars on what has been the hottest ever June day in Wales after the crash on Thursday evening.

At 11pm the carriageway between the Leckwith Interchange and A48 Culverhouse Cross remains closed. The police did say earlier that the road is expected to remain closed for some time.

The police have urged drivers to avoid the area and use alternative routes.

A statement from South Wales Police said: “Emergency services are at the scene of a road traffic collision on the A4232 Cardiff. The southbound carriageway is closed at Culverhouse Cross. Please avoid the area and seek alternative routes.”

Councillor for Caerau Peter Bradbury wrote online: “There is currently a police incident on the A4232 between Leckwith and Culverhouse Cross. The road is currently closed at Leckwith whilst emergency services are in attendance.

“Further information when available. The road is expected to be closed for some time.”

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The temporary order will run until Saturday after youths started fights and harassed members of the public

Police have slapped a dispersal order on Gorton after reports of youths fighting and harassing innocent members of the public in a recent spate of anti-social behaviour.

Greater Manchester Police implemented the section 35 order on Thursday night (June 25) to run until 5.30pm on Saturday (June 27). The temporary measures give officers the powers to exclude a person or group from a specified area.

The area includes Gorton Train Station, Hyde Road, Matthews Lane, Gorton Lower Reservoir and Pink Bank Lane. Police said the measures were necessary following ‘recent incidents of anti-social behaviour’ including fighting and people being harassed on Thursday.

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Inspector Zac Campbell, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “This order has been implemented to provide further powers for officers in the area to deal with anti-social behaviour affecting our communities

.

“Anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and where this is reported to us, we will look to take action – either through proactive action including arrests or preventative problem-solving work alongside our local partners.”Anyone with information about criminality or incidents of anti-social behaviour is asked to contact police via 101 or our Live Chat function on gmp.police.uk. Always call 999 in an emergency. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111

Morrisons has issued an urgent recall on a fan-favourite pasta product due to an undeclared allergen risk

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An urgent recall notice has been issued for a popular pasta product sold at Morrisons over an undeclared allergen risk, according to the UK Food Standards Agency.

The supermarket is pulling its Coronation Chicken Pasta from shelves after it emerged that some packs may contain Florida Salad, which includes milk that is not listed on the packaging.

This means the product poses a potential health risk to anyone suffering from an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents. The specific batch affected weighs 230g, carries an expiry date of June 30, 2026, and has the batch code GBB 584 031.

Shoppers who have purchased the product and have a milk allergy or intolerance are urged not to eat it and to return it to their nearest store immediately.

The Food Standards Agency has issued a recall notice stating: “Morrisons is recalling the above product from customers and has been advised to contact the relevant allergy support organisations, which will tell their members about the recall. The company has also issued a point-of-sale notice to its customers.

“These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.”

For full details on all product recalls, the Food Standards Agency and Chartered Trading Standards Institute websites are trustworthy sources of information.

In addition, recall notices should be prominently displayed in stores where a product has been withdrawn from sale, reports Chronicle Live.

A boy aged 14 has been charged with murder by Gwent Police after a female body was found during the search for a girl missing in south Wales.

The boy from the Blaenau Gwent area, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in police custody to appear before Newport Magistrates Court later on Friday.

The white British boy was arrested after the body was found in the Duffryn Park area of Blaina on Monday.

The body has not been formally identified but police believe it to be that of a girl, 14, named only as Lilly, who had been reported missing.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Lilly at this difficult time,” Detective Chief Inspector Steven Thomas said in a statement, external.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X, external to get the latest alerts.

Archie McPherson has covered six World Cups for the BBC and was highly critical of the performance of the current team.

Legendary Scots broadcaster and football commentator Archie McPherson has slated Scotland’s performances at this year’s World Cup describing them as “the worst ever”

In a series of blistering comments McPherson said the current team had insulted the memory of great players of the past.

He made the remarks following Scotland’s 3-0 defeat to Brazil in Miami adding that they had “no right” to be there.

McPherson, 89, covered Scotland’s participation in six World Cups between 1974 and 1998 for the BBC.

In a social media post the former Sportscene presenter said: “The Scotland side I saw being comfortably beaten by the Brazilians last night is the worst ever to have represented our country at the World Cup.

“Yes, we had disappointments in the past, which I closely witnessed six times through the years.

“But the almost feverish efforts to equate our presence in the States as being of potential historical significance invested qualities in Clarke’s side they simply did not possess.

“That was evident in every single game. But not only that , it was blindly ignoring the detailed reasons why we failed in the past in that special tournament.

“Thus insulting the memory of some our great players like Dalglish, Jordan, Bremner, Gemmill etc.

“We had our faults certainly. But never did I feel ,as I did last night, that this Scotland team were simply trespassers with no authentic right to be there.”

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In the 1996 film adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s cult novel Trainspotting Macpherson re-voiced his commentary of Archie Gemmill’s famous goal for Scotland against the Netherlands at the 1978 World Cup as a sex scene.

A public-spirited van driver pulled over to offer armed Kent Police officers a lift during a dramatic chase in Margate, helping them apprehend a suspect wanted in connection with a serious assault. The incredible moment was caught on officers’ body-worn cameras.

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Remarkable footage has captured the moment an ordinary member of the public played a pivotal role in helping armed officers apprehend a suspect in Margate.

The van driver who provided the spontaneous lift to armed officers during the pursuit in Thanet, Kent, has since been widely praised for his actions.

The gripping footage, recorded on police body cameras, opens with the shout: “armed police, stay where you are.”

Armed officers from Kent Police had been responding to reports of a serious assault when a wanted suspect managed to slip away and fled on foot, heading towards Tivoli Road.

Footage from one officer’s body-worn camera captures the moment the van driver pulled over to assist the armed officers in their pursuit of the fleeing suspect.

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As he drew up alongside them, the driver told the officer: “Get in the back.”

The officer obliged and leapt into the black minivan, leaving the sliding door ajar to guide his impromptu chauffeur.

The officer can be heard shouting: “Go, go, go! Cheers buddy. Follow that police officer.”

As the driver accelerated in the direction of the officer still pursuing the suspect on foot, the policeman continued to bark instructions, urging him to overtake both the fleeing man and his colleague.

The driver brought the vehicle to a sharp halt when ordered to stop, allowing the officer sufficient time to get ahead of and corner the fleeing suspect. The armed officer then leapt from the vehicle, trained his weapon on the suspect and made the arrest.

The driver, who has not been named, stood nearby watching the dramatic scene play out before him, before officers showed their appreciation with a firm handshake.

The van driver said: “I am just glad I could be of service. That was quite exhilarating.”

Following the dramatic arrest, Kent Police’s Armed Policing Superintendent Will Lay paid tribute to the unnamed man for his vital role in the operation.

“Thanks to the quick and selfless actions of this responsible and public-spirited driver, officers were able to apprehend the dangerous individual,” Supt Lay said.

“The successful arrest may not have been possible without the member of the public and his vehicle.

“He should feel proud of his contribution to keeping his community safe, and we are truly grateful for his assistance.”