Switzerland said it would make a one-off payment of 50,000 Swiss francs (£47,755) to severely injured survivors and bereaved families of the New Year bar fire in Crans-Montana.

The blaze killed 41 people and injured 115 more, according to Swiss authorities.

The fire appeared to have been started by the use of sparkling candles that ignited foam soundproofing on the bar’s basement ceiling, witnesses and prosecutors said.

Most of those who died were teenagers, and many were foreigners, including several from France and Italy.

The so-called solidarity contribution aims to provide swift financial support to victims and serve as a gesture of compassion, Switzerland’s governing Federal Council said.

In principle, the payment should apply to each individual who lost their life, as well as every person who was taken to hospital, the Federal Council said in a statement.

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“The Federal Council shares with the victims and their families the desire for truth and justice,” Swiss President Guy Parmelin said at a news conference.

“We too want to know what happened, why, and how it could have been prevented.”

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The Federal Council said it will also convene a roundtable to help victims, insurers and authorities reach out-of-court settlements, potentially avoiding lengthy legal battles.

It aims to contribute up to 20m francs to such settlements.

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The Federal Council said it hoped parliament would swiftly expedite the legislation it had drafted to help victims.

The government also aims to set aside 8.5 million francs to help affected cantons cover the huge costs.

The government said it had taken the steps following Federal Office of Justice analysis that found gaps in existing support systems, which are mostly designed for individual cases and struggle with large-scale disasters.

THE history of a key city centre street is being highlighted in York.

Clements Hall Local History Group has been finding out more about the history of Blossom Street for its latest book – and want York Press readers to share their memories.

Blossom Street has been the entrance to York for most of our monarchs (including Elizabeth II and Charles III).

But in 1541 Henry VIII took umbrage and decided not to enter York through Micklegate Bar, lavishly decorated by the city for his visit. Offended by the behaviour of his nephew, James V, King of Scotland following the Pilgrimage of Grace, he came through Walmgate Bar instead.

Princess Victoria, later Queen, came to York in 1835, staying with the Archbishop at his Palace, for four days. Each day they came into the city along Blossom Street via Micklegate Bar, as did Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1900, for the Royal Agricultural Show.

Blossom St in 1971 members of the Household Cavalry rehearse in Blossom Street for the visit of the Queen to York for the 1900th birthday celebrations. Photo – YEP

During the English Civil War, Blossom Street and the Bar were protected by the ‘Great Sconce’. This four-gun emplacement was 200 yards square, with a surrounding ditch, at the highest part of the Mount, near the junction with what is now Dalton Terrace.

The street has seen dramatic scenes however.

On July 2, 1644, after the Battle of Marston Moor, it was thronged with Royalist soldiers, many wounded, clamouring for admission through the Bar.

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They were pursued by parliamentarians, who cut soldiers down, leaving their dead bodies by the roadside. It was said that “the wounded and lame made a pitiful cry”.

Blossom Street was a centre for Catholicism, with the Bar Convent established in 1686. It’s now the oldest living convent in the UK and oldest surviving place of Catholic worship after the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in the 16th century.

The Group has identified a number of well-known people living in the street over the centuries (the 1901 Rowntree Poverty map of York noted it as a district of the servant-keeping classes).

Famous residents included Martin Lister, celebrated physician, antiquary and naturalist, Joseph Rowntree, founder of the famous firm, Charles Watson and James Pigott Pritchett, architects, and William Bell, chief architect of the North Eastern Railway.

Corner of Blossom Sreet and Nunnery Lane with E Knowles chemist in 1895 – Photo from YAYAS

The newspaper proprietor and historian of York, William Hargrove, was living here in the 1840s, and it was his son William Wallace Hargrove who founded the Yorkshire Evening Press, still published today as the York Press. There were many more.

The group has also been tracing the history of all the traders in the street through time, with some very familiar names, such as Forsselius, Shearsmith’s, and Edwin Story near the Bar.

Local people have memories of the English Martyrs School and the Odeon cinema – can you add to these and tell the group your stories about any of the old traders?

Please send them your memories and any old photos, either by email at clemhallhistory@gmail.com or leave a message at Clements Hall on 01904 466086.

A driving test examiner has explained how to tell the difference between two common road symbols which some motorists might have a habit of mixing up at times…

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Do you still remember road signs from your theory test? It can be challenging to retain everything from your driving examination, but it’s essential to keep yourself and other road users safe.

Now one driving test examiner has revealed what a common warning sign means, as it could easily be mistaken for another similar one. Annie regularly shares her expertise on social media and recently explained what this triangular symbol indicates. She said on TikTok: “What does this sign mean? Do you know the answer?

“It’s in the shape of a triangle so remember what I said, all triangle shape signs give us warnings. That’s a triangle that’s a W for a warning. So what is this sign warning you about?

“A lot of people tend to know it’s warning you about a hill, but is it up hill or downhill? Okay let me give you an explanation.”

She continued in the video, which received more than 1,000 likes: “I’m going to make it super easy for you so you get it every single time. Okay so if I was to write the number 50, are you reading that number from left to right or from right to left?

“If the 5 is here and the 0 is higher up than the number 5, that’s warning you about a steep uphill slope. Make sense?

“And if the 5 is here and the 0 is lower down, it’s warning you about a steep downhill slope. So let’s come back to the road sign. So if you read this sign from left to right, is the zero going further up or lower down?

“If the 2 is down and the 0 is above, it’s warning you about a steep hill upwards.”

Triangular road signs in the UK are warning symbols featuring a red border, designed to alert drivers to hazards, unusual road layouts or changes in the conditions ahead.

Typically, these feature a white background with a black, easy-to-understand symbol. These signs warn of dangers like sharp bends, steep hills, junctions or pedestrians.

The Highway Code states triangular, red-bordered, white-background signs warn of steep hills ahead, showing a black triangle pointing up (ascending) or down (descending) with a percentage gradient, such as 20%.

It said: “They alert drivers to prepare for steep inclines by adjusting speed and using low gears, especially for heavy vehicles.”

There are plans make areas around 100 Greater Manchester schools vehicle free at peak times by 2030

Vehicles are to be barred from roads close to a primary school during busy periods. Wigan borough’s tenth school street will launch at Westleigh St Paul’s primary this Friday (February 27).

The council said they would be restricting access to motorised vehicles at drop-off and pick-up times.

Appropriately enough, the ‘school street’ resrictions will apply to the junction of School Street and Liza Street with Westleigh Lane.

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Wigan council said the launch moves closer to hitting a target of creating 100 ‘school streets’ across Greater Manchester in the next four years.

The authority said the initiative intends to ‘improve road safety and make schools much safer to walk, wheel, or scoot to’.

The scheme will mean the closure of School Street and Liza Street in the morning and afternoon between the hours of 8am and 9.30am and 2.30pm and 4pm.

A Wigan council spokesperson said: “With the ambition of reaching 100 School Streets across Greater Manchester by 2030, the scheme will require the road closures.

“Staff will on hand to monitor to project and prevent vehicle access. “Residents and businesses can apply for a school street exemption if their vehicle is registered to an address within the area covered by the restrictions.”

The Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) website lists nine other such schemes in Wigan borough.

They are close to Leigh Central Primary, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Leigh, Leigh St Peters C of E Primary School, Lamberhead Green Community Primary School, Orrell, Ince CofE Primary School, Ince, St Williams Catholic Primary School, Ince, St Thomas C of E Junior and Infants School, Golborne, St John’s C of E Primary School, Abram and St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield.

TfGM said there are currently 37 school streets in Greater Manchester and ‘we’re on track to reach 60 in the next year’.

‘School streets’ are created by introducing a traffic regulation order and related signs to make the roads outside the school a pedestrian and cyclist zone.

Royal biographer Andrew Lownie has speculated the former Duke of York might find refuge in China rather than the Middle East following his recent arrest on suspicion of misconduct

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor could be heading to an unexpected destination following his dramatic downfall, according to a royal biographer.

The former Duke of York was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office before being released whilst investigations continue. It follows a succession of damaging revelations from the Epstein files, casting a spotlight on his tenure as a UK Trade Envoy and his associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Following months of relentless scandal, which resulted in Andrew being stripped of his royal titles and ousted from Royal Lodge by his brother King Charles, commentators have been speculating whether he might seek sanctuary in the United Arab Emirates. His well-documented close ties with the emirate’s ruler, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, would make it a seemingly natural choice.

It has been reported that the Sheikh offered him the use of a lavish 16,000 sq ft, fully staffed, six-bedroom property situated within a secure diplomatic enclave, where he might enjoy a degree of privacy and respect that appears increasingly unlikely in Britain.

However, the author behind a biography that exposed the innermost secrets of the Yorks has now put forward the suggestion that the disgraced royal could in fact relocate to an entirely unexpected destination.

Andrew Lownie told us that the UAE option may well be off the table for him, as the Emirati leadership places considerable value on their ties with King Charles and would be reluctant to jeopardise that relationship.

“If he were to go to the Middle East, they wouldn’t want to upset the Royal Family,” he said.

“He would have to go with the [British] Royal Family’s approval – which if that were known would be very unpopular – because their links with the King are more important than their links with Andrew.”

Whilst Bahrain lacks an extradition agreement with the UK, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa maintains a “very close” relationship with Charles, according to Lownie, and he’s “not going to p*** him off”.

However, the scandal-hit royal may have a rather more unexpected alternative.

Stressing that all he can do at this stage is speculate about Mountbatten-Windsor’s plans, Lownie said: “The other option, because he’s not going to go and join Assad in Moscow, is China.

Mountbatten-Windsor maintains “lots of business activities” in China, Lownie points out. He added: “His former secretary Amanda Thirsk works for a Chinese company. He’s very close to the Chinese ambassador – when no-one went to his birthday party a couple of years ago, the Chinese ambassador turned up. “

Lownie emphasised that his China hypothesis remains entirely speculative at present. “I have no evidence of any of this except my instinct,” he said. “But that would be a place he could go.

He could get lost there, it would be a big ‘two fingers’ to Britain from Xi Jinping. “Mountbatten-Windsor could “travel around” China with impunity, Lownie believes. He continued: “He could go and see his mates, go all over the place in a private jet, but that would be a base.

“Noting that Mountbatten-Windsor’s passport remains in his possession, Lownie further remarked: “I think he could go under the radar there [in China], in a way that he couldn’t elsewhere. “.

A grand jury in Texas has rejected indictments against a federal immigration agent following the fatal shooting of a US citizen during a traffic encounter last year. Ruben Ray Martinez was killed on March 15, 2025, by an agent from Homeland Security Investigations.

The Department of Homeland Security had not publicly disclosed the incident until The Associated Press and other media outlets reported it last week. Prosecutors confirmed the grand jury’s decision on Wednesday, stating that indictments were declined after the case was presented. The Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, which issued the statement, did not provide additional details.

DHS has alleged that Martinez “intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent,” causing another agent to fire “defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.”

The shooting would mark the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since a nationwide immigration crackdown was launched in President Donald Trump’s second term.

A passenger who was in the car with Martinez, Joshua Orta, had disputed DHS’ account in a draft affidavit prepared last year, according to attorneys for Martinez’s family. Orta, a key witness to the encounter, died in a car crash last weekend.

Martinez and Orta were on a trip on South Padre Island in Texas when they neared local and federal officers directing traffic around a car accident at a busy intersection, according to the draft affidavit.

In a draft affidavit, Orta reportedly said Martinez did not hit an officer with his vehicle, that their car was “just crawling” and that a federal agent fired into the driver’s side window without “giving any warning, commands, or opportunity to comply.

Attorneys for Martinez’s family did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The SNP was first elected in 2007 with a promise to scrap the Tory-imposed council tax system but has since dodged the issue.

A failure to reform the “broken” council tax system is condemning some Scots to live in poverty while “protecting” the wealthiest, a leading charity has warned.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said the levy, imposed by the Tories more than 30 years ago, was “outdated, regressive and desperately needs reform”.

The SNP was first elected to Holyrood in 2007 on a manifesto that included a promise to scrap the system, but successive ministers have since dodged the issue.

The charity is calling on all political parties to commit to major legislative change on council tax in their manifestos ahead of the Holyrood election.

In a briefing published yesterday, JRF analysts said the current system is “unfair by design” and disproportionately hits the poorest people in Scotland.

More than one in 10 households on the lowest incomes are behind on their council tax bills, while for those in higher value homes it acts as a tax subsidy.

The current system was introduced in 1993 with payment rates based on valuations from 1991. Financial pressure on council budgets means a tipping point has been now reached, the charity warned.

The JRF wants politicians to implement a “genuinely proportionate property tax” – but warned that a lack of consensus among the parties should not be used as an “excuse for inaction”.

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It comes at a time households across Scotland face the latest round of inflation-busting hikes to their council tax bills from April 1.

Councillors in Glasgow this week signed-off a 5.9 per cent increase, while households living in the Borders face paying 8.5 per cent more.

North Ayrshire residents are set for a seven per cent hike while those in Renfrewshire will pay 7.5 per cent. Several councils, including North and South Lanarkshire, have yet to announce their annual increase.

The single largest hike announced so far is 10 per cent in Moray and Aberdeenshire.

Chris Birt, Joseph Rowntree Foundation associate director for Scotland, said: “For more than three decades, Scotland has been saddled with a council tax system which is deeply unfair, as well as unpopular.

“It means that some people on low incomes are having to choose between heating, eating, or paying their council tax bill, at the same time as subsidising the wealthiest in society.

“We know that for the next Scottish Government, meeting the nation’s legally-binding, cross-party child poverty targets by 2030/31 will require bold action at scale.

“A fair tax on housing wealth is part of what is needed, by cutting through the budget constraints that have limited investment in radical solutions to poverty.

“That’s why the next Scottish Government must prioritise council tax reform to create the fiscal foundations for a fairer Scotland, and why all parties standing in this year’s election must bring forward proposals for major legislative change on council tax.

“We need to break a 30-year cycle of hoping a problem will just go away.”

Shona Robison, the Finance Secretary, said: “The Scottish Government recently conducted a joint consultation with COSLA which explored potential reforms to the council tax system, supported by independent analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Throughout our discussions we recognised that any future changes must be grounded in evidence, and carefully assessed for their impact on households.

“The aim of our partnered work with local government, is to examine whether consensus around a unified position on council tax could be achieved – at present, consensus on reform doesn’t exist.

“The cost-of-living crisis continues to place burdens on households across the country and Ministers recognise this is unsettling for many people.

“That’s why more than £16 million has been allocated in the Scottish Budget 2026-27 to invest in the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice services, including over £2m for a specific council tax debt project.”

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Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has apologised for describing child sexual abuse survivor Grace Tame as “difficult”, saying his remark was misinterpreted.

In a one-word response during a rapid-fire questioning round at the Future Victoria conference on Wednesday, Mr Albanese described Ms Tame, the 2021 Australian of the Year for her advocacy for child sexual abuse survivors, as “difficult”.

He later clarified that he was referring to the very difficult life endured by Ms Tame, who was groomed and raped by her former maths teacher.

“If there was any misinterpretation, then I certainly apologise,” Mr Albanese told reporters.

“She has had a difficult life and that was what I was referring to. What Grace Tame has done is turn that difficult experience that she had into being a strong advocate for others.”

Following Mr Albanese’s apology, Ms Tame said: “What a patronising cop out from a total coward.”

“Straight from the Scott playbook,” she wrote on Instagram, referring to former prime minister Scott Morrison, with whom she had a strained relationship.

“I’ll take the badge of honour, though. That, and being called ‘absolutely outrageous’ by the Israeli defence minister. Must be doing something right.”

She earlier said, “‘Difficult’ is the misogynist’s code for a woman who won’t comply.”

The prime minister’s description of Ms Tame also drew criticism from several prominent figures on social media.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said: “Some of my best friends are ‘difficult’ women … (OK, all of them, and I love them for it!)”

Greens leader Larissa Waters said: “Labelling women as difficult won’t silence us.”

Ms Tame was 15 when her teacher, Nicolaas Ockert Bester, 58, began grooming and repeatedly raping her. He was later found guilty and served a year and nine months in jail. Ms Tame suffered a setback this week after the former teacher was deemed unfit to stand trial on separate charges linked to allegations that he had made social media posts that menaced or harassed her.

Ms Tame was named Australian of the Year in 2021 for her work advocating for child sexual abuse survivors, including her efforts to overturn laws in Tasmania that made it illegal for victims to speak publicly about their experiences.

Ms Tame, who was critical of the Morrison government for its response to allegations of toxic workplace culture in the parliament, refused to smile at an official event with the then prime minister in 2022. Footage of her expression during the meeting quickly went viral.

In the aftermath, Mr Albanese, then in the opposition, shared a photo of the pair, reflecting what he described as their warm relationship and called her a “powerhouse”.

Their relationship appears to have grown uneasy since Ms Tame drew criticism for using the phrase “Globalise the Intifada” during a pro-Palestinian rally this month.

The slogan “Globalise the Intifada” has appeared at some pro-Palestinian demonstrations, invoking the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli rule and calling for the expansion of resistance or solidarity efforts beyond the region.

The phrase is reportedly under consideration as the Australian government widens its crackdown in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attack on what it alleges are hateful slogans.

Ms Tame’s remarks prompted calls from some critics for her Australian of the Year title to be stripped.

Mr Albanese did not criticise Ms Tame for her comments at the rally, but did object to a t-shirt she wore at an official reception for the 2025 Australian of the Year nominees bearing the slogan “F*** Murdoch”, referring to the media mogul. The prime minister said the T-shirt detracted from “what the day should be about”.

Two men have been charged with the alleged kidnap and murder of a pensioner in Sydney.

Police said the pair are due in court on Thursday in connection with the disappearance of Chris Baghsarian, 85, whose remains were discovered on Tuesday.

The New South Wales (NSW) Police Force said that just after 5am on 13 February, they received a report that Mr Baghsarian had been kidnapped from his home in the suburb of North Ryde, around 9 miles (15km) northwest of Sydney city centre.

In a statement on Wednesday, police said: “Early inquiries established that Chris Baghsarian was not the intended target of the kidnapping and had been taken in a case of mistaken identity.”

“Human remains confirmed as being Mr Baghsarian were located about 8am yesterday (Tuesday 24 February 2026) near a golf club in Pitt Town,” the force added.

At about 6.30am on Wednesday, detectives supported by the Raptor Squad, which targets serious and organised crime, carried out three search warrants in Kenthurst, Castle Hill and Lake Macquarie.

Footage of the operation shows officers forcing their way into two properties and two men being arrested.

A 29-year-old man was shown in handcuffs leaving a house in Kenthurst, and in Castle Hill, police detained a 24-year-old man.

Officers also seized vehicles, electronics and clothing.

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Police from the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad carried out the investigation.

Officers established Strike Force Chobat, specifically to coordinate the response to recover the 85-year-old.

Both men were charged with murder and kidnapping and refused bail.

They are due to appear in Blacktown Local Court on Thursday.

Cllr John Mann, who represents the Oatlands and Pannal division, has joined the party.

He said: “I have joined Reform UK as Britain is broken on a national and local level.

“Illegal immigration is out of control, the economy is flatlining, taxation is at a record high, it’s difficult to get a doctor’s appointment – the list of issues is endless.

“The other political parties have created this mess over the last two decades and have no answers.

“On the other hand, Reform UK has a clear vision and path for national, economic and social renewal.

“I look forward to implementing Reform’s wider vision to North Yorkshire and deliver the change the residents deserve.”

Cllr Mann has lived in Yorkshire for more than 30 years.

He previously worked as a government civil servant and personnel manager before retiring, and now runs a small independent business in the area.

A spokesman for Reform UK said: “We are delighted to welcome John to Reform UK.

“He is an excellent addition to our growing team of councillors as we build towards the May elections.”