Three people have been arrested as protesters and counter-protesters have assembled on separate sides of the River Thames for the al-Quds day demonstration in central London, police said.

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it has arrested three people so far, one for showing support for a proscribed organisation, one for dangerous driving and a third for threatening and abusive behaviour.

Police have been bracing for thousands of people to attend, with hundreds of officers seen in the area.

Scores of people began arriving from 1pm, many holding Palestine flags and banners, some reading “Free Palestine” and “No to Israeli occupation”.

Pictures of Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were also held up, some accompanied by the message “Choose the right side of history”.

The annual al-Quds day demonstration in London had drawn criticism over apparent backing for the Iranian regime after its organisers expressed support for the country’s late leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A counter-protest has also been planned, co-organised by Stop The Hate and The Lion Guard of Iran group, with police using the River Thames to block the demonstrations from clashing. Iranian dissidents are expected to be among the attendees, Stop The Hate said.

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This week, home secretary Shabana Mahmood granted a police request for a month-long ban on the march organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), marking the first such protest restriction since 2012.

Despite the ban, participants can still legally assemble for a “static protest,” with the IHRC stating the demonstration will proceed “in defiance of a government ban on the march.”

In a post on X, the Metropolitan Police said: “Protesters have assembled on both sides of the river. The al-Quds day protest on the Albert Embankment and the counter-protest in Millbank.

“Conditions are in place stating the protests must conclude by 1500hrs.”

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Police said those taking part in the al-Quds day protest must on Albert Embankment, on the south side of the River Thames, while the counter-protest must assemble on Millbank, the north side of the River Thames.

In a post on X, the police added that there will be increased officer presence in Westminster later.

It added,” Officers will be deployed to ensure the annual al-Quds Day march and a pro-Israel counter protest take place safely and lawfully, with any offences dealt with.”

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According to reports in The Sunday Times, a woman holding a sign in support of Palestine Action was seen being led away by officers. Footage showed the activist holding a placard that read: “I still oppose genocide. I still support Palestine Action.”

Hussain Shafiei from the Workers Party of Britain has spoken at al-Quds Day march, according to The Sunday Times.

He told the crowd: “The al-Quds march has happened 40 years peacefully; this is the first time it has been banned. They are so worried, they are so scared that the whole world has turned on Zionism.”

More to follow…

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV demanded a ceasefire in the Middle East on Sunday in his strongest comments to date, directly addressing the leaders who launched the war in Iran.

“On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict,” Leo said. “Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened. Violence can never lead to the justice, stability, and peace that the people are waiting for.”

Leo didn’t cite the United States or Israel by name in his comments at the end of his Sunday noon blessing. But history’s first U.S. pope mentioned the attacks that targeted a school, an apparent reference to the missile strike on an elementary school in Iran in the opening days of the war that killed over 165 people, many of them children.

U.S. officials have said outdated intelligence likely led to the United States launching the strike, and that an investigation is ongoing.

The Vatican has highlighted the carnage of the Minab strike, running an aerial photo of the mass grave being dug for the young victims on the March 6 front page of its official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, under the headline “The Face of War.”

Leo said he was close to the families of those who had been killed in the attacks “which have hit schools, hospitals and residential centers.” He expressed particular concern about the impact of the war in Lebanon, where aid groups are warning of a humanitarian crisis.

The plight of Christian communities in southern Lebanon is of particular concern to the Vatican, since they have long represented a bulwark for Christians throughout the majority Muslim region.

For the two weeks since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war, the pope has limited his comments to muted appeals for diplomacy and dialogue in an apparent attempt to avoid pitting himself as an American political counterweight to President Donald Trump. He hasn’t named the U.S. or Israel publicly, but that is also in keeping with the Vatican’s tradition of diplomatic neutrality.

On Friday, for example, in a speech to priests attending a Vatican class on the sacrament of confession, Leo said the sacrament was a workshop that restores unity and peace.

“One might well ask: do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to make a serious examination of conscience and to go to confession?” he said.

But while Leo has sought to keep his messaging indirect and apolitical to avoid inflaming tensions, some of his U.S. cardinals and the Vatican secretary of state have not.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, said the war was morally unjustifiable. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said it was “sickening” how the White House was splicing video game imagery into its social media messaging about the war.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, rejected Washington’s claim of a “preventive war.” But he said this week that the Holy See was regardless keeping dialogue open.

“The Holy See speaks with everyone, and when necessary we speak also with the Americans, with the Israelis and show them what to us are the solutions,” he said.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

The victim is fighting for her life in hospital

A woman is in a critical condition in hospital after being stabbed in a knife attack at a property. The incident unfolded at an address on Warwick Street in Accrington, Lancashire on Sunday (March 15).

Emergency crews, including police, paramedics and an air ambulance, raced to the scene at around 10.40am. A woman in her 30s was found with ‘a number of stab wounds’, police said.

She was rushed to hospital and the force said she is now fighting for her life in hospital in a critical condition. A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

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He remains in custody to be quizzed by detectives, police said. The investigating into the stabbing is ongoing, reports LancsLive.

Police say it is being treated as an ‘isolated incident’ however patrols have been ramped up in the area. One witness said: “Something very serious happened near the top of Warwick Street, Church. Ten police vehicles, three ambulances, air ambulance.

“Now police blue tape across the grass and a police officer standing outside. One ambulance went down Warwick Street, blue lights on and a police escort.”

In a statement Lancashire Constabulary said: “We were called to Warwick Street in Church at 10.40am today (March 15) following reports of an assault. Our officers have attended and found a woman in her 30s inside a property with a number of stab wounds.

“She has been taken to hospital in a critical condition. Following enquiries, a 39-year-old man from Church has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody at this time.

“This is being treated as an isolated incident between people known to each other. However, reassurance patrols will be increased in the area as a precaution and there will also be a number of officers in the area carrying out enquiries.

“If you have any concerns or you have any information which could assist our investigation, then please stop an officer for a chat. Alternatively, if you have information or mobile phone, doorbell, CCTV or dashcam footage which could assist our investigation team, then please call 101 and quote log 426 of March 15.”

Climate change and related disasters are driving millions from their homes. Now, a new UN initiative aims to put these very refugees to work offsetting the emissions of the world’s biggest producers.

Facing a US$7 billion (£5 billion) funding shortfall, the UN’s refugees agency has launched its Refugee Environmental Protection (REP) fund. The plan? To plant trees and install sustainable cooking stoves in camps, generating carbon credits to sell on the global market.

It sounds like a win for everyone: money for camps, jobs for refugees, and trees for the planet. But our research, carried out with our colleague David Harvie, suggests a darker reality. This is a system that generates questionable climate benefits, while locking refugees into low-wage labour to service the same economies that displaced them.

How the fund works

The fund aims to plant tens of millions of trees to offset carbon emissions elsewhere, while simultaneously providing employment for refugees and funding for UN refugee camps.

It uses donor funding to invest in tree-planting and clean cooking-stove programmes in and around refugee camps. (These cookstoves use electricity or burn liquefied petroleum gas rather than firewood – the cleanness refers to the fact that they’re considered safer for users because there’s less indoor air pollution, not because they are fossil-free).

The claimed carbon savings from these projects are then verified and registered as carbon credits to be sold to people or organisations who want to “offset” their own emissions. Revenues are used to replenish the fund, to improve the camp and finance new projects. Advocates also claim that clean cooking stoves will better protect women against gender-based violence, as they will have a reduced need to collect firewood.

The fund remains at a relatively early stage of development. Following pilots in Uganda and Rwanda, the UN plans to expand it to Brazil, Bangladesh, Kenya, Mozambique, Cameroon and Chad.

The impact on emissions

While the claims sound good, there are significant issues that mean the fund may well fail to reduce carbon emissions – and could possibly even increase them.

Many of the problems with schemes like these are now well known. The carbon credits industry’s self-regulation, combined with its lack of shared methodologies, undermines the credibility of its claims to reduce emissions. Key actors such as the multinationals that buy the credits or the landowners who generate them are also incentivised to overstate the climate benefits.

In addition, carbon credits rely on counterfactual estimates of what would have happened without the project. This is riddled with uncertainty, especially as climate change or reforestation can themselves alter how much carbon is saved.

These issues affect all carbon credits, even including the most rigorously verified – so-called gold standard-certified projects – which is the certification the UN’s fund will use.

The problem with planting trees

Most tree-planting schemes have very high failure rates, often seeing almost half the trees die in the first five years, while some can have mortality rates as high as 90%.

Poorly designed projects can also degrade soils, harm biodiversity and exacerbate water shortages. And as climate change increases the risk of wildfires, stored carbon could be released back into the atmosphere.

These problems have led many researchers to declare carbon offsets as false climate solutions that allow major emitters to continue polluting without any meaningful reductions. Indeed, much research has established that lots of carbon credits are effectively worthless.

The UN’s refugees agency has stated the fund “manages project risks according to high climate standards” and prioritises “measurable improvements in fuel efficiency and emission reductions.” It maintains that revenue is “transparently reinvested in community-driven projects”.

Who gets the carbon credit?

Refugees are paid to plant trees and assemble cookstoves, but the wages are extremely low. Comparable projects in Rwanda and Uganda suggest official wages range from around US$1.30 to US$5 per day, and are often less in practice.

By contrast, gold standard-certified reforestation credits typically sell for US$20–27 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, 2025 prices. Using conservative estimates, the fund’s planned 20,000 hectares of reforestation could generate around US$3.2 million per year, or US$64 million over 20 years.

The UN frames the fund as a way to secure finance for refugee camps, but our analysis of the pilot projects shows a huge disparity between the value of the carbon credits and the money reaching the camps. For the 388,000 people across the three pilot sites, we estimate the US$3.2 million generated annually would contribute roughly 14% of current (insufficient) funding – and less than 5% what is required to provide adequate services.

While the money raised is a fraction of what’s needed to run the camps, the “value” created by refugees doing low- or unwaged labour goes beyond the direct dollar amounts. These credits have enormous strategic value for the buyers. By purchasing gold standard offsets generated by displaced people, major polluters gain a powerful social and environmental license to continue business as usual. That’s why much of the value appears to go not to the refugee workers, but to the companies buying the credits, and to the intermediaries who manage the transactions.

Much of the work involved in generating credits also comes from the use of clean cooking stoves. This labour is entirely unwaged, and is done primarily by women. Where gas is involved as a fuel for these stoves, the companies who provide it also benefit by securing a small but important market for their fuel. That’s one reason why exporting countries such as the US support clean cooking initiatives, even while opposing other climate measures.

The UN’s refugee agency rejects the characterisation of the fund as exploitative, framing it instead as a necessary “innovative financing” mechanism to plug a funding gap.

Ultimately, we worry the fund risks creating a form of climate maladaptation, where something seeks to respond to climate impacts but unintentionally increases vulnerability.

Similar to many aspects of the emerging green economy, the UN’s Refugee Environmental Protection fund risks making climate change worse while exploiting refugee labour. This perversely locks refugees into a green Sisyphean task: producing carbon credits that enable continued emissions, thereby worsening the very conditions that helped displace them in the first place.

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Eight years ago, Beadnell in Northumberland introduced a rule requiring all homes built on new sites to be used as permanent residences – preventing second homes and holiday lets.

The move came as the scale of the problem became stark – according to the 2021 census, around 61 per cent of the roughly 750 homes in the village were second homes or holiday lets.

Now, locals say the restriction has helped bring more year-round residents into the village and strengthened the community.

Beadnell, Northumberland, has banned second homes. (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

Chris, 34, moved to Beadnell with partner Olivia Coyle, 30, eight months ago after spending childhood holidays there.

Olivia Coyle and Chris Dobson with Ralf the samoyed, homeowners in The Kilns estate which can only be lived in as permanent residences. (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

He said: “There’s certainly more in terms of entertainment, pubs, cafes and that sort of thing compared to how it used to be.”

Olivia added: “One of the main reasons we wanted to buy here was because we didn’t want to be living next door to empty homes.”

Chris said the village still quietens down outside peak tourist months – but no longer feels deserted.

The Northumberland village was among the first communities to act against the explosion of second homes.

Beadnell, Northumberland. (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

It followed the example of places such as St Ives in Cornwall, where residents voted in 2016 to ensure new houses could only be used as a principal residence.

Norfolk coastal communities, including Burnham Market, have also adopted similar restrictions.

But the coastal beauty spot is still heavily dominated by holiday properties.

The Kilns estate which can only be lived in as permanent residences. (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

Jennifer Hall, 75, whose family has lived in the village for centuries, said: “In the summer, the place is packed out – you can’t get into a bar or book a table in a restaurant.

“Every place is crowded.”

But she explained that it is still quieter in the winter, adding: “There’s no lights in any of the windows.

“If you’re the only elderly person living on a particularly street, it can be lonely.”

Mrs Hall, whose ancestors arrived in the village in the 1600s, said tourism has long been part of Beadnell’s history.

Jennifer Hall’s family has lived in Beadnell since the 1680’s. (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

Her great-grandmother even built the village’s first hotel after marrying into a local fishing family.

She said: “It’s still a wonderful place and a lovely community, but it’s different.

“It was not until the early 2000s that we started having these commercial lets. They were built as investments.

“They’re also little tourist factories, if you like.”

Mrs Hall said soaring property prices have made it increasingly difficult for young locals to stay in the area.

She said: “Young people – perhaps working in the tourist industry and not particularly well paid – can’t afford to buy the types of houses that they’re cleaning.

“They can’t get private lets either, because the owners evict tenants and turn them into holiday lets.”

Others say second-home owners still play a vital role in the village economy.

Val Graham, 62, who runs Beadnell’s village shop, warned businesses rely heavily on visiting homeowners.

She said: “Without second homes and holiday lets, small businesses in Beadnell wouldn’t survive.

“Most of these second home owners and families support the small local businesses throughout the year, not just during holiday season.”

The debate has intensified since councils were given powers last year to double council tax on second homes.

Christopher Brown, a retired solicitor who bought a holiday flat in Beadnell in 2000 before moving there permanently, says the restrictions on new homes are understandable.

Christopher Brown, Home owner and holiday let owner Beadnell, Northumberland, who have banned second homes. (Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)

He said: “I think it’s a fair-minded thing, because it can then begin to build and strengthen the actual community and increase the size of it.”

But he questioned whether the council tax crackdown was the right approach, as less could be spent in local pubs and restaurants.

Mr Brown: “The double council tax is a bit of a blunt tool to extract money from people.

“You’re going from paying £2,500 up to £5,000 – that is £2,500 that could be spent in local restaurants and other businesses.”

The county’s police force broke down the door of 97 Longwestgate in Scarborough on Friday 6 March 2026.

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Following that raid, North Yorkshire Police applied to York Magistrates’ Court for a full closure order, which was granted on Wednesday, March 11 for a period of three months.

A partial closure order had recently been enforced at the address – which allows the occupier to remain but stops anyone else from entering without lawful reason.

A force spokesperson said: “The court found that a person had engaged in, or was likely to engage in, disorderly, offensive and criminal behaviour at the premises, that its use had caused serious nuisance to members of the public, and that there had been disorder near the address associated with its use.

“The order prohibits anyone from entering or remaining at 97 Longwestgate at any time, other than those with a reasonable and lawful reason to attend, such as utility providers, the landlord and their agents, or emergency services.

“It will remain in force until June 11.

“As the investigation began, members of the community safety team launched a multi-agency operation to speak to residents, offer reassurance and gather further information about problems in the area.”

“And it should go much further than the old Magna Carta, to enshrine the rights we have asserted over generations since: A free press, genuinely free; freedom of expression, and yes, that means on social media too; the proud British and liberal commitment to universal healthcare, free at the point of use – something else Farage wants to scrap.”

People in the city have around 55 ‘healthy years’ on average, according to a report

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A report set to be presented to Peterborough City Council shows average life expectancy in the city is the lowest in Cambridgeshire.

The Annual Public Health Report – which contains data compiled by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) – was presented to members of the Prevention Independence & Resilience Scrutiny Committee on March 10. Peterborough City Council’s Director of Public Health, Raj Lakshman, authored the report.

“In Peterborough, the average life expectancy at birth is 77.8 years for men and 81.9 years for women,” he stated. “Both are slightly lower than the averages for our local region, the East of England, and for England as a whole.”

The report also highlights how city residents can expect to enjoy significantly fewer healthy years of life – a trend which is declining sharply.

Mr Lakshman: “When we look at healthy life expectancy – the years people can expect to live in good health – the most recent figures for Peterborough show men can expect 55.6 healthy years, and women 55.2 healthy years.

“This is about five to six years lower than the average of other local authorities and, worryingly, has been declining sharply since 2014.”

The report is being presented as part of the council’s ‘Peterborough Get Moving’ initiative, a year-long campaign which aims to increase levels of health and fitness participation across the city.

“At Peterborough City Council, we are determined to add healthy years to every life and physical activity is one of the most powerful tools we have,” Mr Lakshman said. “Physical activity reduces our risk of the six most common preventable conditions that cause ill health and increase our chances of dying early.”

According to the Department of Health & Social Care, these six conditions are: cancers, cardiovascular disease (including stroke and diabetes), musculoskeletal disorders, mental ill health, dementia, and chronic respiratory disease.

The report noted that now is an especially good time for Peterborough residents to reconsider their individual health and fitness goals. It said: “With all the investment coming into Peterborough through Pride in Place, new swimming pool and sports facilities, the opportunities to get active are increasing.”

Mr Lakshman added: “Peterborough offers easy access to nature reserves, while the city offers a vibrant community – perfect for partaking in physical activity. Together, we can make Peterborough a city where everyone has the chance to live healthier, happier, and more active lives.”

The parade will be a celebration of the natural world and the environment

This year’s St Patrick’s Day parade in Derry welcomes the changing of the seasons as we emerge from the darkness of winter.

The parade guide describes Spring as a time associated with flowering, growth and the fertility of the land and this year’s celebrations will see that long tradition continue.

Under the creative theme of ‘What we nurture will flourish and what we protect will endure’ the parade will be a celebration of the natural world and the environment.

READ MORE: St Patrick’s Day celebrations and events taking place across Northern IrelandREAD MORE: Belfast St Patrick’s Day celebrations 2026 announced as hundreds of events planned across the city

The City’s streets will spring to life with participants representing not only the diversity of nature but also our diverse communities in civic celebration.

The Spring Carnival Parade will depart Bishop Street Carpark at 3.00pm with crowds expected to gather in advance.

Route:

Starts: Bishop Street Carpark

• The Diamond
• Shipquay Street
• Whitaker Street
• Foyle Embankment
• Harbour Square Roundabout
• Strand Road

Finishes: Strand Road Carpark

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There will be accessible parking available in Foyle Street car park, with an accessible viewing area alongside.

There will also be a quiet space available in the Guildhall.

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The application, submitted by Banks Homes Limited and landowner Michael Anthony Allan, is for land to the west of Drovers Lane in Redmarshall.

A planning application, submitted on March 5, seeks approval to construct 72 homes on a 4.99-hectare stretch of land.

The development would have 13 three-bed homes and 45 four-plus-bed homes, all two-storey, along with 14 affordable homes.

Of these, 10 would be available for ‘social/affordable rent’, and the remaining four for ‘affordable home ownership.’

As part of the plans, the development would also provide a total of 221 car spaces and 134 cycle spaces.

Banks Group has submitted the plans for the village. (Image: STOCKTON BOROUGH COUNCIL PLANNING PORTAL)

The proposed development, situated on the edge of the village, is designed to be arranged around a loop road, with new vehicle access off Drovers Lane and a pedestrian or cycle link towards Church Lane and the village.

A large public open space network is included in the proposal with a central and southern green infrastructure network, play area intended for village use and retained hedgerows. 

A tree on Drovers Lane will be retained as a focal point for the development.

Financial and economic benefits listed in the planning statement estimate the project would create about 68 direct and 97 indirect jobs over a three-year build period.

An anticipated £15.9million construction spend is also cited by Banks Group.

Plans are now with Stockton Borough Council and a decision is set to be made in the coming weeks.