A Palestinian teenager was starved in an Israeli prison before his death, a judge ruled before closing the case.

According to a newly-unsealed court decision, the judge said it was clear 17-year-old Walid Ahmad was starved, but the cause of death was undeterminable.

The case drew attention as he was the first Palestinian under 18 to die in Israeli detention, Palestinian officials said.

Ahmad, described by his family as a healthy teenager, spent six months in Israel’s Megiddo prison before collapsing in March 2025.

His family say he was arrested at his home in the occupied West Bank town of Silwad, during a pre-dawn raid in September 2024, for allegedly throwing stones at soldiers.

An autopsy did not establish a single, definitive cause of death but starvation was likely to be the leading cause, according to the report of an Israeli doctor who observed the procedure.

Dr Daniel Solomon also noted that the teen was suffering from extreme malnutrition and showed signs of scabies.

In the now-unsealed ruling, first published by Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli judge supervising the investigation ordered that the probe be halted in December.

The judge said evidence of Ahmad’s starvation did not prove the cause of death.

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Judge Ehud Kaplan, according to the ruling shared with The Associated Press by Haaretz, wrote: “The fact that he was apparently starved cannot be hidden and should not be hidden.

“But I cannot determine based on the findings of the expert report that there is a causal connection between his poor physical condition and his death, and therefore I cannot determine that the death was caused by a crime.”

He added: “Given this state of affairs, the investigation into his death is exhausted.”

In Israel, judges can be requested to oversee an investigation into deaths of detainees in custody.

They are able to seek and review evidence to determine the cause of death, and establish if it resulted from wrongdoing by any party.

If evidence of wrongdoing is established, the judge can move toward criminal indictments. Or, as was done in Ahmad’s case, they can order an investigation be stopped.

Haaretz published the ruling after successfully filing for a gag order on the case to be lifted.

The US President has claimed that the broadcaster are ‘crooked’ adding ‘they put words in my mouth’ in a new attack on the company for their edit of a Panorama episode

President Trump has launched a new attack on ‘corrupt’ BBC as he claims they put things ‘so horrible’ in his mouth.

Trump addressed his lawsuit against the BBC in his address at the Nation Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) annual fundraising dinner at Washington D.C.’s Union Station.

He said: “They had me saying things that I never said, that were terrible.

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“They put words in my mouth. Sentences and paragraphs so horrible.”

The US President makes reference to the closely analysed Panorama episode broadcast in 2024, which appeared to show him encouraging his supporters to storm the Capitol building in 2021.

In the episode, a clip from Mr Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021 was spliced to show him saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”

The edit omitted a part where he said they should march “peacefully”.

The controversy of the broadcast led to the resignation of BBC director general Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness.

At his time of resignation, Mr Davie said there had “been some mistakes made” and that he had to “take ultimate responsibility”.

In his speech on Wednesday, March 25 Trump added: “They admitted they were guilty.

“That’s how crooked they are.”

He addressed the notion of ‘fake news’, telling the audience that other news outlets have also had to pay him before.

Trump said: “CBS had to pay me $38 million for what they said. If you bring lawsuits against these guys, they are so corrupt that they will pay it.”

Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC that will go to trial next year, on February 15.

However, the BBC are arguing that the lawsuit should be dismissed because the US President failed to state successful claims in the lawsuit for defamation and they also claimed there was a violation of a Florida unfair trade practices law.

Court documents from the US District Court Southern District of Florida show judge Roy K Altman rejected attempts by the broadcaster to dismiss the libel case and set the trial date.

The Public Accounts Committee says the burden of maintenance costs associated with over 50,000 road openings and reinstatements that take place annually should be shared with the utilities

An Assembly Committee has issued a warning that tens of thousands of road openings conducted annually by utility firms may be playing a role in the decline of Northern Ireland’s road infrastructure.

The Public Accounts Committee has voiced concerns that the Department for Infrastructure is presently unable to establish the expenses associated with these repairs or offer guarantees that taxpayers aren’t footing the bill for related upkeep activities.

In its Report on Road Openings by Utilities, the Committee says that the financial responsibility for maintenance linked to more than 50,000 road openings and repairs taking place each year ought to be distributed between the utilities.

Nevertheless, the Committee has expressed serious concern that it has not been given assurances that this cost-sharing is happening.

Utility providers deliver vital services including gas, electricity and communications, and undertake essential maintenance on their networks. When such work requires opening up roads and pavements, they bear responsibility for restoring them to an acceptable condition for public use.

As part of its investigation into this matter, representatives from the Department for Infrastructure (which monitors utility company performance) provided testimony to the Public Accounts Committee.

In its findings, PAC has put forward a total of 11 recommendations it wishes to see actioned. The Committee asserts that frequent and repeated road openings can undermine the road structure and contribute to the network’s degradation over time.

Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Daniel McCrossan MLA stated: “Of course there are other causes of defects that the Department is required to repair across the entire network.

“However, when we spoke to officials they couldn’t set out a reliable way of calculating how much of that burden arose from deterioration of the road network linked specifically to utility reinstatements.

“As a result, they couldn’t reassure us that taxpayers were not subsidising repairs that should be properly funded by utility companies.

“We are recommending that by the early Autumn, the Department develops a methodology to determine the cost of maintenance linked specifically to utility reinstatements – and uses it to determine if its cost recovery approach is appropriate and achieving value for money.

“Within a year, we also want to see the Department undertake a full evaluation of the costs and benefits of introducing performance-related financial penalties for utilities.”

The Committee concluded that the state of disrepair of the road network was entirely unacceptable. It pointed to a 2024 Northern Ireland Audit Office finding that more than £3.3 billion worth of maintenance work remained outstanding.

In its findings, PAC highlighted that the disruption stemming from utility works had a considerable impact on motorists and local residents. It pointed to inconsistent contractor conduct, alongside inadequate communication and ambiguous accountability, all of which added to the upheaval and uncertainty faced by households and commercial enterprises.

The Committee expressed its desire to see a significant enhancement in how DfI collected, examined and addressed public complaints – and urged that reporting systems should be straightforward, easy to access and widely publicised.

Deputy Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Tom Buchanan MLA said they were also demanding immediate measures to reinstate a robust inspection scheme by the Department. He stated: “Visual inspection targets have been missed consecutively for seven years. Effective inspections are essential in ensuring reinstatement works are completed to the required standard and defects identified early.

“Another issue has been the suspension of the core testing programme – which can identify defects beneath the road surface. This represents a serious risk.

“Our report also recommends the Department publishes a wider range of performance data from utilities. More transparent and specific reporting would help drive improvements, shine a light on poor performers and give the public greater confidence that issues are being addressed.

“Within the next 12 months we want to see a detailed action plan published which sets out how the data gathered will be used to support decision making and actions.”

The Committee has also requested that a review of warranties relating to reinstatements be conducted within the next six months – to ensure they safeguard public funds.

Warranties are designed to protect taxpayers from short-term expenses resulting from substandard reinstatements – however, PAC believes the current two or three year warranty periods are inadequate.

PAC praised the Department’s innovative digital mapping and AI initiative, which it stated could in future revolutionise how road conditions are assessed and defects are identified – and it acknowledged the benchmarking work being undertaken with the Highways Authority and Utilities Committee (HAUC UK).

The Committee noted that the Department’s capacity to manage road openings by utilities had been hampered by substantial recruitment and retention difficulties, particularly in professional and technical positions. It recognised the Department’s efforts to innovate in workforce development but stated the challenges were system-wide and required coordinated, cross-departmental action.

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Inspectors found 19 examples of notable positive practice, that other prisons could learn from or adopt, and that 22 of the 30 recommendations made after the last inspection had been achieved in full or in part

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Magilligan has been described as one of the best prisons in the UK in an inspection report that praised its “excellent” staff-prisoner relationships.

An unannounced inspection was carried out into the prison near Limavady in September, by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI), and inspectors from three other organisations.

They found good staff-prisoner relationships and lower levels of violence and use of force than in similar prions in England and Wales.

Chief inspector of CJI Jacqui Durkin, and chief inspector of HM’s Inspectorate of Prisons in England and Wales, Charlie Taylor, said it was considered one of the best prisons in the UK.

“Outcomes for the men held at Magilligan Prison had improved since our last inspection in 2021 and were assessed as ‘good’ against each of the four healthy prison tests of safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release,” they said.

While the report noted some areas of concern, it added: “Magilligan, however, is now one of the very best prisons in the United Kingdom, and leaders and staff can rightly be proud of the positive, rehabilitative environment they have created.”

The report raised four priority and seven key concerns, including in relation to drug use at the prison, with almost a quarter of prisoners saying they had developed a problem with drug misuse while at the prison.

“The misuse of drugs by prisoners, including prescription medication, irrespective of who prescribed it or how it has got into the possession of a prisoner who should not be taking it, is a threat to the prison’s stability,” said Ms Durkin.

“While we acknowledge the steps being taken to prevent drugs entering the prison, inadequate funding and lengthy waiting lists for substance misuse and addiction services is contributing to the likelihood of prisoners resorting to illegitimate drug use to manage their addictions within the prison.”

Concerns were also raised about infrastructure, such as the Second Word War Nissen huts that are used to host workshops.

Inspectors found 19 examples of notable positive practice, that other prisons could learn from or adopt, and that 22 of the 30 recommendations made after the last inspection had been achieved in full or in part.

The Education and Training Inspectorate found the education provision for prisoners to be generally of good quality and the level of attainment had improved, with 43% of qualifications achieved at Level 2.

Inspectors also found evidence of good support and the use of mentors to help prisoners with literacy.

Mr Taylor noted that time out of cell was also found to be among the best inspectors had seen in recent years, with prisoners unlocked for between eight to 10 hours each day, and only a few prisoners not involved in education, skills, work or other activities.

Developments in healthcare were also highlighted, including the appointment of a learning and disability nurse to work with neurodivergent prisoners and those with learning disabilities.

It also praised a formal data-sharing agreement between the prison and the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, representing the first electronic shared record of its kind and considered a leading example across the UK.

Ms Durkin also noted that prisoners were supported with maintaining family ties and friendships and said 72% of prisoners said their experiences at Magilligan had made them less likely to reoffend.

“Staff knew the men in their care and were able to offer bespoke support to individual prisoners,” Ms Durkin said.

“These positive relationships underpinned much of the good work the inspection team saw and contributed to the low level of violence and use of force compared to other similar prisons in England and Wales.”

Governor of Magilligan Gary Milling paid tribute to everyone working in the prison, and said it was the culmination of many years of hard work.

“We like to think of Magilligan as a family, made up of many parts,” he said.

“Firstly, the leadership team and prison staff, but also the many partner agencies that work so hard to make this prison a success.

“While there are too many to name, each of them is a vital part in our work to support and challenge the men in our care, and to play our part in building a safer Northern Ireland.”

Justice Minister Naomi Long welcomed the inspection report and said it was an “outstanding result” for Magilligan Prison.

“To be recognised as one of the best prisons in the UK is a significant achievement, particularly when our entire justice system is operating under such immense pressure.

“What stands out most in this report is the culture of respect. Our prisons are at their most effective when they focus on rehabilitation and hope.

“By providing a safe and supportive environment, Magilligan is not just holding people in custody; it is actively reducing the likelihood of reoffending and making our entire community safer.

“I want to thank the governor, Gary Milling, and his staff for their commitment to excellence.”

Beverley Wall, director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, said Magilligan being described “as a model for the rest of the UK is a significant achievement”.

She added: “I am extremely proud of the team at Magilligan. This inspection report validates what we have long recognised, that the leadership and staff at this establishment are delivering to an exceptionally high standard.”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing for a rescheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15, the White House announced on Wednesday.

Trump had been scheduled to travel to China later this month but previously announced he was delaying the trip so he could be in Washington to help steward the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. The Republican president had announced a rescheduled trip even though the war in Iran continues and the U.S. is pressing Tehran to accept a ceasefire proposal.

The president and first lady Melania Trump also plan to host Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for a White House visit later this year, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Leavitt, when asked if the new dates for Trump’s trip could suggest he believes the Iran war could end soon, offered an optimistic tone that the conflict could reach an endgame before he travels.

The United States and Israel launched the attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.

The China trip had been planned for months but began to unravel as Trump pressured Beijing and other world powers to use their military might to protect the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the flow of oil. The strait has been effectively closed as Iran targets energy infrastructure and traffic through it.

Trump said last week while meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office that he would be going to China in five or six weeks’ time instead of at the end of the month. He said he would be “resetting” his visit with Xi.

“We’re working with China — they were fine with it,” Trump said then. “I look forward to seeing President Xi. He looks forward to seeing me, I think.”

Trump’s visit to China is seen as an opportunity to build on a fragile trade truce between the two superpowers, but it has become tangled in his effort to find an endgame to the war in Iran. Soon after pressing China and other nations to send warships to secure access to Middle Eastern oil, Trump indicated last week that his travel plans depended on Beijing’s response, though he added then that the U.S. didn’t need help from the allies that rebuffed his request.

Anyone with information on the collision near Rhayader is being urged to contact the police

A person has died following a crash between a HGV and a car. The incident happened at around 2.30pm on Tuesday, March 24 on the A470 in Doldowlod, near Rhayader.

The crash involved two vehicles: a green Chevrolet Spark and a red Scania HGV. The road was closed for around 13 hours while accident investigation work took place.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that sadly the Chevrolet driver died at the scene. Their next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

Anyone with information is being urged to contact the force. A statement reads: “Dyfed-Powys Police is appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision on the A470, Doldowlod, near Rhayader.

“The collision took place around 2.30pm on Tuesday, March 24, and involved two vehicles; a green Chevrolet Spark and a red Scania HGV.

“Sadly, the driver of the Chevrolet died at the scene. Their next of kin have been informed and supported by specialist officers.

“The road was closed for collision investigation to take place and was reopened around 3.30am this morning (Wednesday, March 25) .