An unknown projectile struck the tanker’s starboard causing a fire to the vessel, UKMTO reported, with the crew accounted for and safe and no environmental impact reported

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An oil tanker has gone up in flames after being hit by a projectile off the coast of Dubai.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Monday, 30 March that an unidentified projectile had struck their tanker starboard, igniting a fire on the vessel. The incident follows Iran’s approval of a plan to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.

The incident near the strait is under investigation and it remains uncertain who executed the strike.

Vessels, particularly oil tankers, have been the target of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, causing widespread disruptions in oil markets and at petrol stations.

The transit of tankers through the strait has been a contentious issue since the Middle East conflict began over a month ago.

US-Israeli forces targeted several key sites in Iran at the end of February, and Iran has retaliated by targeting sites across the Middle East, including vessels traversing the Strait of Hormuz.

Approximately one fifth of all globally traded oil passes through the strait.

UKMTO confirmed that the crew are accounted for and safe, and no environmental impact has been reported.

The strike occurred shortly after the Iranian Parliament’s Security Commission approved a plan to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.

On Monday, a member of the National Security Commission declared that the plan had been approved. Among other provisions are the “safety of naval vessels”, environmental issues and the prohibition of passage for US and Israeli vessels.

The plan also incorporates a toll system and the enforcement of Iran’s sovereign role in the area.

Callum Edwards, 27, was found with messages on his phone which revealed he was involved in the supply of both class A and B drugs

02:00, 31 Mar 2026

A drug dealer was found to be involved in supplying both cocaine and cannabis after police seized his phone and found messages to customers. He later claimed he was selling drugs in order to fund his own addiction.

Callum Edwards, 27, of Merthyr Tydfil, was a passenger in a car stopped by police on January 14, 2024, on the A465. It was initially believed by police that the vehicle had been involved in the transportation of drugs into Parc Prison in Bridgend.

A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Monday heard the defendant’s mobile phone was seized along with a small amount of cannabis. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here.

When the phone was checked there were found to be various messages which showed Edwards was involved in the supply of cocaine and cannabis.

Prosecutor Tom Roberts said the defendant fielded requests from drug users to supply up to 1.75g of cocaine and up to 3.5g of cannabis at a time.

In a basis of plea, the defendant accepted he sold drugs to friends and trusted associates, and did so to fund his addiction to cannabis.

Edwards, of Maple Crescent, Trefechan, later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A and B drugs.

The court heard he was of previous good character.

In mitigation, it was said that the defendant had “taken responsibility” for his actions.

He began using drugs in 2023, starting with cannabis before also using cocaine.

The defendant was said to have suffered a brain injury after he cracked his head during an accident on a bicycle.

Recorder Paul Lewis KC sentenced Edwards to 21 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

The defendant was also made subject to a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.

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Ali Abdul Basit had evaded justice after fleeing to Venice, then Dubai and then Egypt, after stabbing Michael Afonso-Peixoto to death in Thornton Heath, south London

A teenager who stabbed a man to death was snagged after throwing a cigarette butt from a car window at the scene.

This had Ali Abdul Basit’s DNA on, and detectives were eventually able to trace the teen and arrest him in connection with Michael Afonso-Peixoto’s death. Basit, though, fled to Venice, then Dubai and then Egypt in a desperate bid to dodge justice.

But the 19-year-old thug now faces jail after being convicted of manslaughter and robbery. The court had heard Basit was one of five men who waited in a car, jumping out to attack Mr Afonso-Peixoto. The 27-year-old victim had been “tricked” into thinking he was meeting someone to sell cocaine in Thornton Heath, south London.

Mr Afonso-Peixoto was being driven by his girlfriend Charley Smith and the men also robbed her car at knifepoint. However, four our of the five men were identified by DNA left on cigarette butts they discarded as they waited for the couple, the Old Bailey was told.

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Crispin Aylett, KC, prosecuting, said: “Michael had been stabbed twice in right shoulder, once on his left side, stabbed to the front of his chest and the knife entered his heart.

“The wound quickly proved fatal and he bled to death on the driveway of the house where he had collapsed. For four of the five men in the BMW those thoughtlessly discarded cigarette butts were to prove their undoing. Each had left traces of DNA on one of more of the cigarette butts.”

The fifth assailant has never been identified, My London reports. Basit was cleared of murder, but convicted of manslaughter and robbery after a three-week trial. Three other men; Zak Baako, 30, John Budal, 20, and 23-year-old Omari Peat stood trial at the Old Bailey at the end of 2024.

But Basit, Mitcham, south London, fled justice for 18 months before he was eventually arrested, upon his return at Luton Airport. While he was away, the Metropolitan Police “compiled an extensive amount of evidence, including phone data” as they investigated the death.

The court heard Mr Afonso-Peixoto’s family was of Portuguese descent and ran a business supplying electrical parts called ‘Mikes Electrix’ but also sold drugs on Snapchat as ‘Mario Deals’. He was in a relationship with Ms Smith, despite also being in a long-term relationship with the mother of his child with whom he lived.

Basit was remanded in custody ahead of sentence on May 22. Baako, who was found guilty of murder, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 28 years in prison. Budal, who was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter and robbery, was sentenced to nine years in prison while Peat was handed a four-year prison sentence.

Extreme online content and personalities are triggering racist, misogynistic and hateful behaviours among pupils, according to a major poll of over 10,000 teachers

Extreme online content and personalities are triggering racist, misogynistic and hateful behaviours among pupils, according to a major poll of teachers.

The survey of more than 10,500 National Education Union (NEU) members also found staff linked social media use to loss of concentration (71%), mental health impacts (67%) and sleep deprivation (66%) among students.

The findings come as Keir Starmer this weekend declared war on addictive algorithms and promised parents he would take urgent action to deal with online harms.

Among the stark findings, the NEU poll revealed more than half of teachers (56%) think extreme online content is leading to misogynistic behaviour among pupils, while a similar proportion (52%) believe it is leading to racist behaviour. More than two in five teachers also said homophobic or transphobic (45%) content and conspiracy theories or misinformation (43%) were influencing their pupils.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer declares WAR on social media apps – promising ‘this is going to change’

Children in secondary schools were around twice as likely to express hateful views, the survey found.

Spiralling content online is also linked to a rise in teachers facing abuse, with nearly two-thirds having experienced verbal assaults from pupils in the last year, the poll found. Nearly one in 10 (9%) teachers said they had experienced sexualised comments from pupils in the past year. This jumps sharply to 19% in secondary schools.

Nearly one in five female teachers (19%) said they had experienced misogyny in classrooms, while 13% of Black teachers reported being racially abused by pupils. One teacher told the survey: “Racist and homophobic language learned online is becoming normalised in school.”

More than half of teachers (55%) also said social media use was leading to bullying and harassment within schools. One teacher told the poll: “Bullying no longer stops at the school gate. It is relentless and follows them home.”

Another said: “Constant fallouts from group chats that begin at home and explode in school the next morning.” And another teacher added: “Friendship groups are breaking down because of online gossip and rumours spreading rapidly.”

Almost all (98%) of the teachers said they’d support strict regulation of tech firms to protect children from addictive algorithms. The Government has launched a major consultation looking at whether to introduce a social media ban, restrictions on addictive apps or overnight curfews.

In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mr Starmer said the next generation “won’t forgive” the Government for failing to tackle the social media wild west. The PM declared war on addictive apps , saying: “Addictive algorithms, clearly to my mind, shouldn’t be permitted.

“This is the platforms trying to get children to stay on for longer, to get addicted. I can’t see that there’s a case for that, and therefore I can see we’re going to have to act.”

It comes after a Los Angeles jury found that Meta, which owns Instagram , Facebook and WhatsApp , and Google , owner of YouTube , intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed a 20-year old woman’s mental health.

NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede said: “Addictive social media algorithms are feeding our children harmful content on a daily basis. That content is having clear negative effects – with educators reporting racist and misogynistic behaviour by young people, influenced by what they have seen online.

“Other impacts reported by our members – on students’ mental health, personal development, and learning – are deeply concerning. This is not a problem that schools or parents on their own can fix. The vast majority of teachers and support staff back stricter regulation of tech firms to protect young people.

“Each day that we continue in the present situation comes with a cost, whether it is bullying, worsening mental ill-health, eating disorders, or disengagement from learning. We cannot allow this generation or any other to become victims of big tech profit margins.”

A government spokesman said: “These figures are deeply concerning, and underscore the need for strong action to keep our kids safe online. We have introduced some of the toughest online safety laws in the world. Platforms now have a legal duty to remove illegal content for all UK users and to protect children from harmful material, including pornography, violent and abusive online content.

“We have also published strengthened guidance to make it even clearer that schools should be mobile phone-free and have launched a public consultation considering stronger measures, including a social media ban or curfew for children.”

::: The NEU conducted an online survey of 10,578 teacher members and 3,230 support staff members in state schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between February 5 and 16.

This is the second new addition the zoo has welcomed in the last few months

A Cambridgeshire zoo has welcomed a ‘rare’ new addition, in the form of a possum. Only a few months ago, Hamerton Zoo in Steeple Gidding, Huntingdon, welcomed Clawdia, a new baby sloth to the zoo. Now it has welcomed Peanut, a female Golden Tasmanian Possum. Peanut was born to dad Piglet and mum Pansy.

A zoo spokesperson said: “He has been growing in the pouch for the last five months but only started emerging out the pouch last week, appearing to be a very confident and inquisitive joey so far!”

A Tasmanian gold possum is a rare colour variation of the common brushtail possum found in Tasmania. The colour comes from a genetic mutation that reduces dark pigment.

The zoo spokesperson added: “It looks striking, but it can make them more visible at night, which isn’t always ideal when you’re trying to avoid predators.

“Other than that, they’re just like regular brushtail possums; always on the lookout for food like leaves, flowers, fruit, and the occasional insect. We are excited to watch Peanut bloom, just like the flowers that she eats!”

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Today, BBC Radio 2 breakfast host Scott Mills has been sacked by the BBC following allegations about his personal conduct.

The BBC have not given any further details, saying only “while we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.” Adam is joined by Katie Razzall – BBC Culture and Media Editor

And, President Trump has threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plats and oil wells if a deal is not reached “shortly”. Trump has also repeated his threat to “take” Kharg Island”, a major oil terminal off the coast.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you’re in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made Jack Maclaren with Shiler Mahmoudi. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Wet and windy weather is expected to batter most of the country this Easter bank holiday weekend, with conditions forecast to become increasingly unsettled from Friday and remain bleak for the long weekend.

Heavy bands of rain will move southward from Friday morning and persist throughout the weekend, with temperatures are expected to drop to 1C in Scotland on Saturday morning. Warmer weather is due to follow next week, with highs of 15C forecast for much of the country.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates said: “As we head into Good Friday and Easter Saturday, the weather is expected to turn more unsettled with spells of rain at times, some of which could be heavy. This will be followed by sunny spells and showers, with the driest conditions likely towards the southeast of the UK.

“It is also likely to become windy at times across all areas, particularly in exposed northwestern locations. While there remains some uncertainty in the detail at this point in time, there is a strong signal for wet and windy conditions to continue into the Easter weekend.”

Scotland and Northern Ireland will experience temperatures ranging from 1C to 9C throughout Friday and Saturday. Wintry conditions will continue on Easter Sunday, but will improve slightly on Monday in some areas. Wales and England will enjoy slightly warmer weather over the weekend, with highs of 14C forecast for parts of the south and southeast of England on Saturday.

By Tuesday, temperatures across the country are expected to climb, with 13C to 15C forecast for much of Wales and England, and a high of 16C expected in London.

“As April begins, the balance tips slightly towards drier conditions, and with the clocks going forward and days lengthening, there will be more opportunity to enjoy any sunshine that does develop,” the Met Office said. “However, any sustained warmth looks less certain, and changeable conditions remain a key feature of the outlook.”

Met Office five-day weather forecast

Today

Blustery showers in the north will continue this morning, with snow over the hills at first, but these will gradually ease through the day. Largely dry in the south with sunny spells, although a few showers possible. Winds easing.

Tonight

Clear spells in the east at first with a frost developing. Skies clouding over elsewhere with outbreaks of rain and drizzle.

Tuesday

Cloudy at first with outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Turning drier for many in the afternoon with some warm bright or sunny spells. Windy in the north with coastal gales.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday

Changeable over the next few days with largely cloudy skies. Spells of rain are likely at times with strong winds, and it will gradually turn colder towards the weekend.

Sacheera Acharige, from Perth, admitted biting his wife, Dinesha Kankanamge, on her face to injury on May 4, 2024.

A husband paid hundreds of pounds for his wife to have cosmetic procedures to hide his teeth marks after he bit her on the face. Dinesha Kankanamge still had clearly visible injuries to her cheek several weeks after being attacked by Sacheera Acharige in their home.

Acharige, 36, took his wife to an aesthetics clinic and paid a total of £400 for work to make the injury he caused less obvious. The jewellery maker had sentence deferred for reports after he admitted carrying out two attacks on his wife in little over a fortnight.

Fiscal depute Jill Drummond told Perth Sheriff Court: “They have been married since 2019. She described it as mostly good, but negatively affected by his abuse of alcohol.

“On 4 May they were in bed. He was under the influence and wanted to leave to continue drinking. She requested him to stay and he became very angry.

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“He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her towards him. He bit into her left cheek which resulted in marking to the cheek. She shouted for help to her cousin who was in the living room.

“The next day the cousin saw the bite mark. They appraised the accused of the circumstances, to which he became upset as he did not realise he had done it.

“He stated he would pay for the treatment. She went to the aesthetics clinic and got an injection to reduce the visibility. She attended again three weeks later for further treatment. Overall he paid £400 to cover both treatments.”

Two weeks later, Acharige attacked his wife again when she tried to get him up for work when he slept in after a late night binge drinking session. He demanded a cup of tea, told his wife ‘not to disrespect’ him, and hurled abuse at her as she tried to get their child ready for nursery.

She was slapped and then knocked to the ground during a struggle, before Acharige dragged her by the hair to the bathroom where he leathered her with a shoe. The fiscal depute said the victim called counselling services on her lunch break at work and then contacted the police to report her husband later the same day.

Acharige, from Perth, admitted biting his wife’s face to her injury on May 4, 2024, and injuring her again on May 20, 2024, by slapping and dragging her by the hair as well as hitting her with a leather shoe. The court was told that the complainer did not want a non-harassment order to be imposed as she wanted to continue the marriage and have Acharige home as soon as possible.

Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence for reports and said he would consider the issue of a non-harassment order at that stage.

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The event was organised by Moja CEO Sophie Milliken who said: “There is no shortage of talent in our region, and  no shortage of ambition. But put the right people in the room together and everything accelerates.

“A few people messaged me when the invites went out asking if it was real. Which says a lot, because opportunities like this aren’t the norm for founders in our region. Not because the businesses aren’t good enough, but because access doesn’t always flow this far north.

“And that’s the bit we don’t talk about enough.”

Kim McGuinness said: “Businesses led by women are often stronger, but sadly simply don’t often attract the level of investment of those led by men.

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“In the North East we are determined to change that, so we met Rachel Reeves and a load of investors and connectors and we plan to bring that money North so these incredible women can use it to grow.”

Sara Davies said the event was ‘a moment of recognition’

She said: “Building a business in the North East of England as a 21-year-old woman 20 years ago was not easy.

“There was talent everywhere — ambition, ideas, work ethic — but what we didn’t always have was access. Access to the same opportunities, networks and recognition that seemed far more readily available elsewhere in the country.

“That’s why being invited to 11 Downing Street this week meant so much more than just stepping inside an iconic building.

“To stand alongside so many brilliant women from across Teesside and the wider North East, all building, leading and growing incredible businesses, was genuinely inspiring. These are women who are driving real impact in our region, creating jobs, innovating, and proving every single day what’s possible.

“And finally, it felt like that was being seen. I left feeling hopeful that this is just the beginning of even greater recognition for our region.”

 Sophie Milliken added: “This isn’t a room most North East founders get access to, but we had 50 female founders from across the North East at 11 Downing Street. From Northumberland down to Tees Valley. Different sectors, different stages, different ambitions, but all building something.

“Through City Ladies Networking, we’ve always focused on bringing the right people into the room. Not for the sake of it, but to create conversations that actually lead somewhere. So it was a privilege for Natalie Turner and I to be able to support such an important event – a reminder of what’s possible when you remove a few of the usual barriers.”