Over 200 young people and 24 staff performed to audiences of over 300 people across two nights at Inveralmond Community High School in Livingston before the Easter break.

Talented musicians from schools across West Lothian hit all the right notes at the annual Spring Concert Series.

Over 200 young people and 24 staff performed to audiences of over 300 people across two nights at Inveralmond Community High School in Livingston before the Easter break.

The number of West Lothian schools represented increased to 33 this year, with the number of student performers also increasing.

Bands performing included the West Lothian Schools Big Band, West Lothian Schools Brass Band, West Lothian Schools Junior and Senior Pipe Bands, West Lothian Schools Concert Band, West Lothian Schools Wind Ensemble and the West Lothian Schools Junior and Senior String Orchestras.

READ MORE: Councillors agree to sale of ten acre site in the heart of West Lothian town

Both shows featured fantastic performances from all our young musicians, and lots of really positive feedback from the delighted audience.

The finale of each concert was joint performances of all the ensembles performing together, with the Brass Band, Big Band and Pipe Bands performed Carnival de Paris by Dario G on the first night, and the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band and String Orchestras coming together for Viva La Vida by Coldplay.

Rehearsals will begin again in September, and parents/carers of current ensemble members should look out for an email early this term asking them to complete an existing members registration form for next session.

Any instrumental pupils not currently in an Area Ensemble should talk to their instructor if they are interested in joining one next session.

The Area Ensembles are open to any young person living in West Lothian who plays an instrument to the required standard for the ensemble. Please contact ims@westlothian.gov.uk for more information.

READ MORE: Affordable watersports for children on ‘West Lothian Riviera’

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A student opened fire on two classrooms at a middle school in Turkey on Wednesday, killing nine people and wounding 13 others, the interior minister said, in the country’s second such shooting in two days.

The 14-year-old gunman was killed. He arrived at the school armed with guns believed to belong to his father, a retired police officer, Kahramanmaras provincial Gov. Mukerrem Unluer said. He was carrying five firearms and seven magazines.

The motive of the attack wasn’t immediately known. It was not clear whether the gunman was killed by police or killed himself.

Six of the 13 people wounded were in serious condition, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said.

The attack came a day after 16 people, mostly students, were wounded when a former student opened fire at a high school in nearby Sanliurfa province. The assailant later killed himself.

The two men are the first to be sanctioned under the new law

Two footy fans have been issued a banning order after breaking a new tailgating law at last month’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

The new law on unauthorised entry to games came into effect during the match between Arsenal and Manchester City on March 22.

The legislation makes any attempt to enter a stadium without a valid ticket punishable by a fine and a Football Banning Order.

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Wembley Stadium have confirmed that Kamal McEwan, from London, had been given a three-year banning order and fined £471 for unauthorised entry, making him the first to be sanctioned under the new law.

Alex Clark, from Waltham Cross, became the second when he was also given a three-year banning order and a £1,862 fine for unauthorised entry and possession of a Class A drug.

Both rulings were confirmed at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on April 10, the stadium release said. A third man is due to appear in court on May 1.

Wembley Stadium Director Mark Lynch said: “The swift arrest and convictions of these individuals at the Carabao Cup final demonstrate this new legislation is already having a real and immediate impact.

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“Previously, there were no specific criminal penalties for those trying to enter the stadium without a ticket, placing significant pressure on our crowd safety teams. This new legislation now closes that gap and ensures offenders are dealt with appropriately.

“These cases send a clear message that any attempt to gain unauthorised access to football matches will not be tolerated and will result in firm action including large fines and lengthy Football Banning Orders.”

Chief Inspector Pete Dearden, of the Metropolitan Police Service, added: “Our officers acted quickly and decisively at the Carabao Cup final, and these convictions demonstrate that antisocial, dangerous and criminal behaviour at football matches will be met with firm enforcement action.

“We will continue to work closely with sport venues, the FA and other partners to ensure football matches remain safe environments for fans, families and staff, and to prevent the minority who seek to cause harm or disruption from doing so.”

Redrow Homes plans to submit a planning application for up to 170 new homes in Hauxton village, prompting residents to voice concerns about development on agricultural land

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Readers of CambridgeshireLive have been weighing in on proposals for new housing, with many expressing concerns over the local impact, loss of green spaces, and whether the development will genuinely serve the needs of the community. Others have questioned how such schemes gain approval and what obligations developers must fulfil if construction begins long after planning permission is initially granted.

Property firm Carter Jonas has been appointed by developer Redrow Homes South Midlands to submit a full planning application for land situated south of High Street in the village of Hauxton, with proposals for up to 170 new homes.

Hauxton is a small village lying approximately five miles from Cambridge. While a formal planning application is yet to be lodged, full planning permission will be sought for up to 170 homes, along with access routes, open space and associated infrastructure. A screening opinion request has already been submitted to South Cambridgeshire District Council to determine whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be required for the proposed development.

The new homes are earmarked for a 12.44 hectare site currently used as agricultural land. A significant proportion of the site is intended to be retained as open space, with new properties concentrated in development parcels across the central and western sections, while the eastern portion would be preserved as public open space. The proposed site sits adjacent to existing residential properties, allotments and Hauxton Primary School. According to a screening letter, pedestrian and cycle access would be provided via High Street, with a potential connection to Jopling Way currently under consideration.

One reader, Feelgood66 comments: “Right next to the line and east west rail will be, plus shutting off the road permanently. Like the road near me.”

Calumen Nomen says: “Ah, Hauxton’s turn to get ruined. Only fair that all should suffer.”

While over on our Facebook page, Tai S writes: “It feels that whatever developers propose, it seems to get rubber-stamped, under the last government and this one. One thing I learned from dealing with developers was this: they only need to build in accordance with the planning regulations in effect at the time the project was approved. So, if something was approved in 2014, but didn’t get built until now (as is often the case), the developers only need to apply the environmental/social features and conditions from 2014. This is how they get around installing solar, green spaces, providing lots of play areas, preserving nature and adding water-retention features and other blue/green building-infrastructure elements.

“I wouldn’t mind so many estates if they a) included long term, affordable family homes with gardens (like the 1930’s semi I was lucky enough to grow up in), b) included all modern eco fittings; heat pumps, solar panels, green roofs/walls, triple glazed windows etc and c) the developers were forced to create an adjacent conservation area equivalent to the size of the built-up area. The costs are high, but if the developers can’t afford to implement them, let them eat brick dust.

“Additionally, if buy to let, greedy landlords, second homes and housing bought up as capital were clamped down on, we would actually have enough existing housing stock for requirements, but that requires government will that doesn’t exist. Sadly, the ideal home-building scenario with people and the environment put first, as opposed to corporate profits, won’t happen and even if it did, without the government investing heavily on a national scale in energy, water, public transport and education infrastructure (which hasn’t happened in Cambridge while the developers concrete over everything) then the new urban areas are bound to fail as places worthy of being treasured as ‘home’.”

David M pleads: “Stop building on green fields – use other sites.”

Carolyn R adds: “Soon, there won’t be any green spaces left; the ones that are left will be covered in solar panels.”

Marvin H comments: “This is about private equity money flooding the property market. We have enough housing stock in this country; the majority of it is simply not accessible to the majority of people who desperately need it. House prices in places like Cambridge are out of reach for the majority of people. Rental properties in places like Cambridge are out of reach for the majority of people. “

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Dawn Kerr, 56, was found dead at a property in Les Pequies on February 6 last year, with her husband’s body also found.

A grieving daughter has said she hopes to help create “a society free of domestic abuse” after her mum was murdered in France.

Dawn Kerr, 56, was found dead at a property in Les Pequies on February 6 last year, with her husband’s body also found. French authorities ruled there was no evidence to suggest another person was involved in their deaths.

The prosecutor in charge of the case ruled the investigation as a murder suicide. The couple married in 2023 after moving to France, and had been described as “normal, lovely people” by their neighbours.

Her daughter Amanda has now paid tribute to her mum, branding her “one of those rare people who made life better and brighter just by being it”. She will now hike Mount Etna in Sicily on May 16 as she raises funds for Edinburgh Women’s Aid.

Amanda, who is from Musselburgh, told Edinburgh Live: “My mum was one of those rare people who made life feel better and brighter just by being in it. She was kind, optimistic, and deeply caring and also the most organised person anyone had ever met. She somehow managed to hold everything together while giving so much of herself to others, because she loved doing that.

“As a mum, she set the standard for everything I hope to be, for my own daughter. As a friend, she had a way of making people feel like they were the only person in the room.

“She gave so much to the world around her. She fundraised constantly and did all of that while working two jobs and raising a family. People used to ask her if she had more hours in the day than everyone else.

“I honestly do not think it is possible to recreate the kind of person my mum was. She was rare, and I feel so proud and lucky to call her my mum and best friend. It’s an honour to me when people say I remind them of my mum.”

Amanda – who runs marketing firm The Popular Agency – feels she is very much ‘her mother’s daughter’, with Dawn’s qualities and ‘being’ passed down and she will now be doing the climb on her mum’s 58th birthday. She said: “Everything I am doing now is rooted in what she showed me was possible. I always find myself asking ‘what would Dawn do’.

“It never mattered where you saw my mum, she was always happy to chat, she always had time for people and was always, always smiling and laughing. I’m excited for this climb, I’ve been training for 10 months and documenting it all on social media to raise awareness of the fundraiser, which I have raised just over £7,500 on two donation platforms.

“There is still so much snow on Mount Etna so the hike might be more difficult than I had originally thought, but I’m up for the challenge.”

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Last year, Amanda and her brother Callum – who has appeared in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and One Piece on Netflix – urged people not to attend the funeral of Andrew Seale. In a statement shared online, the pair said: “In the absence of any evidence suggesting third-party involvement in the tragic death of our mother, Dawn Kerr, the prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide. Our mother was killed by multiple blows to the head, and Andrew was found deceased by hanging.

“His injuries are consistent with self-hanging, and no defensive wounds were found on his body. There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party’s involvement at this stage. While the official investigation is still ongoing, we cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand.

“For this reason, we must respectfully but firmly request that our mother not be included in any way in the funeral arrangements being made for Andrew. Please do not share photographs of them together.”

You can support Amanda with her fundraiser here.

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The BBC is set to cut 2,000 jobs as part of a drive to reduce costs by 10 per cent over the next three years, sources have revealed.

It is understood staff were informed of the significant redundancies during an all-staff call held on Wednesday afternoon.

These cuts mark the largest reduction in BBC headcount in almost 15 years and coincide with former Google executive Matt Brittin preparing to take over as director-general next month.

The corporation has also recently unveiled plans to drastically downsize the team responsible for covering national occasions, such as royal events and State funerals, to a single staff member supported by freelancers.

The BBC has previously said: “Over the last three years we have delivered more than a half a billion pounds worth of savings, much of which we’ve been able to reinvest into our output across the BBC.

“In a rapidly changing media market, we continue to face substantial financial pressures. As a result we expect to make further savings over the next three years of around 10% of our costs.

“This is about the BBC becoming more productive and prioritising our offer to audiences to ensure we’re providing the best value for money, both now and in the future.”

More to follow…

Two Metropolitan Police officers face charges following collision in south-east London that resulted in deaths of 38-year-old woman and her unborn child

Two police officers have been charged in connection with the deaths of a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn baby after she was struck by a police vehicle in London.

The 38 year old woman lost her life after her car collided with an unmarked police vehicle on Eltham Road on October 17, 2024, and her unborn child could not be saved. The baby tragically died at the scene, while the woman subsequently passed away in hospital from her injuries, reports the Mirror.

PC Chris Johnson, 56, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, and former PC Danny Tomkins, 35, has been charged with dangerous driving. The charges follow an investigation into the fatal collision carried out by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

PC Johnson is attached to the Metropolitan Police Taskforce, while former PC Tomkins was assigned to the same unit at the time of the tragedy. Both officers are due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, May 28.

Acting Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham, who oversees policing in Greenwich, said: “Our thoughts remain with the woman’s family and friends, who continue to grieve the loss of her and her unborn child. This was a truly terrible and heartbreaking incident.”

“The IOPC have conducted a thorough and complex investigation and we have worked closely with them as their enquiries have progressed. Following that process, an officer and former officer have now been charged.

“It is important that nothing is said that could prejudice the court proceedings that will now follow, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Federal prosecutors made an unannounced visit this week to a construction site at Federal Reserve headquarters that is the focus of an investigation into a $2.5 billion renovation project, according to two people familiar with the visit.

Two prosecutors and an investigator from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office were turned away on Tuesday by a building contractor and referred to Fed attorneys, one of the people said. The two people familiar with the visit spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation.

Last month, during a closed-door hearing before a federal judge, a top deputy from Pirro’s office conceded that they hadn’t found any evidence of a crime in their investigation of the headquarters project.

The investigation has faced bipartisan opposition in Congress. It also has delayed Senate consideration of Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Fed chairman Jerome Powell when his term ends May 15.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Federal prosecutors made an unannounced visit this week to a construction site at Federal Reserve headquarters that is the focus of an investigation into a $2.5 billion renovation project, according to two people familiar with the visit.

Two prosecutors and an investigator from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office were turned away on Tuesday by a building contractor and referred to Fed attorneys, one of the people said. The two people familiar with the visit spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation.

Last month, during a closed-door hearing before a federal judge, a top deputy from Pirro’s office conceded that they hadn’t found any evidence of a crime in their investigation of the headquarters project.

President Donald Trump has again threatened to fire Jerome Powell if the Federal Reserve Chair decides to stay on the central bank’s governing board after his term as chair expires next month.

“Well then I’ll have to fire him, OK?” Trump told Fox Business in an interview that aired Wednesday when reminded that Powell has said he won’t leave the Fed while the Justice Department investigates a $2.5 billion renovation project at the bank.

Trump has for months wanted to remove Powell as chair of the Fed, saying he has been too slow in orchestrating interest rate cuts that would give the U.S. economy a quick boost. Powell has said the investigation is a pretext to undermine the Fed’s independence to set rates. A federal prosecutor last month admitted that the investigation into the renovations had turned up no evidence of a crime.

Trump has nominated former Fed official Kevin Warsh to succeed Powell. Yet Warsh’s confirmation has been delayed. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, has said he won’t vote to confirm any Fed nominees until the investigation is dropped.

Snap Inc., the company that owns the social media platform Snapchat, is laying off about 16 percent of its full-time workforce.

The move will impact about 1,000 employees, CEO Evan Spiegel announced Wednesday. The company is also closing about 300 open roles.

“This is an incredibly difficult decision, and I am deeply sorry to the colleagues who will be leaving us. You have made important contributions to Snap, and we are committed to supporting you through this transition,” Spiegel said in a message to staff.

Spiegel said the company had to make “tough choices to prioritize the investments we believe are most likely to create long-term value.”

“As a result of these changes, we expect to reduce our annualized cost base by more than $500 million by the second half of 2026, helping to establish a clearer path to net-income profitability,” he said.

Snap has struggled with profitability and is facing mounting pressure from investors, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Impacted employees who are based in the U.S. will receive “four months of severance, healthcare coverage, and equity vesting, along with career transition support,” according to Spiegel’s statement. For those outside the country, the company will “follow local processes and seek to provide comparable support aligned with local norms.”

“Today we announced organizational changes to better align our resources behind our highest priorities as we continue our pivot toward profitable growth,” a Snap spokesperson told The Independent. “These decisions are incredibly difficult, and we are committed to supporting our colleagues who are leaving Snap through this transition.”

Snap also underwent a round of layoffs in 2024, cutting more than 500 jobs. Two years prior, the company had cut 20 percent of its workforce.

Snapchat, a popular social media platform known for its disappearing photos and videos, has more than 946 million monthly active users, its parent company said in February. The platform also offers a paid subscription service, which surpassed 25 million members earlier this year.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

The government has confirmed plans to end “aggressive” debt collection tactics, giving people far longer to catch up on missed payments and capping extra charges.

Under current rules, councils can demand the full year’s council tax just weeks after a single missed payment, often leading to court action and extra fees.

But new proposals will:

• Give households 63 days (around two months) to catch up
• Cap admin and enforcement fees at £100
• Allow bills to be spread over 12 months instead of 10

The changes aim to ease pressure on families already dealing with rising living costs.

‘Most vicious’ debt collection system

Reacting to the changes, Martin Lewis did not hold back.

He said: “Council tax debt collection is so aggressive it’d make banks blush.

“It’s the most vicious and damaging form of legal debt collection out there – causing counterproductive misery for millions.”

He added that after campaigning on the issue for 18 months, the reform is a major step forward.

“I’m genuinely moved by this huge first step towards making things better,” he said.

Why households were struggling with council tax rules

Under the old system, missing just one payment could quickly spiral:

Full annual bill demanded within weeks

• Extra charges added
• Risk of court action or bailiffs

Campaigners have long argued this approach made debts worse rather than helping people repay them.

Steve Reed said the changes are designed to stop families being pushed into crisis.

“Too many families are facing aggressive enforcement action, with people left terrified of bailiffs knocking on the door because one month’s council tax bill was missed,” he said.

“We will stop this and make the system fairer.”

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The reforms mark the biggest change to council tax collection in decades, potentially helping millions avoid spiralling debt.

While Martin Lewis said there is still room for improvement, he made clear this is a significant breakthrough.

“In a perfect world, it would be even longer,” he said, “but this is still a hugely welcome change.”