NewsBeat
Dashcam footage appeal for missing teenager Joseph Bellamy | UK News
Motorists are being urged to check their dashcam footage in the search for a missing 18-year-old.
Joseph Bellamy has been missing from his home in Caldicot, South Wales, for over a week and was last seen near the M48 bridge between England and Wales.
Gwent Police said Mr Bellamy left his home between 12am and 1am on Tuesday 3 December.
CCTV footage showed him riding a red bike on to the bridge, which was later found by police.
In a post on social media, Mr Bellamy’s mother said his family “love [him] dearly” and were “heartbroken”.
“Please come home to us. Everything will be okay, I promise,” she added.
Joseph Bellamy. Pic: Gwent Police
Officers hope dashcam footage in the M48 bridge area will help piece together Mr Bellamy’s movements that morning.
The force has specifically asked for footage from between 12.30am and 2am on the day he was last seen.
Missing posters have been placed in several locations near the bridge.
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The teenager is described as white, 6ft tall and has mousey hair with blue eyes.
He was last seen wearing light jeans and a black Teddy fleece jumper.
Police are urging Mr Bellamy to get in touch with them and for anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact them quoting reference 2400400170.
Two teens were arrested by police officers as they prepared to flee the country on a flight to Spain, after taking part in a broad daylight shooting at a Nottingham shopping centre.
Ramarni Spencer and Pharrell McLennon, both 18, were snared by police while queuing at a fast food restaurant at East Midlands Airport, ahead of boarding a flight to Alicante. Both were seen on CCTV two days earlier on 5 May 2024, firing pistols at another youth outside shops at the Bridgeway Centre, The Meadows before speeding away on an electric bike.
Spencer and McLennon appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (24 January), where they were sentenced for a combined 23-and-a-half years.
The US State Department has issued a halt to all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, according to an internal memo sent to officials and US embassies abroad.
The leaked notice follows President Trump’s executive order issued on Monday for a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance pending a review of efficiencies and consistency with his foreign policy.
The United States is the world’s biggest international aid donor spending $68bn in 2023 according to government figures. The State Department notice appears to affect everything from development assistance to military aid.
It makes exceptions only for emergency food aid and for military funding for Israel and Egypt. The leaked memo’s contents have been confirmed by the BBC.
“No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved,” says the memo to staff.
It adds that US officials “shall immediately issue stop-work orders, consistent with the terms of the relevant award, until such time as the secretary shall determine, following a review.”
It also orders a wide scale review of all foreign assistance to be completed within 85 days to ensure the aid adheres to President Trump’s foreign policy goals.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio – the US’s top diplomat – has previously stated that all US spending abroad should take place only if it makes America “stronger”, “safer” or “more prosperous”.
One former senior State Department official told the BBC the notice meant a “potentially huge” impact on foreign aid programmes funded by the US.
“One can imagine, for example, the humanitarian de-mining programmes around the world suddenly being told stop work. That’s a pretty big deal,” said Josh Paul, who oversaw Congressional relations on weapons transfers at the State Department until late 2023.
Dave Harden, a former US Agency of International Aid (USAID) mission director in the Middle East, told the BBC the move was “very significant”, saying it could see humanitarian and development programmes funded by the US around the world being immediately suspended, while the review is carried out.
He said it could affect a wide range of critical development projects including water, sanitation and shelter.
“The employees of the implementing partner or the [non-governmental organisation] would be able to be paid, but actual assistance, I think, needs to be halted,” said Mr Harden.
“I have gone through [assistance suspensions] many times when I was the West Bank and Gaza mission director, but that was specific to that account. This is global… it’s extremely broad,” he said.
“Not only does it pause assistance, but it puts a ‘stop work’ order in existing contracts that are already funded and underway. It’s extremely broad,” he added.
The AFP news agency reported the funding freeze could also potentially affect Ukraine, which received billions of dollars in weapons under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden.
Rubio’s memo, justifying the freeze, said it was impossible for the new administration to assess whether existing foreign aid commitments “are not duplicated, are effective and are consistent with President Trump’s foreign policy”.
Rubio has issued a waiver for emergency food assistance, according to the memo.
This comes amid a surge of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began, and several other hunger crises around the world, including Sudan.
The memo also said waivers have so far been approved by Rubio for “foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt and administrative expenses, including salaries, necessary to administer foreign military financing”.
The State Department has been approached for comment.
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Britain needs to be more positive and showing off its strengths, said Rachel Reeves.
The chancellor travelled to the World Economic Forum in Davos this week to meet global investors in her latest attempt to boost the UK economy after latest figures showed only slight growth.
Recent rises in borrowing costs threaten Ms Reeves’ economic plans, while leaders in the business sector continue to voice concerns over upcoming tax rises in April from her Autumn Budget.
However, on Monday, the International Monetary Fund forecast the UK economy would grow by 1.6 per cent in 2025 after a weaker-than-expected 2024.
And speaking to The Times, Ms Reeves said the country needed to be more positive.
She said: “I’ve been in sales mode this week in Davos. We’re all sick of Britain being in the slow lane, whether it’s British CEOs or British investors, and we want to see a revival of those animal spirits so that we can grow the economy and bring investment here.”
When asked if the country could learn from US president Donald Trump, she replied: “Yes, I think we do need more positivity.
“I’ve challenged businesses as well and said no one else is going to speak up for Britain apart from us. It hasn’t been a very British thing to say.
“We are absolutely fantastic as a country, we’ve got four of the best universities in the world. We’ve got some of the most amazing entrepreneurs with fantastic ideas. In all the sectors that are growing globally — AI, tech, clean energy — Britain has got unbelievable strengths in those sectors. We shouldn’t apologise for it and we shouldn’t be all polite about it. We should be shouting from the rooftops.”
But there are some in the business sector who have continued to put challenges at Ms Reeves’ door.
Last week, the boss of Next said the hike in National Insurance rates for employers in April will make it more difficult for people entering the workforce. On Thursday, Sainsbury’s announced it was cutting 3,000 jobs two months after it said Ms Reeves’ Budget would cost it £140m including higher wages.
There has also been criticism in the farming industry, where family farm owners are worried over changes to rules on inheritance tax from April next year.
Rachel Reeves has defended her decision to raise taxes at the Budget, insisting her plan provided the stability needed to secure growth and fix the nation’s services.
When asked if she will reverse the tax rises, Ms Reeves told The Times: “It’s not possible to back down on these things.
“The public finances were an absolute mess. I had to make a number of difficult decisions around welfare, on spending and tax, both in July and in the budget. If I start reversing tax increases, that stability that I’ve returned to the public finances would unravel.
“I know that I will come under pressure from different interest groups. I understand why they make the case that they make. I have a duty to make sure the sums add up.”
A business owner from Peterborough is calling on Sir Keir Starmer to adopt Donald Trump’s plan for turbocharging the US economy, which rests on promoting local business, cutting government waste and clamping down on illegal immigration.
Gez Chetal, 57, is a pillar of his local community.
He runs the Thomas Paine Hotel in the market town of Thetford, Prismstart – a scheme to get ex-offenders, the homeless and the vulnerable back into work – and the Peterborough Community Business Awards every year. He also works with local schools to advise on career opportunities.
“I try to promote local farmers, independent businesses and small independents,” he told GB News.
Given Gez’s cast-iron commitment to his local community, it’s no surprise that he’s a cheerleader for Trump’s pro-business, America First agenda.
Gez Chetal calls on Starmer to adopt Trumpian policies to boost British economy
Gez Chetal/Getty Images
Upon returning to the Oval Office, Trump signed a flurry of executive orders to give domestic industries a shot in the arm, aiming to make them more efficient, and competitive, providing job security to millions of hard-working Americans.
“I am 100 per cent with Mr Trump on that. What he’s doing, we should be doing the same,” Gez said.
He was particularly taken with the executive order mandating that federal employees return to in-person work at their respective duty stations full-time, effectively ending remote work arrangements for civil servants.
“We’re promoting people working from home and going down to a four-day week,” the hotel owner lamented, referring to civil servants working remotely and Labour’s mooted plans for a shorter working week.
“How is that going to help the taxpayer by paying people for a five-day week to work a four-day week? What are we going to come to?” Gez asks.
In addition to not “being able to get hold of anyone”, he strongly feels that working from home has created a culture of laziness and sends the message that Britain is not open for business.
Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration also makes sense from a business perspective, Gez claims.
The 47th President signed several executive orders beefing up border security and immigration on his first day in office.
He has promised the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history”, aiming to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
This would apply to both those with criminal records and those without but residing illegally in the US.
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When asked whether Keir Starmer should get equally as tough on immigration, Gez said: “We need to curb it.”
He explained: “I have nothing against any migrants whatsoever because we need them in this country to work because our lot are not working. We’ve got skill shortages. We’ve got manpower shortages.
“But we must not bring down areas by bringing in people who don’t really speak English or integrate into the community. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work.”
As a hotel owner, he’s keen to attract people to the area, but an influx of people who don’t seek employment and “frighten” the locals does the opposite, Gez adds.
Housing migrants is a particular sore spot for the hotelier.
“I’m paying silly amounts of tax. But what am I getting for it? Nothing. I’m just making sure that all these bills are covered for everyone.”
Protecting local businesses and jobs is the Trump policy that arguably resonates the most with Gez.
The Republican leader has unveiled a slew of policies and executive orders focusing on deregulation, tax policy, and making domestic industries more competitive.
This includes directives to eliminate two regulations for every new one introduced, which directly impacts small and local businesses by reducing compliance costs and simplifying operations.
Trump’s administration has emphasised “Buy American” policies, encouraging federal agencies to purchase goods made in the US, thereby supporting local manufacturers and businesses.
“It’s fantastic,” Gez told GB News, adding: “It brings the whole community together.”
NewsBeat
Prisoner released early under government scheme assaulted ex-partner the day after he was freed | UK News
A former actor who was released from prison in error as part of the early release scheme has been convicted of assaulting his ex-partner the day after he was freed.
Jason Hoganson, who starred in the 1987 film Empire State, was one of around 1,700 prisoners who walked free on 10 September 2024 as part of the government’s plan to ease overcrowding in prisons.
However, the 53-year-old was actually one of 37 inmates who were released by mistake when the scheme was rolled out.
Despite being released early in error in September, it is understood Hoganson is likely to have been released a few days later anyway under the terms of his original sentence.
Heavily-tattooed Hoganson was photographed giving a thumbs up as he left HMP Durham after serving half of an 18-month sentence for assaulting his ex-partner Rachel Usher and breaching a restraining order.
He was arrested in Newcastle’s West End the following day after going to Ms Usher’s flat and slapping her.
Ms Usher “very sadly passed away” after Hoganson was returned to custody, a court heard.
Her cause of death has not been reported but there is no suggestion it is linked to Hoganson.
The former actor was found guilty on Friday of assaulting Ms Usher and two counts of breaching a restraining order by visiting her home on 11 September 2024 and writing her a letter from prison a week earlier.
Hoganson was removed from Newcastle Crown Court in the middle of his evidence after he started shouting obscenities at prosecutor Lisa Callum, and was not present to hear the verdict.
A statement from Ms Usher read by Ms Callum said the two had been in a relationship for about six years and Hoganson “used to hit me all the time”.
The statement said: “I’m aware he was released two days ago – earlier than he should have been.”
Ms Usher said she was leaving her flat to go to the shops on 11 September and was waiting for a lift when she saw Hoganson running towards her.
She said: “He opened the door of the stairwell and slapped me across the side of my face.
“He was shouting and bawling and seemed really angry. He called me a slut and said there was someone in my flat.
“He said ‘can we go somewhere’ and when I said ‘no’ he got even more angry.”
Ms Usher said she called the police and Hoganson started to hit his head on an electrical box on the wall.
Her statement read: “I do not have any injuries but the slap was powerful. There was a lot of force behind it.”
Ms Usher also described how receiving the prison letter, where Hoganson told her he loved her, made “me feel horrible and sick inside”.
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Pic: PA
Hoganson denied the offences, claiming he went to the block of flats to get his belongings from a man who lived five floors above Ms Usher.
He said he went to get the lift back to the ground floor and saw Ms Usher when it stopped on her floor.
Hoganson told the court: “Obviously she panicked. She came straight for me and went to attack me. I’ve moved out of the way down the stairs. I’ve never attacked Rachel.
“I never even spoke to her, I just wanted to get out of there.”
Defence lawyer Mark Styles said the defendant had been “unable to process” the death of Ms Usher because he has been in custody, and had experienced a deterioration in his mental health.
He is due to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on 25 February.
Entertainment reporter
BBCWarning: This article reveals the outcome of The Traitors.
The third series of The Traitors has been won after a nail-biting conclusion.
The finale saw faithfuls Francesca Rowan-Plowden, Alexander Dragonetti, Leanne Quigley and Jake Brown go up against traitor Charlotte Berman.
After weeks of challenges, murders, roundtables and banishments, the final prize fund stood at £94,600 after the last challenge of the series.
Ex-soldier Leanne and project manager Jake were the final two and split the money after revealing they were both faithfuls.
Leanne squealed and thanked Jake “for not letting me down”.
Jake said: “I feel like my body feels like it’s going to collapse but I’m just so happy.”
The final roundtable was different from previous years in that players who were banished did not reveal whether or not they were a traitor or a faithful as they left.
That meant the remaining contestants had to rely solely on their instincts about whether or not there were any traitors left in the game.
A late twist this year saw Francesca become “the seer”, a power that enabled her to find out the true status of one other contestant.
Unfortunately for Charlotte, the last remaining traitor, Francesca chose her, and was able to find out her fellow player was not the faithful she had assumed.
The finale comes after a phenomenally successful series for the BBC, which has been watched by an audience of more than nine million, a figure which will rise as more viewers catch up.
That places this series above the previous two and makes The Traitors one of the biggest hits currently on British television.
As in previous years, several of this year’s contestants attracted devoted followings online as the series progressed, with Linda in particular being one of the breakout social media stars.
Her delightfully appalling acting prompted hundreds of gifs and memes on social platforms in recent weeks.
Other stars of the series have included the impressively cunning traitor Minah, the extremely polite Alexander, the intuitive Fozia, and, of course, converted traitor Charlotte and her fake Welsh accent.
The third season has had a notably different narrative arc to the previous two.
In the first season, three faithful contestants won after rooting out the last remaining traitor, Wilf, during the finale. In the second series, original traitor Harry made it to the final, and won.
The third season is different in that none of the original traitors selected in the first episode made it to the end.
The differing routes of each series suggest the show’s format has the potential to last for several more years, as each finale has kept viewers guessing and been hard to predict.
However, the contestants are becoming increasingly aware of the way the show is produced, speculating on the decisions being made behind the scenes.
For example, one of this year’s faithfuls, Elen, correctly speculated in an early episode that there would be more female traitors this year, following a male-heavy line-up last year.
As players become progressively more savvy, producers will have to keep making changes to make sure the show remains fresh and unpredictable, keeping players on their toes.
A celebrity version of The Traitors will air later this year, giving the format another new spin. It has not yet been confirmed who will take part.
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A UK ticket-holder has won Friday’s £83 million EuroMillions jackpot, National Lottery operator Allwyn said.
They matched all five main numbers and two lucky stars to take home the entire jackpot.
The winning numbers were 02, 11, 19, 30, 49. The winning lucky stars were 03 and 08.
If claimed, the ticket-holder will decide whether to go public once they receive the money.
Unless they announce the news, there will be no information on where the winner bought the ticket, or whether they entered the draw as an individual or part of a syndicate.
Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: “Amazing, what a fantastic night for a single UK ticket-holder who has scooped tonight’s £83 million EuroMillions jackpot.
“This lucky winner represents the first UK EuroMillions jackpot win of 2025, what a way to start the year.
“Players are urged to check their tickets and to give us a call if they think they are tonight’s lucky winner.”
Last month, a UK ticket-holder received £177m after winning the jackpot in November. That was the third biggest ever National Lottery pay-out.
Earlier, there was a major upset as world number one Luke Humphries was beaten 6-3 by home hero Jermaine Wattimena, ranked 35th.
After going 2-0 down, Dutchman Wattimena won five successive legs while throwing some sensational darts in averaging 98.86, more than seven points higher than Humphries – before holding his nerve and his throw to spark wild celebrations.
Wattimena will face world number four Rob Cross in the quarter-finals, after the Englishman beat Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the opening match of the night.
The partisan crowd in Den Bosch had plenty to enjoy with seven of the eight first round matches featuring Dutch players.
And they were also thrilled as Raymond van Barneveld rolled back the years to stun Chris Dobey in an 11-leg thriller.
The 57-year-old was visibly emotional after taking out a 144 checkout in the final leg to beat Dobey 6-5, after the Englishman had missed a match dart.
This was one of numerous exciting games on Friday evening, and followed top seed Stephen Bunting narrowly seeing off Dutch hope Gian van Veen in another 11-leg battle.
Bunting is ranked first at this tournament after winning the Bahrain Masters last weekend, but the Liverpudlian was forced to a deciding leg by van Veen.
He held his nerve in the final set to beat the world youth champion 6-5 and proceed to the last eight where he will face van Barneveld.
The home fans were also delighted by home favourite Kevin Doets cruising to a 6-1 win over world number 11 Nathan Aspinall.
Doets will next play second seed Gerwyn Price, who comfortably beat Danny Noppert 6-2.
Politics
Reform UK chairman explains party’s ‘historic breaking of the stranglehold’ after topping poll in shock development
Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf has hailed a “historic breaking of the stranglehold” of Britain’s two main political parties after his party topped a national poll for the first time.
Speaking on GB News, Yusuf said the British public had grown “sick and tired after 14 years of Tory disaster, of incompetence, duplicity and corruption”.
He criticised the Conservative government’s record on immigration, healthcare and infrastructure, claiming they had “built no infrastructure, no hospitals” whilst energy bills “went through the roof because of their crazy net zero policies”.
The Reform chairman accused Labour of taking “all of the appalling things the Tories did and pour[ing] gasoline on it”.
Zia Yusuf has heralded Reform UK’s success
GB NEWS
A Find Out Now poll published on Friday showed Reform UK leading with 26 per cent of voter support, ahead of the Conservatives on 23 per cent and Labour trailing in third place on 22 per cent.
The Liberal Democrats polled at 12 per cent, with the Greens on 10 per cent.
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Nigel FaragePAThe survey of 2,380 UK adults was conducted on January 22.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage celebrated the results on social media, writing: “Reform LEADS for the first time in a national opinion poll. This is just the beginning.”
The milestone comes after two consecutive polls had previously put Reform UK in joint first place.
Find Out Now said Reform UK’s surge was driven by “retaining almost all of their 2024 GE support” – far more than any other party.
Zia Yusuf joined Matt Goodwin on GB News
GB NEWS
The pollster noted the party had won over a fifth of 2024 Conservative voters.
Most significantly, Reform UK captured nearly half (46 per cent) of people who didn’t vote in 2024 but now say they would “definitely vote”.
“Although new Reform UK voters are twice as likely to come from the Conservatives than from Labour, their single-largest source of new supporters is people who didn’t vote in 2024,” Find Out Now added.
A separate Ipsos UK poll found confidence in the UK’s direction had fallen to near pre-election levels, with 62 per cent saying the country was heading in the wrong direction.
The survey revealed widespread dissatisfaction with political leaders, with 52 oer cent viewing Prime Minister Starmer unfavourably and 50 per cent holding negative views of Labour.
Farage emerged as the leader with “the most distinct brand”, according to Ipsos director Gideon Skinner, particularly in “understanding the problems facing Britain”.
However, the Reform UK leader faces his own challenges, with 51 per cent viewing him unfavourably – almost double the 26 per cent who view him positively.
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