NewsBeat
Elephants can't pursue release because they are not people, court rules
A court has ruled that five elephants being held in a Colorado zoo do not have the legal right to pursue their release, because they are not human.
Politics
Southport attack: Labour MP blasts ‘damning failures’ of social services to stop Axel Rudakubana
Labour MP James Frith has issued a scathing critique of Britain’s social services, describing their failure to prevent the Southport attack as a “damning” indictment of the system.
Speaking during PMQs Live on GB News, Frith highlighted what he called “a failure of a joined up social services system that has repeatedly been warned and failed to act”.
The attack, carried out by Axel Rudakubana at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last summer, resulted in the deaths of three young girls.
Frith emphasised that while individual judgments should be measured, the systemic failures were clear.
James Frith has hit out at social services failings in the case of Axel Rudakubana
GB News / CPS
“Whether it’s an under-investment or a lack of scrutiny and oversight, a number of the social services have systemically failed to pick up this issue, and the worst has happened for these three girls and their families,” he said.
The Labour MP stressed that while knife access was a crucial issue, the broader failures of social services demanded urgent attention.
“It’s not complicit in the act, but is certainly unintentionally given permission for such acts to happen,” Frith added in what he termed a “damning statement on our social services”.
The Southport attacker had purchased the murder weapon from Amazon without significant barriers, when he was 17-years-old.
Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty to all 16 charges he faced in court on Monday CPS
Frith warned that the Southport attack highlighted broader concerns about evolving terrorism risks in Britain.
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“There’s a changing face of the risks of terrorism in this country, and the online hate, the radicalisation that is also being accessed by some of these loners and monsters,” he said during the GB News discussion.
The Labour MP called for a comprehensive review of existing protective measures.
He acknowledged the complexity of predicting such attacks, stating: “We shouldn’t cast too much judgment, given that you can never know for sure as somebody that is reported will go on and do such an appalling act.”
However, Frith insisted that both knife access restrictions and social service reforms needed urgent attention.
Frith told GB News there is a ‘changing face of the risks of terrorism in this country’
GB News
In response to the attack, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced stricter measures for online knife purchases, requiring two forms of identification.
The new requirements will mandate that buyers provide documents such as a passport or driving licence, along with a live video verification of their age.
Amazon has responded to the incident by launching an urgent investigation, stating they take their responsibility around age-restricted items “extremely seriously.”
The online retailer confirmed they use ID verification services to check personal details and require age verification upon delivery.
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An Uber driver who was left traumatised after a gun blast to his front window missed him by centimetres has warned of the dangers of driving in London and called for more support for cabbies on the capital’s roads.
Safdar Khan was making a drop off in Hendon, north west London when his passenger was ambushed by a gang with two gun shoots fired at his front and passenger side window.
Cornered in a dead end, Mr Khan managed to duck and speed off into the night despite glass shattering directly into his eyes in the surprise attack.
The 49-year-old told The Independent: “These guys were hiding in wait and popped out. It felt wrong my passenger told me to step on it. I had to try and turn on my car while they were getting closer.
“It was so scary. All of a sudden it was ‘bang, bang’ they were just five feet away.
“It could only have been from a shotgun. There were lots of pellets sprayed. The glass shattered all over me.”
Mr Khan’s customer, claiming to be from Birmingham, who had been talking to a friend through the window before the attack “stayed calm” and urged him not to call police.
When Mr Khan insisted the customer apologised for the shooting in the early hours of 13 November and thanked him for getting them away without being killed.
The Uber driver, who also moonlights as a security guard, called for more support from Uber who turned down his insurance claim for speaking therapy after a doctor diagnosed him with anxiety and depression following the attack.
He was back driving for the £115billion dollar company in just days.
The driver, who has worked for Uber since 2018, paid £300 out of his own pocket to fix the windscreen.
He added: “It is not safe to drive in London. My kids don’t go to sleep knowing that I’m out there working in the night- but I have to. I was completely shaken afterwards.
“I only got one call from Uber to say they are sorry and a specialist team would be in contact. They rang me and said they were sorry for whatever happened and all they said they would make sure in future this customer couldn’t pair up with me – but I can do that myself!”
He said his wife has given him no-go zones in London after the shooting forcing him to stay in central London but he is now struggling to make ends meet.
“We never know how many people are going to get in or what they look like”, he added.
“If they try to do some harm the only thing we can do is jump out and run away.
“If you are in the city or outside they can do whatever they want. You have to go out to make money so I have no choice. I have no confidence the areas are safe.”
After being contacted by The Independent an Uber spokesperson said they had been in touch with the driver and offered him a gesture of goodwill.
The spokesperson said:“Everyone at Uber was deeply shocked and concerned by this appalling incident. The safety of drivers is a top priority and we are continuing to investigate the matter, as are the police.
“We are in ongoing communication with Mr Khan via our Urgent Safety Response Team, and Uber has agreed to provide financial support to assist his recovery and wellbeing.”
A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed the shooting in Stratford Road car park on Wednesday, 13 November.
He said: “Two men, aged 18 and 20, alleged they were shot at by two suspects while speaking to another man in a parked vehicle. The suspects then fled the scene.
“Officers attended and provided care to the driver of the vehicle, a 49-year-old man, who was taken to hospital a short time later.
“His injuries were assessed as neither life-changing nor life-threatening.
“The vehicle was also damaged.
“The two men aged 18 and 20 were not injured.
“No arrests have been made at this stage of the investigation. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Warning: This story contains strong and offensive language.
Pressure is growing on police to investigate a far-right group exposed in an undercover BBC investigation.
Leading political and legal figures have said the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have a “duty” to look at evidence gathered by the BBC Wales Investigates team into Patriotic Alternative (PA).
An undercover reporter spent a year investigating PA and its members in Wales who were filmed saying the group should mimic political tactics used by the Nazis and migrants should be shot.
Now a former government adviser on terrorism law, an ex-police and crime commissioner and a leading politician are all urging police action.
Former North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick K.C, said it was “essential” police and the CPS follow up on the report.
“They have a duty to look at the evidence,” he said
“Some individuals say they are going to get arms and guns. That’s going to incite others to do the same and through inciting they themselves are committing a crime.”
PA leader Mark Collett said they were not extremist, do not promote violence and peacefully campaign for the rights of what he calls “indigenous British people”.
The group, considered to be the UK’s largest far-right group with about 500 members and thousands of followers online, says it exists to “raise awareness” of immigration and promote “family values”.
Lord Carlile, who acted as the UK’s Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation from 2001 to 2011, said the undercover report was “extremely concerning”.
“It seems that organisation should be the subject of a police enquiry and possibly a charging decision by the director of public prosecutions,” he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
“If the BBC reports are correct, there is at least the beginnings of evidence of incitement to commit crime, including violent crime against immigrants, and that is not acceptable in our society.”
PA has regional branches around the UK and encourage members – including former teachers and nurses – to hold protests, highlight immigration issues, film their activities and share clips online.
The BBC Wales Investigates reporter infiltrated the group in Wales, posing as a new recruit and filming its activities.
One PA member said he believed a race war was inevitable and the organisation should use a similar tactic to the Nazi party to gain power.
Former counter-extremism commissioner Dame Sara Khan believes the UK government should urgently change the law to ban such groups.
Lord Carlile, who also served as MP for Montgomeryshire for 14 years until 1997, added: “People are entitled to form political parties and express strong views.
“But they are not allowed to incite crime and the reports suggest Patriotic Alternative may have crossed the line.”
Sioned Williams, who sits on the Senedd’s equality and social justice committee, backed calls to ban the group.
“The law needs to be looked at to designate extreme right-wing groups like these as terrorist groups,” she said.
“They represent a threat to society and to a number of people from specific groups within our society.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.
A 25-year-old man has been arrested after a woman died in Luton on Monday.
Bedfordshire Police said the man from Luton was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
He currently remains in police custody where he is being questioned by officers.
Detectives from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime units are continuing to investigate.
In a statement, Bedfordshire Police said a 46-year-old woman was injured at a property in Turners Road North at around 11.45am. She was taken to hospital, where she later died.
A second woman in her 20s suffered serious injuries, which police say are not life-threatening.
Politics
Kim Leadbeater accused of ‘stitching-up’ Assisted Dying Bill committee over selection of expert witnesses in secret
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has been accused of “stitching-up” a House of Commons committee after attempting to select an expert witnesses in secret.
Leadbeater’s last-minute amendment was supported by committee members yesterday, meaning much of the session took place in private as it met for the first time.
The Spen Valley MP tabled the motion on Monday night to ensure that the committee sits in private.
Tory MP Danny Kruger, who opposes the bill, argued that there was “clear public interest” in decisions being made openly.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has claimed that most Britons want to allow assisted dying.PAHe said: “And if there are concerns about the witnesses, they should be aired publicly.”
Kruger added: “Of the getting on for 60 names that have been put to us, 38 of them are in favour of this Bill and in favour of the principle of assisted dying.”
However, Leadbeater argued that it would be “inappropriate to discuss named individuals” and their suitability as witnesses, and that, while transparency is important, “so is respecting individuals’ privacy”.
Tory MPs piled pressure on Leadbetter over the lack of transparency.
Protesters gather to support assisted dyingPAFormer Home Secretary James Cleverly said: ‘This is not reassuring me that getting good legislation is the priority for the proponents of the Bill.
“I’ve seen this before. People become so focused on getting the win, they lose sight of the importance of getting a balance of views.”
Romford MP Andrew Rosindell added: “I believed Kim Leadbetter when she assured us that sunlight would win the day and there was to be full public scrutiny of the Bill. I now know that wasn’t true.”
Leadbeater’s bill would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live legally allowed to end their lives.
Campaigners near Parliament Square against the proposed bill to legalise assisted dying,GETTYTwo doctors and a High Court judge must approve the request before.
The controversial session held yesterday sets out dates over the course of the next few months.
The committee will hear oral evidence from medical and legal professionals and line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill will begin in February.
MPs backed the second reading of Leadbeater’s proposal by 330 to 275 in November.
NewsBeat
Man who died after falling down London Waterloo escalator ‘may have been pushed’ as police hunt for witnesses
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Police are looking for witnesses after a man who died after falling down an escalator at Waterloo Station may have been pushed.
Ian Airlie, 48, was found dead at his home in Greenwich on Thursday, 10 October. He fell down the escalator at the tube station’s Jubilee Line at 17.05pm on Sunday, 15 September.
After Mr Airlie’s death his family told the Metropolitan Police he was reportedly been pushed. It is understood that Mr Airlie spoke to a number of people after the fall.
The force are now appealing for any witnesses or people who spoke to Mr Airlie to come forward.
Mr Airlie is believed to have spoken to security at the station after his fall and told them he had fallen into a woman described as of South Asian appearance, who also stumbled on the escalator.
He also spoke to a woman on the bus from North Greenwich underground station, who handed him a tissue as he was bleeding from above his left eye.
At the time, Mr Airlie was wearing a black t-shirt and light grey jogging bottoms. He wore a turquoise and grey Mountain Warehouse rucksack on his back and carried a medium, black suitcase.
A post-morning examination on Tuesday, 29 October was inconclusive and police await the result of further tests.
Detective Inspector Chris Rogers said: “Mr Airlie’s death is tragic, and his family continue to mourn the loss of a loving son, partner, brother and uncle.
“We are determined to piece together the events, and give Mr Airlie’s family the answers they are searching for. You can assist us by coming forward with any information. However small it may seem to you, this could be the key we need to unlock the investigation.”
The force asked that anyone with further information contact them via 101, or anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 1111, quoting 01/942310/24.
A cat has made three flights between New Zealand and Australia in just 24 hours after being forgotten on a plane.
Mittens, an eight-year-old Maine Coon, was booked to travel from Christchurch to Melbourne on 12 January – but her cage was left in the Air New Zealand aircraft’s cargo hold.
After waiting for three hours for Mittens at Melbourne airport, owner Margo Neas was told by ground staff the plane had already returned to New Zealand with her pet.
During that flight the heating was turned on to keep the cat comfortable, Ms Neas said. The pet – who had lost weight but was otherwise unharmed – was later flown again to Melbourne to reunite with her owner.
Speaking to NBC on Wednesday, Ms Neas said she and her son had been informed about the mishap by airport ground staff in Melbourne.
“They said: ‘Look, we have located your cat – but it’s actually on the return flight to Christchurch…’
“And I said: ‘When did you discover that the cat wasn’t taken off the plane?’ And they said: ‘We’ve only just discovered now.’ And I said: ‘How can this happen?’”
Ms Neas said she was told that the pilot had already been alerted to turn the heating on in the cargo hall where the temperature could be as low as 7C.
The incident is still being investigated, but reports say a stowed wheelchair may have obscured a baggage handler’s view of Mittens’s cage.
Air New Zealand has apologised for the distress caused, promising to reimburse all travel costs.
The company does not accept direct animal bookings from the public for international flights, so passengers must book via approved pet carrier firms.
Ms Neas said she had been relieved to be finally reunited with Mitten.
“She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time,” she was quoted as saying by the AP news agency on Wednesday. “It was just such a relief.”
Ms Neas, who had earlier decided to relocate to Australia, added: “It was not a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didn’t have the family, we weren’t complete.”
The one-way flight time between Christchurch and Melbourne usually takes less than four hours.
NewsBeat
Rachel Reeves risks economic ‘doom loop’ if spending cuts continue, ex-Bank of England chief economist warns | Politics News
Rachel Reeves risks entering an economic “doom loop” if she continues to cut spending, a former Bank of England chief economist has warned.
Andy Haldane, who was with the Bank for 32 years until 2021, said the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecast in March could lead to less investment and spending.
He told Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge: “It would be deeply counterproductive to both growth and to the fiscal position if that led to a cutting back on investment and indeed in spending more generally.
“Then I think you really are into a doomed loop between debt and growth. And that’s a situation to avoid at all costs.”
The OBR will publish an economic and fiscal forecast on 26 March, five months after its last forecast, which said the October budget was unlikely to increase economic growth over the next five years.
Mr Haldane, who became well-known for his speeches during COVID, said his concern depends on how much government spending is cut by the chancellor this spring.
“For me, I think some of the gloom and doom about both the economy and in bond markets is slightly overdone,” he added.
“I think once we get to the second half of the year, the underlying fiscal picture may look somewhat better as might be the underlying growth picture.
“So anything precipitating now, I think, is best avoided.”
The OBR gave a dismal outlook when Rachel Reeves announced her autumn budget. Pic: Reuters
The economist, who is now chief executive of the Royal Society for Arts think tank, added the chancellor should not panic because of market reaction to the budget deficit by cutting spending further.
“Definitely not panic,” he said.
“I think the journey we’ve been on, when the government first came in, if anything expectations were a bit too high.
“And I think we saw those expectations punctured pretty quickly.”
Read more:
Treasury Committee questions new Office for Value for Money
PM says Treasury will be ‘ruthless’ in cutting spending
He said he could see pessimism within business and financial markets based on the October budget “being walked back in the remainder of the year as some of the announcements the government has made start to come on stream and be felt, including the fiscal measures in the budget”.
Those fiscal measures are providing “a big boost to growth” this year, exemplified by the International Monetary Fund last week forecasting the UK performing relatively well on the European stage, he said.
The October budget saw taxes rise to the tune of £40bn. Pic: Reuters
Mr Haldane added he thought “there were mistakes in execution” of the autumn budget in October, “but even larger mistakes in the communication around that budget”.
He said: “Personally, I would not have loaded so much onto business at the budget but more importantly still, I would have found a way of communicating that budget in terms that could help businesses see that if not now, then tomorrow, this was a pro-business budget and that wasn’t done and that led to the further breakdown in business confidence.”
In the wide-ranging interview, Mr Haldane also said he thinks Donald Trump “taking an axe to regulation” and thinking “very differently” about how government functions means there is “a chance of real growth and supply side upside from which we will all learn better”.
You can watch the full interview at 7pm on Wednesday on Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge on Sky News.
Politics
John Healey issues warning to Vladimir Putin after Russian spy vessel spotted in British waters
Defence Secretary John Healey has issued a stark warning to Vladimir Putin after a Russian spy ship was detected operating near UK waters.
“We see you, we know what you are doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country,” Healey told MPs.
Healey revealed the Russians have been using the ship for “gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure”.
In November, the Yantar was detected “loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure”, prompting a decisive response from British forces.
John Healey spoke to MPs in the House of Commons earlier today
Parliament
“I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to the Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move,” the Defence Secretary said.
The submarine is believed to have been one of Britain’s Astute-class nuclear-powered attack boats.
Following the encounter, the Russian vessel departed UK waters and sailed towards the Mediterranean.
The Yantar has now returned to the North Sea, having entered the UK exclusive economic zone approximately 45 miles off the British coast on Monday.
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Royal Navy vessels HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne have been deployed to monitor the Russian ship’s movements.
The warships have been tracking the vessel’s every move through British waters for the past two days.
“The foreign ship Yantar is currently in the North Sea having passed through British waters,” Healey told MPs.
So far, the Defence Secretary noted that the Russian vessel has been complying with international rules of navigation.
So far, the Defence Secretary noted that the Russian vessel has been complying with international rules of navigation
PA
In response to the Yantar’s return, Healey has implemented new rules of engagement for Royal Navy vessels.
The Defence Secretary confirmed he had amended the protocols to allow British warships to better understand the movement of the Russian vessel.
“I changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar,” Healey told MPs.
He emphasised the vessel’s intelligence-gathering capabilities, saying: “Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.”
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Rachel Reeves plans for a “family farm tax” have suffered a major blow after the supermarket giant Tesco called on her to halt the policy.
In a highly unusual move, the retailer backed farmers in their fight against the inheritance tax raid, with its chief commercial officer warning the “UK’s future food security is at stake”.
In a double blow to the chancellor as she seeks to woo business investment to the UK at the World Economic Forum in Davos another huge supermarket, Lidl, also called on her to pause the policy.
Their calls mean Tesco, British agriculture’s biggest customer, and Lidl have now joined other major supermarket chains Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons in backing farmers.
Tesco’s chief commercial officer Ashwin Prasad said that ensuring farms remained economically sustainable was “essential” not just to food security but so customers “can continue to get the great quality food they want, at a price they can afford”.
The calls will increase pressure on Ms Reeves to U-turn on her controversial tax raid. The chancellor has faced a furious backlash to her Budget decision to extend inheritance tax to family farms, which critics warn could sound the death knell for family farms in England.
The changes mean that farms valued at £1m or more would be liable for 20 per cent inheritance tax.
The Treasury says that, with tax allowances, in reality only farms worth £3m would be affected, just 28 per cent of family farms. But official Defra figures appear to suggest as many as 66 per cent could be hit.
Thousands of farmers brought Westminster to a standstill in November when they descended on the capital to voice their opposition to the change.
Mr Prasad said: “One message is loud and clear: farmers desperately need more certainty. After years of policy change, it has been harder than ever for them to plan ahead or to invest in their farms.
“One current area of uncertainty is the proposed change to inheritance tax relief. With many smaller farms relying on APR (agricultural property relief) and BPR (business property relief) we fully understand their concerns.
“It’s why we’ll be supporting the NFU’s calls for a pause in the implementation of the policy, while a full consultation is carried out.”
Lidl said in a statement: “Providing security and long-term investment for British agriculture is key to helping ensure that farmers can continue to produce affordable and increasingly sustainable food for generations to come.
“We are concerned that the recent changes to the inheritance tax regime will impact farmer and grower confidence and hold back the investment needed to build a resilient, productive and sustainable British food system.
“We, therefore, support the call by the farming community to pause the implementation of those changes and to consult with industry to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. We will be raising our concerns with Government at any opportunity we get.”
On Friday, Asda also offered their public support for farmers by backing the NFU’s demand for a “pause” in implementing the changes. And earlier this month, Morrisons told farmers “we’re with you” in the fight.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed recently offered an apology for having “shocked” farmers with the Budget measures.
But he, and other cabinet minister, blame the tax raid on a £22billion ‘black hole’ in the public finances left by the previous Tory government.
Separately, a new report by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) casts doubt on how much money the raid will raise. The expected revenue, £500m a year by 2029, has been given a ‘high’ uncertainty rating by the spending watchdog. Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins MP said ministers “still can’t tell us how many businesses will be affected.
“They have chosen to destroy British family farming for little return. The OBR is clear that it will be near impossible for older farmers to restructure their affairs quickly in response to this vindictive tax.
“Farmers up and down the country are worried sick about their families’ futures and Labour’s tax bills.”
Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Tim Farron said the report “confirms that the government’s misguided family farm tax is mired in problems and will penalise British farmers for practically no benefit.
“It is deeply concerning that older farmers will be hit hardest from this tax, with the rug pulled from under them before they can change their plans. And with tax revenue expected to be highly uncertain and unstable for two decades, the Chancellor’s excuses simply don’t stack up. The government must do the right thing and scrap the family farm tax before it’s too late.”
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Southport attack: Labour MP blasts ‘damning failures’ of social services to stop Axel Rudakubana
Argo Blockchain CEO resigns due to financial struggles
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