Shelling in eastern Ukraine has caused civilian casualties on both sides of the conflict. Three civilians were killed when Russia shelled a village in the Kherson region, while in the city of Donetsk, shelling by Ukrainian forces resulted in five deaths. Accusations continue to fly between the two sides as to where the strikes landed. The conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014 and, over the past few weeks, there have been concerns that both sides were building up forces for a possible escalation.
UK imaging project UK Biobank is working towards developing new ways to treat and prevent diseases such as dementia and cancer, using the data sets provided by scans of u 60,000 UK volunteers. The project, launched in 2006, offers the world's largest human imaging resource, with all participants undergoing medical checks, contributing lifestyle data and donating genetic samples for storage and hospital study. Researchers hope to develop more accurate biomarkers, which can predict the risk of diseases, as well as understand why some people are more resilient than others to different ailments and treatments.
England's water and sewage companies have apologised for their failure to address sewage spills. They have pledged an extra £10bn for upgrades, although campaigners are still waiting to see whether this investment leads to change. The Water UK industry body - which represents the country's nine water and sewage firms - has promised to triple sewer system upgrade funding, provide the public with information on sewage spills, and reduce spills by up to 35% by 2030. Campaigners are advising that the investment needs to come from company profits rather than customer bills. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales operate their own plans.
England's Bairstow expresses sympathy for Foakes after being dropped
Reuters
23-05-18 05:39
Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow has expressed sympathy for fellow wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who was left out of England's test squad for the Ashes warm-up against Ireland. Foakes was dropped to accommodate Bairstow, but established himself as first choice under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes during the team's streak of 10 victories in 12 tests, while Bairstow was injured. Former captain Michael Atherton supported the board's decision to pick Bairstow over Foakes, writing that he was more likely to help England win with his batting.
A Welsh mother was forced to break antifungal tablets into portions for her 10-month-old daughter. Catrin Edwards' daughter was diagnosed with a Strep A infection in December, but there were no liquid versions of the medication available. After hearing reports of children dying from the bacterial infection, the Caerdydd mother cut up the tablets and gave them to her via a syringe. Welsh pharmacists have called for the over-the-counter availability of certain antibiotics to stop over-reliance on doctors.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not heard from the Royal Family after accusing paparazzi of involvement in a "near-catastrophic" car chase, despite their concerns over safety. The couple were in New York after attending an awards ceremony with the Duchess's mother and received what their spokesperson called "relentless pursuit". A taxi driver who claimed he drove them part of the way said he was pursued in his vehicle by two suspected paparazzi cars but the allegations have since been downplayed.
Artificial intelligence (AI) poses challenges for the future of journalism, said US reporter Carl Bernstein. The veteran journalist warned of the risks posed by AI in an interview with the BBC. He also noted that determining truth is critical. News outlets are the "essential element in a community of being able to attain that," said Bernstein. There are serious concerns around potential job losses, privacy and the dissemination of false information posed by widespread AI usage.
A man who managed a limousine service has been found guilty of manslaughter after a 2018 accident in New York, which killed 20 people. Nauman Hussain, 33, failed to inspect the stretch-style 2001 Ford Excursion, according to prosecutors. It was the deadliest transport crash in the US since 2009. Hussain faces up to 15 years in prison. His conviction has been welcomed by relatives of some of the victims, though one father who lost his son said: "I take no joy in that.”
Rachel de Thame, a presenter for the BBC's long-running programme Gardeners' World, has advised people to "let your weeds grow freely", claiming that "killing weeds is old-fashioned." Her statement has been criticised on social media, with people arguing that Gardener's World exists to give expert advice on gardening. Last month, horticultural experts from the Royal Horticultural Society urged gardeners to "down tools" in May and June during peak breeding season for birds, providing space for creatures and plants to thrive.
England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow sympathised with Ben Foakes after his fellow keeper was left out of England’s Ashes warm-up squad. Bairstow had been dropped due an injury, allowing Foakes to make himself first choice keeper under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. Despite this, former England captain Michael Atherton supported the decision to pick Bairstow, arguing that his tendency to score runs meant he could be more likely to help the team win than lose.
Water UK, the trade body for utilities companies, has offered an apology for the dumping of large quantities of sewage in English and Welsh waterways and coastal waters, and confirmed a pledge to commit £10bn to cut sewage outflows. This amount will need to be approved by regulator Ofwat. Customers will pay through an increased charge on their bills. Singer Feargal Sharkey, who is leading a campaign against sewage pollution, condemned the plans. Around 20% of treated water is lost to leakages and just 16% of treated waters meet the minimum good ecological status standards. Yorkshire Water, South West Water and Thames Water chiefs declined bonus pay following recent public protests at cuts over sewage pollution.
India's Supreme Court has endorsed a 2017 law permitting Jallikattu, a bull-taming festival in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The event had been banned by a court in 2006 and then again by the Supreme Court in 2014 on the grounds of animal cruelty. However, in 2017, the state passed an amendment allowing the traditional activity to resume. The move was subsequently challenged by animal rights groups, led by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, which argued successfully in the Supreme Court. However, India's judiciary overruled these objections, affirming the cultural heritage of Jallikattu. The sport, held during the Tamil harvest festival of Pongal, involves bullfighters attempting to hold on to a bull's hump for around 15-20 metres or to achieve three jumps for a prize. Many people have been injured or killed during the contests.
TV documentaries are being overlooked by social media and columnists, despite British documentary-making being the envy of the world, according to Oliver Condy from The Guardian. Condy pointed out that the documentary categories were demoted to the “other awards handed out this evening” during last weekend’s TV Baftas. Condy believes it is harder for documentaries to stand out because of the crowded marketplace, copious amounts of choices, and because they are often harder to market. But he feels that viewers are in danger of missing out on the smaller-scale stories in which British TV excels. Condy noted that Netflix and other broadcasters have shaped the documentary format, with the end product resembling a drama more than something factual. He also observed that the other driving force behind documentaries at the moment is the celebrity and their proliferation is likely to crowd out the less grabby, but more nuanced content.
Ukrainian forces have made significant territorial gains against runners fighters north and south of Bakhmut in what Ukrainian commanders are calling the “first success of offensive operations during the operation for the defence of Bakhmut.” While Ukrainian troops liberated 7.7 square miles from the enemy in the north and south of the suburbs of Bakhmut, Wagner Group mercenaries continued to push through the eastern city itself, claiming much of the last Ukrainian foothold in its western suburbs. Reports circulated about whether Ukraine’s anticipated counteroffensive had begun, which were denied by Ukrainian and Western officials. Ukraine would suffer too many casualties if it launched prematurely, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the week, Zelenskyy was on a whirlwind tour of European capitals in which he garnered large new promises of weapons. France told Zelenskyy that it would provide dozens more capable of an AMX-10RC light tanks. Ukraine’s UK allies said it would supply Ukraine with long-range attack drones with a range of over 200 kilometres, as well as hundreds of additional air defence missiles. Germany also promised its biggest batch of weapons yet was priced at $3bn.
Recent antisemitic conspiracies perpetuated by former US President Donald Trump and Hungarian President Viktor Orban reveal the link between far-right nationalism and Israeli ethno-nationalism, says Ian Buruma in Project Syndicate. Although both leaders point to their support of Israel as proof of no antisemitism, their anti-immigration and xenophobic policies suggest otherwise. Moreover, members of Israel’s far-right government embrace similar rhetoric, with Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calling for the expulsion of Palestinian-Israeli citizens. The nation’s current leadership has led to divisions in the Jewish community, including criticism from pro-Zionist organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, who have condemned Jewish racism. Such a schism suggests Israel, initially established to be a homeland for Jews, is no longer inclusive of the group. In turn, this risks the growing gap between Israel and the wider Jewish diaspora as xenophobic policies become common in global political discourse.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were pursued by half a dozen blacked-out vehicles containing paparazzi after attending an awards ceremony in New York City. The royal couple were in a vehicle with Ms Markle's mother when the pursuit occurred. Authorities have stated that the vehicles involved were operated in a "reckless and irresponsible" fashion.
Police divers have begun searching the port of Barcelona and part of a river to the south-west of the city for ex-rugby player and Celebrity X Factor star Levi Davis. The 24-year-old was last seen at The Old Irish Pub in Barcelona on 29 October. Mr Davis appeared on ITV’s Celebrity X Factor in 2019 in the singing group known as Try Star, alongside fellow rugby stars Ben Foden and Thom Evans. He was also on E4’s Celebs Go Dating in 2020. Mr Davis had signed a record deal and had gone to stay with his friend Richard Squire in Ibiza to work on some songs. Speaking to the BBC in March, Mr Squire said he had dropped Mr Davis off in Ibiza Town on 28 October and not seen him since. The rugby player was due to call Mr Squire when he arrived in Barcelona, but never did. Concerns for Mr Davis’s welfare have been growing since he disappeared in Spain.
Paul Cattermole, former member of pop band S Club 7, died of natural causes, according to a coroner's report. The 46-year-old was found dead in his home in Dorset on 6 April, weeks after announcing he was rejoining the band for their UK tour to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Cattermole left the group in 2002 and moved into heavy metal. S Club a total of 11 UK top 10 singles and sold more than 10 million albums worldwide.
Journalist Graham Johnson claims Mirror Group Newspapers was an "organised crime group" that committed "systematic crimes" for over a decade. Johnson, editor-in-chief of Detectives UK and a former journalist for MGN’s Sunday People, gave evidence in the civil trial of the group for alleged hacking and adding to the ongoing phone-hacking scandal in the UK. Johnson was jailed for his role in hacking the phone of soap star John Anderson in 2006 and for perverting the course of justice in 2014. Another former detective, Steve Whittamore, confirmed allegations at the trial on Friday that reporters from Mirror papers paid him thousands of pounds over many years for private information obtained through illegal means, including hacking into voicemails. One of Johnson's allegations is that the group placed journalists outside celebrities' houses to keep track of comings and goings, which could mean that 17 people including Hugh Grant, are entitled to sue the group for breach of privacy.
The BBC has reported on a cult in Kenya that resulted in the deaths of at least 200 people. Followers of a “prosperity preacher” known as Paul Mackenzie allegedly starved to death in what they are said to have believed was an attempt to meet Jesus more quickly. The Good News International Church was founded by Mackenzie in 2003 and attracted the attention of the police through claims that school was unnecessary and that medical treatment should be shunned. The group disbanded in 2019, having moved followers to a forest on the south coast of Kenya, where at least 800 acres were reserved as a “new Holy Land”. Salema Masha organised her escape from the group, taking her five children with her. Survivors told the BBC that multiple others in surrounding areas were still being encouraged to refuse food and medical aid, resulting in their deaths.
