Much of Thwaites Glacier - Antarctica's largest - could be gone by 23rd century, experts warn

If the Thwaites Glacier melted entirely, experts said it would raise sea levels by 3.3 metres, enough to put Westminster, Battersea and Canary Wharf underwater.


By Dylan Donnelly,

 news reporter
Friday 20 September 
 Sky News

Experts now think much of the Thwaites Glacier could have melted by the 23rd century. Pic: PA

A massive ice sheet in Antarctica - equal to the size of Great Britain - could be all but lost by the 23rd century, experts warn.

The Thwaites Glacier is one of the largest and fastest-moving in the world. Along with the wider region - the Amundsen Sea Embayment - it accounts for 8% of the current rate of global sea level rise, at 4.6mm a year.

Experts from the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) now say ice loss at the glacier will accelerate through the 22nd century and could lead to a widespread collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in the 23rd.

If it all melted, experts said the glacier would raise sea levels by 3.3 metres, or close to 10 feet.

Modelling from Climate Central - an independent group of scientists - holds that such a rise in sea level would put large parts of central London, including Westminster, Battersea and Canary Wharf, underwater.

"Thwaites has been retreating for more than 80 years, accelerating considerably over the past 30 years, and our findings indicate it is set to retreat further and faster," British Antarctic Survey (BAS) marine geophysicist Dr Rob Larter said.

The expert, also of Science Co-ordination of the ITGC, added: "There is a consensus that Thwaites Glacier retreat will accelerate sometime within the next century.

More on Antarctica

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Applications open for Antarctica's penguin post office with one applicant using tattoos to show her enthusiasm

Bird flu found in king penguins for first time on islands near Antarctica


"However, there is also concern that additional processes revealed by recent studies, which are not yet well enough studied to be incorporated into large-scale models, could cause retreat to accelerate sooner."

Image:Pic: NASA

Thwaites Glacier rests on a bed far below sea level that slopes downwards towards the heart of West Antarctica, leaving it more vulnerable to rising sea temperatures.


It is roughly 120km across, making it the widest in the world, and in some places is more than 2,000 metres thick.

The researchers said they used underwater robots, new survey techniques, and new approaches to ice flow and fracture modelling to investigate the glacier.

While they acknowledge there is a lot unknown about the glacier's future, their results indicate the rate of ice loss from the retreating glacier will increase in response to climate and ocean changes.

The researchers added the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf - which currently covers around half of the 120km-wide front of the glacier - is likely to disintegrate in the coming decade.
Last year a group of scientists tasked by the UK Foreign Office to investigate "unprecedented" changes in Antarctica warned the disruption was not being taken seriously enough.

In March, scientists said they were designing a radical 62-mile long curtain to protect the glacier from being nibbled away by warm water beneath it, as it floats on the sea surface.

At least one stolen password found for everyone in the UK legal sector


Eve Tawfick, Editor
September 20, 2024

A new study of more than 5,000 law firms has found that cyber security threats are becoming an issue, with passwords to work devices hacked and stolen.

New research by Atlas Cloud reveals that almost three-quarters of UK law firms have at least one employee password leaked into publicly available sources.

The IT services company audited over 5,000 UK-headquartered law firms for cyber security competence, making it the industry’s largest study of its kind.

The study looked at breached passwords, phishing protection, email hijack protection and analysed the size of each firm’s attack profile. They also assessed alignment with the UK Government’s Cyber Essentials programme, which covers a range of defence mechanisms.

Of the 5,140 firms audited, 72.2 per cent had one or more instances of employee username and password combinations evident in lists circulating on the Dark Web. In total, auditors Atlas Cloud found just over one million (1,001,313) passwords relating to firms in the study.

This averages out at 195 password combinations per firm or or 1.27 per individual – meaning that for every one person working in the sector, there is at least one username and password combination available for criminals to purchase.

The news comes after a recent study revealed successful cyber-attacks against UK law firms rose 77 per cent in the past year.

Cybercriminals use username and password information to enter a firm’s IT systems, looking to gain access to valuable information or intercept a transaction. In conveyancing, for example, it is common that criminals attempt to redirect purchase transitions away from a firm’s holding account – often leaving the firm liable for any lost funds.


Pete Watson, CEO of Atlas Cloud, advises Partners and IT Directors:

“The sheer volume of password combinations available to criminals is a stark reminder of the threat that cyber poses to a firm. You can minimise this risk by applying multi-factor authentication on your systems, which adds an additional one-time authentication token, but criminals have been known to find ways around this too.

“It’s circumvented by tricking users to do something. That means the only true way to eliminate this threat is ensuring everyone representing your firm has a strong awareness of the tactics criminals are using today.”

The study found more cyber threats to be aware of. DMARC, a key protective factor that stops criminals from hijacking corporate domains has been implemented by less than half (46.2%) of firms. A hijacked domain would allow an unlawful actor to send emails that appear to come directly from the firm, opening up numerous opportunities for exploitation.

Watson elaborates on DMARC:


“DMARC is essential in this sector. While it’s essentially a policy that you just switch on, doing so could cause operational disruptions. Firms usually start with a simple analyser tool to eliminate any risk to billable time. Thankfully, most firms I speak with are either compliant or working towards it”.

Atlas Cloud’s study also categorised firms’ digital attack profile by size and cross referenced this with the size of the firm.

They described over half of firm’s attack profiles as “Large”, but found only 11 per cent of big firms (employing over 5,000) operated a Large profile and described the majority as “Low” or “Very Low”. A quarter of firms had “Medium” sized profiles, leaving the rest as Low or Very Low.

Watson comments:


“When it comes to cyber security, being a mile wide and an inch deep doesn’t do you any good. If the majority of big firms can operate a small attack profile, any firm can.”

The study also assessed alignment with a Government-backed scheme called Cyber Essentials. It found fewer than one in seven firms were certified as having achieved the nationally recognised minimum level of protective measures.

Researchers stressed this doesn’t necessarily mean six in seven firms don’t have these factors in place; however, Cyber Essentials is recommended as part of Lexcel accreditation and is required for all public sector case work.


Finally, the research also revealed the industry’s adoption of specialised phishing protection technologies. It found at least half (53.1%) of firms employ a solution to filter out emails suspected as impersonation, a tactic that standard ‘spam’ filters aren’t able to recognise. The research wasn’t able to validate for sure that the remaining 46.9 per cent of firms don’t employ such technologies but, given the volume that they were able to validate, the figure offers a warning to firms that don’t have a solution in place.

According to Official UK statistics, phishing is the number one cause of breach (Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2024) and has been for many years.

UK
Southport imam tells the Canary about the far-right riot and the real situation in the town

 by Ed Sykes
19 September 2024
in Analysis
THE CANARY

After far-right rioters targeted and damaged the Southport Mosque and Cultural Centre on 30 July, the Canary went to meet Ibrahim Hussein, the mosque’s imam.

He said the attacks created a lot of worry, but that there has been a lot of support from the community and elsewhere. He also insisted that the focus of people’s support should be on the people directly affected by the tragedy that had occurred the day before the riot.

Southport, the far-right attacks, and what helped to fuel them

Hussein stated that misinformation and fake news helped to fuel the riot. One source of misinformation, he stressed, is the government, with politicians “blaming immigrants or the immigration issue for everything” and making out that “they are responsible for all the problems that Britain faces”.

He added “that is terrible – this is not the truth at all”. But because some people “like this kind of talk”, politicians carry on with it. In terms of dealing with unrest and division, he said the biggest thing politicians can do is to apply laws.

The government provided some temporary security after the riot. But as he insisted:

We don’t really want a security. We want to come and go as ordinary people, you know? You leave your home and you go to work and you don’t need security.

In the coming months and years, he stressed, “I hope we can come closer and accept each other’s differences”, with a “live and let live” attitude. And he asked:

Why be an enemy? Life is too short. You do not need to create an enemy from somebody that you don’t even know anything about. These people who came here, they hate everything around them. And they even hate themselves, because they don’t respect themselves at all. They got drunk – they were happy to act as fools. It doesn’t matter who’s in front of them – whether it’s the police, whether it’s the local community, whether it’s Muslims. What is the point of living like this?
“You can fix a building, but when life is lost, you can’t fix that”

After the far-right attacks on the mosque, meanwhile, they got “people from all over the place, not even from this area, coming from far away and they were offering their help and support”. They also received “flowers and biscuits”, along with lots of cards and letters from people showing solidarity. He said:

If you read some of the words, it really brings tears to your eyes, because they’re so supportive: ‘We stand with you’; ‘we don’t agree with this rubbish that took place’; and ‘you’re not to blame, you are welcome’.

However, Hussein insisted that it isn’t the Muslim community that really needs support right now. Instead, it’s the families of the three young girls who were killed on 29 July and the people who experienced the tragedy first-hand. “To us Muslims, family is everything”, he said, so “I can’t really imagine how they felt – the parents or the people who were actually there”. He stressed:

It’s absolutely terrible. And we really feel more for them than we feel for ourselves. This is only a building. And if it’s damaged in any way, we can fix it. But when life is lost, you can’t fix that. You can’t bring them back.

He also mentioned how much the community came together in the wake of the horrific events in July. The grieving parents condemned violence, local people helped to repair the damage that rioters had caused, and people reached out to each other to see how they were doing. And it was in those moments that people confirmed what he already felt – that the community is full of really decent people.

Not enough support for people in the wake of the July murders

Speaking about the “absolutely dreadful and awful” murder on 29 July, Hussein said the people the tragedy affected directly “need a lot of support” but they’re not getting as much as they need. Despite what politicians and media outlets have said, some local people had told him “this support is not handy, it’s not in front of people”.

Local councillor Sean Halsall, who also participated in the conversation, added:

From the beginning of this, the ruling party, the Labour Party that I was a part of, have been told not to engage the media, not to speak to people. And because of that, I think there’s been a massive void there left behind where people should have been leading the community who weren’t. And then it’s fallen on other people who shouldn’t have had that burden.

I was happy to pick it up. I’m a councillor myself, not in that ward but the neighbouring ward. But just reaching out to the communities of people who feel threatened at that time and making sure you know you’ve got allies, at least. And at best, there should have been some sort of service set up here with counselling or whatever on site in Southport. There’s plenty of empty buildings, empty shops in town that could have been repurposed for a short period of time to offer a counselling service or any other service that people need.

“Live and let live” – from Southport to Palestine

In Southport itself, Hussein said all the neighbours are very polite to mosque-goers and will congratulate them during important religious festivals. And around the time of Ramadan, he pointed out, “we usually go around with a thank you card or box of chocolates and say thank you for your patience” because of parking inconveniences, even though people are very understanding and kind about it.

He also mentioned that there have been exchanges of visits with churches and synagogues locally, with people from other faiths visiting the mosque and vice versa. He summed up by saying “you believe what you want to believe. I believe what I want to believe. It doesn’t stop me from having a cup of coffee with you and a biscuit”.

For people who are not religious, the vigils and demonstrations against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza have served as a meeting point with local Muslims and others. As Halsall asserted:

It has been a good space for people to have conversations they might never have had before and get to know each other. And I think that, if there is any positive to come from the atrocities that are going on the Middle East, it is that bringing people together over politics and just disagreeing that genocide’s the right thing to do.

Hussein agreed. And regarding Palestine, he said:

My hopes are different from my expectations. Because all these politicians, they should know better. They know what is right and what is wrong. But it seems like it has served their purpose to support a rogue state like Israel.

Despite critiques of the genocide from within the halls of international law and the United Nations, he stressed, “the politicians seem to be looking to the other side and whistling as if they haven’t seen anything”. He also stressed that so-called ‘friends of Israel’ from political parties should, to be true friends, be honest with Israel about its actions. If you just express concerns in private, that’s not good enough, he insisted. Instead:

Justice has to be seen. People should see that justice is implemented in real life.

You can see and read Sean Halsall’s full interview with us in Southport here. And stay tuned for the final article from our visit to the town.

Featured image via the STV – screengrab

UK Government Should End Cruel ‘Two-Child Limit’ Now

Key First Step to Reforming Social Security

Kartik Raj
Senior Researcher,

 Western Europe

HRW

Click to expand Image
Children play in a park on a housing estate in Redcar, Teesside, May 17, 2023. © 2023 Joanne Coates/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The United Kingdom Labour Party is about to meet for its annual conference. Now that Labour is in government, with their leader Keir Starmer as prime minister, it should act to strengthen social security, and tackle poverty and inequality. The first concrete step should be immediately ending the cruel “two-child limit” policy.

The “two-child limit” is an arbitrary social security policy introduced by the Conservative government in 2017, in its austerity-motivated shake-up of social security. It cuts off child-related social security support to low-income households after the second child. Larger families are left with fewer resources as their need increases.

The latest official data show that 440,000 families are affected, losing out on £3,455 per child per year. The Labour government has so far refused to scrap the policy, citing fiscal constraints, despite mounting pressure. Evidence shows that the two-child rule is driving increasing child poverty; it is a needless, cruel rule that harms children and society, and should end now.

Repealing the two-child limit should also be the springboard for broader UK social security reform.

The “benefit cap,” established in 2013, is an arbitrary financial limit on the amount of total social security benefits a household can receive, designed to ostensibly reduce reliance on welfare and drive people into employment. It largely hasn’t worked. And absurdly, the benefit cap, affecting 123,000 households, is lower in real and nominal terms today than it was in 2013.

Current levels of social security support are inadequate to meet people’s right to a decent standard of living in the UK. The government should listen to the Guarantee Our Essentials campaign, set up an independent evaluation of the adequacy of social security payment levels, and pass legislation to ensure no one is left below this level.

To demonstrate it takes its human rights obligations seriously, the government should also go a step further and make key programs universal, rather than means-tested.

Labour has committed to a child poverty strategy, reviewing how the Universal Credit social security system works, and enacting a socioeconomic equality duty that was first agreed 14 years ago. These are positives, but do not obviate the need for broader social security policy reform aligned with human rights, starting with immediately ending the two-child limit.

PRO NUKE RAH RAH

US firm to open Yorkshire nuclear reactor factory

Holtec
Holtec Britain plans to manufacture Small Modular Reactors, like the one pictured above, at the new site


South Yorkshire has been chosen as the home for an American company's factory making nuclear reactors.

Holtec, the world's largest exporter of capital nuclear components, said it planned to build small modular reactors (SMRs) at the factory to serve the UK, European and Middle East markets.

It would represent a £1.5bn investment in the area, creating about 3,000 engineering jobs over the next 20 years, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority said.

Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire's mayor, said: "We're right at the cutting edge of the new nuclear, hydrogen and sustainable aviation sectors, and proud to be home to the largest clean tech sector in the UK."

“Holtec has chosen South Yorkshire as the home of its £1.5bn manufacturing facility because it recognises we are the new home of the emerging clean energy sector in this country," Mr Coppard said.

“I promised to deliver a clean energy transformation and this decision is just more evidence of the huge and increasingly rapid progress we’re making.”

The South Yorkshire site was chosen from 13 potential locations around the UK – with the mayor’s office stating it would “cement South Yorkshire as the natural home for emerging clean energy sectors”.

'High quality jobs'

Holtec Britain – a subsidiary of Holtec International - has been working at Sizewell B nuclear power station in Suffolk for more than 15 years and has been in the UK for nearly 30 years.

The firm said the SMR factory in South Yorkshire would see at least 70% of materials, components and work carried out in the UK.

It added that £50m would be invested into UK skills and training through its SMR Learning Academy.

Gareth Thomas, director of Holtec Britain, said he was impressed by the "history and pride" of the people the company met during a recent visit to South Yorkshire.

“Holtec has been part of the nuclear ecosystem in this country for many years and is absolutely committed to creating high quality local jobs, supply chain opportunities and partnerships that will help South Yorkshire and the UK grow and prosper," Mr Thomas said.

“Holtec’s SMR-300 is a PWR reactor enabling the factory to also produce large naval reactor components to not only support the country’s energy security, but also its national security."

Holtec currently employs more than 2,000 people globally and provides spent fuel storage and transport for 145 nuclear plants worldwide.

Rolls-Royce SMR also chose South Yorkshire as the home for its multimillion-pound facility earlier this year.

Here’s how we turbocharge new nuclear

With a new government committed to clean power, nuclear is essential. But to realise its promise, Britain needs to commit to the biggest new-build programme for generations.

By Tom Greatrex
NEW STATESMAN

TODAY

Image: Nuclear Industry Association

Labour has swept to power, taking almost all of the “nuclear seats” in Scotland and England in the process. All eyes are now on how Keir Starmer and his cabinet keep to their promise of ramping up nuclear alongside other clean energy technologies.

In Labour we have a party that is pro- nuclear. Its leadership, MPs and affiliated trade unions recognise that nuclear options provide essential clean, reliable, always-on power, and create good, long-term jobs in places that really need them.

The new Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, underlined to us his commitment to working with the sector in achieving the objectives set out by his party. He is clear that nuclear will play a key part in both the 2030 clean power objective and, more crucially, in the real decarbonisation we need to see for the years beyond that as we head towards net zero by 2050.

Labour’s nuclear promise is clearly stated in its manifesto: “We will ensure the long-term security of the sector, extending the lifetime of existing plants, and we will get Hinkley Point C over the line. New nuclear power stations, such as Sizewell C, and small modular reactors (SMRs), will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs.

“Ultimately, the long-term security of the sector rests on projects being actually delivered and not just spoken about. That means spades in the ground and power on the bars. Projects like Sizewell C, which needs to reach a final investment decision, plus a full fleet of SMRs, and a new large-scale station at Wylfa on Anglesey. Only new projects, properly financed and committed to, can give the supply chain the confidence that ours is a sector that can seriously help deliver the government’s goals.
But why nuclear and why now?

The UK still has the same weak, gas-dependent energy system that led us into the energy crisis three years ago. The government spent £56bn just to get us through one winter (2022-23). Already, people are looking nervously at the gas market and projecting bill increases in the autumn. If we do not make long-term investments, we will continue to pay enormous short-term costs from recurrent crises beyond our control, but which we know are coming.

Then there is growth, and we know that nuclear projects indisputably generate growth. The latest economic impact assessment of our industry found that the gross value added per full-time equivalent nuclear worker was more than £100,000. The sector contributes £4.5bn to the Exchequer, and the overall multiplier of economic activity is 2.6, so for every £1 spent in the industry, an additional £1.60 of economic activity is created.

With Hinkley Point C pumping £5.3bn of investment into the south-west, that means close to £8.5bn in extra growth has likely been created. Think how that can be multiplied all over the country by Sizewell C, Wylfa and SMRs. A new large-scale station at Wylfa, for example, would represent the single biggest investment in Welsh history, significantly more than any other project has brought to Wales.

Then you have the jobs. Hinkley Point C has created 23,000 jobs to date, with more than 1,300 apprentices trained and 8,000 people having received training from its welding, electrical and mechanical Centres of Excellence. Trainees come from all over the UK, including south Wales, the north- west and north-east of England. They do so because they know the opportunity is there for them to develop new skills taking part in one of the most important net zero projects in the country. When it is up and running, up to 1,000 full-time jobs would be sustained in operating the site for 60-80 years, maybe even longer. These are well-paid, skilled jobs in areas that need them the most. The opportunity is enormous, with the promise of huge investment, tens of thousands of new jobs and a revitalised supply chain, but we need to be bold. It starts with making the UK the best place to develop and deploy new reactors. To that end, we look forward to seeing how Great British Nuclear fits into Great British Energy. We have high hopes, buoyed by the Prime Minister’s promise to “speed up” the delivery of new nuclear, which he made at the launch of GB Energy.

Much has been said about Labour’s push for clean power by the end of this decade; an admirable and ambitious goal. But we will need clean power way beyond 2030 and 2050. The race doesn’t finish at net zero. It must be met and then sustained forever. Key to that endeavour is planning ahead and starting to build these long-term, clean-energy assets now and continuing that momentum. That is how we can create a prosperous future for Britain that is good for business, good for people and good for the planet.

UK

SHAMEFUL

Exclusive:

'Smoking gun' proves nuclear veterans' medical records were covered up by MoD

The Mirror has uncovered a secret order for MoD staff to remove medical records of troops used in Cold War radiation experiments, as campaigners call for an investigation into possible crimes

Evidence points to a cover-up at the highest levels of government, and there are calls for a public inquiry

By Susie Boniface

Reporter

19 Sep 2024

Orders to hide the medical records of British troops involved in Cold War radiation experiments came from the office of a junior defence minister, the Mirror can reveal.

A shocking new document reveals a “special directive” to dispose of health data from servicemen who took part in nuclear weapon trials in Australia and the Pacific.

Their health was monitored with radiation dose badges, blood tests, urine analysis and chest x-rays. But only the dose badges were ever made public. They were defective. Most showed nil radiation and were used to refuse war pensions. Earlier this year the Mirror reported some badges were falsified in the 1960s despite recording doses capable of causing cancer.

During the trials the Atomic Weapons Establishment collected biological data and kept a “special health register” on troops which has never been found. Afterwards it archived documents relating to the tests on a secret database, locking thousands away from view under legal exemptions relating to national security. That decision was reviewed and confirmed in 2014 and has been subject to a “rolling review” ever since.

In 2018, Parliament was told the MoD held “no information” about blood testing of troops. But in 2022 the Mirror uncovered a 1958 memo discussing the “gross irregularity” of blood tests on Sqn Ldr Terry Gledhill , who flew through the mushroom clouds.

Sqn Ldr Terry Gledhill was 'sniff boss', and was first into the mushroom clouds before ordering his men to follow 

(Image: Jane O'Connor)

Gledhill believed assurances from his superiors that the missions were safe - but later suffered decades of mystery illness

(Image: BNPS)


Keir Starmer urged to deliver on promise of justice for victims of British nuclear tests

As a result, Parliament was forced to declassify and publish 4,000 pages hidden at the AWE. They showed orders were given, and followed, for thousands of troops to be sampled over more than a decade. They were supposed to be duplicated for servicemen’s medical records and presented no risk to national security whatsoever.

Freedom of Information requests show that AWE officials accessed the database 283 times after we revealed the Nuked Blood Scandal – an average of once every three days. Through it all, Tory ministers told the public it contained no useful medical information.

When the files were published in May, the Tory minister who reviewed them told Parliament they did “not contain any medical records for any former service personnel”. Yet the Mirror found blood and urine test results, discussions about the health of veterans, and completed medical forms, in the files. The AWE has been unable to say if they were ever provided to the troops involved.

Today, veterans report huge gaps in their medical records while next of kin are routinely denied access. Their families have a legacy of cancers, miscarriages and birth defects in their children and grandchildren.

Campaigners are calling on the Prime Minister, who met them and backed their campaign in 2021, to order an inquiry

PM told to deliver justice for nuke vets

MPs tell veterans they were in cover-up

A MoD source confirmed to the Mirror that lawyers acting for the government during court battles with veterans were not aware of the Terry Gledhill memo, which referenced the orders for the blood testing programme. Had they known, they would have been duty-bound to share it with a judge.

In 1995 veterans told the European Court of Human Rights their medical records were hidden behind claims of national security. Government lawyers denied it and Strasbourg ruled the claim “speculative”. The AWE has now confirmed the only evidence it gave to the ECHR about blood tests included a letter claiming it was not necessary.

The Care Act 2014 makes it illegal to withhold, falsify or destroy medical records. It would be unlawful for someone to misapply a national security exemption of the Public Records Act to hide information that would otherwise be published.

Anyone who performs a public function unlawfully while knowing or expecting it to cause harm, risks prosecution for misconduct in public office. It carries a maximum life sentence. Failing to disclose material evidence to a court can also mean legal action can be restarted - with any payouts multiplied as a result.

Blood tests would be definitive proof of radiation injury, guaranteeing compensation to those affected. They would also be vital to plans for Britain surviving a nuclear attack or accident.

A MoD spokesman praised the veterans for contributing to national security. He added: “Ministers are looking hard at the issue, including the question of records. They will continue to engage with individuals and families. As part of this, the Minister for Veterans, Alistair Carns, has already met with Parliamentarians and a nuclear test campaign group to discuss their plans further.”

Timeline of a scandal

1952 First orders for blood tests

1959 ‘Special directive’ to remove medical records

1960s Radiation doses falsified

1985 Death data from first medical study suppressed

1995 MoD denies national security used to hide records

2013 Supreme Court rules against veterans without seeing blood tests

2014 High Court rules out war pensions without evidence of blood tests

2018 MoD claims to hold “no information” about blood tests

2022 Terry Gledhill tests uncov-ered. PM agrees it may be a crime

2023 Veterans report medical records missing. AWE says it has “no evidence” of blood testing

2024 AWE publishes 4,000 pages of evidence. MoD admits government lawyers unaware.

UK

Painting of naked woman sparks police gallery visit

IT'S 2024 NOT 1984

Nicola Goodwin
BBC Midlands Investigations team

BBC
Poppy Baynham said the controversy was improving her profile as an artist

A gallery owner has said she will reject calls by police to remove a painting of a naked woman from the window.

Val Harris said officers visited The Chair gallery in Hay-on-Wye on Thursday and warned that its presence could be a public order offence and she could ultimately end up in court.

The BBC understands they were acting on complaints from two members of the public.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed officers attended the gallery but said it was too early to say if action would be taken.

The painting, by artist Poppy Baynam was part of a wider exhibition of work by her and her sister.

It features a naked woman wearing cowboy boots with her legs spread, revealing a black triangle with pink wool on top, rather than genitals.

However, that has not stopped a number of complaints, with some people branding it "pornography".

The painting sits in the window of The Chair gallery, with a notice inviting people to leave their comments in a book


Ms Harris said she chose the painting for the window, partly because of its proportions.

Soon after it went on display on Monday, she said she was called back to the gallery after reports of abuse from some members of public.

On Thursday she said police told her to remove it from the window and place it further inside the gallery.

Some of the most famous artworks in the world feature naked women or men, and Ms Baynham said better-known artists were allowed to display similar works without the same backlash.

"I just came to Hay thinking it would be a peaceful week but, no, we've stirred Hay up for sure!" she said.

"It just shows how closed-minded people are, and let's say if I was a famous artist I don't think anyone would say anything."

Hay-on-Wye, on the Powys-Herefordshire border, is best known for its bookshops and literary festival that attracts some of the biggest names in the cultural arena.

In a statement, Hay Town Council said it had not received any complaints about the painting and that no action was being planned or discussed.

Ms Harris said a sign next to the painting urged passers-by to come in and share their views in a visitor book.


Val Harris said she would stand by the young artist

She said the response had so far been "50:50", with as many people supportive of the painting's position as those angered by it.

Speaking to the BBC outside, while some people described it as inappropriate or "lewd", many others, including those with young children, were relaxed about its presence.

Jessie Dixon from Hay said she did not see it as being offensive, adding: "I thought of it as exciting and playful and I never thought of it as sexual object or anything like that."

She also said she was upset that people had gone to the police with their concerns.

Another woman, Dawn Lewis, said: "It's not my cup of tea but I can't see it being offensive personally, it's art."


'Not very Hay'


Ms Baynham, has welcomed the wider response.

"That's all an artist ever dreams of... their name getting out there and being heard and their work being seen," she said.

She studies at an art college in London and said the collection, and the comments it had generated, would form the basis of her final year dissertation.

But she said that while her mother had been supportive, she had warned her "it's not very Hay-on-Wye".

The painting itself is still for sale and Ms Baynham said she would listen to offers.

UK

Private cabbies 'losing business' to bus service


Westlink covers for axed bus routes

Private taxi drivers at a railway station claim they are being undercut by a cheap bus service.

Westlink is a subsidised service set up by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) to cover for axed bus routes.

It normally runs a shuttlebus service at Parkway in Bristol, but in the last couple of weeks has been using cars to run the service instead.

Taxi drivers say it means people are walking past the taxi rank, and taking the Westlink car for £2 per ticket price.


Vaughan Hinsley, private cab driver, told BBC Radio Bristol he is losing business.

"It's very galling that they're parking in the car park," he said.

"We've got ex-customers walking past our taxis where we're providing a service - You've got to bear in mind this is taxpayers' money.

"It must cost at least £20 an hour to keep these vehicles on the road. It costs £2.40 just to sit in my taxi."

'A temporary measure'


WECA said the taxis were a temporary measure while WestLink got a new fleet of smaller minibuses approved.

A WECA spokesperson said: "Because of a short delay in getting the new vehicles approved by South Gloucestershire Council and from the Traffic Commission’s Office for them to use bus stops, there were a number of temporary taxi saloons that couldn’t use the bus stops.

"This may have led some taxi drivers to believe that they were operating like taxis, but going forward it will operate in the same way that Westlink has since last year, just with smaller minibuses."

From Brazil to India to Europe, free public transport is gaining momentum

WAIT, WHAT?!

Nigel Farage faces questions over claim he was warned against meeting constituents

There is no record of this advice having been given to the MP by either the Speaker's Office or Parliament's security team and neither have any recollection of such a conversation

Nigel Farage made the claim on LBC Radio 

By  Mikey Smith

Deputy Political Editor

THE MIRROR

 19 Sep 2024

Nigel Farage faces questions over his claim that he was warned not to hold constituency surgeries for his own safety. Sources said the Reform UK leader was not told to shun in-person meetings in his Clacton seat - as he claimed - because this would interfere with his democratic duties.

Asked whether he'd be holding physical surgeries in his Clacton seat, the Reform UK leader told LBC Radio: "not yet", but that he would "when Parliament allows me". On whether he had been advised for his own security not to hold surgeries, he replied: "I would have thought that would make sense, wouldn't you?"

He said the guidance had been given by "the Speaker's (Sir Lindsay Hoyle's) Office, and beneath the Speaker's Office there is a security team who give advice and say you should do some things and not do others.

"So we're not in a fit state to do the old-style surgeries, but do you know what, if you've got something to say to me as a Clacton resident, Zoom is not the end of the world," Mr Farage add

There is no record of this advice having been given to the MP by either the Speaker's Office or Parliament's security team and neither have any recollection of such a conversation, the PA news agency understands.

Mr Farage had suggested that he was at risk of being killed when pressed on his activity in his constituency.

"Do I have an office in Clacton? Yes. Am I allowing the public to flow through the door with their knives in their pockets? No, no I'm not," he said. Asked why would the people of Clacton want to flow through the door with knives in their pockets, he said: "Well they did in Southend. They murdered David Amess, and he was a far less controversial figure than me."

Conservative politician Sir David was fatally stabbed during a surgery in his Southend constituency in 2021 by an Islamic State-supporting terrorist.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay said: 

"As a constituency MP in Chorley, I hold regular surgeries myself with constituents - and whenever a Member asks for my advice on this matter, I always say that if you are going to hold constituency surgeries, make sure you take advice from the Parliamentary Security Department - and do so safely." A House of Commons spokesperson said: "The ability for MPs to perform their Parliamentary duties safely, both on and off the estate, is fundamental to our democracy. The Parliamentary Security Department (PSD), working closely with the police, offer all MPs a range of security measures for those with offices or surgeries in their constituencies - helping to ensure a safe working environment. We do not comment on individual MPs' security arrangements or advice because we would not wish to compromise the safety of MPs, Parliamentary staff or members of the public, but these are kept under continuous review."

UK

Domestic abuse experts to be embedded in 999 control rooms

Almost 100 domestic abuse-related offences were recorded by the police every hour on average last year

Judith Burns
BBC News Home Affairs

West Midlands Police/PA
Raneem Oudeh (l) called 999 multiple times on the night she and her mother Khaola Saleem (r) were murdered by Raneem's ex-husband

Domestic abuse specialists will be embedded in 999 control rooms in England and Wales as part of the government's pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

The measure is part of "Raneem's Law" in memory of Raneem Oudeh, 22, and her mother Khaola Saleem who were murdered by Ms Oudeh's estranged husband in 2018.

The government also announced a new domestic abuse protection order pilot that will order more abusers to stay away from victims and impose tougher sanctions if they fail to do so.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said victims "need to know the police will be there for them" and if they come forward, any report "will be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves".

"Failure to understand the seriousness of domestic abuse costs lives and far too many have already been lost," Ms Cooper said.

The aim is for specialists with expertise in domestic abuse to be on hand in control rooms to ensure victims get a fast response from officers on the ground and are quickly referred to support services.

The scheme will be piloted in select police forces from early next year. Details on which forces are taking part in the pilot have not yet been announced.

Ms Cooper described the new measures as "vital" and "a personal priority for me".

She told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg in January about her plans for the measures, which Labour also proposed in February.


Almost 100 domestic abuse-related offences were recorded by police every hour on average last year, the government said.

On the night Ms Oudeh and her mother were killed, she rang 999 multiple times, but officers failed to reach the two women in time.

In total, 13 reports were made to the police about concerns for her safety - but no arrests were made until it was too late.

An inquest found police errors "materially contributed" to their deaths. West Midlands Police has since apologised to the family.

Nour Norris, Ms Oudeh's aunt and Mrs Saleem's sister, said having domestic abuse specialists in control rooms would "save lives by making sure no warning signs are ignored, unlike in Raneem's story".

"Their suffering and the way the system failed them is something I will never forget," Ms Norris said. "What started as a quest for justice for my family became a mission to improve outcomes for all domestic abuse victims everywhere."

Ms Oudeh's estranged husband, Janbaz Tarin, was jailed for a minimum of 32 years in December 2018, after admitting to the murders.

In another effort to protect women and girls, the government also announced a new domestic abuse protection order pilot that will start in November.

Police already have the power to legally order abusers not to contact or go within a certain distance of victims for up to 28 days.

The pilot will introduce no maximum time limit for orders, impose electronic tagging of offenders and require perpetrators to notify police of any change in name or address.

The new orders will cover all forms of domestic abuse, including violence, stalking and controlling behaviour.

Breaching an order will be a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison.

Victims and other third parties such as charities will also be able to apply directly for an order, rather than having to rely on police and criminal courts.

The new domestic abuse protection orders will be piloted by officers in Greater Manchester Police, the Metropolitan Police (South London Borough Command Unit) and British Transport Police.

Refuge, the charity which supports survivors of domestic violence, welcomed the changes but called for "far more detail on how these plans will be implemented and how staff will be safely recruited, vetted and most importantly trained".

Refuge's interim chief executive Abigail Ampofo warned that police rarely act on breaches of existing protection orders, making them often "worth little more than the paper they are written on".

"We need a real sea change in internal policing culture and the police forces' response to domestic abuse overall," said Ms Ampofo.

Domestic abuse victims must be heard on first 999 call, campaigner says

The aunt of Raneem Oudeh, who was killed by her ex-partner, says her niece was ‘not heard until she lost her life’.

Campaigner Nour Norris during a visit to Kent Police’s Coldharbour Police Complex in Aylesford, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

PA Wire
Helen Corbett

Domestic violence victims need to be heard the first time they call 999, a campaigner whose niece was killed by her ex-partner after calling the police multiple times has said.

Nour Norris, whose niece Raneem Oudeh, 22, and sister Khaola Saleem, 49, were murdered by Ms Oudeh’s ex-partner in 2018, said that those calling the police for help “need to be given the opportunity to be saved”.

The Home Office has said some police forces will start embedding domestic abuse specialists in their 999 control rooms early next year as part of “Raneem’s Law” to transform the way the police handle cases of violence against women and girls.

The Government will fund the pilot in targeted police forces from early 2025, but did not say how many forces would be involved in the initial rollout.

An inquest found mistakes made by West Midlands Police had “materially contributed” to Ms Oudeh and Ms Saleem’s deaths.

On the night they were killed, Ms Oudeh had called West Midlands Police four times to register concerns for her safety, and the force had previously responded to 10 domestic abuse incidents linked to the case.

Five officers were disciplined over the failures.

Nour Norris, the sister and aunt of Khaola Saleem and Raneem Oudeh, who were killed by Ms Oudeh’s ex-partner (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Ms Norris said her sister and niece “tried their best to be here today” but “the system failed”.

She said: “No-one should really have to suffer what Raneem suffered.

“Trying to explain herself, trying to put an administration order in place for herself … trying to do whatever it takes to be heard, and she was still not heard until she lost her life.

“My sister lost her life because she was doing the job of the police – doing the sacrificing for mother and daughter.”

My sister lost her life because she was doing the job of the police - doing the sacrificing for mother and daughter.

Ms Norris joined Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips to meet 999 control handlers during a visit to Kent Police’s Coldharbour Police Complex in Aylesford, Kent, on Thursday.

Police showed them an emergency response video call – known as rapid video response – which officers are using as part of efforts to ensure that victims get a fast response and are referred to support services as quickly as possible.

In that example, police said the woman who called had said the alleged perpetrator was not home so it was deemed safe to respond with a video call rather than a home visit.

Raneem’s Law will be brought into effect through national guidance that police will be required to follow.

“The first instance when someone calls 999 – this is the first time where you really need to give them the right safeguarding. They need to be heard,” Ms Norris said.

“They need to be given the opportunity to be saved.

“And 999 call handlers, with specialists, they’ll be able to offer that.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (front left), safeguarding minister Jess Phillips (back right) and counsellor and campaigner Nour Norris (back left) meet 999 control handlers during a visit to Kent Police’s Coldharbour Police Complex in Aylesford, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Ms Cooper said: “What we’ve seen is if there is proper domestic abuse expertise, it means that you can get the right response to the calls that come in and proper understanding of the seriousness of domestic abuse as a crime and how lives are at risk.

“In the most serious cases, as we saw in the awful case where Raneem and her mother Khaola lost their lives because the police didn’t respond to a 999 call.

“We cannot let that happen, and that’s why we want to make sure that we’ve got that expertise that we need in 999 control rooms across the country.”

It comes as the Metropolitan Police confirmed on Wednesday that four officers are under investigation for misconduct after two women were murdered by a man they had complained about to the force.

Carl Cooper, 66, was jailed for life in July for the murders of Naomi Hunte, 41, who was stabbed in the chest, and Fiona Holm, 48, whose body has never been found.

Both women had been in a relationship with handyman Cooper around a year apart and had complained to police about his violence.

A domestic abuse protection order pilot is to be launched in November that will place tougher sanctions on domestic abusers if they fail to stay away from their victims.

Perpetrators will be legally required to inform the police of any name or address changes under the new orders.

The orders will also allow electronic tagging to be imposed and assessments for behaviour change programmes to be ordered.

Whilst we broadly support the raft of measures announced by the Home Office, including specialists in 999 control rooms, we need to see far more detail on how these plans will be implemented and how staff will be safely recruited, vetted and most importantly trained for this pilot scheme due to be implemented in early 2025

Abigail Ampofo, Refuge

There will also be no maximum duration for these orders, unlike current powers police have to order abusers to not make contact with or go within a certain distance of their victim, which expire after 28 days.

Breaching one of these new orders will be a criminal offence, punishable by up to five years in prison.

They can be applied for all forms of domestic abuse, including violence, stalking and controlling behaviour.

Family and civil courts as well as local authorities, charities and social services will be able to apply the orders – rather than only police and criminal courts.

Abigail Ampofo, interim chief executive of Refuge, said: “Whilst we broadly support the raft of measures announced by the Home Office, including specialists in 999 control rooms, we need to see far more detail on how these plans will be implemented and how staff will be safely recruited, vetted and most importantly trained for this pilot scheme due to be implemented in early 2025.”

Ms Ampofo said Refuge had been waiting “with bated breath” for the rollout of domestic abuse protection orders first announced by the previous government and is pleased the pilot is getting up and running.

She added: “However, we know there are a myriad of issues when it comes to police using their powers to protect survivors and hold perpetrators to account, so often survivors tell us that the police don’t act on breaches of these orders, and they are often worth ‘little more than the paper they are written on’.”

Almost 100 domestic abuse-related offences were recorded by the police every hour on average last year, the Home Office said.