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| Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori arrive in UK |
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| | | After months of negotiations, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori are finally back in the UK, having been released from years of detention in Iran. The British-Iranian nationals who have always denied claims against them are said to be in good spirits after arriving at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire in the early hours from Iran's capital Tehran. They’ve been reunited with their families after what has been a "very emotional" time, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said, with the situation uncertain until the "last minute". Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, had been detained for almost six years, having been accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government while on holiday with her daughter Gabriella, now seven. Mr Ashoori, 67, meanwhile, was detained later than Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe in 2017 on spying charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Their release came after the UK settled a historic debt of almost £400m to Iran for tanks sold but not delivered, however both countries say this should not be linked to them being freed - here’s Ros Atkins on what led to this. But there is another man Morad Tahbaz with Iranian, UK and US nationality who has also been released but is not yet allowed to leave Iran. London-Tehran relations are better than they have been, says our diplomatic correspondent James Landale, and the UK paying the debt will have made a huge difference. Politics and diplomacy aside, Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, says he is looking forward to the "beginning of a new life", and is "deeply grateful" to have her back. Mr Ashoori’s daughter Elika says they are "beyond happy" and "over the moon". Both families were pictured together at the airport in a tweet by Ms Ashoori with the caption: "Happiness in one pic." Here's more on how is a UK debt to Iran connected to Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe? And why she's been freed now. | |
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| Biden sparks Kremlin fury over war criminal remark |
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| Russian President Vladimir Putin has been branded a "war criminal" by his US counterpart Joe Biden. The off-the-cuff remark to a reporter is the first time he’s used the phrase, which he and his administration have so far avoided. It’s sparked fury from Russia with the Kremlin saying Mr Biden's comments are "unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric". It’s likely to escalate tensions between the countries, and the comment came after Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded to the Congress for more military help - the US says it’s sending $1bn in weapons to Ukraine. One by one, diplomatic bridges between the United States and Russia are being set ablaze, says our North America reporter Anthony Zurcher. Meanwhile, Russian forces have dropped a bomb on a theatre where civilians were being sheltered in the besieged city of Mariupol, local officials say. The BBC has been told that between 1,000 and 1,200 people had sought refuge in the building, and it’s unclear how many casualties there are. At least one person has died after missile debris hit a residential apartment in the capital Kyiv, and people queuing for bread in the northern city of Chernihiv have reportedly been killed by Russian shelling. Ukraine claims that another Russian general has been killed during fighting. If confirmed, this would be the fourth general killed, leading some to ask why such senior members of the Russian military are so close to the front line. Our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, who says Mr Putin is fighting on all fronts, has more on the Russians grieving for fallen soldiers. Follow developments on our live page Our latest explainers: Explainer Will Russia be able to pay its debts? Round-up Civilian toll grows and Putin attacks 'traitors' Reminder What does Putin want? | |
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| 'Dangerous' tanning products |
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| It’s illegal in the UK to sell nasal sprays or injectables made with "melanotan-2", an artificial hormone that can accelerate tanning. Dermatologists say the unlicensed drug is dangerous and anyone using it in whatever form should stop immediately. There’s evidence untested products may be linked to skin cancer. Despite this dozens of social-media influencers are promoting banned tanning products to millions of followers, a BBC investigation has found. Read more here. | |
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| | | | | Our Friends in the North is regarded as one of the greatest British TV dramas ever made, and launched the careers of its cast including Christopher Eccleston and Daniel Craig. It has now been adapted for the radio and brought up to date with a new episode set in 2020. The original series was a landmark of British television, weaving together the fortunes of four friends from Newcastle over nine episodes set between 1964 and 1995. When the show aired in 1996, it made stars of Eccleston as idealistic Nicky, Gina McKee as pragmatic Mary, Mark Strong as upwardly mobile Tosker and Daniel Craig as downtrodden Geordie. "I hadn't looked at it for years and years and years," says its writer Peter Flannery. Much was inspired by real-life events, such as a 1970s bribery scandal involving local politicians in north-east England, a housing developer and a home secretary; and the 1990s Westminster cash for questions affair. Not much has changed, Flannery believes. | |
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| | Ian Youngs | Entertainment & arts reporter | |
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| | | | The release of British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from Iran and the war in Ukraine are the main stories on this morning’s front pages. The same picture of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe smiling on her way back to the UK appears in most of the papers, which note that her long-awaited release was granted after a debt of almost £400m was paid to Iran. She'll "learn to be happy again" the Times writes and her smile is one that says "she’s free", reports the i. However, it leads with Russia bombing a theatre in Ukraine that was being used as a shelter. The Financial Times focuses on peace talks saying that Moscow and Kyiv are exploring a neutrality plan. Read the newspaper review in full here. | |
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| | | UK Long-term plan to tackle racial disparity |
| | | | Travel Firms confident they can bounce back in 2022 |
| | | | Pogba Manchester United midfielder reveals burglary at his home |
| | | | US Actor Jussie Smollett released from jail pending appeal |
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| If you watch one thing today |
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| If you listen to one thing today |
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| If you read one thing today |
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| Need something different? |
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| Big Ben’s had a makeover. It’s taken years to complete, and you’ll probably notice something different about the clock face on Elizabeth Tower in Westminster - a new colour scheme. The blue and gold takes Big Ben back to its original design. We’ve got some time-lapse footage of the restoration project. Watch it here. We don’t have footage of the next one unfortunately, but the pictures still do it justice. An amateur photographer captured a murmuration with thousands of starlings in the shape of a whale. They’re said to perform aerial acrobatics like this to keep warm and confuse predators. Take a look at their display. And finally, to some other photographs of an award-winning kind. Pictures of bees, blooms and a stallion are some of the winners of the Sony World Photography Awards. We've got them here. | |
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| | | | 1984 The 130th Boat Race is postponed after the Cambridge vessel crashes with a barge and sinks during a warm up - watch our archive report. |
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| Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing bbcnewsdaily@bbc.co.uk. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | |
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