Plus, the two unlikely stars in UK drill music
| Rail shake-up announced to boost train travel |
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| | | After “years of fragmentation, confusion and over-complication", says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, the biggest shake-up of UK’s railways since privatisation in the mid-1990s has been announced by the government. It plans to create Great British Railways - a new state-owned body – to boost train travel. It will set timetables and prices, sell tickets in England and manage rail infrastructure - replacing the current operator, Network Rail. The new system will be very much like Transport for London’s model, the government said. Lots of operators work under the TfL brand to provide services and meet passenger needs. The plan, contained in a White Paper, would "deliver a rail system the country can be proud of", Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. It has been welcomed by the rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said the proposals could deliver "the biggest changes in a generation". “Crucially, it needs to allow operators to put their customers at the absolute forefront of decision-making," director general Andy Bagnall said. If the plan is followed through and properly implemented, our business correspondent Dominic O’Connell says it should see an end to the squabbling over who is to blame when the trains are late, dirty or overcrowded. But the fear among railway executives is that the Treasury - having had to pay dearly to support services during the pandemic - will seek to claw back spending, leading to cuts in services, he adds. | |
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| Hamas official predicts ceasefire within days |
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| As international pressure mounts on Israel and Gaza militants to end hostilities, a senior Hamas official said he expects to reach a ceasefire "within a day or two" as attacks from both sides continue. "I think that the ongoing efforts regarding the ceasefire will succeed", Hamas political official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, told Lebanon's al-Mayadeen TV, adding the “ceasefire will be on the basis of mutual agreement". The Gaza fighting began after weeks of rising Israeli-Palestinian tension in occupied East Jerusalem that culminated in clashes at a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews. Hamas, which controls Gaza, began firing rockets after warning Israel to withdraw from the site, triggering retaliatory air strikes. US President Joe Biden held his fourth call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday saying he “expected a significant de-escalation”. Yesterday, Mr Netanyahu said he was "determined to carry on" until "calm and security are restored to Israeli citizens". | |
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| Compensation ruling due for PIP breast implant victims |
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| More than 2,500 women who were victims of the PIP breast implant scandal are expected to find out whether they should receive compensation. The case before a court in Paris, initially brought 10 years ago, involves 540 British women, who say they have suffered long-term health effects. One of the women, Jan Spivey, was given PIP implants after a mastectomy due to breast cancer. She developed sore and aching joints, chest and back pain, fatigue, severe headaches and anxiety. The implants had been leaking into her body. The German company TUV Rheinland, which awarded safety certificates for the faulty implants, is being sued for negligence. It disputes the liability but declined to comment. A French court is expected to make a decision later. | |
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| | | | | A cyber-crime spree wreaking havoc around the world has reignited calls for governments to ban ransom payments to hackers. Ransomware criminals are holding computer systems hostage on a daily basis, demanding large payments from victims to restore order. The CEO of Colonial Pipeline has admitted his company paid hackers nearly $4.5m (£3.2m) last week after their attack forced the firm to stop transporting fuel. But research from Bitcoin analysts Elliptic suggests this is just a drop in the ocean. Since last August, the hackers responsible, DarkSide, have made at least $90m in ransom payments from about 47 victims, Bitcoin records show. DarkSide is just one of at least a dozen prolific ransomware gangs making vast profits from holding companies, schools, governments and hospitals to ransom. They work anonymously so are hard to track down. And many operate in countries unwilling to arrest them. | |
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| | Joe Tidy | BBC Cyber reporter | |
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| | | | There are a variety of stories on the front pages this morning. The i headlines on “red list travel queue chaos", claiming passengers from red list and non-red list countries were next to each other in an airport terminal. The Mail has a story on a similar theme, reporting families should soon expect to receive a "knock on the door" from holiday “police” when they return from amber list countries. According to the paper, Home Secretary Priti Patel said enforcement was being stepped up to check people are obeying the 10-day quarantine rules. Meanwhile the Times says “hopes rise” for lockdown ending on 21 June. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is "increasingly optimistic" as early data had suggested the Indian variant was not spreading as fast as first thought. Read the front pages here. | |
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| | | US Republicans defy Trump to back Capitol riot probe |
| | | | NI Covid-19 vaccine booking opens for 25-29 group |
| | | | Coronavirus More variant hotspots to get surge tests and jabs |
| | | | Maternity Baby death raises questions over care |
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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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| Fresh pictures of the surface of Mars have been released by China from its Zhurong rover. China becomes only the second nation after the US to probe the terrain on the Red Planet – see what images the rover sent back. Rocks thought to be from… an area in the Lake District have been used to create artworks to show off views in Borrowdale Valley. The artist remains a mystery but look at the views their works have captured. | |
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