Author: BBC

Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima has died at the age of 51 after a military aircraft he was flying in crashed in a forest in the north of the country.He had been vice-president for 10 years, initially under former President Peter Mutharika, who picked him from the business sector for the second most senior post in government.He was described as a “performer” and “workaholic” but he was perhaps defined by being at the centre of corruption allegations in government.First as an accuser, and then as an accused.Before Dr Chilima became vice-president in 2014, he was the managing director of the country’s…

The Conservatives have pledged almost £730m to expand NHS mental health treatment in England as part of moves to cut rising welfare costs if they win the general election.Funding talking therapies such as counselling services for an extra 500,000 people would help save the economy £12bn a year by ensuring more working age people currently claiming benefits have a job, the Conservatives said.Since the pandemic, the number of people inactive for health reasons has increased by 33% to 2.8 million, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Before the election prime minister Rishi Sunak made tackling what he saw…

Convicted sex offender Gary Glitter has been ordered to pay at least £508,000 to a victim he abused when she was 12 years old.A High Court judge ruled that Glitter – whose real name is Paul Gadd – subjected the claimant “to sexual abuse of the most serious kind”.The woman brought her claim after Glitter was convicted in 2015 of abusing her and two other young people between 1975 and 1980.The disgraced pop star was jailed for 16 years and released in February last year after serving half his sentence. He was returned to prison six weeks later after it…

A plane carrying Malawi’s vice-president may have crashed in a forest in the north of the country, a senior military official has said.Saulos Chilima and nine others were flying within the country on Monday morning when their aircraft disappeared from airport radars.The plane, a military aircraft, was flying in bad weather. Soldiers have been searching Chikangawa Forest in an effort to find the plane.In press briefing on Tuesday, Malawi Defence Force commander Paul Valentino Phiri said fog has reduced visibility in the forest, thus complicating search efforts.President Lazarus Chakwera has said the mission must continue until the plane is found.He…

1 day agoBy Robert Plummer, BBC NewsGetty ImagesHas President Milei kept his promise to cut government spending?When Javier Milei was campaigning last year to become the president of Argentina, he brandished a chainsaw to symbolise his determination to substantially cut public spending.Now six months into his right-wing presidency, how is his shock therapy for both the country’s government and economy working?“The changes our country needs are drastic,” Mr Milei said shortly after being elected. “There is no room for gradualism.”And he certainly took swift action. In his initial package of measures, he devalued Argentina’s currency, the peso, by 50%, slashed state subsidies…

4 hours agoBy Michael Buchanan and Katie Inman, BBC NewsBBCJoyce cares for her mother who has dementiaThe experiences of a group of residents in a supported living complex in Telford illustrate the challenges facing the NHS at the moment. Many report difficulties accessing GPs, while others face long waits for hospital treatment.The “knit and natter” mornings at the Lawley Bank Court supported living complex are noisy affairs. One resident tries to start a sing-song, belting out Ring of Fire, and though a couple of colourful blankets are on display, there is much more nattering than knitting.Conversations vary, but there is one topic…

18 hours agoBy Emma Saunders, Culture reporterBBCGiovanni Pernice has been a pro dancer on Strictly since 2015Giovanni Pernice will not return to Strictly Come Dancing for the next series.The BBC did not announce the star as part of its line-up of professional dancers for 2024, following reports that he would not compete.The Italian professional dancer, 33, has been on the BBC One celebrity dancing contest since 2015, winning it in 2021 with actress Rose Ayling-Ellis.The news comes weeks after he denied reports about his teaching methods on the show.Pernice had said he was surprised by allegations about his dance teaching methods, and…

Four US university tutors are in hospital after they were stabbed by an unknown assailant at a public park in China.The Iowa Cornell College instructors were injured in a “serious incident” during a daytime visit to the park in the northern province of Jilin, a college statement said.Iowa Representative Adam Zabner said his brother, David, was one of the four instructors injured in the incident, which he described as a stabbing.China’s foreign ministry says that none of the injured are in a life-threatening condition.Mr Zabner said the group had been visiting a local temple on Monday when they were attacked…

21 hours agoBy Huw Thomas, BBC Wales Business Correspondent • Steve Duffy, BBC NewsBBCJonathan Reynolds meets First Minister Vaughan Gething (left) at Port Talbot on MondayLabour has said there is a “better deal to do” with Tata on the future of its UK operations.On a visit to Port Talbot, where thousands of jobs are at risk, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds called on the steel giant to wait until after next month’s general election and hold new talks.Tata is proposing major restructuring plans at Port Talbot, including investing £1.25bn in greener technology, but thousands of jobs will disappear during the transition period.The company also said…

Labour has promised to create 100,000 extra dental appointments for children, in a bid to clear backlogs in England.The new appointments will be for urgent and emergency care and on evenings and weekends, according to Labour’s plan if they win the general election.Access to an NHS dentist has become increasingly difficult in many areas – with tooth decay the most common reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital.The Conservatives have their own “dental recovery plan”, which was launched earlier this year and offers dentists cash incentives to take on extra NHS patients.Labour’s plans, announced on Tuesday, also…