Summary: The UK faces a record high backlog of 175,000 asylum applications , sparking concerns about the government's response. The migrant crisis intensifies as individuals exploit the system, and the cost of addressing the issue reaches £3.97 billion. Debates arise over the allocation of foreign aid funds for domestic crises like the migrant situation. Charities' ethics are scrutinized as allegations of inappropriate financial transactions and questionable behavior emerge. Amid ideological clashes, the focus remains on finding ethical solution...

Ofgem energy price cap falls - but average household bills still expected to rise The energy watchdog has reduced the energy price cap to £3,280 effective from 1 April. It's currently £4,270. Despite this, bills are still expected to rise by 20% because the Government's energy price guarantee, which caps House or bills at £2,500 annually, will rise to £3,000. The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is facing calls from opposition parties to keep the support at the current level in his spring budget next month. Let's get more on that, should we? And Goprit is here with us. So the ceiling's come down, but our bills are still going to go up. Yeah, it's a bit complicated. But when you add up all the numbers, actually the result is that households and businesses are worse off as a result of it. So this should be good news. Of jam set, something called the energy price cap. It li...

Martin Lewis: Energy Price Guarantee rise would be 'act of national harm' If the price rises in April, it's not firms, it's not regulators, it is the government putting people's prices up. Well, I wrote to the Chancellor three weeks ago, asking him to not increase the rise, the energy price guarantee in April by 20% as planned, for all the reasons that have just been outlined there. And most importantly, what you have to understand is if we do increase it, it would result in an act of national mental health harm. People have been battered by successive rises in energy bills, 14% rises in broadband, 7% in water, 5% in council tax. And for the sake of just three months, and you heard the explanation of why it's just three months there, to send millions of people another letter is bad for people's finances. It's bad for people's state of mental health....

China's deputy UN ambassador calls for Russia to end Ukraine war One ear into the Ukraine crisis. The conflict is still grinding on and growing in scale, wreaking havoc to countless lives. Its bill over effect is intensifying. We are deeply worried about this. China's position on the Ukraine crisis issue is consistent and clear. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed. The legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously. All efforts conducive to peaceful resolution of the crisis should be supported. Under the current situation, I wish to share the following four points. First, the top priority is to facilitate ceasefire and succession of hostilities without delay. Conflicts and wars have no winners. The longer the brutality, the greater the human s...

Summary: Just Stop Oil protesters' disruptive tactics have drawn media attention to the climate crisis. Zoe Cohen argues that material disruption is necessary to bring attention to the government's inaction on climate change. Anne Rupert Reid advocates for positive, community-driven action to address climate concerns. Both sides emphasize the severity of the climate crisis and the need for urgent action. Pitch invasion, slow walks in front of traffic, and a lot of oran...

Summary: The Bibby Stockholm barge is restocked with food supplies in anticipation of potential migrant arrivals. Protests have been taking place, with activists calling for immediate action on the migrant crisis. Law enforcement is on high alert, monitoring the situation and looking out for potential protesters. The humanitarian crisis demands international attention and support to aid displaced individuals. The Bibby Stockholm barge has been restocked with food supplies in a...

Surging Tide of Hindu Nationalism Sparks Violence in India's Manipur State Summary: India witnesses mass protests in Delhi as thousands express concerns over the rising tide of Hindu nationalism threatening democracy. Indian Christians in Manipur suffer violence and persecution at the hands of Hindu nationalists, leading to the evacuation of the Christian minority by the Indian army. A horrifying video of two Indian Christian women being raped by Indian Hindu men goes viral, causing widespread public outrage. The crisis highlights the sectarian divisions in India between dominant Hindu nationalists and religious minorities. ...

Summary: The military junta behind the Niger coup plans to charge deposed President Mohammed Bazoum with high treason and endangering national security . Details of the evidence and the identities of alleged accomplices are currently undisclosed, leading to uncertainties. The accusations may impede diplomatic efforts for reconciliation and stability, raising concerns among analysts. Regional bodies like ECOWAS and the African Union are convening to address the crisis and its implications. President Bazoum's health and well-being remain a source of worry, with conflicting reports emerging about his medical care . ...

Summary: The government unveils plans to make it easier for people to expand homes upwards and outwards. Increased investment in brownfield sites aims to revitalize urban areas and boost homeownership. The government stands by its commitment to build 300,000 homes annually by the mid-2020s. Local opposition and environmental concerns pose challenges to housing development in certain areas. Addressing the housing crisis remains a significant issue for future elections. After a...

Summary: A West African bloc of nations is considering military intervention in Niger, viewing it as a last resort. Eka-Wass group has been discussing a standby military force to address the situation. The situation in Niger is complex due to border disputes, active insurgencies, and regional implications. Military intervention could further destabilize the region and lead to a refugee crisis . The involvement of Russia's Wagner group in Niger is not imminent due to logistical challenges. ...

Summary: Climate activist Greta Thunberg fined for disobeying a police order as part of her climate activism. Thunberg emphasizes the need for new laws to hold corporations accountable for carbon emissions and protect the planet from environmental damage. Her act of civil disobedience highlights the urgency of the climate crisis and the necessity for immediate and transformative action. Greta Thunberg's unwavering commitment to her cause serves as an inspiration for young activists worldwide. ...

Summary: A BBC investigation reveals accounts of Ukrainian prisoners of war being torture d, including beatings and electric shocks, while held in Russian captivity . The prisoners' testimonies shed light on the brutal conditions they endured in the Taganrog prison in Russia. Advocacy campaigns are working to secure the release of up to 10,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia. Efforts to address the mistreatment and violations of rights faced by the prisoners continue amidst the ongoing crisis. ...

Nigeria Election: Crowds chant 'let us vote' It's finally here. Nigeria's much-awaited election. People are gathering to cast their vote, but the polling stations are late. This one in Lagos opened just in time for former state governor and presidential candidate Bola Ahmadtinobu to cast his vote. He's up against two other front-runners, former vice president and people-democratic party candidate Attiku Abu Bakr and a wild card, 61-year-old former banker Peter Obi, who has been galvanizing the country's youth. Whoever does win has a mammoth task ahead. Mr. How do you expect to solve the country's economic crisis? Will we definitely be a transformative government? Will we walk hard to change the economic crisis? It's not the only thing that we have as a challenge. Nigeria is also dealing with a widespread security crisis as well as endemic corruption a...

Summary: Jacob Rees-Mogg believes there is a real chance for the Conservative Party to succeed by prioritizing voters' interests. He criticized the net zero concept and argued for an affordable and practical approach to improving the environment. Rees-Mogg highlighted the pressing issue of the cost of living crisis and questioned policies that burden citizens with extra costs. The BBC issued an apology to Nigel Farage, drawing criticism from Rees-Mogg for its delayed response and bureaucratic operations. Rees-Mogg called for transparency regarding the source of the misleading information and emphasized the importance of institu...

Summary: NHS patients face prolonged wait times for elective surgeries due to industrial action and other contributing factors. Tens of thousands of routine operations and procedures are canceled or delayed during strikes, exacerbating the waiting list crisis. Efforts to reduce waiting times and recover from the pandemic's impact are hindered by ongoing industrial action . ...

Turkey-Syria earthquake: one month on | 5 News Danny, if you also knew that it's one month on from those devastating earthquakes that hit Turkey in Syria, the death toll now stands at over 53,000, and the effects of the disaster are visible across those affected areas in southern Turkey and in northern Syria. As you'd expect, there is a huge fundraising effort to help the millions of people who've been left homeless. Just a few weeks ago, we spoke to Tefel Hussein from Islamic Relief. He's in Turkey now, and today we invited him back on again to get an update, and we started by asking him just what the situation was like on the ground. I mean, the situation is still absolutely desperate. And I was in Gadyinte, I've been in Gadyinte for the last two days, and you don't understand the magnitude of this crisis until you've actually gone on the ground yourself....

Summary: Peter Higgs , a leading expert on Greek and Mediterranean artefacts, was sacked from the British Museum after almost 30 years. Items from the museum's collection were reported missing , stolen , or damaged, leading to the dismissal of an unnamed staff member. Academics suggest concerns about the situation had been raised over two years ago, hinting at a potential cover-up . The museum's director, Hartwig Fischer , is facing pressure and calls for resignation amid the unfolding crisis . More than 1,500 artifacts are reportedly missing...

Italy: At least 59 migrants drown including 12 children In the darkness they're looking for survivors, the desperate who've managed to make it to shore. People cast into the water when this, their overpacked boat was wrecked off the Italian coast. Migrants heading to Europe, but dying at sea. With daylight, the grim reality, a growing line of bodies arising death toll. Rough conditions meaning many, including children, are already dead when they're pulled from the water. The search and rescue operation is very, very difficult. It's very windy and the sea is not, it's dangerous. So, so it's, these operations are really not so simple to do at the moment. This reduces the possibility to find other people still alive. The survivors are deeply traumatised, haunted by the horrors they've seen. People from Pakistan, Somalia and Afghanistan, sailing from Turkey w...

Summary: Wildfires threaten tens of thousands in British Columbia , prompting evacuations and a state of emergency . Over a thousand wildfires burn across Canada, with a significant portion in British Columbia . Evacuations from affected communities and towns, including Colona and Yellowknife , have stretched resources and impacted thousands. International reinforcements, even from as far as South Africa , join the battle against the unprecedented fires. ...