Babak Belurs

Sabtu, 02 April 2022

Falklands: On board the Norland, the ferry that went to war - BBC

Imagine being told that your day job was being uprooted and moved 8,000 miles to the edge of a warzone. In April 1982 the crew of a car and passenger ferry received this exact news when it heard it was heading for the Falklands War.

Keith Thompson, from Hull, was 32 and working as an assistant purser aboard the North Sea Ferry Norland. The car ferry made daily sailings from the Humber Estuary to the Netherlands. Keith was in charge of hospitality and catering on the vessel.

One day, after dropping off its 1,200 passengers at Hull, the civilian crew was ordered to gather for an announcement.

"The captain got the officers and crew together and said we'd been taken over by the Ministry of Defence", Keith recalls.

Shortly before this, on 2 April 1982, Argentine forces had invaded the Falkland Islands some 8,000 miles (12,900 km) from Hull. The isolated and sparsely-populated islands in the south-west Atlantic Ocean are a British territory and have been the subject of a long-running sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina. The invaders hoped to stake a claim.

My Moment in History - Listen to Keith Thompson's story

Norland had been pressed into action as a troop ship for the taskforce sent to recover the Falklands. Its crew was asked to volunteer to go on the journey. No-one declined, says Keith.

"It was gut-wrenching, but what touched us was the night of the sailing all Hull came out and all our families to see us off," he says.

"My wife, two kids, mother and father were on the quay side and I stood on the back end [of the ship] to see my family as long as I could.

"It was heart-breaking saying goodbye to my children and then just slipping away into the darkness."

And, with that, the ship sailed off to war.

Keith's immediate thoughts turned to the logistics of sustaining The Second Battalion Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), serving 3,000 meals a day to those on board.

The long voyage was rough, but Keith had first gone to sea at 15 as a galley boy on deep-sea trawlers around Iceland, so being in choppy seas held few terrors for him.

He says Norland was "in her element and as strong as an ox" on the voyage south and, during storm force 10 and 11 gales, the ship's escorts had flashed to ask it to slow down.

At the mid-way staging post on the Ascension Islands the crew was given another chance to leave the ship, but again no-one took up the offer.

Nevertheless, former trawlerman Keith says he had to write a letter from Ascension and told to make a will "just in case".

"I wrote to my wife saying: 'I want you to take care of yourself. I will be apart from you for a while - please look after my garden," he says. "Make sure the children are OK and tell them every day I love them. And if anything does happen always know I love you constantly."

As they drew nearer Keith says the adrenaline had begun to kick in over what was to come, but the crew had work to do and focusing on those jobs got them through.

And then the ship crept under cover of darkness close to its destination - San Carlos Water just off east Falkland.

"Our anchorage in the dead of night was completely silent - we didn't even know where we were and we then had to drop both anchors," Keith says. "They had seized due to the bad weather and the crew had to hit the anchor chains with hammers."

The crew held its collective breath as the hammering boomed out, breaking the silence, Keith recalls.

Then, in a bizarre burst of normality the ship's PA system bing-bonged into life and the ship's captain, Don Ellerby, calmly broadcast to the troops, for all the world as if on a day trip to Rotterdam.

"I'd like to wish the parachute regiment a safe journey and we'll be waiting for you."

"Day-break came and we saw we were surrounded by mountains and we saw all the other ships there - then all hell broke loose," Keith says.

There were eight or nine "onslaughts of Argentinian attacks" and two 500 lbs (226 kg) bombs landed near enough to "shake the ship to bits", he said.

"I thought my days were up", Keith admits.

He also recalls being on the ship's bridge and seeing an Argentine Skyhawk aircraft "whizz by and then just explode, It's a thing you can't forget, just seeing an aircraft just disappear in bits".

And yet "camaraderie, laughter and jokes were abundant" onboard the Norland, he says. Keith and all his crewmates were made honorary paras, each receiving a beret from the regiment.

After the fighting, when the soldiers of 2 Para were welcomed back on board to pick up their stowed belongings, Keith supervised the collection.

He noticed case after case that was not picked up until 18 remained.

"The men were killed in action. That really hit me."

And the Norland had another unusual role to play before it returned home, taking about 1,000 dehydrated and hungry Argentine prisoners back to the mainland.

Some of them told Mr Thompson they were conscripted students who had never previously fired a rifle in anger.

When the ship put the PoWs ashore in Montevideo, Uruguay, Keith says his "hand was red-raw as every Argentinian that went down that gangplank shook my hand."

"That's how strange war was, really. They'd tried to kill us all and the next minute we were all friends."

The conflict

Britain has controlled the Falklands since 1833
Argentina claims the territory - which it calls the Malvinas - saying it inherited rights to them from Spain
Argentinian forces invaded the Falkland Islands on 2 April 1982
A British taskforce was sent to the area and regained control of the islands in June
There were 255 British servicemen who died in the Falklands War during the 74-day conflict
Three islanders also died
The number of Argentinian dead was estimated at about 650.

Source: BBC

Keith's story is taken from My Moment in History - a BBC Local Radio podcast focusing on people whose lives have been affected by the Falklands War.

The 'Love Boat' - Hear Keith talk about his experience of the war
Paratrooper PTSD - Tam Noble describes the Battle of Mount Longdon - one of the conflict's fiercest confrontations
Growing up around land mines - Falkland islander Tamsin McLeod discusses the legacy of the war

A purple banner denoting the end of a boxout

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

Jumat, 01 April 2022

Conversion therapy: Ban to go ahead but not cover trans people - BBC

The government now says it will ban so-called conversion therapy for gay or bisexual people in England and Wales - but not for transgender people.

It comes hours after it had said it would drop plans for the ban entirely.

The announcement on Thursday evening that ministers would explore non-legislative routes to stop the practice was criticised by LGBT groups and MPs.

According to NHS England, conversion therapy tries to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.

NHS England and other major psychological bodies in the UK have warned all forms of conversion therapy are "unethical and potentially harmful".

A senior government source has told the BBC the ban will feature in the next Queen's Speech.

The legislation will mean therapy to attempt to change people's sexuality will be outlawed, but those practices carried out to try to change people's gender identity will not.

Just hours earlier, a government spokesperson had said the ban would be dropped and they would instead review ways to stop conversion therapy practices through existing law and other measures.

But the announcement that the ban will not cover gender identity has been met with criticism from some MPs and charities.

The Rainbow Project, said any ban that did not include transgender people was "not a real ban". Labour MP Nadia Whittome said it was "still not good enough", before adding: "LGB comes with the T, and the Tories are not on our side".

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Jayne Ozanne, a conversion therapy survivor and chair of the #BanConversionTherapy coalition, accused Boris Johnson of throwing LGBT people under a bus, adding it was "utterly ludicrous" that transgender people were not included in the ban.

Some gender critical groups had fought for the ban not to include conversion therapy experienced by transgender people.

And Nikki da Costa, a former director of legislative affairs at No 10, said elements of the legislation, particularly relating to gender identity for under 18s and talking therapy, would have had "profound consequences for children struggling with gender dysphoria".

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday: "Doctors, therapists and parents would be deterred from exploring with a child any feelings of what else may be going on for fear of being told they're trying to change a child's identity", adding that it was "deeply concerning".

It is thought that the government sees it as too complicated to avoid any unintended consequences of the legislation - which may affect parents, teachers, and therapists who are helping children experiencing gender identity issues.

Jane Fae, who chairs Trans Media Watch, told the BBC that she is "gutted, not surprised and very very worried about the community".

She said that conversion therapy is widely used within the transgender community.

But Ms Fae added: "It's not about therapy, it is not even about talking, it is about mistreatment, abuse and in some cases torture".

What is conversion therapy?

The initial announcement that ministers planned to shelve a ban was criticised, with the LGBT charity Stonewall calling the news "devastating".

LGBT+ Conservatives, which is affiliated to the party, said it was "shocked and disappointed" and that they would write to the prime minister.

Simon Calvert, deputy director at The Christian Institute, said it was "disappointing" that after the government made the "sensible" initial conclusion to drop the ban, it had now "caved in to people who see this law as a way of punishing evangelicals for their beliefs about sexuality".

He had earlier welcomed the news the ban would be dropped, arguing it could breach the European Convention on Human Rights and impinge on religious rights.

Some groups, including the Evangelical Alliance, which says it represents 3,500 churches, say a ban on conversion therapy could restrict religious freedoms. However, many other religious leaders support a ban.

'Absolutely abhorrent'

Any policy relating to transgender peoples' lives is always the subject of fierce public and political debate, so the chances that a second U-turn will quieten things down are slim.

The government's national LGBT survey in 2017 found transgender people were twice as likely to have been offered conversion therapy than their gay and bisexual counterparts.

More than 108,000 people responded to the consultation, which led Theresa May's government to announce plans to ban conversion therapy in 2018.

The promise was brought forward by Boris Johnson. In July 2020, he said the practice was "absolutely abhorrent" and "[had] no place in this country".

In May 2021, the Queen's Speech reiterated that measures would be "brought forward" to ban it.

Liz Truss, in her role as minister for women and equalities, said after the Queen's Speech: "As a global leader on LGBT rights, this government has always been committed to stamping out the practice of conversion therapy."

But she also stated that the ban would only happen following a consultation seeking "further views from the public and key stakeholders".

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2022-04-01 13:58:34Z
1350750004

Energy price: Bill shock for millions as rises hit - BBC

Millions of people will now feel the impact of an unprecedented £700-a-year rise in energy costs - at the same time as a host of bill hikes take effect.

The 54% rise in the energy price cap means a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity will now pay £1,971 per year.

A further rise pushing the annual bill up to £2,600 should be expected in October, one analyst has told the BBC.

Council tax, water bills and car tax are also going up for some on 1 April.

Minimum wage rates are rising which, along with some financial support from the government, is partially softening the blow.

Why are prices rising so quickly?

The £693 a year rise in a typical energy bill will affect 18 million households, with 4.5 million customers on prepayment meters facing an even bigger increase of £708 a year.

Among them is Winston Carrington, a grandfather in his 70s, who said he was growing vegetables in the garden of his Manchester home to help ease the impact of the rising cost of living.

"I'm going to grow, and I'm going to fill my freezer this year with my own produce. I'm going to have to," said Mr Carrington, who uses a prepayment meter.

"I can't go away this year again, not because of Covid or anything. I just can't afford to go away. The state pension that we're getting at the moment does not cover what I need."

Prices in general are rising at their fastest rate for 30 years, but the sudden increase in the cost of energy is the most significant for individuals.

New official figures suggest four in 10 bill-payers have been finding it very, or somewhat, difficult to afford their energy costs.

The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, said the country is facing the biggest single shock from energy prices since the 1970s. It is the largest increase, by far, in the energy regulator Ofgem's price cap, since it was introduced.

The cap, set every six months for England. Wales and Scotland, is designed to protect domestic customers from the volatility of wholesale energy prices.

However, official forecasters and analysts have warned people to be braced for another huge rise in energy bills when the next cap takes effect in October. Wholesale prices have been affected by the war in Ukraine and ongoing pressure on suppliers.

This could add another £629 to a typical bill in October, according to the most up-to-date prediction, provided to the BBC from leading energy consultancy firm Cornwall Insight.

If this proved to be accurate, then the average bill next winter would be double that of the winter just gone. A typical bill is expected to fall back to the current level in summer 2023, although longer-term forecasts are tricky.

Bill Bullen, the boss of Utilita, warned that elderly people and children were at serious risk over the next winter because of a lack of heating.

"We are going to see an extra £500 or £600 added to bills in October, and frankly the chancellor's going to have to fund that entirely for low-income households," he told the BBC's Today programme.

"He won't be able to afford to take this problem away for everybody... but for customers who can't respond to that price [increase], that's where the help needs to be targeted."

Chris O'Shea, chief executive of Centrica, which owns the UK's largest supplier British Gas, said his businesses was supporting struggling customers and was giving grants to those most in need.

"We would love to do more. The reality is that for a retail energy company, the market has gone through quite a change, and profits have reduced quite substantially," he told the BBC's Big Green Money Show.

However, he accepted that profits had risen sharply for the heavily taxed exploration arm of the business.

Month of bill rises

Council taxes and water bills are also going up for many people, added to the rising cost of food and household items.

One estimate suggests that a typical consumer is now facing a £73 a month increase in bills, of which about £58 is from rising energy costs.

"The added cost pressures set to come into play in April threatens to obliterate even the most finely tuned budgets." said Myron Jobson, senior personal finance analyst at Interactive Investor.

The Office for National Statistics said that low earners, renters, parents, people with disabilities, unemployed people and divorcees were least able to afford a bill shock.

Even before the latest increases, charity Citizens Advice said that in March, it referred 24,752 people to food banks or to other charitable support, up by 44% compared to the same month last year.

The government has said it was taking "decisive action" to help people with the cost of living, including a £200 reduction to energy bills in October - which needs to be paid back in instalments, and a £150 reduction in council tax bills for 80% of billpayers.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party, branded the government's response as "pathetic".

He accused the government of forcing people to choose between heating their homes or eating.

He said that the Labour party would introduce a one-off windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies and use the money to help households struggling to cope with rising energy bills.

But Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the BBC's Newscast: "I'm confident in what we've done. I know it's tough for people. We're facing a very difficult situation with the price of things going up and I want to do what we can to ameliorate some of that, but I'm also honest with people that we can't ameliorate all of it, sadly."

Are you affected by issues covered in this story? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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2022-04-01 09:24:08Z
1354218887

Conversion therapy: Ban to go-ahead but not cover trans people - BBC

The government insists it will ban so-called conversion therapy for gay or bisexual people in England and Wales - but not for transgender people.

It comes hours after it had said it would drop the ban entirely.

The announcement that it would explore "non-legislative measures" to prevent the practice prompted a furious response from LGBT groups and many MPs.

According to NHS England, conversion therapy tries to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.

A senior government source has told the BBC the ban will feature in the next Queen's Speech.

But hours earlier a government spokesperson said it had decided to drop the ban and instead "proceed by reviewing how existing law can be deployed more effectively".

It would also explore "other non-legislative measures" to prevent conversion therapy, they added.

But news that the government is now only planning to ban conversion therapy for cisgender people - those whose gender identity is in-line with their biological sex - has been met with criticism from some MPs and charities.

The Rainbow Project, said any ban that didn't include transgender people was "not a real ban".

Labour MP Nadia Whittome tweeted: "Boris Johnson has U-turned again after the strength of feeling and will ban conversion therapy for cisgender lesbian, gay and bisexual people but not trans people. It's still not good enough. LGB comes with the T, and the Tories are not on our side."

Some gender critical groups had fought for the ban not to include conversion therapy experienced by transgender people.

The government's national LGBT survey in 2017 found that transgender people were twice as likely to have been offered conversion therapy than their gay and bisexual counterparts.

More than 108,000 people responded to the consultation, which led Theresa May's government to announce plans to ban conversion therapy.

Josh Parry, BBC LGBT producer, says any policy relating to transgender peoples' lives is always the subject of fierce public and political debate, so the chances that a second U-turn will quieten things down are slim.

What is conversion therapy?

Reacting to the initial announcement of a total drop of the ban, LGBT charity Stonewall tweeted that it was "devastating to hear that the UK government is again breaking its promise to our communities".

It called on the governments of Wales and Scotland to end the practice in "their own jurisdictions", saying "LGBTQ+ people in the UK deserve better than this".

Jayne Ozanne, chair of the #BanConversionTherapy coalition and conversion therapy survivor told the BBC that the news "emboldens perpetrators and allows them to act with impunity".

"It lets them know that the government is on their side and does not want to hold them to account," she said.

She called it a betrayal of those who bravely told their stories in the hope the prime minister would act. "I do not understand why he is throwing young LGBT people under the bus," she said.

Simon Calvert, deputy director at The Christian Institute, had welcomed the announcement saying that a ban could breach the European Convention on Human Rights.

"The government committed to outlawing 'conversion therapy' without any clear view on what that term meant, whether legislation was needed, or what it would look like," he said.

"Activists wanted the ban to take sides in a theological dispute over the interpretation of scripture. They even specifically called for 'gentle, non-coercive prayer' to be criminalised. This would have made it the most religiously repressive UK law in centuries."

Mr Calvert said "many thousands of concerned Christians" had contacted MPs about the issue and responded to the consultation.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday, Nikki da Costa, a former director of Legislative Affairs at No 10, said elements of the legislation, particularly relating to gender identity for under 18s and talking therapy, would have had "profound consequences for children struggling with gender dysphoria".

"Doctors, therapists and parents would be deterred from exploring with a child any feelings of what else may be going on for fear of being told they're trying to change a child's identity" she said, which was "deeply concerning."

'Absolutely abhorrent'

In 2018, Theresa May's government promised to end conversion therapy as part of its LGBT Action plan.

The promise was brought forward by Boris Johnson. In July 2020, he said the practice was "absolutely abhorrent" and "[had] no place in this country".

In May 2021, the Queen's Speech reiterated that measures would be "brought forward" to ban it.

But she also stated that the ban would only happen following a consultation seeking "further views from the public and key stakeholders".

LGBT+ Conservatives, which is affiliated to the party, said it was "shocked and disappointed" at the initial decision to drop the ban and said they would be writing to the prime minister.

"We have been clear in our campaigning from the start; this must be a ban in legislation. Anything else does not cut it and never will," the group said in a tweet.

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2022-04-01 07:22:42Z
1350750004

Kamis, 31 Maret 2022

Ukraine war: Delays in UK visa scheme labelled 'shambolic' by volunteer who matches refugees to hosts - Sky News

Delays in the UK visa scheme for Ukrainian refugees are "disgusting" and "shambolic", according to a volunteer who helps run a Facebook page matching refugees to hosts in the UK.

Sarah Cocks, who spends her spare time finding homes in the North West for individuals and families fleeing the war in Ukraine, says the people she is working with have no idea when their visas will be granted.

"I think it's disgusting, the whole process seems to be fundamentally flawed from start to finish.

"There are hundreds and thousands of amazing people out there but very little support from the government and the local authorities and it's just a little bit shambolic," she said

Ukraine live news: Putin's military chiefs 'too afraid to tell him truth'

Only 2,700 visas granted

The government has said 2,700 visas have been granted to people wanting to come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, despite applications reaching 28,300.

The scheme opened on 14 March, with the aim of allowing individuals, charities, community groups, and businesses to bring Ukrainians - including those with no family ties to the UK - to safety.

However, Britain retains a visa requirement on security grounds while other European countries have waived checks in response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

Natalia Krynytska fled Western Ukraine with her daughter and youngest son, but despite the efforts of Sarah Cocks they are stuck in a hostel in Poland waiting for UK visas.

"We have no house in Poland, little money left, three sleep on one bed and our friends sleep on the floor," she said, via a video call.

Chris Balshaw, originally from Bolton, is in a refugee hostel in Romania waiting to hear whether he can get visas for his Ukrainian wife and their two children, his mother-in-law and her brother.

The Ukraine invasion explained

They left their homes in Odessa and Sarah Cocks has found a house for them, but he has heard nothing about his visa applications.

"I would say that really they need to get it sorted very fast," he said.

"It's just terrible [that] it's taking so long."

Applications near 60,000

The total number of applications from Ukrainians wanting to come to the UK was 59,500 as of 29 March, the Home Office said.

This includes 28,300 under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and 31,200 under the separate Ukraine Family Scheme, which allows Ukrainians to join relatives living in the UK.

Refugees Minister Lord Harrington said the process is improving but more needs to be done.

Putin's advisers afraid to tell truth as Russian troops accidentally shoot down own aircraft, spy chief says

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"We are starting to see progress because of changes the Home Office made to streamline the visa process and put additional resources into the system," he said.

"However, we need to do more and will be making further improvements to bring people to the UK as quickly as possible."

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2022-03-31 01:56:30Z
1317986417

Wiltshire police worker jailed over affair with rapist - BBC

A former police worker has been jailed after having a relationship with a convicted rapist she was meant to be supervising.

Rachel Beale, 53, was an offender manager within Wiltshire police's management of sexual and violent offenders unit.

The relationship led her to be charged with misconduct in public office.

On Wednesday, she was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, having pleaded guilty to the offence in January.

Beale, who lives in Oxfordshire, appeared at Bristol Crown Court to face the charge which happened between February and September 2020.

She was arrested in September that year when the matter was brought to the force's attention and she was suspended from duty.

'Imbalance of power'

The matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who investigated the allegations.

The investigation found that Beale entered into an "inappropriate, intimate relationship" with the man.

During the investigation, Beale was interviewed and her mobile phones and devices were examined.

IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell said: "Despite knowing there was an imbalance of power she pursued the relationship.

"She also admitted misusing her police identification to book hotel rooms while Covid restrictions were in place and without policing purpose and treating him more favourably than others she was managing."

Following Beale's guilty plea, an internal gross misconduct hearing was held and ruled that she would have been dismissed from Wiltshire Police had she not previously resigned.

Betrayal of trust

She has also been barred from working for any other police force, nor in an external vetted risk role.

Deputy chief constable of Wiltshire Police Paul Mills said: "Rachel Beale betrayed the trust of the public, and betrayed the trust of her colleagues, when she blatantly abused her position to commit this crime.

"The outcome of this investigation and today's sentence shows that there is no place in policing for someone who behaves in this way.

"I want our communities across Swindon and Wiltshire to have the utmost confidence in their police force, and, although cases like this highlight the disappointing and unacceptable minority, I hope the public can see that we are committed to rooting out any kind of misconduct and taking the appropriate action."

Beale's sentencing comes the day after that of former Wiltshire Police officer Darren Thorn, who was jailed for nine months for charges connected to an inappropriate sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman.

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: "I'm exasperated and appalled that this is the second such sentencing of a Wilshire Police employee in a little over 24 hours, where they have abused their position of trust for their own gratification.

"This will inevitably damage public confidence in policing and both the chief constable and I will eradicate any trace of corruption and misconduct within Wiltshire Police.

"We are both absolutely determined to ensure that public trust does not reach a place where it is irreparably broken."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk

Babak Belurs

Sabtu, 02 April 2022

Falklands: On board the Norland, the ferry that went to war - BBC

The conflict

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Wiltshire police worker jailed over affair with rapist - BBC

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