Patients face a postcode lottery when they call 999 with a medical emergency, an analysis has shown after ambulance workers announced plans for the first national strike for 30 years.
Some with life-threatening conditions are waiting up to three times longer than those in other towns and cities. Patients with a suspected heart attack or stroke in Bristol wait over an hour on average for an ambulance to arrive, while those in Oxford wait just 19 minutes. The longest average wait was one hour 41 minutes, in Cornwall.
Medics should arrive within 18 minutes after “category two” calls for a serious condition, such as a stroke or chest pain, which may require urgent assessment or transport to hospital. This target was met in only two
US President Joe Biden plans to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales on Friday in Boston, the White House has said.
Prince William and Catherine have arrived in the US, where they will hand out awards for their Earthshot Prize.
Shortly after landing, the prince thanked the US city for hosting his environmental awards.
The Earthshot Prize was launched in 2020 to search for innovative solutions to problems facing the planet.
The arrival of the royal couple comes as a spokesperson for Prince William sought to distance the royal from a race row back in the UK.
His godmother Lady Susan Hussey, a member of the Royal Household, resigned after repeatedly asking a black British charity boss where she was "really" from.
Prince William said he wanted to thank the people of Boston for "their many tributes paid to the Queen", on this, his first overseas visit since her death.
"My grandmother was one of life's optimists. And so am I. That is why last year we launched the Earthshot Prize with the ambition to create a truly global platform to inspire hope and urgent optimism as we look to save the future of our planet," he said.
"To the people of Boston, thank you. I'm so grateful to you for allowing us to host the second year of the Earthshot Prize in your great city.
"Catherine and I can't wait to meet many of you in the days ahead."
Asked about the arrival of the royal couple, the White House said that President Biden intends to greet them and his team are "working through the details".
Five winners of the Earthshot Prize will be announced in Boston on Friday - each will be given £1m ($1.2m) to develop their environmental projects.
Among the 15 finalists are the inventors of a bubble pump designed to catch plastics before they reach the ocean.
For the first time there are also finalists from the UK, including London start-up Notpla, which makes packaging from seaweed and plants as an alternative to single-use plastic.
Prince William has described the people in the shortlist for the prize - now in its second year - as "innovators, leaders and visionaries".
The prize was inspired by US President John F Kennedy's "Moonshot" programme, which resulted in the US Apollo lunar launches and the first man setting foot on the Moon in 1969.
The England team have reached the final 16 in the World Cup - but manager Gareth Southgate has warned they face a "very dangerous team" in their next match.
England beat Wales 3-0 at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Qatar last night and will play Senegal on Sunday.
Senegal is 18th in the FIFA world rankings, while England is fifth.
Southgate said there was no room for complacency, however, and his players would be studying their competition between now and the clash.
He said of Senegal: "I haven't been able to see their games in the tournament.
"I saw them play Iran in Vienna in September, so had a good look at them then.
"From now, from when we get the coach to go home, we'll be studying the games to prepare for the game.
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"We obviously know quite a few of the individuals, some big players playing in big leagues in Europe, some playing in England."
He added: "We know that on the rankings we'll be the favourites. We've got to deal with that. But we play a very dangerous team."
For Wales, the game on Tuesday night was one of disappointment and devastation as they were left behind by the talent of Marcus Rashford, the 25-year-old Manchester United striker.
He scored two of England's three goals, with the other going to Phil Foden.
Rashford has scored three goals in as many games at this World Cup, despite struggling for form and fitness in the months before the tournament.
He later said that his goals were dedicated to his friend Garfield Hayward, who died from cancer days before the game.
Southgate said: "I went and saw [Rashford] in the summer, had a long chat with him and he had some clear ideas on things that he felt he needed to think about and to do.
"You can see with his club there has been happiness in his performances this year, and I have to say that has shown itself on the training ground all the time with us."
"We've got a different version completely to the player we had in the Euros last summer, so he's managed to produce those moments tonight.
"He could have had a hat-trick, really, with the chance in the first half and then the one at the near post towards the end.
"But great for him and because it's great for him it's great for us."
England fans at the game were delighted but some Welsh supporters left before the final whistle.
John Holden, 65, from Nottingham, said: "It was absolutely amazing.
"Wales were so poor, even first half we were just messing with them, getting them tired - Rashford, second half, he terrified them."
He added: "The fans were bouncing, we were absolutely bouncing and we still are."
Scott Kind, 49, who lives in Qatar, said it was a "brilliant result" and on England's hopes for the rest of the tournament, he added: "Decent draw second round and we'll see - I don't want to jinx it."
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England and Wales fans react from home
Wales supporter Huw Phillips, 54, from Carmarthen, said his team had "held their own" in the first half but were "under the cosh" in the second, adding: "The dream is over but the boys have done well.
"I'm very proud, never been prouder."
For the England players, there will be alcohol-free celebrations, due to Qatar's rules, before they settle down to concentrate on the work ahead.
Southgate said: "We've got loads of milkshake back at the hotel.
"Everything is different, isn't it? We're embracing it.
"We love our base camp, the people that are operating the hotel are fabulous people. Really we couldn't be happier.
"We're enjoying each other's company and the players are really tight, so to this point we're very pleased
The former Chinese president Jiang Zemin, who came to power after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests has died aged 96, state media has said.
Mr Jiang, who was president from 1989 to 2003, died from leukaemia and multiple organ failure on Wednesday afternoon in Shanghai.
He became president after the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.
The former soap factory manager stepped down as party chief in 2002, but remained head of the military for another year and remained an influential figure in Chinese politics.
His death comes as China faces widespread anti-lockdown protests across the country on a level of dissent likened to the pro-democracy movement centred on Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
Under Mr Jiang, China saw economic reform which led to a decade of explosive growth.
The country weathered the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis and pulled in foreign investment after joining the World Trade Organisation in 2001 following 12 years of negotiation. Mr Jiang also secured the bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Image:Xi Jinping, left, and Jiang Zemin, right, in 2017
'A beloved comrade'
A letter to the Chinese people by the ruling Communist Party and government officials announcing Mr Jiang's death, described it as an "incalculable loss".
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It read: "Comrade Jiang Zemin's death is an incalculable loss to our Party and our military and our people of all ethnic groups".
It called him a "beloved comrade", an outstanding leader of high prestige and a great Marxist.
Mr Jiang also saw the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997 following the British handover after more than 150 years of British rule.
Image:Mr Jiang, left, and Prince Charles, right, at the Hong Kong handover ceremony in 1997
Crackdown on dissent at home
Although China was led out of isolation under Mr Jiang's government, a crackdown on dissent at home continued.
His successors have used his phrase "stability above all else" to justify intensive social controls.
Human rights and pro-democracy were jailed and a ban was placed on the meditation group Falun Gong, which was viewed as a threat to the ruling party's power.
Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. Day-by-day TV listings - Full coverage details
As Wales players and staff shared a moment with their fans after Tuesday's 3-0 defeat by England had sealed their group-stage exit from the World Cup, there was a sense of an ending more profound than the usual closure that comes with the conclusion of a team's tournament.
This was, after all, Wales' first World Cup for 64 years, the culmination of a nation's long-held dream.
And as this dream-like state faded to black under a desert night sky in Qatar, it felt like the end of an era - or at least the beginning of its end - like no other in the country's history.
Put simply, Wales has never had it so good. For generations, Welsh football had been synonymous with, at best, narrow misses and tales of anguish and, at worst, long spells of abject failure and outright apathy.
The longer the wait to qualify for a major tournament went on, the more the 1958 World Cup felt like a curious antique of a past too distant to comprehend.
Then after the hurt of Scotland in 1977 and 1985, Romania in 1993 and myriad false dawns, the golden generation emerged, first as teenagers under John Toshack's guidance in the late 2000s, before blossoming under Gary Speed's tutelage and coming of age at Euro 2016 with Chris Coleman at the helm.
That summer in France was gloriously cathartic, not only ending Wales' 58-year wait for a major tournament but then taking the country to stratospheric new heights with a first semi-final.
Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen and the rest followed that with qualification for a second successive European Championship but still a second World Cup proved elusive - until this year.
Now, after three group games in Qatar, the adventure is over.
As Robert Page and his players applauded the Red Wall and savoured one last rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, the mutual love and respect was as striking as ever. Nothing could diminish the groundswell of national pride at seeing Wales back on this grandest stage of all.
And while nothing will change that fact, as well as taking the time to look back, Wales must now consider what comes next.
Wales can feel immensely proud to have qualified for a first World Cup for 64 years and, at the same time, they can be deeply disappointed by their performances in Qatar.
The build-up was justifiably epic given the historical significance but, whereas Wales have risen to the challenge in all three of their previous major tournaments to reach the knockout stages, it proved beyond them here.
There were many reasons for their failings, one of the most striking being the fading lustre of an ageing golden generation.
Bale, his country's record goal scorer and cap holder in men's football, has been the face of Welsh football for more than a decade, regarded by many as the greatest player to have come from Wales.
Ramsey and Allen may not be viewed in quite the same exalted light but, as their selection in Uefa's official team of the tournament for Euro 2016 illustrated, they have been integral figures to the Welsh renaissance.
At this World Cup, however, all three were pale imitations of their former selves.
In fairness to Allen, his involvement was limited by a hamstring injury and, although Bale and Ramsey started all three matches, their dwindling club form and lack of match fitness caught up with them in Qatar.
A tight hamstring forced Bale off at half-time against England having touched the ball a mere seven times, while Allen limped off towards the end with what appeared to be a recurrence of his injury. For two icons of Welsh football, these felt like undignified ways to depart what was almost certainly their only World Cup.
Bale, who is 33, has already stated his desire to continue playing for Wales, while Allen, 32, and Ramsey, 32 next month, have yet to declare their intentions either way.
They are all young enough to influence Welsh hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 but, even if they can help Wales play at a fourth major tournament out of five, their country cannot count on them forever.
"I'm not going to make a call on that right now," said Page after the England game.
"The good thing is we've got games in March, Euro qualifiers, tough games. We'll have a look at the squad, at the players we've got and, if there are young players out there that we need to push and promote, now's the time to do it."
Page must also consider his own role as Wales fell short in Qatar.
The former centre-back has been deservedly praised for the job he has done since succeeding Ryan Giggs in difficult circumstances, guiding Wales to the second round at Euro 2020 and taking his country to a first World Cup for 64 years.
Performances, however, have been wavering for some time. Wales have won only two of their 12 matches this year and even in those victories - in World Cup play-offs against Austria and Ukraine - they were far from convincing.
As long as Bale kept conjuring his moments of brilliance and Wales kept grinding out results, those underwhelming displays were tolerated - but a World Cup is less forgiving.
Page got his team selection and tactics wrong in the first half in the opening game against the United States but corrected those mistakes at half-time to help Wales snatch a late draw.
He said "lessons had been learned" after that escape but then started the next game against Iran in the same formation with only one personnel change, and Wales fell to a dismal 2-0 defeat that all but ended their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
Page said he took responsibility for that result and, for Tuesday's final group game against England, he belatedly abandoned his favoured three-at-the-back system for a 4-2-3-1. The change helped Wales keep the game goalless until half-time, only for their tiring players to succumb to a 3-0 defeat.
"Of course we look back with frustration but it is an amazing achievement for that group of players to get here in the first place," Page said.
"We build on that. There's a bigger picture here. We have to put things in perspective. We don't have the pool of players England have got.
"And I think they'll go on to do well in the tournament. For us, it is an amazing achievement to get here."
Almost nothing could detract from the joy Wales felt at qualifying for a first World Cup after such an absence.
But not to scrutinise performances in Qatar and to simply bask in the fading afterglow of previous achievements would be to do Wales a disservice.
As a nation in a sporting context or otherwise, Wales has never enjoyed a global audience like the one it has enjoyed at this World Cup and, as we have heard from players, fans and politicians, this is a country that wants to project a vibrant and self-confident image of itself to the world.
So with that in mind, there should be demands that these historic new standards are maintained, that qualifying for World Cups should be something to aspire to on a regular basis.
Wales fans can rightly feel disappointed at the way the team was eliminated in Qatar; it should not need repeating how proud they were to see their team finally play at a World Cup.
For that, and what has come before in this golden era, Wales will forever be grateful. Now there remains a hope or, better, a belief that there will be more to come.
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Half of Britain’s free-range turkeys have died of bird flu as the disease casts doubt on the future of free-range supply at Christmas, poultry farmers say.
About 600,000 of the 1.2 million free-range turkeys produced annually have died in the worst ever outbreak of the disease, the British Poultry Council told MPs on the environmental audit committee yesterday.
About 1.6 million birds have been culled. Free-range farms are particularly vulnerable because their turkeys are in the open so it is easier for the disease to spread from wild birds.
“Free-range particularly has been hit very, very hard,” Richard Griffiths, the poultry council chief executive, said.
Paul Kelly, a poultry farmer, told MPs: “There will be a big, big shortage of free-range British turkeys this year.”
Two more teenagers have been arrested over the fatal stabbings of two 16-year-old boys in southeast London.
Police detained the suspects, aged 15 and 16, following the killings of Charlie Bartolo and Kearne Solanke in two separate incidents about a mile apart at the weekend.
Charlie was found with stab wounds in Sewell Road, Abbey Wood, at around 5.10pm on Saturday, with Kearne discovered with similar injuries in Titmuss Avenue, Thamesmead, at around the same time.
Another 16-year-old who was previously arrested on Sunday on suspicion of both murders has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Image:Kearne Solanke, left, and Charlie Bartolo, right.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said: "My officers are working around the clock to establish the circumstances of these senseless murders and to find those responsible."
She added that the force is investigating a "number of lines of enquiries" and she is "keeping an open mind about any motive".
"The arrests are a positive development, but we continue to work to understand the events that unfolded on Saturday evening," she said.
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'Help us bring justice for these young boys'
The Met Police have appealed for anyone with information on the incidents to come forward, specifically those who saw a black Nissan Qashqai with silver roof bars in either area in the days or hours before the murders.
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"We have the vehicle in our possession, but are still interested in witnesses who may have seen it being driven locally. Information you provide could help us bring justice for these young boys and their families," DCI Blackburn added.
Detective Superintendent Richard McDonagh, from the South East Command Unit, assured the local community that officers will "work tirelessly" to discover what happened and urged people to continue working together to "prevent such tragedies" in the future.
The families of Charlie and Kearne are being supported by specialist officers.
