Plus, abandoned as a baby but now a Vogue model
| Dozens killed in Israel stampede |
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| | | A religious celebration in Israel has turned into disaster, with at least 44 people killed in a stampede. Tens of thousands are said to have travelled to the foot of Mount Meron, in the country's north-east, to celebrate the Orthodox Jewish festival of Lag B'Omer. Emergency services said a crush left dozens of people wounded. Newspaper Haaretz quoted police sources saying the incident started when some attendees slipped on steps, causing dozens more to fall. Yanki Farber, a reporter with Orthodox Jewish website Behadrei Haredim, says: "Over a thousand people together tried to go down a... very narrow road and they just fell on top of each other." As another witness put it on Channel 12 TV: "Rejoicing became mourning, a great light became a deep darkness." It was the country's largest event since mass vaccination enabled coronavirus rules to be eased, although celebrations were still limited compared with the norm. Before the incident, officials said they were unable to enforce Covid restrictions at the site due to the crowds. | |
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| Bafta suspends Noel Clarke |
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| Less than three weeks ago, actor and director Noel Clarke was collecting Bafta's outstanding British contribution to cinema prize. Last night, the academy said it was suspending the Kidulthood and Doctor Who star - and the recent honour - "in light of the allegations of serious misconduct" published in the Guardian . The newspaper reported allegations from 20 women who knew Clarke in a professional capacity. Clarke "vehemently" denies "any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing", saying in a statement he intends to "defend myself against these false allegations". He adds: "In a 20-year career, I have... never had a complaint made against me." | |
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| Vaccinations extended to more age groups |
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| People aged 40 and 41 in England can now book Covid jabs, NHS officials say. Text messages will direct them to the booking service, days after vaccinations were opened to people aged 42 to 44. "Nearly three-quarters of a million new appointments were made in just two days," says NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens. About 34 million people in the UK - nearly two-thirds of the adult population - have had at least one dose. Northern Ireland has already opened its vaccination programme to those aged 35 and over. Wales is offering jabs to the over-40s, as well as younger people in some areas, while Scotland is inviting those aged 45 to 49. | |
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| | | | | About 22 million people in the UK are living in areas that have not reported any Covid-19 deaths in April. By comparison, in a four-week period during January's peak, fewer than 50,000 people lived in such places. The figures suggest the UK's pandemic is moving into a new phase, with many areas seeing low levels of coronavirus. "It's a really good sign and we've seen several parts of the country where prevalence is really, really low," says Dr Mike Tildesley, a specialist in the spread of infectious diseases. But he echoes another expert urging caution. "We have seen before, when things go wrong they can go wrong quickly," says Prof Graham Medley. Slowly lifting restrictions means this is less likely, he adds. | |
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| | Maryam Ahmed & Becky Dale | Data journalism team, BBC News | |
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| | | | The refurbishment of the prime minister's Downing Street flat is back on front pages. The Metro interprets Boris Johnson saying "I love John Lewis" as him having "pointed the finger" at his fiancee Carrie Symonds. She's said to have insisted on the overhaul of ex-PM Theresa May's "John Lewis furniture nightmare". The Sun reckons Ms Symonds is in demand by the producers of Strictly Come Dancing to the tune of £200,000. "Tango & cash for curtains," the paper puns. The Times says more than half those surveyed in a poll agreed the Conservatives were "very sleazy and disreputable". Even so, the party's lead over Labour extended to 11 points, it adds. | |
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| | | Boris Johnson PM's personal phone number available online for years |
| | | | Restaurants Venues struggle to find staff ahead of reopening |
| | | | Amazon Profits triple after pandemic changes habits |
| | | | Social media Sports join boycott over abuse and discrimination |
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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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| | | 1975 The South Vietnamese government in Saigon announces its unconditional surrender to North Vietnamese forces. |
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