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Extra 250m to boost Jewish community safety

BBC News

Police forces across England are to get a £251m funding boost to help protect Jewish communities following a rise in antisemitic attacks, the government has announced. The Metropolitan Police will receive £86m to recruit about 300 extra officers to help increase police presence in Jewish neighbourhoods, and around synagogues, schools and community centres. It comes after a series of antisemitic attacks in London, including the stabbing of two men in Golders Green in April, and the raising of the national terror threat level from substantial to severe. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the fund would deliver a step change in protection for Jewish communities. Met deputy commissioner Matt Jukes said the investment would allow the force to bolster its existing Community Protection Teams and establish further teams across three sites in London, as well as recruiting up to 300 officers and creating a Golders Green community hub.


The Papers: Burnham's 'bumper Budget' and Widdecombe murder 'not political'

BBC News

Image caption, Andy Burnham is exploring holding an expanded Budget this autumn to set out strategic priorities, reports the Financial Times. New strikes on Iran by the US pose biggest test for interim deal, it headlines. Image caption, As part of Burnham's Budget, the Telegraph reports he has a plan for £38bn tax raid. The paper leads with the latest in the murder of Ann Widdecombe, saying that the suspect drove 300 miles to her house. Image caption, The Metro also leads with the Widdecombe murder, leading on police comments that the killing was not political.


British couple return to village at heart of deadly Spanish wildfire

BBC News

As we climbed the winding road to Bédar, we emerged into a charred and desolate landscape. Molten car parts littered our path and out of the window we saw the whole hillside now coated in a dusty black. At least 13 people, including five believed to be Britons, were killed by Thursday's wildfire in Spain's Almeria province, one of the country's deadliest ever. The toll rose on Sunday after a 93-year-old woman, believed to be British, died of her injuries in hospital. The identities of those killed have not yet been officially confirmed.


New era for Gibraltar with removal of 118-year-old border controls with Spain

BBC News

It's a short journey but it means crossing an international border. A British Overseas Territory of around 40,000 inhabitants, Gibraltar has a border control for those entering and leaving. That means that during the morning and afternoon rush hours, when around 15,000 Spaniards who work in the territory cross the frontier, there can be long, time-consuming queues. The fact that there is a border between us is ridiculous, says Chotrani, who has a job in human resources in a Gibraltarian shipping and tourism company. I don't think a fence should separate people from one place and another.


Andrew Flintoff's Top Gear crash passenger sues BBC Studios

BBC News

A racing driver who was in the car with Andrew Freddie Flintoff when he crashed while filming Top Gear in 2022 is suing BBC Studios. Paul Rees gave the presenter expert driving advice from the passenger seat, and is now seeking up to £150,000 for personal injury, according to court documents. It was not publicly known that anyone else was in the open-topped three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 when it overturned during filming. Flintoff suffered serious facial and rib injuries. BBC Studios in its legal response said Rees did not complain of any injuries at the time or after the crash.


Badly burned British couple rescued from ravine during Spain wildfires, reports say

BBC News

A British couple have been found down a ravine, badly burned and semi-conscious, after being caught up in the deadly wildfires that tore through Spain's Almeria province, according to local media. The pair are thought to have been out hiking when they were caught up in the blaze, which spread rapidly through the province on Thursday. They were evacuated and taken to hospital where they are in intensive care. Hundreds of firefighters have been battling the fires, which have claimed the lives of 12 people, including four believed to be Britons, and burned through 6,600 hectares (16,300 acres), local authorities said. The identities of those killed have not yet been officially confirmed.


Toll bridge fine issued to driver 270 miles away

BBC News

A driver said he was left perturbed after receiving a fine for crossing a toll bridge more than 270 miles from his home despite insisting he had never been near it. Graham Parsons, from Plymouth, Devon, received an unpaid toll charge for using the Warburton Toll Bridge, which links Cheshire and Greater Manchester. His case is one of a number raised by motorists who have complained about the bridge's payment and enforcement system. Peel Ports said there had been some genuine customer experience issues, but the evidence did not indicate a systemic failure of the system. The bridge previously cost 12p a crossing, but the charge was increased to £1 following refurbishment works in recent years .


How Aldi is taking on US supermarkets with its 4 almond butter

BBC News

When Mary Porter walked into Manhattan's newest Aldi store hunting for bargains, the long-time resident found what she considered a retail miracle in plain sight: a $4 jar of almond butter that costs $22 in her own neighbourhood. Aldi has the reputation for being inexpensive, so I thought I would come and check it out, and by golly, it is amazing, Porter, 79, told the BBC, marvelling at the savings alongside the fresh spinach and organic raspberries filling her basket. To the unassuming passer-by, the storefront is completely hidden, tucked away in an underground parking lot beneath The Ellery, a luxury apartment complex where the cheapest rent starts at nearly $5,000 (£3,725) a month. In fact, the building's own website completely omits the discount grocer from its curated online neighbourhood guide, choosing instead to highlight pricier nearby options like Whole Foods and Brooklyn Fare. But step past the luxury façade into the basement, and the quiet disappears.


Teen who helped improve tech for disabled honoured

BBC News

A young man who was left with acquired cerebral palsy (CP) following a family holiday, has had a new laboratory in Bristol named after him. Harchie Sagoo, who passed away in 2024 at the age of 18, was just a few months old when he developed CP after contracting viral encephalitis in Spain. Despite his movement and speech being affected by CP his father, Bob Sagoo, said he understood everything and by the age of four-and-a-half he was using eye-tracking technology to control his devices and communicate. As a key product tester for Bristol-based Smartbox, which creates technology to help people with disabilities to communicate, the company has now named its new testing laboratory Harchie's Lab. Tower block evacuation report'not answering questions' Harchie's dad, who lives in Nottingham, said his son was born a healthy baby.


Robots available for rent: But what can they do?

BBC News

Robots available for rent: But what can they do? In hospitals across the US, patients and staff have become accustomed to seeing a one-armed, four-foot high, friendly-looking white robot going about its business. Nurses have been known to greet Moxi, as the robot is called by its maker Diligent Robotics, with a good morning, a high five or even a hug. Moxi - which shuttles medical supplies around hospitals - might respond by displaying its heart-shaped LED eyes and a beep beep greeting of its own. We get a lot of feedback that Moxi feels like a part of the team, says Todd Brugger, chief operating officer at the Texas-based robotics company, which has around 100 of the wheeled robots in operation.