News 08/04/26

A body has been recovered in the search for a 17 year old boy who got into difficulty in a Cumbrian lake.

Police were called at 12.32pm on Tuesday to reports the teenager was in High Dam Tarn near Lake Windermere. Emergency services including fire crews, ambulance teams and mountain rescue attended, with farmers helping to move equipment across difficult terrain. A search of the water and shoreline continued throughout the day before a body was recovered just after 10pm last night.

Greece will ban under fifteens from using social media from next year.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed the move, which will come into effect on the first of January 2027. He said rising anxiety, sleep problems and addictive platforms were behind the decision. In a message to children, he said spending long periods in front of screens prevents their minds from resting and increases pressure from constant comparison and online comments.

Images are emerging of destruction in Beirut after an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building.

While Israel has paused strikes on Iran following the ceasefire, it says attacks in Lebanon against the Iran backed Hezbollah group will continue. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported strikes on at least five neighbourhoods in the capital and along the coast. Earlier, at least eight people were killed in a strike on the coastal city of Sidon. [Pause(1)]

A review has found the broadcast of a racial slur during the BAFTAs breached the BBC’s editorial standards.

The executive complaints unit said the language shouted by a Tourette’s campaigner was highly offensive and had no editorial justification, although the breach was unintentional. John Davidson shouted the word as the first award was presented by Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo at the February ceremony.

Average UK house prices fell by zero point five percent in March, according to Halifax, as higher mortgage rates reduced demand.

The average property price now stands at two hundred and ninety nine thousand six hundred and seventy seven pounds and annual growth has slowed. The fall follows a rise in February before the conflict linked to Iran increased energy costs and inflation concerns, with mortgage rates rising and cheaper deals disappearing.

Sir Keir Starmer is travelling to the Middle East after a two week ceasefire was secured overnight by US President Donald Trump.

The prime minister is flying to the Gulf, where he will meet RAF crews protecting allied airspace and later address troops. The agreement is aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas shipments. In his first comments, Sir Keir said he welcomed the ceasefire, adding it would bring a moment of relief to the region and the wider world.

Sir Jeremy Hunt is urging ministers to change the law on maternity leave for women diagnosed with cancer.

The charity Mummy’s Star says two women receive a diagnosis during or shortly after pregnancy every day. Current rules mean maternity leave cannot be delayed, forcing some mothers to choose between time with their newborn and undergoing treatment. He is calling for changes so affected women are not placed in that position.

Donald Trump has hailed what he called a big day for world peace after agreeing to pause attacks on Iran for two weeks.

Posting on Truth Social, the US president said Iran has had enough of the conflict and that there will now be lots of positive action. He added the United States will help with maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which has largely remained closed by Iran during the war. He said the US will be loading up with supplies and remaining in place to ensure everything goes well.

A 21 year old man has died after being stabbed at Primrose Hill in London.

The Metropolitan Police has launched a murder investigation after officers were called to the popular viewpoint. A second man, believed to be in his twenties, was found nearby on Regent’s Park Road with stab wounds. Police said they were called at 6.41pm on Tuesday to reports of a fight, with officers and paramedics attending the scene.

A man left unable to walk after a one punch attack is being supported by campaigners calling for compensation payments to be increased.

Craig Lewis Williams, from Llay in Wrexham, suffered brain damage in the assault in November 2021 and now requires round the clock care. He received a £500,000 pay out, the maximum available, but campaigners say if it had risen with inflation it would now be more than one million pounds. The Ministry of Justice said it is leaving no stone unturned to support survivors.

A 19 year old British woman has died in Vietnam after a reported motorbike crash.

The Foreign Office said it is supporting the family of Orla Wates following her death. Local reports say she was involved in an accident on the Ha Giang Loop, a mountainous route in northern Vietnam near the border with China. She died at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital in Hanoi on the second of April.