BBC’s £28k compensation to October 7 survivors after filming in home

The BBC has paid £28,000 in compensation to an Israeli family after a film crew entered their destroyed home without permission following the October 7 attack.

The Horenstein family, from the small village of Netiv HaAsara, received the payment after a BBC team, reportedly led by senior correspondent Jeremy Bowen, filmed inside their property.

The crew captured personal photographs of their children at a time when many of the family’s friends and relatives were uncertain of their survival. Tzeela Horenstein stated that Hamas terrorists attacked the village early in the morning, throwing a grenade at her husband, Simon. The compensation was first reported by Jewish News.

The couple and their two young children only survived because their home’s door twisted and jammed when the attackers tried to blow it out with explosives, she said.

She told Jewish News: “Not only did terrorists break into our home and try to murder us, but then the BBC crew entered again, this time with a camera as a weapon, without permission or consent.

“It was another intrusion into our lives. We felt that everything that was still under our control had been taken from us.

“Even in times of war, there are limits, and when a media outlet crosses them, it must be held responsible.”

BBC News issued a written apology to the family and paid them £28,000 in compensation after legal proceedings were started in Israel, the newspaper reported.

A BBC spokesperson said: “While we do not generally comment on specific legal issues, we are pleased to have reached an agreement in this case.”

Last year, Ofcom sanctioned the BBC for breaching the broadcasting code in its Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary after the corporation failed to disclose a narrator’s links to Hamas.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians, in the October 7 2023 attack.

Murderer among two inmates on run after absconding from prison

A convicted murderer is one of two inmates who remain at large after absconding from a prison on New Year’s Day, police have said.

Matthew Armstrong, 35, was convicted in 2009 of a murder that occurred during a robbery in Warwickshire, police said.

He and Daniel Washbourne, 40, who has previous convictions for offences of violence against a person and false imprisonment, are believed to have left HMP Leyhill, in South Gloucestershire, between 5pm and 8pm on Thursday.

Police explained they are not from the local area, and have links to various parts of the country.

Avon and Somerset Police appealed to the public for information after a third inmate suspected of absconding at the same time was arrested in Bristol earlier on Saturday.

“Two prisoners have absconded from HMP Leyhill and we want to hear from anyone who has information around their whereabouts,” police said.

“The pair are not originally from Avon and Somerset and have links to various parts of the country.”

Armstrong is described as a white male about five feet and nine inches tall, with ginger hair and scars on his forehead.

“He was last seen wearing a burgundy/orange coat, grey cap, grey tracksuit suit bottoms with blue on the side, and black boots,” police added. He is also thought to know “links to Warwickshire”.

Washbourne was described as a white male about five feet and six inches tall, with brown hair and clean shaven.

He was last seen wearing a cream fleece, blue tracksuit bottoms, blue hat and black trainers and has known links to Herefordshire, police said.

The absconders were reported by HMP Leyhill on Thursday evening and police attended the location at about 9.45pm to begin their investigation.

CCTV footage has been released showing the men were wearing on New Year’s Day.

“Urgent actions have already been completed, including circulating the men as wanted via national police systems,” Avon and Somerset Constabulary said.

“Intelligence work to trace the men’s movements is ongoing.

“Address checks have been made out-of-force too and proved negative so far.”

Police have urged members of the public to not approach the men if they recognise either of them, instead they have been asked to call 999, quoting the reference number 5226000700.

Starmer to tell cabinet to slash cost of living in new year message

Keir Starmer will warn his cabinet to slash the cost of living when they meet for the first time this year, after new figures suggested the poor were getting poorer under Labour.

With his beleagured government still trailing Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in the polls, and expected to suffer heavy losses in May’s local, Scottish and Welsh elections, the prime minister will tell ministers to find ways to cut household bills.

“I know families across the country are still worried about the cost of living,” he will say. “There will be no let-up in our fight to make life better for them.”

As he tries to woo disgruntled voters, the Labour leader will use an event on Monday to highlight steps his government has already taken, but the renewed push follows weeks of negative economic headlines, including warnings that workers will get “hammered” by Rachel Reeves’ stealth taxes.

In her Budget in November, the chancellor said she was “asking everyone to make a contribution” to fund public services and investment after months of sluggish economic growth.

But her decision to drag millions more people into paying higher rates of tax, by freezing the thresholds at which they kick in, will “hammer” workers, while pensioners and those on benefits will see their incomes increase, a new analysis found.

An employee currently earning £50,000 would be £505 worse off in real terms by 2030-31, despite a forecast that their salary will increase by more than £6,000, an analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) think tank found.

As he declares there can be no let-up in the fight against high living costs, the PM is expected to highlight the six interest rates cuts in recent months, which Labour says has left mortgage costs at their lowest since Liz Truss’ disastrous mini-budget.

Millions of households will also see £150 off their energy bills from April, while low paid workers will see an increase to the national living wage worth £900.

Speaking at an event on Monday, Sir Keir will say more families this year will begin to feel the impact of Labour’s policies.

He will tell families: “This Labour government is on your side, doing everything we can to ease the cost of living – and make life better. In 2026 the choices we made will mean more people begin to feel that positive change.”

He will add: “This is real change that you will be able to feel day in day out. Britain is turning the corner and 2026 is the year more people will feel renewal becoming reality.

“We’ll use every tool we have to help you with the cost of living and make your lives better. That’s my promise to all of you.”

The first cabinet meeting of the year will be on Tuesday.

Scrapping the OBR could be Nigel Farage’s Liz Truss moment

Nigel Farage says that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is “a Blairite-style quango” in an interview with the Telegraph this weekend – as if being Blairite is a bad thing.

“I have questioned the need for it,” he says. “We have to discuss whether we would be better off without the OBR. I am giving that very serious thought.”

This could turn out to be a significant moment. The Independent’s poll suggested that allegations that Farage was a racist bully at school did not affect his popularity. But if voters think that he would struggle to manage the public finances, that may prove far more damaging, and could yet turn them away from voting for Reform.

The democratic argument against the OBR is an obvious temptation for Farage. His case against the “Blairite-style quango” is that it is “effectively dictating to elected politicians what they should or should not do”.

That complaint is heard on both left and right: that the OBR prevents politicians from giving people what they want. It mirrors the argument against the independence of the Bank of England in setting interest rates – another Blairite innovation that constrains elected politicians. Farage and Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, have also hinted at ending the Bank’s independence.

Farage’s opponents must be hoping that he will be tempted to fall into this trap. Ultimately, the case for the OBR is far stronger than the case against it. It is a vital part of what keeps politicians honest – and a crucial defence against fiscal disaster.

We know this because it was only four years ago that Liz Truss provided a real-world experiment in what happens when you try to govern without it.

Kwasi Kwarteng, her chancellor, got himself into a terrible tangle when he spoke to students at King’s College London recently. He said he thought the OBR was “probably too powerful”, adding that “it really constrains the radicalism that you want to see”.

But it did not constrain your radicalism, Ed Balls, a professor at King’s, pointed out, because “you cut it out – and your radicalism was still constrained; there was something else constraining it”.

That “something else” was the government’s credibility with those who might lend it money. That constraint exists whether the OBR is involved or not. The difference is that it is less of a constraint when a government sets credible fiscal rules and has an independent body such as the OBR marking its homework.

If Farage were to abolish the OBR, he would quickly find himself in the same position as Truss and Kwarteng: rising interest rates, collapsing confidence and an embarrassingly brief tenure in 10 Downing Street.

Whether he pursues this idea will be a test of Farage’s seriousness. I think he will quietly drop it. I think his opponents are making a mistake if they assume he will make the mistakes they need to keep him out of power.

Even if Farage was only thinking aloud about ditching the OBR, there is a lesson here for those determined to stop him. His weak point is competence – specifically, his ability to manage the public finances.

Liam Byrne, the Labour chair of the Business and Trade Committee, and Best for Britain, the anti-Brexit campaign founded by Gina Miller, commissioned YouGov last year to research which arguments were most likely to dissuade people from voting for Reform.

At the top of the list was not Brexit, nor Farage’s friendship with Donald Trump. It was the economy. The single biggest reason given for not voting for Reform was that “Farage has made billions in unfunded promises that would drive up mortgages and bills”. Next came concerns about employment rights, pensions and the NHS.

Sir Keir Starmer should take note. He should ignore those voices urging him to be “bold” in setting out a pro-EU policy for the next election. Just as he should ignore the strident demands that he hold Farage to account for his slavish admiration of President Trump, one of the few people who is even more unpopular in Britain than the prime minister himself.

That is not how to change the minds of those who may be considering voting Reform at the next election. The spectre of Liz Truss – and the chaos that followed – is a far more effective deterrent.

Myanmar junta fails in bid to force high turnout for sham elections

Myanmar’s military-appointed election body has begun announcing the winners of the first phase of its three-part general election, saying that a military-backed party has won the majority of seats, as widely expected.

Critics of the current system say that the election is designed to add a facade of legitimacy to the status quo. They say the polls are neither free nor fair because of the exclusion of major parties and government repression of dissenters. Opposition groups have called for a boycott by voters.

The military government said on Wednesday that more than 6 million people – about 52 per cent of the more than 11 million eligible voters in the first phase of elections held on 28 December – cast ballots, calling the turnout a decisive success.

Yet that falls well short of the turnout of about 70 per cent in general elections in 2020 and 2015, according to the US-based non-profit International Foundation for Electoral Systems. The junta had gone to great lengths to force the Burmese public to head to the ballot box this time round.

The Union Election Commission, or UEC, announced in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper on Saturday that the Union Solidarity and Development Party, or USDP, won 38 seats in the 330-seat Pyithu Hluttaw lower house, though many seats from the election held on 28 December have yet to be declared.

A separate announcement named the USDP’s leader, Khin Yi, as the winning representative from his constituency in the capital, Naypyidaw. He is a former general and police chief, widely regarded as a close ally of the military ruler, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. He was said to have won 49,006 of the 68,681 votes cast.

The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party and the Mon Unity Party got one seat each, according to the UEC statement.

Saturday’s announcement was still a partial result, but the USDP’s leaders were convinced of success for the first phase.

A senior official of the USDP told The Associated Press that the party has won 88 seats of the total 102 contested in the first phase.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release information, said the party ran unopposed in 29 constituencies, facing no challengers or rivals.

Myanmar has a two-house national legislature, totalling 664 seats. The party with a combined parliamentary majority can select the new president, who can name a cabinet and form a new government. The military automatically receives 25 per cent of seats in each house under the constitution.

The USDP official said the party also won 85 per cent of contested seats in regional legislatures, though complete results will only be known after the second or third phases.

Voting is taking place in three phases due to ongoing armed conflicts, with the first round held on 28 December in 102 townships, nearly a third of Myanmar’s 330 townships. The remaining phases will take place on 11 January and 25 January, but 65 townships won’t participate because of the fighting.

While more than 4,800 candidates from 57 parties are competing for seats in national and regional legislatures, only six parties are competing nationwide with the possibility of gaining political clout in parliament. The USDP is by far the strongest contender.

Military rule began when soldiers ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. It blocked her National League for Democracy party from serving a second term despite winning a landslide victory in the 2020 election.

The NLD was dissolved in 2023, along with 39 other parties, after refusing to officially register under the new military rules.

The takeover triggered widespread popular opposition that has grown into a civil war.

‘Tis the season to connect: How to maximise your mobile

Our mobile phones are a vital part of our everyday lives, providing us with connection, entertainment and information. We rely on the device in our pocket to help us work, socialise, learn and so much more – so we want to make sure we’re getting the most we can from it.

Tesco Mobile’s new Pay as you go Essentials tariff can help you do just that, offering increased flexibility and benefits. It keeps things simple and lets you add 30-day bundles of data, minutes and texts that best suit your needs.

The tariff will replace Rocket Pack, Triple Credit and Lite tariffs for all existing Tesco Mobile Pay as you go customers.

Customers who prefer traditional Pay as you go can continue to use top-up balance for calls, texts and data at the standard rate: 25p per minute, 10p per text, 10p per MB.*

So whether you’re an existing Tesco Mobile customer or thinking of making the switch, here’s seven reasons why Pay as you go Essentials is the perfect option…

We all use our phones differently. For some, it’s all about streaming favourite shows and music, so having enough data is vital. Others just want to be able to text and call friends and family whenever they want. Tesco Mobile make it easy to find the right Pay as you go Essentials bundle for your needs. New customers can choose the best bundle for their needs, with bundles auto-renewing every 30 days using available top-up balance.

Circumstances can change and you might find yourself needing more data or minutes some months than others. Depending on how much you use your phone, a bundle is often more cost-effective than using your top-up balance and being charged standard rates for calls, texts and data usage. Pay as you go Essentials is a flexible top-up tariff designed to give users full control over their spend, letting them add bundles of data, minutes and texts to suit specific needs. You can change your bundle as often as you like or cancel at any time. If you decide to opt-out of a bundle you can continue to use your top-up balance for calls, text and data at the standard out-of-bundle rate (25p per minute, 10p per text, 10p per MB).

Pay as you go Essentials offers a range of five great-value bundle options that all include data, minutes and texts. Pay as you go Essentials bundles start from just £5 for 30 days (minimum £10 top-up at activation), while every bundle from £10 and up includes unlimited calls and texts (subject to Fair Usage Policy) – making it easy and affordable to stay connected. If you’re an existing Tesco Mobile Pay as you go customer you’ll get a free 30 day Essentials bundle based on your previous use so you can see if its the right one for you.

The new Tesco Mobile app is packed with useful features to help you make the most of your Pay as you go phone. It’s a quick and simple way to manage or change your bundles, check usage, top-up your balance change auto-renew settings and more. You can easily see your remaining data, minutes and texts, so you know whether you need to add a new or different bundle. Need a hand with something? Chat with the customer care team via live in-app messaging. This is a new app for Pay as you go customers, and customers will no longer be able to use their old Tesco Mobile Pay as you go apps.

Phone calls cutting out, videos buffering, texts that don’t send… an unreliable phone signal can be hugely frustrating. Tesco Mobile shares O2’s network, which means 99 per cent UK coverage, and a better connection in hard-to-reach rural areas – so you won’t be searching for a signal. Tesco Mobile’s 4G and 5G networks are constantly being improved, and with Pay as you go Essentials, customers can use 4G Calling (also known as VoLTE) means you’ll use your 4G connection to make and receive calls, enjoying clearer calls. You can find this option in your network settings.

With Tesco Mobile, you get a Clubcard point for every £1 you spend. Just link your Clubcard to your phone (text the word CLUBCARD to 28578 free from your Tesco Mobile phone) and watch the points add up. You can then convert your points to vouchers to save on your weekly grocery shop or exchange the vouchers for Reward Partner codes to save money on meals out, entertainment, day trips, travel and more. For a limited time, Tesco Mobile customers can get 500 Clubcard points every time they add a £15 Pay as you go Essentials bundle when they link their Clubcard within the first 28 days of adding the bundle. Clubcard points will be automatically issued within 30 days.

For more information on Tesco Mobile’s Pay as you go Essentials, including all available bundles, visit Tesco Mobile

*Offer ends 01/02/2026. See Terms And Conditions for full terms.

Pair who died off East Yorkshire coast ‘trying to save teenage girl’

Two people have died and a third is missing off the East Yorkshire coast after reportedly attempting to rescue a teenage girl swept out to sea.

Humberside Police were called to Central Promenade in Withernsea at 3.15pm on Friday.

A 67-year-old man, pulled unconscious from the water, died at the scene, and a second body was recovered later that evening.

Searches for the third individual are ongoing on Saturday, involving HM Coastguard, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and Humberside Fire and Rescue.

Paul Whitehead, owner of Castle Cafe on the promenade, told The Telegraph that his staff had tried to help the girl, including one who threw her a life ring.

“Around 3pm a girl, around 15 years old, went down the Pier Towers concrete steps and the seas are so rough, she got washed away,” he told the newspaper.

“Her parents then went down to try and help her, as did one of my staff, who grabbed a life ring.

“The young girl had hold of the ring but was hit by a wave and couldn’t hold on and went under.

“Four local men who were on the promenade then also went down to help the parents.”

Karen Higgs, 66, told the paper the girl was swept out by the waves.

“I was by the cafe and this woman was running up the front towards the pier towers, shouting ‘she’s in the water, she’s in the water’,” Ms Higgs told the newspaper.

“I looked and I went across and there was somebody in the water… going in and out with the waves.

“Someone threw a safety ring in for her to catch. She was going out as the ring went in and it went and she never tried to catch it. We were all shouting at her to catch it, catch it. She just didn’t.”

A statement from HM Coastguard said searches were stood down at 12.30am on Saturday.

“Efforts will resume at first light, when coastguard rescue teams along with partner agencies will be sent to conduct additional searches of the area,” a coastguard statement said.

Police said circumstances surrounding both deaths are not believed to be suspicious.

“We continue to ask that people avoid the area to allow emergency services to work efficiently and safely,” the force added.

A rescue helicopter, coastguard rescue teams from Withernsea, Hornsea and Hull, an RNLI inshore lifeboat from Withernsea and an all-weather lifeboat from Bridlington, and Hornsea Inshore Rescue were also among those who attended the scene, the coastguard said.

On Friday, local charity Hornsea Inshore Rescue said on Facebook that it had been called out to Withernsea, but had been “unable to launch the lifeboat due to horrendous conditions and three-metre waves”.

A later post from the team said it had “launched on service”.

Joshua flies back to UK after fatal Nigeria car crash

Anthony Joshua has flown back to the UK after being involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends.

Joshua, a passenger in the incident, was taken to hospital after the crash on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Monday, which was promptly confirmed to have taken two lives. It was not until later in the day that reports suggested the two casualties were Joshua’s personal trainer Latif “Latz” Ayodele and strength coach Sina Ghami.

The former two-time world heavyweight champion, who only sustained minor injuries, was discharged from a Lagos hospital on Wednesday afternoon and initially stayed in Nigeria to recuperate before flying back to his homeland.

Prosecutors have charged the vehicle’s driver, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, with causing death by dangerous driving, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care, and driving without a valid driver’s licence. The case has been adjourned until 20 January.

Joshua’s vehicle collided with a truck parked on the side of the expressway, according to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps.

They also suggested speeding and an overtake attempt were to blame for the crash, but Ogun state’s police commissioner later told ESPN that a burst tyre on Joshua’s vehicle caused the driver to lose control and “swerve into the stationary truck parked along the road”.

Video footage from the aftermath of the crash shows Joshua sitting in his mangled SUV, appearing dazed and in pain. Ayodele and Ghami were pronounced dead at the scene.

Matchroom, which promotes 36-year-old Joshua, and 258 MGT, his management company shared a joint statement: “With profound sadness, it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, have tragically passed away.

“Matchroom Boxing and 258 BXG can confirm that Anthony sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment. He is in a stable condition and will remain there for observation.

“Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected – and we ask that their privacy is respected at this incredibly difficult time. No further comment will be made at this time.”

The crash came just 10 days after Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a fight in Miami.

The Briton beat Paul in six rounds in his first fight since a knockout defeat by Daniel Dubois in September 2024. It was his 29th win from 33 professional fights.