At least 34 civilians killed after Russian ballistic missile strike hits Sumy

At least 34 civilians, including two children, have been killed and 117 more injured in a Russian missile strike on the city of Sumy, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Two ballistic missiles struck the heart of the city as people walked to church to celebrate Palm Sunday.

Fifteen children were among the civilians injured in “cars, public transport, in houses” after the direct hit on the bustling city on Sunday morning.

“Only scoundrels can act like this. Taking the lives of ordinary people,” President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media, alongside a chilling video which showed corpses on the ground, a destroyed bus and burnt-out cars in the middle of a sunny square.

Zelensky added: “The United States, Europe, everyone in the world who wants an end to this war and murders. Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and is dragging out this war. Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible.”

The strike comes less than a day after Russia and Ukraine’s top diplomats accused each other of violating a tentative US-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the three-year war.

Piastri lays down F1 title gauntlet to Norris with victory in Bahrain

Oscar Piastri eased to victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix as Lando Norris battled back from his disappointing qualifying to finish third.

The Australian converted his pole position into a commanding win under the lights at the Sakhir circuit, coming home over 15 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.

Norris, who began the weekend with a one-point lead in the championship, overcame a five-second penalty and a ding-dong battle with Charles Leclerc to finish on the podium.

Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton secured fourth and fifth for Ferrari, while Max Verstappen finished sixth.

Norris retained his championship lead and is now three points clear of his teammate Piastri in the standings.

McLaren looked set to dominate the weekend – as predicted by their rivals – after topping every practice session, but Norris’ slip-up at the death in qualifying left him with work to do from sixth.

The British driver said he was “clueless” about how to get pace from his car after qualifying but he was certainly quick off the line, surging past Pierre Gasly and Kimi Antonelli by the first corner before dispatching Leclerc.

Norris’ positive opening was soon dashed as he was hit with a five-second penalty for a false start – Verstappen flagging it on the radio as replays showed the championship leader comfortably ahead of his grid box.

Russell also made a strong start to claim second but could not keep pace with Piastri out front.

Norris pitted after 10 laps to try and undercut Russell – who waited three laps to make his stop and emerged still just ahead of the McLaren.

Leclerc and Hamilton both started on medium tyres from second and ninth respectively and each pitted after 17 laps, the Monegasque urging his team to “please consider” a different strategy.

The Scuderia pair came alive in their second stint, Hamilton surging past Yuki Tsunoda and Verstappen as Leclerc charged after Norris.

Leclerc was unable to make his first pass stick but did next time around, blasting around the outside to claim third.

The race picture changed on lap 32 as debris from Tsunoda and Carlos Sainz’s collision brought out a safety car.

Mercedes gave Russell – in second – the soft tyre with 24 laps remaining in a move he described as “audacious”.

Norris tried to overtake Leclerc as the race resumed but was instead passed by Hamilton. He soon reclaimed fourth place but did so by leaving the track as McLaren told Norris to hand the place back.

Norris was soon back ahead of the seven-time world champion, who said his hard tyre “sucked”.

Leclerc’s battle with Norris unfolded over the final 10 laps. The McLaren man locked up as he attempted to go round the outside of turn one on lap 46 before he was off the track as he attempted the same move three laps later.

Norris claimed he was pushed off by Leclerc, but the stewards did not agree.

The British driver finally got the job done on lap 52 and piled the pressure on compatriot Russell, who held on to finish second.

As the action unfolded behind him, Piastri kept a cool head in the desert and his win never looked in any doubt.

Verstappen, who claimed a surprise win in Japan last weekend, endured a miserable afternoon with two slow pit stops hitting his chances.

Upstairs, Downstairs actor and co-creator Jean Marsh dies aged 90

Upstairs, Downstairs actor and co-creator Jean Marsh has died at the age of 90.

The Emmy-award winning star also co-created the historical drama series The House Of Eliott.

Her friend, director Sir Michael Lindsay-Hogg, said in a statement issued through her agent: “Jean died peacefully in bed looked after by one of her very loving carers.

“You could say we were very close for 60 years. She was as wise and funny as anyone I ever met, as well as being very pretty and kind, and talented as both an actor and writer.

“An instinctively empathetic person who was loved by everyone who met her. We spoke on the phone almost every day for the past 40 years.”

She was best known for playing the role of Rose in the British drama television series Upstairs, Downstairs, which she co-created with Dame Eileen Atkins.

For her portrayal, she won an Emmy at the 1976 awards ceremony in the category of outstanding lead actress in a limited series.

Born Jean Lyndsey Torren Marsh on 1 July 1934 in Stoke Newington, north London, her mother worked in a bar and as a theatre dresser while her father was a handyman and printer’s assistant.

She became interested in performing after taking dance and mime classes as therapy for an illness and began acting on stage, with a stint at Huddersfield Rep in the 1950s.

It was not long before she transferred to London and at the age of 12 the actor made her West End debut in The Land Of The Christmas Stocking at The Duke of York’s Theatre.

Her earliest screen appearances came in such TV classics as The Twilight Zone and Danger Man. She also appeared in Doctor Who adventures, most notably as William Hartnell’s short-lived companion Sara Kingdom.

Her most memorable films were fantasy adventure Willow (1988), thriller Frenzy (1972) and war movie The Eagle Has Landed (1976).

In 2007 the cast of Upstairs, Downstairs, including Marsh, reunited for the first time in more than 30 years for a TV special marking the 60th anniversary of the Bafta awards.

Ms Marsh said at the event: “I clearly remember sitting in my friend Eileen Atkins’s kitchen, nearly 40 years ago, discussing an idea for a series showing the contrast between upstairs and downstairs, and we were sharing stories about her father and my mother, both of whom had been in service.”

The BBC revived the period drama in 2010 and Ms Marsh returned as Rose.

A minor stroke forced Marsh to take a break in 2011 but she returned to work afterwards.

She was married to Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee for five years before their divorce in 1960 and she also had relationships with actors Kenneth Haigh, Albert Finney and Sir Michael Lindsay-Hogg

Marsh starred in a number of other TV series including Sense And Sensibility, Hawaii Five-O, and Murder, She Wrote.

She was made an OBE in 2012 for her career in drama.

Report hits back at ‘disgraceful’ accusations of two-tier policing

MPs have declared the police response to last summer’s riots “entirely appropriate”, dismissing accusations of disproportionate policing.

A new report from the Home Affairs Committee, released Monday, investigated the police handling of the widespread disorder following the tragic murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29 of last year.

The committee found no evidence to support claims of “two-tier policing”, where certain groups are policed more rigorously than others.

The report rejected such accusations as “disgraceful”, concluding that the police response to the violence and criminality was justified.

MPs said: “Those participating in disorder were not policed more strongly because of their supposed political views but because they were throwing missiles, assaulting police officers and committing arson.

“It was disgraceful to see the police officers who bore the brunt of this violence being undermined by baseless claims of ‘two-tier policing’.”

During the riots, mosques, community centres and libraries were attacked and hotels housing asylum seekers were also targeted.

Committee chairwoman Dame Karen Bradley added: “Organised disorder is rightly met with a robust response; any implied equivalence with planned non-violent protests is simply wrong.”

By January 22 this year, 1,804 arrests had been made and there were 1,072 charges from the disorder, with the majority for serious public order offences, the report said.

In total, 246 events of protests, counter-protests and incidents of disorder took place, including 88 seen as “significant” with many resulting in disorder, it added.

In the worst violence seen since the 2011 riots, MPs urged the Government to release funding to forces to cover costs from the disorder, which was estimated to total more than £28 million by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

They also called for the Government to focus on a strategy for retaining police officers, alongside recruitment, after staff during the riots worked for long hours with many suffering injury and trauma.

Some 44,438 public order police officer shifts were worked to cover the national response to the disorder between August 1 and 18, while 302 officers were injured including up to 69 who were taken to hospital.

The report said: “Police forces did their best to ameliorate the impact on officers but it is clear that the disorder has had a detrimental effect at a time when many officers were already struggling with heavy workloads, fatigue and stress.”

MPs also found shortfalls in national policing structures that hindered the response to the disorder, and meant forces were not always able to access support they needed.

The parliamentary committee agreed with findings from a watchdog that police forces should have better anticipated the risk of disorder in general, and that it should not have been taken for granted that planned protests following the Southport disorder would remain peaceful.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) had said that a number of events in 2023 and 2024 were indicators of potential future disorder, but this had not been reflected in police intelligence assessments.

It also found there were gaps in intelligence linked to social media and the dark web.

MPs also recommended a boosted ability for police to monitor and respond to social media at a national level.

It was also highlighted that the criminal justice system has failed to keep pace with the social media age, which created an information vacuum that “allowed disinformation to flourish” in the wake of the Southport murders.

The report recognised the belief that speculation and misinformation that the suspect was an asylum seeker was a driver of disorder.

MPs said the Crown Prosecution Service and Merseyside Police were ultimately limited on what they could publish about the then unnamed suspect, Axel Rudakubana, by the Contempt of Court Act 1981, which prevents the publication of information that could prejudice criminal proceedings.

They welcomed a review into the law by the Law Commission, which published a consultation paper last month to consider “whether there should be contempt of court liability for those who risk prejudicing a criminal trial by releasing information in the interests of public safety or national security”.

Dame Karen added: “It is a grim reality that bad actors sought to exploit the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded in Southport.

“The criminal justice system will need to ensure its approach to communication is fit for the social media age.

“Lessons must be learned from how the whole criminal justice system worked together.

“It will need to ensure that police forces can improve how they deal with regular policing work as well as supporting them to develop capacity to respond to crises.

“The Government’s plans for police reform will be especially important for making sure national policing structures support forces effectively in emergencies.”

Responding to the report, Emily Spurrell, chairwoman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and PCC for Merseyside Police said the ensuring capability and improved information sharing at a national level “must be a priority for all involved in policing reform” after the findings over the nationally coordinated policing response.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “It is always important that we always learn lessons, and we are working closely with policing to improve national decision making, and to ensure that officers get the support they need to keep our streets safe.

“We also agree social media has put well-established principles around how we communicate after attacks like this under strain, and we must be able to tackle misinformation head on. That is why we have asked the Law Commission to carry out a review into the rules around Contempt of Court as soon as possible.”

Siddiq denies wrongdoing as Bangladesh ‘issues warrant for her arrest’

An arrest warrant for the Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has been issued in Bangladesh in connection with new corruption allegations.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Bangladesh issued the arrest warrant on Sunday over allegations Ms Siddiq illegally received a 7,200 square feet plot of land in the country’s capital, Dhaka.

Ms Siddiq, a former City minister, is among dozens of people named by a judge, including her mother Sheikh Rehana, her aunt and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the Financial Times reported.

Siddiq had been summoned to appear for a hearing on Sunday, following an earlier notice issued on 10 April. After she failed to attend, the court issued arrest warrants. There is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Bangladesh.

The allegation is said to be separate from an investigation into Ms Siddiq’s aunt, the former PM, regarding a nuclear power plant deal in which the former City minister has also been named.

Ms Siddiq resigned from her post in the Treasury earlier this year following an investigation by the prime minister’s ethics adviser into her links to her aunt’s regime, which was overthrown last year following mass protests in Bangladesh.

In a statement, Ms Siddiq’s lawyers said the MP for Hampstead and Highgate had no knowledge of any warrant being issued, and described the claims against her as “politically motivated”.

Ms Siddiq’s lawyers said: “The ACC has made various allegations against Ms Siddiq through the media in the last few months. The allegations are completely false and have been dealt with in writing by Ms Siddiq’s lawyers.

“The ACC has not responded to Ms Siddiq or put any allegations to her directly or through her lawyers. Ms Siddiq knows nothing about a hearing in Dhaka relating to her and she has no knowledge of any arrest warrant that is said to have been issued.

“To be clear, there is no basis at all for any charges to be made against her, and there is absolutely no truth in any allegation that she received a plot of land in Dhaka through illegal means.

“She has never had a plot of land in Bangladesh, and she has never influenced any allocation of plots of land to her family members or anyone else.

“No evidence has been provided by the ACC to support this or any other allegation made against Ms Siddiq, and it is clear to us that the charges are politically motivated.”

Ms Siddiq chose to resign from her role as a minister in Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet in January, saying she had become “a distraction” from the government’s agenda.

She stepped down following reports that she lived in properties in London linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who is now exiled in India.

Although it was concluded that she had not breached the ministerial code, Sir Keir was advised to reconsider Ms Siddiq’s responsibilities.

The prime minister’s adviser on ministerial standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, said: “Given the nature of Ms Siddiq’s ministerial responsibilities, which include the promotion of the UK financial services sector and the inherent probity of its regulatory framework as a core component of the UK economy and its growth, it is regrettable that she was not more alert to the potential reputational risks – both to her and the government – arising from her close family’s association with Bangladesh.”

A Conservative Party spokesperson said Ms Siddiq “should immediately stand down as a Labour MP” if she is the subject of an arrest warrant in Bangladesh.

The ACC has been contacted for comment.

The global event bringing fresh energy to planet-positive solutions

As we navigate significant environmental and social challenges, the return of ChangeNOW, the world’s biggest expo of solutions for the planet, is much needed to reinvigorate climate action. The 2025 edition, which will take place from April 24th to 26th, will host 140 countries, 40,000 attendees, 10,000 companies and 1,200 investors.

Visionary leaders, established businesses and start-ups alike will gather to showcase over 1,000 sustainable solutions and groundbreaking innovations in key sectors such as clean energy, biodiversity, sustainable cities and the circular economy.

The ChangeNOW 2025 summit will be held at the iconic Grand Palais in Paris, a nod to the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement. Reuniting for the occasion will be guest speakers Mary Robinson, the former (and first female) president of Ireland, Laurent Fabius, former French prime minister, Patricia Espinosa, former UN climate chief and diplomat and Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, leading climate scientist and professor – all of whom were in the French capital a decade earlier to help shape the Paris Agreement at COP21.

There may have been obvious setbacks to environmental policy around the world of late, the United States’ recent withdrawal from the Paris Agreement being a notable one. However ChangeNOW 2025 intends to reaffirm the spirit of Paris, while serving as a catalyst for progress ahead of COP30 and the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC). “Ten years after COP21, ChangeNOW is where leaders and changemakers converge to accelerate the ecological and social transition,” states Santiago Lefebvre, founder and president of ChangeNOW. “Thousands of solutions will be showcased demonstrating that meaningful progress is within reach.”

His message of positive climate action will be supported by a multitude of world famous faces who will be in attendance at the auspicious event. Natalie Portman, Academy award-winning actress, director, author, activist, and producer; Captain Paul Watson, Founder of Sea Shepherd and Ocean Conservationist; Hannah Jones, CEO of The Earthshot Prize and Olympic champion boxer and gender equality advocate Imane Khelif are just a few of the names set to appear at ChangeNOW 2025.

With over 500 speakers and 250 conference sessions exploring climate action, biodiversity protection, resource management, and social inclusion, ChangeNOW 2025 will also hear the insights of acclaimed corporate leaders from Accor, Bouygues, Henkel, Lidl, Nexans, and Saint-Gobain, who will explain how businesses can be the ones to drive real change.

And the event will not only be an opportunity for global policymakers to discuss next steps in climate action, it will also be a platform for nations to showcase local innovations through their country pavilions. Expect impactful solutions from countries including South Africa, The Netherlands, and Ukraine – demonstrating international collaboration on the topic of climate.

In addition to the packed program of speakers, workshops, exhibits and networking opportunities, ChangeNOW 2025 will host the Impact Job Fair on Saturday, 26 April, with over 150 recruiters and training organisations offering in excess of 600 roles. Dedicated to the public and young professionals, the interactive workshops, educational activities, and career opportunities in sustainable sectors on offer aim to inspire the next generation of changemakers.

The summit will also present the annual Women for Change conference and the accompanying portrait exhibition, which showcases 25 women who are set to have a significant positive impact on their communities, countries or on a global scale over the next 10 years. Created in 2021, the Women for Change initiative aims to platform and provide opportunities for women who are leading change around the world but require further recognition or investment to continue their work. The annual flagship event, which takes place on the afternoon of April 24th, offers women the chance to discuss new ideas, network with likeminded people, and also acquire funding to help solidify their leadership, and amplify their impact.

Step outside the Grand Palais and take a few steps to the Port des Champs Elysées, on the bank of the Seine, where the The Water Odyssey village awaits. One of the event’s standout features, the immersive 1,000 m² exhibition is open to the public and highlights solutions to maritime and river sustainability challenges – offering a mix of conferences, interactive displays, and sensory experiences to engage all ages.

For three days, ChangeNOW will transform Paris into the global capital of impact, bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and the public in the pursuit of sustainable progress.

Book your ChangeNOW 2025 ticket here

Following the footsteps of an 1890s alpinist in the Dolomites

“I always imagined I would see it for myself…” My father-in-law’s voice tailed off and his cancer-gnarled fingers tightened their grip on mine as tears engulfed us both. Spring sunshine streamed into the bedroom, a stark reminder of new life unfurling as his life ebbed away. “I will go there,” I vowed to him. “And I’ll tell you all about it when I return.” A promise I knew I could not keep.

I met my father-in-law, Gulliver Immink, at a wedding, on the same day that I met his son. Of Dutch descent like me, he was delighted to see the romance blossoming, aided no doubt by his discrete deliveries of bottles of Champagne to the love birds. His cancer diagnosis came a little over a year later, shortly before our wedding.

On my first visit to Gulliver’s home, I was struck by a photograph of a mountain peak bearing the name Cima Immink. Ever the raconteur, Gulliver regaled me with tales of the peak in the Dolomites that was first scaled in 1891 by the indomitable Jeanne Immink, his great-great-grand aunt. An extraordinary, and controversial woman, Jeannette Friederike Hermine Immink (née Diest) was a pioneering alpinist. The first woman to climb in trousers rather than skirts, Jeanne enjoyed a brief yet action-packed mountaineering career in the 1890s, during which she scaled some of Europe’s most challenging peaks and routes, was credited with several first ascents, and invented the climbing harness.

Gulliver and I often plotted to visit Cima Immink, and the nearby peak of Campanile Giovanna, also named in honour of Jeanne, together. However, “time and tide wait for no man”. And, so it was, that I found myself paying my respects to both Jeanne and Gulliver at the foot of Cima Immink that summer.

The imposing peak is part of the Pale di San Martino, the largest massif in the Dolomites. Submerged beneath a shallow sea 300 million years ago, these mighty coral reefs were thrust up by tectonic forces and whittled into dramatic spires by the elements. Ringed by these pinnacles is the Altipiano delle Pale plateau, a former seabed that now lies exposed 2,700m above sea level, and 1,200m above the town of San Martino di Castrozza. In the words of the intrepid traveller and writer Amelia Edwards in 1872: “I doubt if a more lonely, desolate or tremendous scene is to be found this side of the Andes.”

It took the 38-year-old Jeanne Immink ten hours to climb from San Martino to the peak of Cima Immink (2,862m) – an elevation difference of 1,375m – and back. That included a pause in each direction to duck behind some Arolla stone pine trees to exchange her tweed skirt for “revolutionary” knickerbockers, as the latter weren’t regarded as suitable attire for ladies. Lacking the fitness to retrace Jeanne’s steps (her nickname was La Donna Instancabile or “The Tireless Woman”), I travelled up to the Altipiano by gondola and cable car, chatting with my venerable mountain guide and artist Narci Simion as the views of San Martino di Castrozza opened up below us.

Thanks to its location between the Po Valley and Tyrol, the lush Alpe di Castrozza valley and Passo Rolle mountain pass above it has long been a strategic crossing point for merchants and armies. The Habsburgs paved the Rolle pass (1863-1874), transforming San Martino di Castrozza into a wealthy, thriving destination. Large Victorian hotels emerged, accustomed to hosting members of the Habsburg monarchy, European politicians, artists and literati as well as seasoned climbers and travellers.

During the First World War, the town was occupied by Austrian troops who fixed their defensive line on the Lagorai peak by the Rolle Pass. When that line fell in 1915, the retreating troops burned San Martino to the ground, leaving just one lonely bell tower standing. Rebuilt under Mussolini to rival Cortina d’Ampezzo, the flourishing village was then annexed by German troops in 1943 before becoming part of the autonomous region of Trentino-South Tyrol in 1946.

Throughout this tumultuous history, a handful of families have remained loyal to San Martino, dedicated to building – and rebuilding – their hotels and climbing the peaks that tower above it. The hoteliers include the Toffol, Panzer and Langes families, while climbing dynasties include the Zagonels, Bottegas and Zecchinis. These families remain active in the town today, which is intrinsically linked to alpinism to an extent I have never encountered elsewhere.

As I crossed the Altipiano with Narci Simion, he recounted stories of early visitors to San Martino and the Aquile di San Martino (San Martino Eagles) guiding company, of which he was president for many years. Established in 1881, the original Aquile guides were local shepherds and hunters, who honed their climbing skills to become revered for their bravery and intimate knowledge of the Dolomites. We made our way to the Rifugio Rosetta, a stone hut perched on an outcrop in the eery lunar plateau, its cheery white and blue painted shutters providing welcome relief from the monochrome landscape.

Jeanne Immink stayed in the original rifugio (also burned down in 1915) in August 1891 before summiting one of her first peaks in the area, the Pala di San Martino. Scanning the walls of the atmospheric hut, papered with images of climbers of bygone eras, I found a photo of Jeanne. Taken by the pioneering German climber and mountain photographer Theodor Wundt while climbing the sheer face of Cima Piccolo, the image graced the front cover of his book about Dolomite climbs, Wanderungen in den Ampezzaner Dolomiten (Berlin, 1894). The image of a woman mountain climbing – in trousers – generated almost equal shock, consternation, outrage and admiration.

The owner of the Rosetta, the accomplished climber and mountain guide Mariano Lott, welcomed Narci with the warm embrace of trusted friends. But when Narci presented me – “May I introduce you to a descendant of Jeanne Immink” – I was grasped by both hands in amazement and virtually bowed to. As I learned over the following days, neither Narci nor Jeanne require introduction here, both are local legends.

Most hikers following the narrow trail leading from Rifugio Rosetta over the Passo di Ball to Rifugio Pradidali won’t realise they’re passing Cima Immink. The muscular peak forms part of a series of summits in a stupendous landscape best appreciated as part of the Palaronda trek, a four-day hut-to-hut hiking tour. Covering some 22 miles and 9,800 vertical feet, this circular route requires a good level of fitness, a head for heights and, ideally, experience of hiking at altitude. In return, you’ll enjoy blissful immersion in the unparalleled beauty of the Pale di San Martino, experiencing its scale and majesty as the setting sun blushes the limestone spires pink, apricot and lilac. Evenings spent in the Rosetta and Pradidali huts are convivial affairs, feasting on simple local fare in the company of thermal-clad outdoorsy types.

Whether you complete the Palaronda, tackle one of the challenging via ferrata routes that criss-cross the Pale or simply ride up the cable car for lunch at the Rifugio Rosetta, it is essential to toast your alpinism with a drink at La Mia Enoteca back down in San Martino. Soft jazz plays, candles flicker, and the walls and timber beams of the wine bar are plastered with photographs of generations of local climbers and Aquile mountain guides, including Renzo Debortolis, the wine bar’s founder. Debortolis’ son, Matteo, serves glasses of crisp Trentino white wine, shearing off melt-in-the-mouth slithers of ham with his flywheel slicer to accompany them.

I met Narci here after our hike, poring over his private collection of antique Dolomites climbing guides and some of his coveted paintings of them. Impervious to the late summer chill, leathery-skinned mountain men sat on the small patio, discussing the prestigious Piolets d’Or (golden ice axes) awards being hosted in town, the Oscars of mountaineering. To my delight, Narci deemed me capable of summiting Cima Immink, confirming my next Dolomites adventure.

I learned many things from my father-in-law but his last words to me ring loudest in my ears. “Please come back soon. I don’t think I have much longer.” Don’t put off your dreams, they won’t wait for you.

Fly from London to Bolzano with SkyAlps (from €190 one-way, including in-flight South Tyrolean wines and snacks), which is 1 hour 40 minutes drive from San Martino di Castrozza.

Stay in the charming two-bedroom Jeanne Immink apartment at Langes Residences, open June through September in summer.

For more information about San Martino di Castrozza visit sanmartino.com. Visit palarondatrek.com for details about hiking and via ferrata in the Pala San Martino. German and Dutch speakers can learn more about Jeanne Immink in the book Die Frau, die in die Wolken stieg by Harry Muré.

Britain’s aid cuts harm the world – and the UK itself

When the government announced that it was to divert almost half of the annual foreign aid budget to defence spending, the outcry, beyond the aid community and the demonstrative resignation of the development minister, was rather less than might have been expected in response to such a drastic switch.

To be sure, the muted response had its causes, which included the acceptance that Europe was going to have to pay a lot more towards its own defence; the continuing strength of UK public support for Ukraine; and the regrettable reality that foreign aid is rarely a popular destination for taxpayers’ money. If there was also an element of ignorance – or, at the very least, a reluctance to acknowledge the likely consequences of such a major redirection of resources – such excuses are no longer tenable, if ever they were. The scale of the likely damage has now been spelt out in an analysis by the charity Save the Children – and a disastrous picture it presents, too.

As is so often the case, the first to suffer will be the poorest, and chief among those are women and girls, mothers and babies. Programmes designed to widen access to education, family planning, clean water and food are all likely to be cut back or ended, affecting as many as 12 million people. Almost 3 million fewer children could be in education compared with five years ago. Poor sanitation means the spread of disease; curtailing sexual health programmes risks increasing the spread of HIV. By any measure, these add up to a big step in the wrong direction.

Even those dismal figures, however, do not tell the whole story. When the reallocation between the aid and defence budgets was announced, the prime minister insisted that aid to Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan would be protected. Together, however, these commitments amount to nearly £7bn of the £9.2bn that is envisaged to be the aid budget in 2027. To that has also to be added the £3bn or so that currently goes from the foreign aid budget towards the cost of accommodating asylum seekers and irregular migrants in the UK. Save the Children estimates a “black hole” of at least £750,000 that could presage the end of practically every other aid programme, with as many as 55 million people affected around the world.

One very partial remedy might be for the government to reallocate the asylum costs to domestic spending departments. But this looks unlikely. While it was questioned at one time by none other than the foreign secretary, David Lammy, the use of the foreign aid budget to fund accommodation for asylum seekers is clearly designed to fend off criticism and, with the number of small-boat crossings only rising, these costs look unlikely to come down soon, despite the home secretary’s hopes of cutting spending by speeding up procedures. Dan Paskins of Save the Children has it right when he says, “We should not fund our response to one crisis at the expense of others.”

International pressure to keep up foreign aid spending is also diminished. The Trump administration went so far as to disband one of the world’s biggest aid agencies, USAID, with some immediate dire consequences, including for earthquake relief in Myanmar. Rather than being seen as an example of what not to do, however, that one move seemed to give others a green light to downgrade their own foreign aid efforts. The UK was one – and the scale of the cut was savage. At 0.3 per cent of gross national income (GNI), the UK’s aid contribution is now at its lowest for 25 years.

It is a far cry from the 0.7 per cent of GNI that is called for by the UN, was promised by the Blair government, and was finally reached by the UK in 2013. This is where it stayed until 2021, when it was “temporarily” reduced to 0.5 per cent by the Johnson government in the light of Covid spending pressures. Last year’s Labour manifesto included an undertaking to restore the budget to 0.7 per cent. For all the current special circumstances, the government should be held to its pledge.

Summary cuts to vital aid programmes harm the intended recipients above all. But they harm the donor country and its government, too. They damage its reputation and its projection of “soft power”, but they also threaten to increase multiple risks, from the spread of disease to security threats and enforced migration, any or all of which could eventually reach our shores. A supposedly short-term slashing of the foreign aid budget today can all too easily translate into much higher costs for everyone tomorrow.