The Stormont Executive has agreed a long-awaited programme for government, BBC News NI understands.
A virtual meeting of ministers lasted about 40 minutes on Thursday morning, a day after plans to agree the document were withdrawn at the last minute.
The first and deputy first ministers hailed it as an important milestone in a press conference on Thursday.
The document will have to be delivered to the assembly first on Monday before it can be published to the wider public.
The programme for government comes just over a year since the Northern Ireland Executive reformed in February 2024.
It is understood the document contains a number of targets alongside the executive’s nine main priorities.
A draft version of the programme, an 88-page document entitled Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most, was unveiled last September before an eight-week public consultation.
Taoiseach visit cancelled
Meanwhile a visit by Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin to Belfast today has been postponed.
He was due to visit Stormont for the first time since being re-elected taoiseach last month.
The Irish government said that the meeting has been pulled due to a schedule change.
Irish national broadcaster RTÉ has reported that Martin is to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Shannon Airport.
Zelensky is to make a brief stop in Ireland before travelling to the United States to meet President Trump.
What did the draft programme for government contain?
The priorities set out in the draft were described by First Minister Michelle O’Neill as “ambitious and focused”.
There were nine key priorities:
Grow a globally competitive and sustainable economy
Deliver more affordable childcare
Cut health waiting lists
Ending violence against women and girls
Better support for children and young people with special educational needs
Provide more social, affordable and sustainable housing
Safer communities
Protect Lough Neagh and the environment
Reform and transformation of public services
When was the last programme for government agreed?
It has been some time since a Stormont executive agreed a finalised programme for government.
The last time an executive managed to get one over the line was during the assembly’s fourth term between 2011 and 2015.
One was also agreed in 2016 and went out to public consultation.
The water sector in England and Wales “urgently needs fixing”, environment secretary Steve Reed has said.
The public, environment groups and investors have been asked for their views about how the water sector can be changed by a body set up by the UK government.
The head of a new independent commission will invite ideas on how to fix England and Wales’ troubled water industry.
Sir John Cunliffe, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England will launch his call for evidence in Manchester on Thursday morning.
There has been growing public anger about water company performance amid massive sewage leaks and soaring bills.
The commission, chaired by former deputy Bank of England governor Sir Jon Cunliffe, is looking for views on reform.
Reed has ruled out nationalisation, saying it would cost up to £100bn, and that waterways would continue to be polluted while private ownership structures were unpicked.
Instead, the government wants private investment to upgrade the sewerage system and reservoirs.
To get that, regulator Ofwat has allowed the water industry to raise bills, which will go up by an average of £123 a year from April.
There were 3.6 million hours of sewage spills into England’s lakes, rivers and seas by water companies in 2023, which is more than double the amount of the previous year.
Reed said there are “serious” and “interlocking concerns” with the sector which need “ambitious changes”, and acknowledged that “trust in the system” had “broken down on all sides”.
He said there had been “poor decisions and poor performance by companies, regulatory gaps, policy instability and a history of ad-hoc changes that have left an increasingly complex system that is no longer working well for anyone”.
But he said these problems were not the “inevitable” consequence of privatisation.
The government established the independent water commission promising the biggest shake up of the sector since privatisation 35 years ago.
Sir Jon is expected to recognise the widespread dissatisfaction at multiple failings and will seek submissions from regulators, investors, industry leaders and the public on potential reforms.
He will acknowledge the tensions between different regulators, the increasing demands place on the system by climate and population growth, and making the sector attractive to private investors.
His review comes as six companies are appealing against decisions by Ofwat to limit bill increases over the next five years.
The commission’s report, expected in June, will not affect that process.
To try to make companies more accountable, the government has brought in a law which gives regulators the power to ban bonuses for water company bosses.
In addition, executives who fail to cooperate or obstruct investigators could face prison sentences of up to two years.
When Kilmarnock won in this fixture in October, Dodds was present in a media role, saying on Sportsound that day his former side’s attitude was “miles off it”.
That threatened to be the case again on Wednesday. Heads were down or shaking, shoulders were slumped, and confidence was devoid.
Then, Vaclav Cerny struck to halve the deficit before the break. Just a matter of minutes after Nsiala was hooked.
What followed was “different class”, said Ferguson.
It was certainly a different Rangers.
Cyriel Dessers, who first hauled his side level and then shot them in front, revealed that Ferguson told them at half-time that “we’re still in this”.
“We came out and felt, ‘hey, we’re going to get them today’ after that goal after half-time,” the striker told Sky Sports.
An elated Ferguson couldn’t hide his emotions when the final whistle peeped after what turned out to be a fairly comfortable win.
Relieved, yes. But rational enough to realise Rangers are far from resurgent.
“You’ve got to be resilient at Glasgow Rangers,” Ferguson said. “There’s demands and expectations to win every game and if you don’t, you come in for criticism and you need to handle that criticism.
“There’s a lot to work on and we’ll work on it, but one thing they showed tonight was character.”
For a fair while, Rangers have lacked in that department. There are still many unanswered questions when it comes to Ferguson’s credentials, but he’s a fine example of showing character.
Thousands of cameras are now being used to monitor the movements of Kabul residents
In a crowded control centre, surrounded by dozens of TV screens, the Taliban’s police force proudly shows off its newly-acquired network of 90,000 CCTV cameras – used to watch over the day-to-day lives of millions of people.
“We monitor the entire city of Kabul from here,” says Khalid Zadran, a spokesperson for the Taliban police chief, pointing to one of the screens.
The authorities say such surveillance will help fight crime, but critics fear it will be used to clamp down on dissent and to monitor the strict morality code enforced by the Islamist Taliban government under their interpretation of Sharia law.
The BBC are the first international journalists allowed to see the system in action.
Inside the control room, police officers sit in rows watching the live streams from thousands of cameras, keeping tabs on the lives of the six million people who live in Kabul.
From car licence plates to facial expressions, everything is monitored.
“In certain neighbourhoods, when we notice groups of people and suspect they might be involved in drug use, criminal activities, or something suspicious, we quickly reach out to the local police,” says Zadran.
“They arrive swiftly to investigate the nature of the gathering.”
Under the previous government, Kabul was threatened daily with attacks from the Taliban and so-called Islamic State militants, as well as high profile kidnappings and car-jackings. When the Taliban retook power in 2021, they promised to crack down on crime.
The dramatic increase in the number of surveillance cameras in the capital is a sign of growing sophistication in the way the Taliban enforce law and order. Before their return, just 850 cameras were in place in the capital, according to a spokesman for the security forces that were driven from power.
However, in the past three years, the Taliban authorities have also introduced a range of draconian measures limiting people’s rights and freedoms, especially those of women. The Taliban government has not been formally recognised by any other country.
Taliban spokesperson Khalid Zadran says the surveillance system is being used to reduce crime
The surveillance system the BBC is shown in Kabul features the option to track people by facial recognition. On the corner of one screen images pop up with each face categorised by age range, gender, and whether or not they have a beard or a face mask.
“On clear days, we can zoom in on individuals [who are] kilometres away,” says Zadran, highlighting a camera positioned up high that focuses on a busy traffic junction.
The Taliban even monitor their own personnel. At a checkpoint, as soldiers popped open the trunk of a car for inspection, the operators focused their lenses, zooming in to scrutinise the contents within.
The interior ministry says the cameras have “significantly contributed to enhancing safety, curbing crime rates, and swiftly apprehending offenders”. It adds the introduction of CCTV and motorcycle controls have led to a 30% decrease in crime rates between 2023 and 2024 but it is not possible to independently verify these figures.
However, rights groups are concerned about who is being monitored and for how long.
Amnesty International say installing cameras “under the guise of ‘national security’ sets a template for the Taliban to continue their draconian policies that violate fundamental rights of people in Afghanistan – especially women in public spaces”.
By law women are not allowed to be heard outside their houses, although in practice this is not being strictly enforced. Teenage girls are prevented from accessing secondary and higher education. Women are barred from many forms of employment. In December, women training as midwives and nurses told the BBC they had been ordered not to return to classes.
While women continue to be visible on the streets of cities like Kabul, they are required to wear a face covering.
Fariba is worried the cameras will be used to monitor women’s adherence to strict rules around the way they dress in public
Fariba*, a young graduate who lives with her parents in Kabul, has been unable to find work since the Taliban came to power. She tells the BBC there is “significant concern that surveillance cameras may be used to monitor women’s hijabs [veils]”.
The Taliban say only the city police have access to the CCTV system and the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Ministry – the Taliban’s morality police – does not use it.
But Fariba is concerned the cameras will further endanger those opposed to Taliban rule.
“Many individuals, especially ex-military members, human rights advocates and protesting women, struggle to move freely and often live in secrecy,” she says.
“There is significant concern that surveillance cameras will be used to monitor women’s hijabs too,” she says.
Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, says Afghanistan does not have the data protection laws in place to regulate how the collected CCTV footage is held and used.
The police say the data is kept only for three months, while, according to the interior ministry, the cameras do not pose a threat to privacy as they “are operated from a special and completely confidential room by a specific and professional person in charge”.
The cameras appear to be Chinese-made. The control room monitors and branding on the feeds the BBC saw carried the name Dahua, a Chinese government-linked company. Earlier reports that the Taliban were in talks with China’s Huawei Technologies to buy cameras were denied by the company. Taliban officials refused to answer BBC questions about where they sourced the equipment.
Some of the cost of installing the new network is falling on ordinary Afghans who are being monitored by the system.
In a house in central Kabul the BBC spoke to Shella*, who was asked to pay for some of the cameras installed on the streets near her home.
“They demanded thousands of afghanis from every household,” she says. It’s a large amount in a country where those women who have jobs may earn only around 5,000 afghanis ($68; £54) a month.
Shella says she was asked to pay for the cost of some of the cameras
The humanitarian situation in Kabul, and in Afghanistan in general, remains precarious after years of war. The country’s economy is in crisis, but international aid funding has been largely stopped since the Taliban came back to power.
According to the United Nations, 30 million people are in need of aid.
“If families refused to pay [for the cameras], they were threatened with water and power cuts within three days,” Shella adds. “We had to take loans to cover the costs.
“People are starving – what good are these cameras to them?”
The Taliban say that if people do not want to contribute, they can put in an official complaint.
“Participation was voluntary, and donations were in the hundreds, not thousands,” Khalid Zadran, the Taliban police spokesperson, insists.
Despite the assurances, rights campaigners both inside and outside Afghanistan continue to have concerns over how such a powerful surveillance system will be used.
Jaber, a vegetable seller in Kabul, says the cameras represent another way in which Afghans are made to feel powerless.
“We are treated like trash, denied the opportunity to earn a living, and the authorities regard us as worthless,” he told the BBC.
“We can do nothing.”
*The names of the women interviewed for this piece were changed for their safety
It was more than 20 years ago that the then boss of BP reframed those famous initials as “Beyond Petroleum”.
It was the first tentative step in transforming the company from an oil and gas producer to an energy provider investing an increasing amount of its fossil fuel profits into greener technology.
Five years ago, chief executive Bernard Looney, who was in charge at the time, accelerated that process with ambitious targets to cut oil and gas production 40% by 2030, while massively ramping up investment in wind and solar.
Today, BP could stand for “Back to Petroleum” following its announcement to shift back to oil and gas production and slash investment in renewables.
Why?
Profit and share price. There is simply less money in renewables than in oil and gas and some BP shareholders have become angry and impatient as they watch Shell produce double the returns they have seen while Exxon investors have received four times as much.
For most – but not all – shareholders, the number one job of a company’s board and management is to maximise the value of the company.
BP’s failure to do this has led to active speculation that BP should be taken over by a company that understands this. Or one that list its shares in the US where investors are less interested in a green transition.
Not all shareholders agree with BP’s radical strategy shift back to petroleum. Dozens of them signed a letter expressing concern about increasing fossil fuel production and want to have a say in the company’s direction of travel.
BP’s move follows rivals’ Shell and Norwegian company Equinor scaling back of plans to invest in green energy. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s “drill baby drill” comments have encouraged investment in fossil fuels.
Many groups say that long term BP and others are pursuing a no-win strategy.
Climate concerns will become so acute that much of the oil and gas they’re searching for will have to remain in the ground and become unusable “stranded assets” of no commercial value.
However, the least patient shareholders tend to have the loudest voices.
As such, the cries of dismay from those concerned about the climate are being drowned out by those demanding that BP does what it knows best: drilling for oil and gas and returning those profits to shareholders, who include millions of pension savers.
They would say it is not BP’s job to question how much oil and gas the world wants or needs – that is the job for the societies it serves and their policy makers.
And, while the UK government has decided it wants no new oil and exploration in UK waters, over 90% of BP’s activities are outside the UK and the current US government thinks very differently.
Didier Drogba has defended his former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, insisting the Portuguese is “not a racist”.
Galatasaray accused Fenerbahce manager Mourinho of making “racist statements” following the goalless draw between the Turkish Super Lig rivals on Monday.
It was not clear which statements Galatasaray referred to but, speaking after the Istanbul derby, Mourinho said the home bench had been “jumping like monkeys”.
But Drogba, who scored 20 goals in 53 appearances for Galatasaray in the 2013-14 season, offered support of Mourinho, who was his boss during two spells at Chelsea.
“You know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!!,” the former Ivory Coast striker posted on X.
“We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it.
“I’ve seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for 25 years and he is not a racist and history [past and recent] is there to prove it.
“How can my “Dad” be a racist. Come on guys.”
Former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid manager Mourinho took charge of Fenerbahce in June 2024 after leaving Roma.
Before the Galatasaray encounter, he also repeated criticism of Turkish referees, saying it would have been a “disaster” to use an official from the country.
Slovenian Slavko Vincic was the referee after both clubs requested a foreign official take charge of the fixture.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky first discussed a minerals deal with then presidential candidate Donald Trump last September.
Ukraine says it has agreed to the terms of a major deal that would give the US access to its deposits of rare earth minerals.
Kyiv hopes the deal – which would give the US a financial stake in the country – will encourage the White House to protect Ukraine if the war with Russia reignites after a potential ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump said an agreement would help American taxpayers “get their money back” for aid sent to Ukraine throughout the war and would give Ukraine “the right to fight on” against Russia.
But Ukrainian President Zelensky said no US security guarantees had been agreed yet, but he hoped the agreement would “lead to further deals”.
What are the terms of the deal?
Key details have not yet been made public, but on Wednesday Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine and the US had finalised a version of the agreement.
Speaking to Ukrainian TV, Shmyhal said the preliminary agreement envisages that an “investment fund” will be set up for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Kyiv and Washington will be managing the fund on “equal terms”, the prime minister added.
He said Ukraine would contribute 50% of future proceeds from state-owned mineral resources, oil and gas to the fund, and the fund would then invest in projects in Ukraine itself.
The New York Times reported, citing a draft document, that the US would own the maximum amount of the fund allowed under US law, but not necessarily all of it.
A minerals deal was at the centre of a rift between Trump and Zelensky last week, with the Ukrainian president rejecting an initial request for $500bn (£395bn) in revenue from rare minerals.
Media reports say this demand has since been dropped.
“The provisions of the deal are much better for Ukraine now,” a source in Ukraine’s government told the BBC.
On Tuesday, Trump said the US had given Ukraine between $300bn (£237bn) and $350bn (£276bn) in aid, and that he wanted to “get that money back” through a deal.
Zelensky has been pushing for a deal to include a firm security guarantee from the US.
But on Wednesday, Ukraine’s leader said no such guarantee had been made.
“I wanted to have a sentence on security guarantees for Ukraine, and it’s important that it’s there,” he said.
Asked by the BBC if he would be prepared to walk away from the agreement if Trump did not offer the guarantees he wanted, Zelensky said: “I want to find a Nato path or something similar.
“If we don’t get security guarantees, we won’t have a ceasefire, nothing will work, nothing.”
Despite this, Ukrainian PM Shmyhal said on Wednesday the US supported “Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees to build lasting peace”.
He said Ukraine would not sign the deal until Zelensky and Trump “agree on security guarantees” and decide on how to “tie this preliminary agreement” to a US security guarantee.
Yuri Sak, adviser to Ukraine’s ministry of strategic industries, told the BBC earlier on Wednesday: “There’s no point in signing any deal on critical minerals if Russians can reinvade one month after signing the deal.”
He said discussions about security guarantees needed to continue.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who has been leading negotiations, told the Financial Times that the deal was “part of a bigger picture”.
The prospect of a minerals deal was first proposed by Zelensky last year as a way to offer the US a tangible reason to continue supporting Ukraine.
Trump said on Tuesday that Ukraine would get “the right to fight on” in return for access to its minerals, though he did not confirm an agreement had yet been reached.
He suggested the US would continue to supply equipment and ammunition to Ukraine “until we have a deal with Russia”.
He also said there would be a need for “some form of peacekeeping” in Ukraine following any peace deal, in a form that would need to be “acceptable to everyone”.
Trump said on Monday that Russia was open to accepting European peacekeepers in Ukraine, but Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin would not consider this as an option.
When will the deal be signed?
Shmyhal said the US and Ukraine have prepared a final version of the agreement, which Ukraine’s government will authorise for signing on Wednesday.
Trump has said he expects Zelensky to sign the deal on a visit to Washington on Friday.
Zelensky said he would be “very direct” with Trump by asking whether the US would continue supporting Ukraine or not.
What minerals does Ukraine have?
Kyiv estimates that about 5% of the world’s “critical raw materials” are in Ukraine.
This includes some 19m tonnes of proven reserves of graphite, which the Ukrainian Geological Survey state agency says makes the nation “one of the top five leading countries” for the supply of the mineral. Graphite is used to make batteries for electric vehicles.
Ukraine also has significant deposits of titanium, lithium and rare earth metals – a group of 17 elements that are used to produce weapons, wind turbines, electronics and other products vital in the modern world.
How has Russia reacted?
Vladimir Putin has not yet addressed reports that the terms of a deal between the US and Ukraine have been agreed.
But on Monday evening he told state TV he was ready to “offer” resources to American partners in joint projects, including mining in Russia’s “new territories” – a reference to parts of eastern Ukraine that Russia has occupied since launching a full-scale invasion three years ago.
Putin said a potential US-Ukraine deal on rare minerals was not a concern and that Russia “undoubtedly have, I want to emphasise, significantly more resources of this kind than Ukraine”.
“As for the new territories, it’s the same. We are ready to attract foreign partners to the so-called new, to our historical territories, which have returned to the Russian Federation,” he added.
Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene after being alerted to what police described as “an unexplained death” shortly after 17:00 local time. They then boarded the ship, which is currently docked at Rosslare Harbour.
The woman was later pronounced dead. Gardaí are currently awaiting the results of a post-mortem.
‘Shock and sadness’ after ‘tragic event’
Getty Images
The ferry docked at Rosslare in County Wexford after travelling from Fishguard in Wales
Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that the ship’s captain made an emergency call about half an hour before the ship docked.
On Tuesday evening, the 19:00 outbound Stena sailing from Rosslare to Fishguard was cancelled with passengers being accommodated by Irish ferries on the 20:45 sailing from Rosslare to Pembroke, according to the company.
Wexford councillor Ger Carthy said locals reacted with “shock and sadness” at the “tragic events”.
“What transpired here last night and the response that was given by the gardaí and the state agencies was second to none,” he added.
Ongoing investigation
In a statement, Stenaline said: “We can confirm that An Garda Síochána is investigating an incident that occurred on the 14:00 ferry crossing from Fishguard to Rosslare on Tuesday February 25.
“As this is a live police matter, we cannot provide any further detail on the incident at this time.
“In order to assist with the Garda investigation, last night’s 19:30 and 01:30 Stena Nordica sailings were cancelled. Today’s 08:30 sailing from Rosslare and return from Fishguard at 14:00 have also been cancelled. At this time, Stena Nordica’s next expected departure will be at 19:30 from Rosslare.”
A spokesperson for the Wexford coronor said: “The coroner has been informed of this death and as this is an ongoing investigation no future details will be given at this stage.
“An inquest will be held but not until all investigations have been concluded and the result of the post mortem has been received.”
BP has announcedit will cut its renewable energy investments and instead focus on increasing oil and gas production.
The energy giant revealed the shift in strategy on Wednesday following pressure from some investors unhappy its profits and share price have been lower than its rivals.
BP said it would increase its investments in oil and gas by about 20% to $10bn (£7.9bn) a year, while decreasing previously planned funding for renewables by more than $5bn (£3.9bn).
The move comes as rivals Shell and Norwegian company Equinor have also scaled back plans to invest in green energy and US President Donald Trump’s “drill baby drill” comments have encouraged investment in fossil fuels.
Murray Auchincloss, BP’s chief executive, said the energy giant would be “very selective” in investing in businesses working on the energy transition to renewables going forward, with funding reduced tobetween $1.5bn and $2bn per year.
He said this was part of a strategy “reset” by the company to focus on boosting returns for shareholders.
Helge Lund, chair of BP, added that the new direction of the firm had “cash flow growth” at its heart.
Shares in the company climbed before Tuesday’s announcement but fell shortly after.
BP is one of several firms in the energy industry to return focus on oil and gas production, which has seen an increase in profits as prices have increased following lows seen during the Covid pandemic.
The firm said it plans to increase its production to between 2.3 million and 2.5 million barrels of oil per day by 2030, with hopes of “major” oil and gas projects starting by the end of 2027.
Mr Auchincloss is under pressure to boost profits from some shareholders, including the influential activist group Elliot Management, which took a near £4bn stake in the £70bn company to push for more investment in oil and gas.
In 2024, BP’s net income fell to $8.9bn (£7.2bn), down from $13.8bn the previous year.
However, some other shareholders, as well as environmental groups have voiced concerns over switching focus back to fossil fuel production.
Last week, a group of 48 investors called on the company to allow them a vote on any potential plans to move away from commitments to renewables.
The environmental group Greenpeace UK said the latest move was “proof that fossil fuel companies can’t or won’t be part of climate crisis solutions”.
‘Not just down to one company’
Challenged on the reduced commitment to investing in renewable energy, Louise Kingham, BP’s senior vice president for Europe and the UK, said none of the changes announced on Tuesday would alter the UK’s green energy plans, which include three wind farms and carbon capture projects.
She said the shift to renewable energy sources had slowed but that BP’s ambition had “not changed” to become a net-zero company.
According to the International Energy Agency, no new fossil fuel projects are compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels,
“We just have to do this transition more smartly and more efficiently and try to get those returns for our owners because they are helping us to do that. If we don’t generate the returns, we can’t invest and do more,” Ms Kingham told a committee of MPs.
“It’s going to take everybody to move in concert to make this happen. It’s not just the decision of one company and what it chooses to do.”
The decrease in renewables will cover biogas, biofuels and electric vehicle charging projects, while BP will look to “capital-light partnerships” in other green energy such as wind and solar.
BP has already placed its offshore wind business in a joint venture with Japanese company Jera and is looking to find a partner to do the same with its solar business.
Five years ago, BP set some of the most ambitious targets among large oil companies to cut production of oil and gas by 40% by 2030, while significantly ramping up investment in renewables.
In the five years since former chief executive Bernard Looney first unveiled his strategy, shareholders have received total returns including dividends of 36%.
In contrast, shareholders in rivals Shell and Exxon have seen returns of 82% and 160% respectively.
BP’s under performance has prompted speculation that it may be a takeover target or may consider moving its main stock market listing to the US where oil and gas companies command higher valuations.
‘Science hasn’t changed’
Sir Ian Cheshire, who has held many executive roles at companies such as B&Q owner Kingfisher and Barclays bank, questioned whether BP’s latest move would work.
“I do wonder whether this sort of decision will look right in 10 years,” he told the BBC’s Today programme, added that the “overall energy transition” to renewables was “still going to come”.
“The climate change issue has not gone away, the science hasn’t changed,” he said.
Kyran Durnin is believed to have been murdered more than two years ago when he was six years old
A property in Drogheda, County Louth, is being searched as part of the investigation into the suspected murder of a six-year-old schoolboy who disappeared more than two years ago.
Kyran Durnin was reported missing from his home in Drogheda in August last year, but gardaí (Irish police) believe he may have been killed more than two years earlier.
They began a murder investigation in October, saying they were treating Kyran as missing, presumed dead.
Kyran was originally reported missing alongside his mother, Dayla Durnin, in August 2024.
One of Kyran’s grandmothers claimed she had last seen them in her home in Drogheda and, at that time, she appealed for her daughter Dayla to contact her.
Dayla was later found alive in Great Britain without Kyran.
Gardaí investigating the schoolboy’s disappearance have made two arrests during the course of their inquiry so far.
A man and a woman were arrested two days apart in mid-December but they were both released without charge within a day of being detained.
The man, who was arrested on suspicion of Kyran’s murder, was found dead at his home in Drogheda just days after his release from custody.
He was named locally as 36-year-old Anthony Maguire.
Gardaí warn over ‘misinformed’ speculation
An Garda Síochána
Kyran lived with his family in Dundalk for a time but they later moved to Drogheda
Confirming the latest search at a “domestic residence” in Drogheda, gardaí said they were “aware of ongoing extensive public commentary” on their investigation.
They warned that most of the speculation, rumours and theories on what may have happened to Kyran was “inaccurate and misinformed”.
“Such ill-informed public commentary is not only disruptive to the Garda investigations but also adds to the trauma experienced by victims families,” they added.
At the scene
A property in Drogheda, County Louth, is being searched as part of the investigation
Kevin Sharkey, BBC News NI Dublin Reporter
A Garda van and car are parked close to the house which is along a narrow residential street.
The area immediately around the house is cordoned off.
Gardaí are conducting their initial searches here out of public view.
It’s an old-style residential area with TV aerials on most of the rooftops and electrical and telephone wires criss-crossing the street.
While gardaí conduct their searches inside the house, local people are going about their normal daily business and mostly keeping their thoughts about this latest development to themselves.
Supposed move to Northern Ireland
Gardaí are conducting their initial searches out of public view
Kyran had been a pupil at the national [primary] school near his home in Dundalk until the summer of 2022.
He did not return to class after the summer holidays and it is understood authorities were told he was moving to Northern Ireland and to a new school in Newry.
Tusla, the Irish state agency responsible for child welfare and protection, said it received no referrals or concern about Kyran’s attendance or educational welfare between 2022 and 2024.
In early December, two houses were searched in Drogheda. One of the searches involved the use of a cadaver dog.
Kyran is believed to have been last seen alive in the summer of 2022
2021-2022 – Kyran was a pupil at a national [primary] school near his home in Dundalk, but he did not return to the school after the 2022 summer holidays.
May 2024 – Kyran’s family moved out of their home in Emer Terrace in Dundalk, where they had been living for a number of years.
Unknown date in August 2024 – Tusla, the Irish state agency responsible for child protection, alerted gardaí about “a significant concern about Kyran”.
28 August 2024 – The approximate date of the last sighting of the boy and his mother in Drogheda, according to a missing person report made to gardaí.
30 August 2024 – Kyran and his 24-year-old mother Dayla Durnin were reported missing from their home in Drogheda.
4 September 2024 – Gardaí issued a public missing persons appeal, seeking help to find Dayla and Kyran.
16 October 2024 – Gardaí said they now believed that “Kyran is missing, presumed dead” and they confirmed they have begun a murder inquiry.
22 October 2024 – Kyran’s former family home and garden in Emer Terrace, Dundalk, is searched by forensic investigators, as well as nearby open ground.
24 October 2024 – the Dundalk search ends, with police adding that the results of the search were not being released for operational purposes.
31 October 2024 – Tusla declines to publicly release its review of its interactions with Kyran’s family, adding information it held on him was lost in a cyber attack.
10 December 2024 – A woman was arrested by gardaí investigating Kyran’s disappearance and murder but is released without charge the following day.
12 December 2024 – A man was arrested on suspicion of Kyran’s murder but again was released without charge the next day. Two houses in Drogheda were searched.
17 December 2024 – The man who had been arrested and released – named locally as 36-year-old Anthony Maguire – is found dead at his home in Drogheda.
26 February 2024 – Gardaí began a forensic search at a “domestic residence” in Drogheda.
Abdujalil Abdurasulov, Jaroslav Lukiv & Anthony Zurcher
BBC News, in Kyiv, London and Washington
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Lorries carry ore from an a mine in central Ukraine. File photo
Ukraine has agreed the terms of a major minerals deal with the US, a senior official in Kyiv has told the BBC.
“We have indeed agreed it with a number of good amendments and see it as a positive outcome,” the official said, without providing any further details.
Media reports say Washington has dropped initial demands for a right to $500bn (£395bn) in potential revenue from utilising the natural resources but has not given firm security guarantees to war-torn Ukraine – a key Ukrainian demand.
US President Donald Trump said he was expecting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington to sign the deal this week, after the two leaders exchanged strong words about each other.
Without confirming that an agreement had been reached, Trump said on Tuesday that in return for the deal Ukraine would get “the right to fight on”.
“They’re very brave,” he told reporters, but “without the United States and its money and its military equipment, this war would have been over in a very short period of time”.
Asked whether supplies of US equipment and ammunition to Ukraine would continue, he said: “Maybe until we have a deal with Russia… We need to have a deal, otherwise it’s going to continue.”
There would be a need for “some form of peacekeeping” in Ukraine following any peace deal, Trump added, but that would need to be “acceptable to everyone”.
Just last week, Trump described Zelensky as a “dictator”, and appeared to blame Ukraine – not Russia – for starting the war, after the Ukrainian leader rejected US demands for $500bn in mineral wealth and suggested that the American president was living in a “disinformation space” created by Russia.
Trump has been pushing for access to Ukraine’s minerals in return for previous military and other aid to the country since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion three years ago.
Zelensky argued nowhere near that much American aid had been provided, adding: “I can’t sell our state.”
On Tuesday, Trump said the US had given Ukraine between $300bn and $350bn.
“We want to get that money back,” he said. “We’re helping the country through a very very big problem… but the American taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told the Financial Times – which first reported the minerals deal on Tuesday – that the deal was “only part of the picture”.
“We have heard multiple times from the US administration that it’s part of a bigger picture,” said Stefanishyna, who has led the negotiations.
According to Ukrainian sources, the US has had to back away from some of its more onerous demands from the war-torn nation and many of the details of this agreement will require further negotiation.
The precedent, however, is set. US aid in the Trump era comes with strings attached. Aid for aid’s sake – whether given for humanitarian or strategic reasons – is a thing of the past.
That represents a fundamental reordering of American foreign policy for more than 75 years, from the days of the Marshall Plan to post-Cold War idealism and George W Bush’s “Freedom Agenda” push to promote global democracy.
Ukraine is just the start. Expect Trump and his foreign policy team to apply their “America First” principles around the world over the course of the next four years.
Ros Atkins on… the fight for Ukraine’s critical minerals
Ukraine’s news site Ukrainska Pravda reported that the minerals deal was set to be signed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The news site’s economics unit EP said the two countries had also agreed to set up a reconstruction investment fund.
Ukraine holds huge deposits of critical elements and minerals, including lithium and titanium, as well as sizeable coal, gas, oil and uranium deposits – supplies worth billions of dollars.
Last year, Zelensky presented a “victory plan” to Ukraine and its Western partners which proposed that foreign firms could gain access to some of the countries’ mineral wealth at the end of the war.
Ukraine and its European allies have become increasingly alarmed over a recent thaw in US-Russian ties, including their bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia last week.
There is concern in Kyiv and across Europe that they might be excluded from any negotiations aimed at ending the war, and that the continent’s future security as a whole could be decided behind their backs.
What minerals does Ukraine actually have?
It is estimated that about 5% of the world’s “critical raw materials” are in Ukraine – including:
19 million tonnes of proven reserves of graphite, which is used to make batteries for electric vehicles
A third of all European lithium deposits, the key component in current batteries.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion began three years ago, Ukraine also produced 7% of the world’s titanium, used in construction for everything from aeroplanes to power stations.
Ukrainian land also contains significant deposits of rare earth metals, a group of 17 elements that are used to produce weapons, wind turbines, electronics and other products vital in the modern world
Some mineral deposits have been seized by Russia. According to Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s economy minister, resources worth $350bn remain in Russian-occupied territories today.
A ‘dangerous new era’: Starmer explains decision to boost defence and cut aid
Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to travel to Washington to meet Donald Trump after setting out plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027.
On Tuesday, the prime minister said he would cut the foreign aid budget to fund the military boost – a move welcomed by the Trump administration but labelled a “betrayal” by development charities.
Sir Keir will face MPs in the Commons on Wednesday before flying to the US, where Ukraine will be top of the agenda.
The spending announcement came as leaders across Europe looked to overhaul defence policies over fears the US could make a deal with Russia to end the Ukraine war which leaves the continent vulnerable.
Trump – who has long called for European members of the Nato military alliance to spend more on defence – is attempting to cut a rapid deal to bring the Ukraine war to an end after speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He has been a staunch critic of the previous US administration’s military support for Kyiv and wants Europe to play a bigger role in any future security guarantees for Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials confirmed to BBC News a deal had been reached which gives American firms access to the country’s vast deposits of valuable rare earth minerals, which Trump signalled could mean continued US military support for Kyiv until a ceasefire with Russia is reached.
Announcing the defence spending plan, Sir Keir said the UK’s aid budget would be reduced from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% in 2027, “fully funding the investment in defence”, which will rise from 2.3% of GDP.
He told the Commons that would mean spending £13.4bn more on defence every year from 2027.
Last year the UK spent £53.9bn on defence.
The prime minister said defence spending would rise to 2.6% of GDP by 2027, once the contribution of intelligence services to defence had been factored in.
The move was praised by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who called it a “strong step from an enduring partner”.
Urging European allies to step up, Sir Keir said the UK would also set out a “clear ambition” to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP after the next general election.
Holding a news conference following the announcement, Sir Keir said an election pledge to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP had been brought forward “in light of the grave threats that we face”, with the country facing a “dangerous new era”.
Asked if pressure from Trump had pushed him to act, Sir Keir insisted it was “very much my decision, based on my assessment of the circumstances that we face as a country”.
But he conceded “the last few weeks have accelerated my thinking”.
“I think in our heart of hearts we’ve all known that this decision has been coming for three years, since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine,” the prime minister added.
In its election manifesto, Labour pledged to restore development spending to 0.7% of gross national income “as soon as fiscal circumstances allow” – a goal the government says it is still committed to.
Charities were stunned by the aid cut, with Save the Children calling it “a betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children and the UK’s national interest”.
“There is nothing respectful about slashing lifelines for families in the most dangerous places,” the charity’s chief executive Moazzam Malik said.
Labour MP Sarah Champion, who chairs the Commons International Development Committee, called on the government to “rethink today’s announcement”.
“Cutting the aid budget to fund defence spending is a false economy that will only make the world less safe,” she said.
Responding to the criticism, Sir Keir said it was “not a decision I wanted to make” but he argued there was “no driver of migration and poverty like conflict”.
The hike in defence spending will help the UK’s armed forces, which have experienced severe cuts since the end of the Cold War.
However, it will not completely reverse the decline in the country’s military capability.
Even before this extra cash injection, the Ministry of Defence was facing a black hole in its equipment budget of around £17bn over the next decade, according to the National Audit Office.
A large part of the increase will go towards plugging holes in underfunded programs and fixing urgent shortages in munitions, according to Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director of the Royal United Services Institute think tank.
But he said the commitment to reach 3% of GDP by the mid-2030s could lead to a “transformation in how our military fights”, giving the armed forces the ability to plan long-term and “ensuring that innovation is not always squeezed out by spending on big platforms”.
Dr Simon Anglim, a fellow at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, said spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 is “the barest minimum” to build a military strong enough to deter Russia.
If the US were to withdraw military support “we may have to start talking about more than that”, he told the BBC.
Sir Keir had previously said the government would set out a pathway to spending 2.5% of GDP on the military by the next general election, following a review of the country’s defence capabilities.
But rapid diplomatic developments, spurred by Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine, injected urgency into decisions about defence.
It is unclear if the increase will impress Trump, who has been telling European Nato allies they should be spending something more like 5% on defence.
Nato guidelines suggest each member state should spend at least 2% of their GDP, but recently the organisation’s head, Mark Rutte, said allies should be aiming for something “north of 3%”.
The prime minister’s trip to the White House later this week follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s talks with Trump on Monday.
Sir Keir will also host European leaders in the UK this weekend to discuss their future defence.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the increase in defence spending and the “repurposing” of money from the aid budget.
But she did question whether the government had a strong enough economic strategy to underpin the rise in spending on defence.
The Liberal Democrats have previously called for cross-party talks on reaching 3% of GDP on defence “as soon as possible”.
Party leader Sir Ed Davey welcomed the announcement but urged the government to “raise the money in different ways” through seizing frozen Russian assets or by increasing taxes on multi-national tech companies.
The SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, said that whilst his party backed the increase in defence spending, it could not support “the populist playbook” of cutting aid to fund it.
Watch: ‘I’d be pissed if I was Canadian’ – Trump supporters on 51st state jibe
Hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition to revoke Elon Musk’s Canadian citizenship amid tensions between the Trump administration and Canada.
The petition, which opened to signatures five days ago, accuses Mr Musk of acting against Canada’s national interest and undermining its sovereignty.
In Canada, citizenship can be revoked only if someone has committed fraud, misrepresented themselves or knowingly hid information on an immigration or citizenship application. Mr Musk, who was born in South Africa, holds both Canadian and US citizenship.
Responding to the petition, the billionaire wrote on X: “Canada is not a real country.” The post was later deleted.
The petition claims the billionaire “has used his wealth and power to influence our elections” and “has now become a member of a foreign government that is attempting to erase Canadian sovereignty”. Mr Musk has Canadian citizenship through his mother, who was born in Saskatchewan.
Launched on 20 February, the petition, already signed by more than 250,000 Canadians, remains open for signatures until 20 June.
It is mostly symbolic and has no legal force. But petitions with at least 500 signatures and a member of parliament’s backing typically receive a government response, this one may not, as a spring election could dissolve parliament.
It was created by a British Columbia author and endorsed by MP Charlie Angus of the New Democratic Party. Angus, a 20-year MP for Timmins–James Bay, has announced he will not seek re-election.
The BBC has contacted his office for comment.
Reuters
US-Canada tensions have escalated since Trump’s return, with the president repeatedly suggesting Canada could become a US state and threatening tariffs on steel, aluminium, and other imports.
Canadian leaders have pushed back, vowing counter-tariffs.
The spat has spilled out beyond government, with Canadians cancelling US trips, boycotting American products, and booing opposing anthems at hockey and basketball games.
Mr Musk moved to Canada from South Africa at 18, and worked odd jobs before studying at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He later emigrated to the US.
The billionaire has backed Trump’s hardline immigration policies but now faces scrutiny over claims he worked illegally in the US on a student visa.
In a recent interview, Steve Bannon, a former advisor to President Trump, called Mr Musk a “parasitic illegal immigrant”.
The Tesla CEO has denied the accusations, and has said he did not work illegally. He became a naturalised US citizen in 2002, according to a recent biography.
The BBC has contacted Mr Musk via his businesses for comment.
Police will be given new powers targeting anti-social behaviour and be allowed to search homes for stolen mobile phones without a warrant under major legislation to be unveiled in Parliament.
The Crime and Policing Bill is at the heart of what the government calls its “Safer Streets mission” and ministers want it to become law by the end of the year.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the bill would take back “our streets and town centres, restoring respect for law and order”.
The Conservatives say the plans have been “copied and pasted from the last government’s announcements”.
The Crime and Policing Bill pulls together many measures set out in Labour’s general election manifesto.
But they come amid questions over whether police have the money to make the government’s plan work.
Ministers say that the enormous piece of legislation will target the crimes that communities want prioritised to make their areas feel safer and to bear down on behaviour that has gone unpunished.
Under the bill, police gain the power to enter and search a property without a court warrant for a stolen mobile phone, or other items that have been electronically tracked such as laptops or Bluetooth-tagged bikes.
The power means that victims of mobile phone thefts, who are tracking their device while it is in the hands of a criminal, can call on police to recover it quickly.
The bill also includes the government’s proposed “Respect Orders”.
These court-imposed restrictions will be similar to the Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbo) developed in the Tony Blair era, then scrapped by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats coalition a decade ago.
While Asbos were popular with voters, critics say the restrictions often became unworkable or poorly enforced.
The proposed Respect Orders allow courts to impose restrictions on an individual’s behaviour, just like an Asbo.
But they would also be able to compel them to attend programmes such as addiction treatment or anger management courses to change their ways.
Other measures previously announced in the bill include:
Scrapping a 2014 law that classified shoplifting of items worth under £200 as less serious than other retail theft – making them less of a priority for the police.
An offence of assaulting a shop worker – also a Conservative commitment before the 2024 General Election.
A new police power to seize without warning off-road bikes or e-scooters.
A new offence of spiking drinks, separate to current assault laws.
Giving judges the power to issue a Stalking Prevention Order against a suspect, even if they are not convicted of a crime.
Another already announced power to be added as the Bill goes through Parliament will compel online retailers to alert police to bulk or suspicious sales of knives.
The Home Office says the bill’s aims will be delivered by recruiting 13,000 additional neighbourhood officers by 2029 – and the department has pledged £200m specifically towards that.
But some forces have already warned they will have to cut officers this year because of a wider budget crisis.
The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC ) said last year that forces faced a £1.3bn funding gap, and the available cash was not being shared evenly between forces due to outdated rules.
The Home Office has since confirmed it is putting £1.1bn extra into policing up to April 2026.
But the NPCC has warned that if it is to deliver the “Safer Streets” plan, forces would need a pay settlement that would help them to attract and retain the best possible officers.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For too long communities have had to put up with rising town centre and street crime, and persistent antisocial behaviour, while neighbourhood police have been cut.
“And for years too little has been done to tackle the most serious violence of all including knife crime and violence against women and children.
“That is why the new Crime and Policing Bill is about taking back our streets and town centres, restoring respect for law and order, and giving the police and local communities the support and tools they need to tackle local crime.”
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: “Labour had 14 years to come up with new ideas – but all they have done is copied and pasted what the last government had already announced.
“Labour’s funding settlement next year for police forces leaves them £118m short after accounting for salary rises, inflation and the national insurance hike – putting 1,800 police officers at risk.
“Police forces are warning that this will get worse this year due to Labour’s inadequate funding settlement.”
The body of a murdered Scottish businessman was found in a sack by a Kenyan cattle herder days after he went missing from his hotel.
Campbell Scott, 58, arrived in Nairobi’s affluent Westlands district for a business trip on 15 February. He was last seen the following night with an unidentified man, having been to a nightclub.
The BBC has learned his body was found about 60 miles (96.5km) outside of Nairobi in a forest. His hands and legs had been bound with rope.
Local police have arrested two people – a taxi driver and a waiter from the club – who may have been among the last to see him alive.
Mr Scott, from Dunfermline in Fife, was a senior director at credit scoring firm Fico.
He was attending a conference at the JW Marriott Hotel in Nairobi and was due to meet colleagues to discuss a presentation.
When he did not return to the hotel on 16 February, colleagues tried to call him but could not reach him.
They filed a police report and a search was launched, with Interpol later joining the investigation.
On Saturday police received a report that a cattle herder had seen a body inside a sack, which was later identified as Mr Scott.
It is expected that an autopsy will be carried out later on Tuesday.
The BBC’s deputy Africa editor Anne Soy said the apparent murder has surprised the local community.
She told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “It is unusual especially because the victim is a foreigner who had just arrived in the country.
“He was going to meet other businessmen for what looks like legitimate business. That has really surprised people.
“There are really no theories as to what could have happened. The employer has asked people not to speculate about any issues around his death.”
Mr Scott studied at Woodmill High School in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy Technical College, going on to work for a number of companies before joining Fico.
Confirming his death on Monday, a spokeswoman for the firm said staff were “devastated” by the news.
She added: “Campbell was a leader in our international Scores business.
“He joined FICO in 2014 and was instrumental in introducing Scores to new markets and growing our business with existing partnerships. We mourn his passing and will miss his humour and kindness.
“Our thoughts are with Campbell’s family and friends. We ask that the media respect their privacy.”
The UK Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.
The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the UN to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration’s change of stance on the war.
First the two countries opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow’s actions and supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, which was passed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Then they backed a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict but containing no criticism of Russia.
The Security Council resolution was passed but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained in the vote after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will likewise visit the new American leader.
Trump’s White House has upended the transatlantic alliance, currying favour with Moscow and casting doubt on America’s long-term commitment to European security.
That rift was laid bare on the floor of the 193-member UNGA on Monday as US diplomats pushed their limited resolution mourning the loss of life during the “Russia-Ukraine conflict” and calling for a swift end to it.
European diplomats tabled a more detailed text, blaming Russia for its full-scale invasion, and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We need to reconfirm that the aggression should be condemned and discredited, not rewarded,” said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa.
UNGA members backed the European resolution by 93 votes but, extraordinarily, the US did not abstain but actually voted against it, along with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary and 11 other states, with 65 abstentions.
The UNGA also passed the US resolution but only after it was amended to include language supporting Ukraine, which led to the US abstaining.
At the much more powerful UN Security Council, which has 15 members, the unamended US resolution was passed by 10 votes, with the UK, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia abstaining.
America’s acting envoy to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, described the US resolution as a “simple historic statement… that looks forward, not backwards. A resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war”.
Rarely has the US been so at odds with its supposed European allies.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the Security Council has been deadlocked by the power of Russia, one of its five permanent members, to veto any resolution there.
For this reason the UNGA has been the main forum for debating the war but its resolutions are not legally binding for member states, unlike those of the Security Council.
Mike Amesbury was jailed for 10 weeks on Monday after pleading guilty to assault
Disgraced Cheshire MP Mike Amesbury is facing calls to quit the House of Commons after being jailed for 10 weeks for repeatedly punching a man in the street.
The Runcorn and Helsby HP, who has been sitting as an Independent since he was suspended by Labour bosses following October’s fracas, admitted assault and was sentenced on Monday.
A Labour spokesperson said: “Local residents deserved better and we look forward to them getting the representation they deserve in the future with a new Labour MP.”
Conservative co-chairman Nigel Huddleston called on Amesbury to “do the right thing and resign”, adding that constituents “deserve an MP who is able to stand up for them in Parliament”.
‘Recall process’
Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf also called on the 55-year-old MP to quit immediately, adding: “The great people of Runcorn deserve far better than waiting six weeks for a recall petition to take place.”
At an earlier court hearing, Amesbury pleaded guilty to assaulting 45-year-old Paul Fellows.
Video footage widely shared on social media showed a confrontation in the Cheshire town of Frodsham in the early hours of 26 October.
Sitting at Chester Magistrates’ Court, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram said a pre-sentence report showed Amesbury’s actions were the result of “anger and loss of emotional control”.
‘Completely unacceptable actions’
Under Parliamentary rules, a Westminster by-election can be forced if 10% of registered voters in a jailed MP’s constituency sign a petition calling for one.
The recall process can only be triggered once all avenues of appeal against a custodial sentence have been exhausted.
He was first elected as MP for Weaver Vale in 2017 and represented the Cheshire constituency before it ceased to exist following last year’s boundary changes.
The Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour Party took swift action following Mike Amesbury’s completely unacceptable actions and he is no longer a Labour MP or a member of the Labour Party.
“It is right that Mr Amesbury pleaded guilty and has now been sentenced.”
Watch: Trump and Macron cite ‘progress’ in Ukraine war peace talks
French President Emmanuel Macron said any peace deal in Ukraine must come with security guarantees, as he met US President Donald Trump at the White House for talks on the war.
“This peace must not be a surrender of Ukraine, it must not mean a ceasefire without guarantees,” he said as the two leaders held a joint news conference following their meeting on Monday.
Trump, who did not mention security guarantees himself, said the cost and burden of securing peace in Ukraine must be paid for by European nations and not just the US.
Macron responded that Europe understood the need to “more fairly share the security burden”, and added that talks on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion had shown a path forward.
While the pair exchanged warm words throughout Monday, some clear differences emerged on the issue of ending the war in Ukraine as they spoke to reporters in the Oval Office and then held a 40-minute news conference later in the day.
The topic of including security guarantees in any peace deal was one area of difference, as was the potential next steps to end the war.
Trump said he wanted a ceasefire as soon as possible, adding that he would visit Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin once one was agreed.
Macron, however, pushed a more considered approach involving a truce and then a broader peace deal that would include guarantees for protecting Ukraine long-term.
“We want peace swiftly, but we don’t want an agreement that is weak,” he said.
The pair did agree, however, that any peace deal should include the deployment of European peacekeeping forces to Ukraine. That suggestion has been rejected outright by Russia.
“They would not be along the front lines. They would not be part of any conflict. They would be there to ensure that the peace is respected,” Macron said in the Oval Office.
Trump then said Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept that. “I specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it,” he said.
Watch: Trump and Macron’s history of intense and sometimes drawn-out handshakes
The French president praised Trump’s efforts to engage with Putin in recent weeks, saying “there is good reason” for him to do so.
Trump declined to call Putin a “dictator” after using the term last week to describe Ukraine’s president, and said he planned to meet with the Russian leader after holding a call with him last week.
“I don’t know when we’ll speak,” Trump said. “At some point I’ll be meeting with President Putin.”
He also invited Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House to conclude a deal to share some of the country’s natural resources. “He may come in this week or next week,” Trump said. “I’d love to meet him.”
And while there were no moments of open disagreement between Trump and Macron, the French president did interrupt his US counterpart in the Oval Office to push back on his claim that EU aid to Ukraine was all in the form of loans.
“No, to be frank, we paid. We paid 60% of the total effort,” Macron said.
“If you believe that, it’s OK with me,” Trump replied.
The meeting between the two leaders came on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Zelensky began the day with a news release marking “three years of absolute heroism of Ukrainians” before hosting an event with global representatives.
Other leaders, including from the UK, Germany and Japan, spoke by video link. There was no US representation.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the recently warming relations between Moscow and Washington.
“Russia may have gained an open ear in the White House but they have not gained an inch of legitimacy,” he said.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told attendees: “We must speed up the delivery of weapons and ammunition” to Ukraine, saying the war remains “the most central and consequential crisis for Europe’s future”.
The two countries first opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow’s actions and supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, which was eventually passed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
UNGA members backed the European resolution by 93 votes but the US did not abstain but actually voted against it, along with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary and 11 other states.
The US and Russia then backed a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict but containing no criticism of Russia.
The Security Council resolution was passed but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained in the vote after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed.
Meanwhile, the EU and UK passed a fresh round of sanctions on Russia on Monday. The EU sanctions, the 16th round passed since Russia’s invasion, targets Russia’s aluminium exports, and its so-called “shadow fleet” of ships allegedly used to bypass sanctions.
The UK sanctions target machine tools and electronics used by Russia military, and the defence minister of North Korea who is allegedly responsible for deploying over 11,000 forces to Russia to assist in the war.
Watch: US votes against UN resolution condemning Russia aggression against Ukraine
