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https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2204516/major-tv-licence-change-netflix-amazon-prime

UK Households currently need a TV licence if they watch live television or use BBC iPlayer. But that could change under proposals being discussed as part of plans to safeguard the future of the BBC. According to The Times, Netflix and Amazon Prime subscribers could be forced to pay the TV licence fee under new proposals being considered.

Industry sources involved in the discussions told The Times that the government is wary of moving towards a BBC funding model based on advertising or subscriptions. Instead, it is thought to favour retaining the licence fee while widening its scope so that it also covers streaming platforms.

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Netflix and Amazon Prime subscribers could be forced to pay the TV licence fee (Image: Getty)

At present, households are required to pay for a licence if they watch live content, including live events streamed on platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime.

However, on-demand viewing is not licensable unless it is BBC content consumed via iPlayer.

The BBC has argued that the current rules no longer reflect how audiences typically consume content.

In its response to a green paper about its future in March, the corporation said: “The precise set of rules that require households to be licensed no longer reflect typical audience behaviour among many households in the UK.”

It added: “The TV licence is predicated upon content being consumed via ‘live TV’. But on-demand consumption is not licensable, unless it is BBC content consumed via iPlayer.”

BBC iPlayer, BBC News, BBC Sport and other Apps on iPhone screen

UK Households currently need a TV licence if they watch live television or use BBC iPlayer (Image: Getty)

The BBC also warned it was facing “managed decline”, saying that only 80% of the population now paid the licence fee despite 94% accessing its services every month.

The licence fee rose to £180 in April. Despite that, the corporation says its income has fallen by 25% over the past decade and it has launched a £500million savings plan expected to result in around 2,000 job losses over the next two years.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has previously spoken about moving towards a subscription-based model.

She told The House magazine last year: “It is absolutely right that we explore subscriptions, but if you believe, as I do, that one of the greatest strengths of the BBC is its ability to unite the nation that has found multiple ways to divide itself, then I think you've got to be cautious about the use of subscriptions and paywalls.”

Ministers are also concerned that introducing advertising could damage commercial rivals, including ITV and Channel 4.

However, one streaming industry source criticised the proposals. They told The Times: “It’s pretty desperate to argue that everyone should be made to pay for the BBC whether they watch it or not.

“The BBC needs to think more radically and creatively about how to generate income in ways that don’t undermine universal access.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: “The government does not comment on speculation. We are reviewing responses to the BBC Charter Review consultation and will set out our decisions in a white paper to be published later this year.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgz8vzme8do

The passing of a bill to formally close a botched renewable energy scheme marks an end to one of the "darkest" episodes in devolution in Northern Ireland, the assembly has heard.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme paid 1,200 businesses to switch from oil and gas to what was meant to be environmentally-friendly heating, using wood pellet boilers.

However, the subsidy payment was higher than the cost of the fuel, creating an incentive to use the boilers to generate income.

Known as the cash-for-ash scandal, it led to a collapse in power-sharing in 2017 which saw the institutions stalled for three years.

Plans to close the scheme were further delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and disagreement among parties about how to bring the arrangements to an end.

On Tuesday, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald introduced the last stage of the legislation, which was approved by all parties in the assembly.

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The SDLP, Stormont's official opposition, said the closure represented the drawing of a line under past policy failure within the power-sharing institutions.

Sinead McLaughlin described it as the closing chapter in one of the "darkest episodes in the history of devolution".

The legislation provides the legal framework for closure, with detailed operational arrangements to follow in further technical regulations, subject to approval.

The Department for the Economy had previously estimated that closing the scheme and compensating participants would cost about £196m over 10 years.

Archibald said there had been a consensus for the first time between political parties, scheme participants and the Treasury on how to manage it.

"This bill is vital as it lays the foundation for the closure of the scheme, reiterates the department's commitment to ensuring that this is achieved in a way that is fair to the participants and to the wider taxpayers," she said. Caoimhe Archibald, with long brown hair, wearing glasses and a pink jacket. Image source, PA Media Image caption,

Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has introduced the last stage of the legislation 'Acknowledgement that this scheme failed'

The chair of Stormont's Economy committee, DUP MLA Phillip Brett, commended the reaching of a consensus, as well as the proposals for the scheme's closure.

"The intent was that we achieved a fair and proportional outcome that benefited both the public but also respected and benefited genuine participants and I think the minister and the department has managed to achieve that," he added.

"It is an acknowledgement that this scheme failed, that it caused enormous damage and that lessons must never again be ignored," she added.

Alliance MLA David Honeyford also welcomed the legislation, describing RHI as an "episode that will live long in the memory of this place, but something we can now put to bed".

Ulster Unionist deputy leader Diana Armstrong said while closing the scheme was necessary, it must "be the first step in a much larger journey".

"Accepting closure is not an admission of defeat, it is an acceptance of reality and an opportunity to move forward."

The legislation will now go on to receive royal assent before becoming law. What was the RHI scandal?

The RHI scheme paid businesses to switch from oil and gas to what was meant to be environmentally-friendly heating, using wood pellet boilers.

However, the subsidy was higher than the cost of the fuel, creating an incentive to use the boilers to generate income.

Some businesses invested heavily in the scheme after it opened in 2012, installing multiple boilers on their properties to take advantage of a lucrative 20-year subsidy offer.

It was so popular it became oversubscribed.

That coupled with a lack of cost controls from its inception meant that by 2016, Stormont was facing a multi-million pound overspend.

The revelations caused a political crisis that led to a collapse of Northern Ireland's devolved government in January 2017.

At one point the overspend was projected to reach as much as £700m but after reform of the scheme and significant cuts to subsidy rates the actual overspend was about £30m.

A public inquiry into the running of the RHI scheme was set up in 2017 and this cost taxpayers a further £13m.

The inquiry concluded that it was not corruption that led to the scheme running out of budgetary control but rather flaws in its design as well as errors and lack of attention on the part of those responsible for overseeing it.

Three years after it collapsed over the RHI controversy, Stormont was restored in January 2020 under the New Decade, New Approach agreement.

That 2020 agreement stated the RHI scheme should be closed down and replaced with a new scheme that "effectively cuts carbon emissions".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78k41rxme8o

Former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader and soldier Doug Beattie is facing another battle for his political future.

He is expected to be deselected when his Upper Bann constituency association meets in June to choose its candidate for the next Northern Ireland Assembly election.

If that happens he intends to stand for election in the May 2027 poll, either as an independent or as a member of another party.

A source close to him said he was being forced out because he was regarded as being too moderate.

Beattie became a member of the assembly in 2016.

In 2021 he became the UUP's leader.

He stepped down from the leadership in 2024.

Beattie's replacement in Upper Bann is expected to be Kyle Savage, a councillor on Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

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It is understood another of the party's nine MLAs, Alan Chambers, has been told not to put his name forward when his constituency association in North Down meets soon to select its candidate.

Like Beattie it is understood that if necessary he will also run as an independent.

At 77, Alan Chambers is Father of the House as he is the oldest of 90 MLAs first elected in 2016.

A source close to him said: "Alan is stubborn and won't give up without a fight". A bald man wearing a dark pinstriped suit, white shirt an red tie.Image source, PA Media Image caption,

Jon Burrows is the current leader of the Ulster Unionist Party

When Beattie became UUP leader in May 2021 he promised a "Union of People" and the party did briefly enjoy what was referred to as "the Beattie Bounce."

But internal tensions eventually emerged and he resigned as leader in September 2024 citing "irreconcilable differences" between him and party officers over his role in a row over the selection of a new assembly member in North Antrim.

He was succeeded by Mike Nesbitt, but the party's current leader is former police officer Jon Burrows.

Beattie is credited with bringing Burrows into the party, although the two men are no longer believed to be close.

According to a recent Lucid Talk opinion poll, Burrows is now the most popular unionist party leader.

He is believed to have widespread support among the party membership, although there was no leadership election as he was unopposed.

But relations between him and some of the assembly member team are believed to be difficult.

There was anger about a recent video posted on the party's X site, external which featured Burrows standing in front of Stormont's Parliament Buildings in which he said: "People deserve better. For too long the people in here have delivered for themselves and not for the people of Northern Ireland."

One source said: "He could have at least said some parties differentiating between his own party and some of the others."

It is understood he was asked to delete the video but refused.

Candidate selections at constituency level have to be ratified by Burrows, but the BBC has been told he will not interfere.

The party declined to comment on that.

Another source said there was "widespread antagonism" in the party towards the Stormont team.

Now it looks like Doug Beattie is about to become the first high profile casualty.

Asked to comment on the selection issues an Ulster Unionist spokesperson said: "All candidate selection activity within the Ulster Unionist Party is governed by its rules and standing orders.

"The party appreciates that its internal procedures may, on occasion, attract outside interest.

"However, it would not be appropriate for the party to offer comment on the details of matters of this nature."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0pglw8wgzo

Unionism "needs to start looking to the future" when it comes to conversations about constitutional change, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said.

The Sinn Féin vice-president was speaking in the wake of election results in Wales and Scotland, where pro-independence parties won, meaning for the first time all three devolved nations will have pro-independence first ministers.

O'Neill said the public needed to break free from "the shackles of Westminster".

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson said suggestions the results for the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru represented a seismic change were "fanciful".

"People in Scotland were voting against Keir Starmer, not against the union," said Robinson.

"People in Wales were voting against Keir Starmer, not against the union, and when we get our chance, people in Northern Ireland will have their say next year.

"I'll make you two guarantees. That unionism will win that election. And if unionists bring themselves to cooperate, they will win in a way that you cannot ignore."

In Northern Ireland, the first and deputy first minister have identical powers and responsibilities and the DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly is the deputy first minister.

DUP Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly with party leader Gavin Robinson in the Great Hall at Stormont Great Hall. On the right - Gavin Robinson - a tall man with grey hair and glasses. He is speaking into a microphone and is wearing a suit and tie, On the left - Emma Little Pengelly has long dark brown hair, she is wearing a dark coloured jacket and a pearl necklaceImage source, PA Media

Image caption,

DUP Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly with party leader Gavin Robinson

The DUP leader criticised the prime minister and said he had "lost support" across the UK, though he added that the question of his future leadership remained an internal matter for Labour.

When asked if Starmer should remain as prime minister, O'Neill also said that was a matter for the Labour Party.

The Social, Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Stormont's official opposition, said the election of three nationalist first ministers was "symbolic" but urged caution about overstating the results.

Its leader, Claire Hanna, said "symbolism doesn't put bread in anybody's table".

"It doesn't do the work of persuasion," she added.

"It doesn't do the work of showing that you can use power responsibly and change people's lives."

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The Alliance Party leader said the results demonstrated that people were "fed up with politics".

Naomi Long added that Keir Starmer had not done enough in a speech on Monday to provide reassurance that he is capable of taking government in a different direction.

Asked about the success of Reform UK, Long described its leader Nigel Farage as a "grifter who's in it for himself".

"What worries me is that so many of our local unionist politicians are fanboying around Nigel Farage," she said.

But she said she did not believe the weekend's results made a Reform UK government after the next general election an "inevitable consequence".

Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday during a debate on the results, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Jon Burrows said the majority of votes in last week's elections had been cast for pro-union parties.

"I suspect we'll be here in 50 years' time and we'll have relatively youthful Sinn Féin members saying in 2060, the border poll is just round the corner.

"But here's the reality, most people in Northern Ireland just want us to get on with making things work."

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) assembly member Timothy Gaston described the results as a "rejection of the old parties".

"The lesson from these elections is not that the union is dying, it is that voters across the UK have finally woken up and are revolting against the political class," he added.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yrx0w714vo

Parents have been urged to know where their children are after disturbances in east Belfast on Saturday evening.

Two fast food restaurants had to close at Connswater after large groups of young people gathered in the area following a planned band parade on the Newtownards Road.

A window was smashed and there were reports of assaults.

"The message on this is - parents, where are your children?" Democratic Unionist Party councillor Ruth Brooks said.

"They're causing issues with residents, with the local community, with youth workers who are trying to keep our own youth safe here, and also for policing."

Brooks said after the band parade there was "a complete lack of parental responsibility for some of the individuals who came down here purely to just cause chaos".

"This was a really successful band parade, it is an annual event, it is a celebration of culture - it is these kinds of scenes that distract from what is otherwise a fantastic night," she said.

Brooks said there was disappointment and frustration in the community and a "bit of a heavy cloud over what was a very successful evening".

'Troublemakers are not welcome'

A road with cars driving on it. A McDonald's is on the left with trees lining the street.

Image caption,

Two fast food restaurants had to close at Connswater after large groups of young people gathered in the area

In a statement, Protestant Boys East Belfast band, which organised the parade, said it unreservedly condemned "any trouble, disorder, or antisocial behaviour from young people".

"Such actions do not represent us, our band, or the vast majority who attend to celebrate with pride and dignity," the statement said.

"This is not a parade issue, this is a societal issue.

"Troublemakers are not welcome at our parade."

The band called on parents and guardians of anyone involved to "speak to them before someone gets badly hurt".

Police said "additional evidence was gathered at the scene" which would now be reviewed.

"There will be consequences, by way of proactive arrests, for those identified as being involved in offences," Ch Insp Robinson said.

"We would particularly ask parents and guardians to speak to their children so they know where they are, and to play their part in ensuring that they do not become involved in such reckless behaviour that could lead to someone getting hurt."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgmp8w9z7yro

The Irish language should not be used as a "bargaining chip" to help unionists accept a united Ireland.

Irish language speakers should also be "proactive" in planning for Irish unity.

Those are key conclusions from a report commissioned by a leading language body.

It comes on the back of a major shift in policy by Conradh na Gaeilge (CnaG) "to work towards a united Ireland".

The report said that the participation of Irish speakers "could significantly benefit the wider campaign for Irish unity".

It is called A United Ireland: A Transformative Opportunity for the Irish language and Gaeltacht and was written by Róisín Nic Liam. Why does the report say Irish speakers should plan for a united Ireland?

The report said that Irish unity and the prospect of a border poll is now an area of significant public debate.

It cites, for example, BBC Northern Ireland's Borderland podcast which reflected views for and against a united Ireland.

The report argues that the Irish language has been treated "as something which must be reconsidered or 'de-emphasised', in the event of Irish unity, or offered up as a bargaining chip or a symbolic concession to be negotiated".

It said that the language has often been "framed as an 'imposition' on the unionist community".

For instance the report said that the former Taoiseach (Irish PM), Leo Varadkar, had "argued for certain 'concessions' to accommodate unionists, including 'de-emphasising the Irish language'".

As a result, the report argues, the Irish language is often seen as something that should be "curtailed" in a united Ireland.

That includes making learning Irish optional - rather than compulsory - in schools, reducing its role in public life including on street signs and putting Irish on equal footing with English and Ulster-Scots in a new constitution. A group of people sat in a room. A woman is speaking to them from a lectern at the front. Image caption,

The report was launched at Queen's University Belfast

"The rights of one minority should not be curtailed in order to accommodate those of another in a united Ireland," the report said.

It concluded that Irish speakers should be "active participants" in a campaign for a border poll to secure a better future for the language "in a new Ireland". What does the report's author say?

Nic Liam told BBC News NI that a united Ireland would be "an unprecedented opportunity for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht".

"The Irish language is consistently presented as a controversial symbol of nationalism, and is presented accordingly in the most negative and regressive terms," she said.

She said that Irish was, instead, "a living community language across Ireland".

"We must look at the entire island and how the relationship can be improved with the language across all 32 counties," Nic Liam said. Is calling openly for a united Ireland 'politicising' the Irish language?

Nic Liam said that Irish had originally been "politicised" by the English in Ireland, with historic acts like the 14th century Statute of Kilkenny which made it illegal to speak the language.

"Language rights are a political issue and there's no shying away from that, I suppose," she said.

"Irish language speakers and those who are sympathetic to the language are looking towards Irish unity now as an opportunity to put the Irish language at the heart of a new political agreement". A white bilingual street sign in Irish and English. It is on a red brick wall that is partially painted blue. Some barbed wire can be seen on the wall above the sign. Image source, Getty Images Image caption,

Many politicians in Northern Ireland have been critical of policies on dual language street signs Who are Conradh na Gaeilge?

Conradh na Gaeilge is a cross-border Irish language organisation which is over 130 years old.

It is a member-run organisation which promotes the Irish-language and advocates for the rights of Irish speakers.

Members of Conradh na Gaeilge recently voted to change its constitution "to work towards a united Ireland for the benefit of the Irish language".

The organisation was hugely influential in advocating for new Irish language laws in Northern Ireland. What is Queen's University's involvement?

The university's logo is on the front of the report, alongside the Conradh na Gaeilge logo. And the author Róisín Nic Liam is a PhD student at Queen's.

The report was also launched in the university's Seamus Heaney Centre.

In a statement to BBC News NI, a university spokesperson said that "Queen's University is committed to freedom of thought and expression, within a framework of respect for the rights of other persons".

"Academic Freedom is enshrined as a guiding principle in the University's Charter and Statutes," they said.

"The University fully supports the right of its academics to publish work and express academic opinion within this framework."

In 2022, some unionists had criticised the use of the university's logo on a report called Making a Case for Irish Unity in the EU written by QUB Professor Colin Harvey.

Prof Harvey is a board member of the Ireland's Future organisation and has written the foreword to the A United Ireland report. Why might the report prove controversial?

Reacting to the report on BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme, the TUV's Matthew Warwick said the report showed that Irish language was "the weapon of choice for republicanism to achieve a united Ireland".

"This is a political manifesto for Sinn Féin in all but word and deed," he said.

"Every unionist has to read this document."

But Conradh na Gaeilge's Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin said the Irish language was often viewed as "a controversial emblem of nationalism and not as a living community language".

"The Irish language can actually play a transformational role, a liberational role for people," he said.

"And provide people with another avenue with which to engage in this debate on the future direction of the country and to do so in a democratic, transparent way."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c15d8q8w0xdo

A 14-year-old girl who has been blind since birth had to make a 140-mile round trip to attend a cinema screening after struggling to find an accessible option closer to home.

Eryn said the journey, which took about three hours in total, was necessary because the cinema was the only one her family could find offering audio description headsets for The Magic Faraway Tree, a film adapted from Enid Blyton's book series.

Her family contacted several local cinemas, including the nearest to their home, but were told none could accommodate her needs.

BBC News NI has contacted IMC Cinemas for a response and asked other cinema chains what services they provide for blind and visually impaired audiences.

Eryn has her long brown hair tied back and is wearing a grey T-shirt. She is standing on a balcony overlooking some sport pitches and buildings. Image source, Evanna Kirkpatrick

Image caption,

Eryn says more cinemas should offer audio description headsets for blind and visually impaired people

Eryn was born with a rare congenital disorder called septo-optic dysplasia, which means she has been blind since birth.

She said it impacted many aspects of her life, including schoolwork and hobbies.

"I'm not able to do my schoolwork the same as everyone else. I'm not able to have the same hobbies either, such as watching movies or going to the cinema. I'm not able to enjoy visuals. I wish I could go to the cinema more," she said.

'Extremely disappointing'

Eryn, who lives near Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, said her family had to travel to the Odeon cinema in Belfast over Easter as their local cinema, IMC Cinemas Enniskillen, did not offer audio description headsets.

Eryn had hoped to see The Magic Faraway Tree closer to home, but after contacting several venues, her family discovered the Belfast cinema was the only option.

"A long way to travel just to watch a movie," she said.

"It was extremely disappointing that the closest local cinemas couldn't cater for blind and visually impaired people.

"Sighted people just take this for granted because they can go and watch movies, whereas blind people can't."

"We rely on audio description because you can't pick up the whole atmosphere through sound alone," she added.

Despite the long journey, Eryn said she enjoyed the movie and the audio description gave her "a better understanding of what was happening than just the sound".

She said more cinemas should offer audio description so people who are blind and visually impaired can enjoy the cinema experience like everyone else.

DUP MLA Deborah Erskine has long brown hair. She is wearing a blue top and is sitting on a grey sofa with a yellow cushion beside her.

Image caption,

DUP MLA, Deborah Erskine, says many people across Northern Ireland are being denied the chance to enjoy the cinema with friends and family

Fermanagh and South Tyrone DUP MLA, Deborah Erskine, said this issue was first raised with her several years ago and brought to the attention of the IMC cinema group, but she said little appeared to have changed.

"My understanding was that measures were going to be implemented… but unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case."

Erskine said many visually-impaired people across Northern Ireland were being denied the chance to enjoy the cinema with friends and family - and she plans to raise the matter again with cinema operators.

"It's not acceptable that in 2026 people still can't have the same experience as everyone else," she said.

Erskine added that the solution was simple and that the current situation placed an unfair burden on families.

"It shouldn't be the case that parents are left trying to search for a cinema their child can attend," she said, adding that travelling created extra costs and put families "at a disadvantage".

Calls for more audio description services

John Paton has short brown hair and is wearing black-rimmed glasses. He is wearing a pink shirt and blue fleece. John is smiling at the camera. He is standing in a city with a number of palm trees behind him. Image source, RNIB

Image caption,

The RNIB's John Paton says there should be conversations about increasing access to audio described screenings at cinemas in Northern Ireland

In a statement, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) said it was "saddened" that Eryn and her family had to travel from Enniskillen to Belfast.

John Paton, the RNIB's media, culture and immersive technologies manager, said a trip to the cinema was "an experience everyone should be able to enjoy at their local cinema".

"Families should not have to travel so far… this simply wouldn't be possible for many," he added, pointing to rising costs and transport challenges, particularly in rural areas.

Paton said there were around 57,500 people with sight loss in Northern Ireland and called for better access to audio described screenings.

"Small changes and considerations can make such a difference.

"We will be raising this issue with the UK Cinema Association so they can look into the current situation in Northern Ireland and help find appropriate and timely solutions."

BBC News NI has contacted IMC Cinemas Enniskillen, Odeon, Movie House and Omniplex cinemas for comment.

In a statement, an Omniplex spokesperson said audio description was currently available at four locations, including The Avenue Cinema in Belfast, as well as sites in Lisburn, Birmingham and Wigan.

"The availability of audio described screenings is dependent on content supplied by film studios, as not all titles are released with audio description tracks," they added.

The spokesperson said the cinema remained "committed to improving the experience for all guests", with plans to expand audio description technology to more locations "in the coming years".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9pn2v7m2wo

The prime minister has suggested there may be a case for banning some protests, following calls for a suspension of pro-Palestinian marches.

Asked if he wanted tougher policing of language used during marches, or if he wanted to stop some protests altogether, Sir Keir Starmer told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think certainly the first, and I think there are instances for the latter."

The PM said he would always defend the right to protest but he was concerned about the "cumulative" effect of repeated marches on the Jewish community.

It comes after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, on Wednesday.

Essa Suleiman, 45, appeared in court on Friday charged with attempted murder over the attack.

The attack, which has been declared a terror incident by police, is the latest in a string of violent incidents targeting Jewish people.

The government commissioned a review of public order and hate crime legislation last year, after two Jewish people were killed in an attack outside a synagogue in Manchester.

It was expected to report back in February but is yet to be published.

Earlier this week, Jonathan Hall, the government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, called for a "moratorium" on pro-Palestinian marches.

He said it was "clearly impossible at the moment" for the protests "not to incubate within them some sort of antisemitic or demonising language".

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has also called for a temporary ban on the marches after the Golders Green attack.

He told the BBC the protests had contributed towards a "tone of Jew hatred within our country".

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Asked about the call for a moratorium, Sir Keir said: "I think it's time to look across the board at protests and the cumulative effect."

He added: "In relation to the repeated nature of the marches, many people in the Jewish community have said to me, it's the repeat nature, it's the cumulative effect.

"Now, I accept that, which is why we intend to deal with cumulative effects."

Pushed on whether some protests needed to stop altogether, the PM said: "We need to look at what further powers we can take."

In response to concerns about linking protests to attacks on Jews, Sir Keir said: "I will defend the right of peaceful protest very strongly and freedom of speech."

He added: "I'm not saying, of course, that there aren't very strong, legitimate views about the Middle East, about Gaza. We all have deep concerns about it."

Hall's call for a moratorium has been criticised by the Stop the War Coalition, a campaign group that has helped organise several previous marches.

The group said it condemned "all forms of antisemitism and racism", but it was "wrong" to connect the marches to any attacks on Jews.

The Green Party and Jeremy Corbyn's Your Party have also warned the response to the "abhorrent" attacks should not restrict civil liberties.

However, the Conservatives and Reform UK have called for the government to take a tougher approach to the demonstrations.

Police forces in England and Wales can restrict protests in certain circumstances, including by stipulating a particular route or saying when it must end.

They can apply to ban marches outright where these powers are deemed insufficient to prevent "serious public disorder", but this requires the approval of the home secretary and is not regularly used.

Last month the government approved a request from the Metropolitan Police to ban the Al Quds Day march in London, marking the first time a protest march had been banned since 2012.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir said chants like "globalise the intifada" - based on an Arabic word for uprising - were "very dangerous" to the Jewish community and should be prosecuted.

"If you are on a march or a protest where people are chanting, 'globalise the intifada', you do have to stop and ask yourself, why am I not calling this out?" he said.

"Why am I on a march where this is the chant?"

The term intifada came into popular use during the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1987.

Jewish groups have described the term as a call for violence against Jewish people. Pro-Palestinian groups have said it is a call for peaceful resistance to Israel's occupation of the West Bank and actions in Gaza.

In December, the Met and Greater Manchester Police said they would adapt their approach to the slogan in the wake of the attack on a Jewish festival on Australia's Bondi Beach, and arrest those using it in chants or on placards.

Sir Keir was also asked about criticism from the Jewish community that the government had not done enough to keep them safe.

The PM was heckled during a visit to Golders Green on Thursday by protesters chanting "Keir Starmer, Jew Harmer".

He told the BBC he acknowledged "the depth of feeling" and that many Jews were "feeling very scared", saying: "I'm not here to criticise that in any way."

However, Sir Keir added: "It's not right to say we haven't done anything."

He pointed to enhanced police security in areas like Golders Green which "has been in place for some time".

The government has also announced increased funding for protecting Jewish communities.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdrpdlz5e8go

Two attacks on a war memorial on consecutive days have been described as "sad and upsetting", by the local chairman of the Royal British Legion (RBL).

An offensive sectarian term was first painted on the monument on the Derry Road in Strabane, County Tyrone on Monday – an incident police are treating as a sectarian hate crime.

It was removed by Derry City and Strabane District Council staff but was painted onto the memorial again on Tuesday.

Derick Donnell, chairman of the local branch of the RBL, said the memorial had been "desecrated", adding the attacks are "very disappointing".

He said vandalising the memorial "is akin to desecrating a family grave".

"People do not seem to be educated about the memorial. It was erected in memory of men from the local community, from both sides of the community, who went to war," he told BBC News NI.

Donnell said it was difficult to comprehend why a memorial that had never previously been attacked in this manner was now the target on consecutive days.

Wreaths had been removed in previous years from the memorial, he said, but now "this has gone to a higher level".

"For what reason I do not know," he said.

He said the RBL would be happy to talk to anyone in Strabane who has a problem with the memorial.

'Deeply regrettable'

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it is treating Monday's incident as a sectarian motivated hate crime, but said it did not receive a report in relation to the incident on Tuesday.

Speaking on Wednesday at a meeting of the council, DUP member Ketih Kerrigan said the graffiti was disappointing, especially when efforts were being made to promote the town.

He said the same graffiti has appeared in other areas of Strabane.

Sinn Féin councillor Paul Boggs told the same meeting: "While there may be a contested past we can't allow there to be a contested future, and I do find it deeply regrettable that somebody would target the memorial on the Derry Road."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyv2y96g4n7o

A new sculpture outside Belfast's Grand Central Station made from parts of the dismantled Boyne Bridge will "celebrate" the city's industrial past.

The now dismantled bridge near Sandy Row was reconstructed in 1936, but its origins dated back nearly 400 years.

It was removed to facilitate work on the new Grand Central Station in 2024.

Peter Richards said being one of the artists involved in designing the sculpture was "an opportunity to celebrate the work that's already gone on in this city and how it's changing".

Some protests were held in the Sandy Row area after news of the decision to dismantle the bridge was announced.

William III, or King Billy, is believed to have crossed the site on his way to the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

Elements from the bridge were repurposed for the sculpture which is in Saltwater Square, the new civic space next to the station.

Richards, from the Golden Thread Gallery, said collaboration went into the design.

"I do a lot of my talking with a pencil, so as we're talking, I'm sketching, and I think we came to this idea relatively quickly," he said.

"I would have done the initial sketch, but I'd have done it as we were all talking, so I'm not sure whose idea it was."

He said the team thought of other ideas but "came back to the one that stood out as actually being most appropriate in terms of celebrating and commemorating".

A none metre high sculpture. People are standing around it. Construction work is going on in the background.

Image caption,

The sculpture is called Reflections and is nine metres high

The sculpture is called Reflections and it "faces back to where it came from", Richards explained, as it faces the direction of Sandy Row.

The front steel side reflects "passing through the station and the passing of time".

"I think in itself it's a little journey. You can traverse it and have a little history moment," he added.

Kevin Killen is wearing a grey flat cap and a navy hoodie with a white top underneath. A large shiny sculpture is behind him. Some people in the background are pulling small suitcases.

Image caption,

Sculptor Kevin Killen said it was "lovely" to work with the material from the Boyne Bridge

Kevin Killen is the sculptor who was involved in bringing the nine-metres high design to life.

"We had to get engineers involved from the get-go," he said.

"So Peter kind of had the concept and design of it, and I kind of took it and then I rectified it a wee bit and brought it back to the engineer."

Killen explained that the engineer then made the sculptor "structurally sound".

He said it was "lovely" to work with the material from the Boyne Bridge.

A mural of a teenage girl wearing her school blazer. The mural is mostly green and she's holding a gold leaf. Traffic is in the background.

Image caption,

Murals that local schoolchildren helped create were also officially launched on Thursday

Murals designed by local schoolchildren around Grand Central Station were also officially launched on Thursday.

Belfast Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly said it's "wonderful" to see the two pieces unveiled.

"The bridge coming down in Sandy Row was quite a sensitive issue for this community, but I hope with the art piece and the two sides of the future and the past will be represented as we move forward," she said.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said the murals give "young people a genuine voice in shaping how Belfast welcomes the world".

Chris Conway is smiling. He's wearing a navy suit with a white shirt and a blue patterned tie. A large sculpture is in the background.

Image caption,

Translink's Chief Executive Chris Conway says having the civic space bring communities together into a shared space

Translink's Chief Executive Chris Conway said the space is "about regenerating the area as well as bringing the transport station into it".

"This was also in the past an interface area, so it was an opportunity to bring communities together into a shared space," said Conway.

He said it was important to incorporate the Boyne Bridge into the sculpture because they wanted to "represent the heritage of the area as well as reflect on the future".