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tv   BBC News at Six  BBC News  February 20, 2024 6:00pm-6:31pm GMT

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at six — police searching for the man who attacked a woman with chemicals in south london pull a body from the thames — abdul ezedi, who was last seen almost three weeks ago. the man who stabbed three people to death in nottingham — the court of appeal is asked to review the sentence. the first images from inside the hospital in southern gaza raided by israeli forces. tributes to one of strictly�*s much loved professional dancers, robin windsor, who has died at the age of 1m. and what is this bright light flashing through the sky over lincolnshire? coming up on sportsday later in the hour on bbc news. kylian mbappe he gets his move. the most wanted man in football is set to be a real madrid player next season.
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good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. police say a body has been found in the river thames by officers searching for the chemical attack suspect abdul shokoor ezedi. authorities had been looking for him for almost three weeks after a woman and two children were attacked in south london. the 35—year—old was last seen on 31 january on cctv — leaning over the railings of london's chelsea bridge. our home editor mark easton reports. with the tide low close to london's tower bridge at around four yesterday afternoon, the crew of a passenger boat saw what looked like a body in the water. scotland yard's marine policing unit attended and recovered a corpse which detectives working on the clapham chemical attack inquiry quickly concluded was their key suspect, abdul shakoor ezedi. because of the amount of time
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that the body has been in the water, it has not been obvious to do an easy visual identification, or indeed to get immediate fingerprints. however, with the very distinctive clothing that was being worn and the property that we have found on the body, we are able to strongly believe that this is abdul ezedi. detectives spent ten intense days hunting ezedi after the attack in clapham, in which a 31—year—old woman was seriously injured and her two young children hurt. ezedi, an afghan refugee, had lured the women to a meeting after their relationship had broken down. she got into his car, whereupon a strong alkali was thrown into herface. ezedi, in the dark hoodie, fled on foot, his movements tracked on cctv. he walked for hours along the thames before police concluded hejumped into the river at chelsea bridge. across 20 days, his body floated downstream, retracing the journey of more than 4.5 miles ezedi had
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made on foot. finally his body was recovered from the water at tower pier, close to the tower of london. every year around 30 bodies are recovered from the thames. most are people who have gone into the river deliberately to end their lives. abdul shakoor ezedi, it appears, is the latest notorious addition to that list. ezedi's victim is now stable in hospital, but has life changing injuries. it was a crime and an investigation that shocked the british public. unaware ezedi was already dead, there were questions as to how this fugitive was able to evade capture for so long. finally it seems the river thames has yielded some answers. mark easton, bbc news, tower bridge. the man who killed three people in nottingham will have his sentence reviewed byjudges after the attorney general said it was unduly lenient. valdo calocane admitted manslaughter and was given a hospital order. the review follows a campaign
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led by the families of the three people he killed — 19—year—old students barnaby webber and grace o'malley—kumar and 65—year—old ian coates. tom symonds has the story. do not move! stay where you are! he was caught within minutes of the killings, but the legal arguments about valdo calocane's sentence could go on for months. grace o'malley—kumar, barnaby webber, and even quotes were attacked by a violently ill man who hadn't taken his medication. five psychiatrist agreed his defence of diminished responsibility was justifiable. valdo calocane was sent to ashworth high security hospital. the judge said he would probably never be safe enough to release. but this is not a prison, the government's chief legal adviser, the attorney general, today said the sentence was unduly lenient. the bereaved families agree
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because they believe valdo calocane's violence was not entirely due to his mental state. we calocane's violence was not entirely due to his mental state.— due to his mental state. we have never doubted _ due to his mental state. we have never doubted that _ due to his mental state. we have never doubted that he _ due to his mental state. we have never doubted that he has - due to his mental state. we have never doubted that he has a - due to his mental state. we have i never doubted that he has a serious mental illness and is a seriously unwell man that has been for a number of years. what we do not agree with was that he was in psychosis for the whole of the attacks. so we believe you didn't know what he was doing. the trial 'ud . e know what he was doing. the trial 'udue said know what he was doing. the trial judge said that — know what he was doing. the trial judge said that valdo _ know what he was doing. the trial judge said that valdo calocane - judge said that valdo calocane should be in hospital because in prison he might be a risk to inmates and might not take medication. but what if he was to get better and be released? at that point, the court of appeal could see that he should go to prison, which would be a less lenient sentence and more of a punishment. and thejudge did also rule that valdo calocane cannot be released from hospital without government permission. it is released from hospital without government permission. it is not a net out of government permission. it is not a get out ofjail _ government permission. it is not a get out ofjail card, _ government permission. it is not a get out ofjail card, it _ government permission. it is not a get out ofjail card, it is _ get out ofjail card, it is incarceration within the hospital environment, where this man is going
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to be _ environment, where this man is going to be treated and supervised 24/7, given _ to be treated and supervised 24/7, given his _ to be treated and supervised 24/7, given his medication, and he is going _ given his medication, and he is going to — given his medication, and he is going to be looked at by the psychiatrists. but going to be looked at by the psychiatrists.— psychiatrists. but the family webber, attacked _ psychiatrists. but the family webber, attacked with - psychiatrists. but the family | webber, attacked with grace o'malley—kumar as they walked on, say only a tougher sentence will give them justice. tom symonds, bbc news. robin windsor, a former professional on strictly come dancing, has died aged 44. he appeared on the bbc one show from 2010 until 2013, partnering with celebrities patsy kensit, anita dobson, lisa riley and deborah meaden. windsor�*s cause of death has not yet been confirmed. lizo mzimba looks back at his life. the former dance champion joined the strictly family in 2010. robin windsor. applause and together with his first dance partner, patsy kensit, he salsad
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and sambad his way into the hearts of millions of viewers. taking part in strictly to me is the bestjob in the world. there are two things that i love to do and they are perform and to teach. and i think this is the onlyjob in the world where i actually get to do both of the things i love at the same time. over the next three years, he was partnered with former eastenders star anita dobson. # bring me sunshine.# emmerdale actress lisa riley, who he reached the semifinal with. and dragons den star deborah meaden. members of the strictlyjudging panel, past and present, have been paying tribute. craig revel horwood said he was one of the kindest, gentle, honest, funny and caring people i've had the pleasure of knowing and working with.
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bruno tonioli said, it was a pleasure working with robin for many years at strictly. so professional, easygoing, a really good person. and speaking earlier on morning live, arlene phillips also shared her memories of him. he was sweet and kind and there was something so lovely about him. passionate, driven. and i am devastated. he'll be very, very, very, very much missed. his cause of death hasn't been confirmed, but millions have been remembering a man whose talent was admired by so many. robin windsor, who has died at the age of 44. the uk's competition watchdog has launched a probe into baby milk after it found that formula prices have soared by 25% in the past two years. it says parents could be paying over £500 more than they need to in the first year of a baby's life. just two companies,
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danone and nestle, control the majority of the market. the first images have been released of conditions inside the hospital in southern gaza which was raided by israeli forces last week. the world health organisation says it has managed to get more out than 30 patients including children, but more than 100 patients and staff remain in nasser hospital in khan younis which is no longerfunctioning. israel has repeatedly accused hamas of using hospitals as bases for its fighters, a claim denied by the group classed as a terrorist organisation by the uk government. 0ur diplomatic correspondent paul adams reports. one patient in a wheelchair. one patient on a stretcher can be set in the ambulance.| in the darkness of nasser hospital, a rescue under way. for 14 patients, some of them elderly, a chance to escape a hospital on its knees. the war is nearby.
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this was not a simple operation. we don't see them here, but israeli soldiers control the hospital. the mission had to be carefully coordinated. the hospital is filthy, large parts of it deserted. this is the former emergency department of national medical complex. and it's a death zone. the hospital director looks shattered. he and a handful of staff keeping patients alive during days of military siege and occupation. my words are not enough to express the respect that i'm feeling not only for you, but for these people that are work here. you can think about the war situation ever. you multiply it by ten and this is the worst situation i have seen in my life. it's the debris, it's the light, working in the darkness, patients everywhere. israel says it had no choice but to raid the hospital. hamas, it says, was here in force. the army finding weapons and arresting scores
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of suspected gunman. in the car park, vehicles stolen from israel during the attacks of october the seventh. and in the pharmacy, a chilling discovery. medications supposed to be given to vulnerable israeli hostages. the medications remain, the hostages are gone. israel insists nasser hospital is functioning, but the un still wants to get patients out. and the charity medecins sans frontieres says nasser is no longer capable of treating patients. what's left of gaza's health system, they say, is barely functioning. paul adams, bbc news, jerusalem. prince william has said he wants to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible in the israel—gaza conflict in what's being seen as a significant intervention. he spoke of the "terrible human cost of the conflict" and called for the hostages to be released. daniela relph reports. visiting the british red cross
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headquarters in london. every engagement the prince of wales does, every word he says publicly is carefully considered. intensely traumatic. today he was briefed about their work in the middle east. he also heard about mental health support provided for victims of trauma, and he spoke directly to those working on the ground in gaza. ijust wanted to hear a little bit about what's going on out there, pascale, and how you're all coping. was forced to move several times with a health system that is totally collapsed. earlier today, the prince of wales issued a statement where he spoke about the human cost of the conflict. too many have been killed, he said. i, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. there is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to gaza. it's critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released. prince william and his team will have pored over every carefully chosen word of that statement. they stress that they don't see this
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as a political intervention. instead, it is focusing minds on what the prince calls the sheer scale of human suffering. the prince visited israel and the palestinian territories in 2018. the first member of the royal family to do so. it was a trip he said made a lasting impression on him and has led to a continued interest in the region. as he left the red cross today, prince william told staff he'd been deeply moved by what he'd learned. next week, he'll visit a synagogue to meet with young people and those fighting anti—semitism. daniela relph, bbc news. well, it's notjust the prince of wales who's calling for the fighting to stop. the labour party is, for the first time, also now calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in gaza. 0ur political editor chris mason joins us now. this is a major shift for the labour
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party. it this is a ma'or shift for the labour pa . , ., , ., this is a ma'or shift for the labour pa. party. it is, and it is a product of domestic political _ party. it is, and it is a product of domestic political wrangling - party. it is, and it is a product of- domestic political wrangling between and within parties. since october, but we have seen from keir starmer, the labour leader, is an attempt to hug close to the government position on the conflict between israel and gaza, and indeed the position of a lot of the uk's allies. that has caused tension within the labour movement. we have seen shadow frontbenchers resign or face the prospect of b sacked. a desire from some that the keir starmer should be more critical of keir starmer and should have used the word ceasefire, the demand for an immediate ceasefire much sooner. tomorrow, there's going to be a debate in the house of commons brought by the scottish national party, have been arguing for an immediate ceasefire for some time, there is a real political battle going on between the snp and labour over seats in scotland at the general election. today we learn that labour's position now is to call for an immediate ceasefire. they say it is important that israel can be
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guaranteed its own security and there is a viable palestinian state in the long term, but a shift in language no doubt from labour. at just the point the foreign secretary lord cameron warns israel in a letter to mps tonight that it should be very careful and really weigh up whether it is wise to go into rafah in southern gaza, given the consequences that could have for so many people there. language matters in terms of what can then happen on the ground. in terms of what can then happen on the ground-— the ground. while we have got you, can i ask you _ the ground. while we have got you, can i ask you about _ the ground. while we have got you, can i ask you about another - the ground. while we have got you, can i ask you about another story i can i ask you about another story thatis can i ask you about another story that is breaking. the chief inspector of borders and immigration has been sacked. this inspector of borders and immigration has been sacked.— has been sacked. this was david neil, has been sacked. this was david neil. sacked _ has been sacked. this was david neil, sacked by _ has been sacked. this was david neil, sacked by the _ has been sacked. this was david neil, sacked by the home - has been sacked. this was david . neil, sacked by the home secretary james cleverly today. the context of this is a couple of stories in the newspapers in the last couple of days that either he was a source of awe was quoted n. that has really angered senior figures in government. they say those reports were inaccurate. there is a real
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brow bubbling here because this guy had written a whole load, more than a dozen reports, and the whole asylum and immigration system. they had not been published, and labour are saying that proves there is a shambles in that system and they should be published. the government says they will be at some point. chris mason, thank you. our top story this evening. police searching for the man who attacked a woman with a corrosive substance have pulled a body from the river thames. and pulled a body from the river thames. the high min farmers and the high minister faces the farmers as he unveils his plans. and on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news, storm in a sandpit. world athletics' plans to trial new rules in the long jump have had a mixed reaction. bbc news has uncovered important new details about the post office scandal in which hundreds
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of sub—postmasters were wrongly prosecuted. we've analysed documents from seven years ago which show the government knew the post office had suddenly abandoned a secret investigation into the faulty horizon it system — even though it was an investigation that could have helped the postmasters prove their innocence. andy verity is here with this exclusive report. i'v e i've discovered in documents received the freedom of information requests, that the post office commissioned no less than three reviews into the horizon it system, hoping it would be fine. and that it couldn't because the losses. the first in 2014 found that fujitsu could remotely create transactions and fake digital signatures to edit data on customers' purchases. then in 2016, a review by top lawyers
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urged the chair tim parker to investigate further, so he commissioned the auditors to go back through all the transaction since 1999 to find out how often it had happened and why. government ministers sajid javid and baroness lucy neville rolfe were informed the post office had appointed an independent person to address suggestions that branch accounts might have been remotely altered without sub—postmaster is knowledge. but when the post office learned that they were going to court, it suddenly stopped deloitte's investigation, and all of those reviews were covered up and kept secret from the courts at that time. naren was given a three—yearjail sentence because of his conviction over the case. if deloitte's case had been completed, it might have helped people like naren to prove something crucial, that the evidence produced to jail them couldn't have
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been relied upon. naren, hello. mice been relied upon. naren, hello. nice to see yom — to see you. i showed him the lawyers' investigation that the post office was asked to review. did they follow the investigation? what would be your gas. i the investigation? what would be our as. ., �* ~ , your gas. i don't think they did follow the _ your gas. i don't think they did follow the recommendations. | your gas. i don't think they did - follow the recommendations. here is the thin. follow the recommendations. here is the thing- they _ follow the recommendations. here is the thing. they did. _ follow the recommendations. here is the thing. they did. deloitte - follow the recommendations. here is the thing. they did. deloitte spent i the thing. they did. deloitte spent three months going back through transactions. so in march they say we're doing the work, deloitte has been appointed. in april you launch to litigation, and injune, they stopped mag one doing the work. and stopped mag one doing the work. and in stopped mag one doing the work. fific in knowing all stopped mag one doing the work. fific in knowing all this, why stopped mag one doing the work. e'"ic in knowing all this, why would stopped mag one doing the work. el"ic in knowing all this, why would we waste our time? anyway. sorry, beg your pardon. it's very hard. never
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mind. laboursaid our mind. labour said our revelations from the documents were concerning. this labour said our revelations from the documents were concerning.- documents were concerning. this is one of the fundamental issues - documents were concerning. this is one of the fundamental issues that | one of the fundamental issues that was used _ one of the fundamental issues that was used to convict, this remote access_ was used to convict, this remote access to — was used to convict, this remote access to accounts, so finding a piece _ access to accounts, so finding a piece of— access to accounts, so finding a piece of information like this now has to— piece of information like this now has to he — piece of information like this now has to be incredibly serious. gn piece of information like this now has to be incredibly serious. on the face of it it — has to be incredibly serious. on the face of it it discloses _ has to be incredibly serious. on the face of it it discloses a _ has to be incredibly serious. on the face of it it discloses a conspiracy . face of it it discloses a conspiracy by the post office to pervert the course ofjustice. in 2014, it appears that the post office board was alive to the true position, and yet the post office board was responsible for maintaining and advancing the post office's defence to the claim in 2019. that was false. 3 to the claim in 2019. that was false. . , ,, ., to the claim in 2019. that was false. . ,, ., false. a spokesperson for the post office said it _ false. a spokesperson for the post office said it was _ false. a spokesperson for the post office said it was the _ false. a spokesperson for the post office said it was the public - office said it was the public inquiry�*s roll to reach conclusions on what had happened. sajid javid was told the investigation was to look into suggestions branch accounts might have been remotely altered, not that lawyers had found
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they could be, as was baroness neville—rolfe who was also told about the investigation being stopped. she said she looked forward to explaining her role in the inquiry. tim parker said to explaining her role in the inquiry. tim parkersaid he to explaining her role in the inquiry. tim parker said he acted upon legal advice he was given, and the documents don't show evidence that david cameron was told about the investigation. there is hope for naren now that he may eventually get proper compensation, but and still officially branded a criminal, no amount of money can make up for the undeserved shame and his family have wrongly been made to feel. andy verity, bbc news, ramsgate. the body shop has today started to shut almost half of its 198 stores in the uk after it went into administration last week. the move will lead to hundreds ofjob losses, including at the company's head office. nuneaton, ashford and bristol stores are among those closing with immediate effect, as well as four branches in london. administrators say it's to "help reenergise" the brand. the prime minister has announced
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plans to help british farmers — including details of how the uk's food security could be boosted. rishi sunak has been addressing the national farmers' union annual confrerence in birmingham, the first prime minister to do so in 15 years. here's our environment correspondentjonah fisher. in the fields and on the farms, all is not well. we're the end of the line in this farm. our kids don't want to take it on. liz webster has 350 cows, and says a combination of factors including brexit, rising costs and unpredictable weather has left many farmers like herself at their wits' end. are you still making a profit? is it still profitable to be a farmer? no! so why are you doing it? i don't know! because it's a way of life. sometime in the next 12 months, there's going to be a general election. what farmers are hoping is that their concerns about, among other things, food security, prices and the environment will be key topics which politicians
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will have to address when they hit the campaign trail. and so it was that rishi sunak came to birmingham this morning to speak to the annual conference of the national farmers' union. this is the first time that a prime minister has come to this event since gordon brown. that's all the way back in 2008. i know that the transition from the common agricultural policy has been frustrating. it's taken time, and i appreciate the perception that we didn't always get the balance exactly right. but i still believe that the vision is the right one. there was no new money, but he announced support for innovation and technology, and moves to make the contract between farmers and supermarkets or transparent. food security will also now be monitored every year.
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a the prime minister really isjust a the prime minister really is 'ust tinkerin: a the prime minister really is 'ust tinkering around i a the prime minister really is 'ust tinkering around the i a the prime minister really is 'ust tinkering around the edges h a the prime minister really isjust tinkering around the edges afterl tinkering around the edges after they put— tinkering around the edges after they put up barriers to trade when they put up barriers to trade when they were — they put up barriers to trade when they were promised continuing access, — they were promised continuing access, and they have let energy prices _ access, and they have let energy prices run — access, and they have let energy prices run out of control. it's notjust here that farmers are unhappy. the last few weeks have seen protests across europe. how food gets to your dinner table is a very hot topic. jonah fisher, bbc news. an "unprecedented" number of women are being investigated by police on suspicion of illegally ending their pregnancy — that's according to two of britain's biggest abortion providers. the bbc has found evidence that women who have had natural pregnancy losses have also come under investigation. divya talwar reports. sammy was seven months pregnant when she says she started feeling unwell. i had a bit of back ache. i think i'm having the baby. and then not even ten, 15 minutes later, he's here. he was blue, he was lifeless.
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the paramedic on the phone talked me through cpr. sammy and her baby were taken to hospital. she says the next thing she remembers is the police arresting her husband. both of them are placed under investigation, suspected of trying to illegally end the pregnancy. we were just treated like criminals from the get go, really. when she found out she was pregnant, sammy says she had initially wanted a termination. abortion is legal in britain before 24 weeks of pregnancy. sammy thought she was well within the legal limit, but says staff at the abortion clinic told her she was over the cut—off. i broke down. i couldn't believe i was, well, near enough 26. sammy says she was honest with police and hospital staff about wanting an abortion, even told them that she looked for pills but never bought or took them. but after the premature delivery, police suspected an illegal abortion may have been attempted. though her baby survived, she's faced a year—long investigation. my mental health, obviously,
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that's declined in the last year. abortion providers say that since 2020, a growing number of women are facing criminal investigations on suspicion of illegally ending a pregnancy. we're probably talking about 50 to 60 who are falling under active criminal investigation, but that compares to pretty well zero before 2018. they want to see abortion fully decriminalised. there's fierce opposition to that. i think that if you don't have the possibility - of prosecution and if you don't have the possibility _ of some sort of sentence, _ then you're in danger of having more of these cases and not fewer. we do need a deterrent. sammy recently received a call from police, who told her the investigation had been dropped. the force who handled her case told us that a thorough investigation was necessary to safeguard all involved. they said no further action would be taken against sammy nor her partner.
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ijust burst out into tears. i couldn't believe what i was hearing after all these months, all these weeks of not knowing. i wouldn't wish it upon anybody. divya talwar, bbc news. the wikileaks founderjulian assange has begun his latest attempt to fight his extradition to the united states. he's wanted in the us for disclosing secret military files more than a decade ago. if he fails, assange will have exhausted all appeal routes in the uk and will enter the process of extradition. our home and legal correspondent, dominic casciani, reports from the high court. us, uk, can't stopjulian assange. a moment of legal reckoning, but not going quietly. the scene outside the high court this morning asjulian assange's lawyers prepared for what might
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be his last opportunity to persuade britishjudges to stop his extradition. hundreds of the wikileaks founder's faithful turned out, all outraged at his treatment, all believing he's exposed major war crimes and is being punished for revealing the truth. the road to this hearing starts with these shocking pictures from 2010. leaked us footage published byjulian assange's organiaation showing a military helicopter gunning down civilians in iraq. two years later, mr assange was holed up here, ecuador�*s embassy in london, claiming asylum, fearing he'd spend the rest of his life ina usjail. he was dragged out seven years later to face extradition to the us, an order that was approved two years ago by the courts and home secretary. but in court today, edward fitzgerald kc for mr assange said he was a victim of a politically motivated plot. his client was being prosecuted for engaging in ordinaryjournalistic practice of obtaining and publishing
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classified information, information that is both true and of obvious and important public interest. former president donald trump had even asked the cia for detailed options on how to assassinate mr assange. his lawyers claimed. 0utside court, his wife, stella assange, acknowledged time might be running out. julian will try to bring his case to the european court of human rights, and he will try to obtain an order to stop the actual extradition of him getting on being put on a plane. in this case, there would be irreparable harm. so we are confident that the european court of human rights will recognise that julian's life is at risk. tomorrow, the court will hear from the united states team. they say the case has been totally misrepresented. they want their man, and they're not giving up. dominic casciani, bbc news, at the high court. a spectacular meteor lit up the sky above lincolnshire and yorkshire late yesterday afternoon.
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was that a meteor? what was that? it was caught on a number of dashcams and doorbell cameras as it passed overhead. a meteor is a piece of space debris that burns up as it enters the earth's atmosphere, creating that famous shooting star effect. time for a look at the weather. here's matt taylor. i'm not sure we are going to be seeing much in the sky tonight, are we? know, something a little more familiar and we? know, something a little more familiarand a we? know, something a little more familiar and a little less appealing, rain. more of it to come, i'm afraid. these are some of our weather watcher shots from parts of england today. we have had two dry daysin england today. we have had two dry days in these areas and we still have flooded fields, flooded roads as well, and very rain sodden fields out there, but there is more rain to come. rainfallamounts forthe out there, but there is more rain to come. rainfall amounts for the next two days alone, all of us will see rain as these darker colours in the west and on the hills where we can see in excess of 50 millimetres, two
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inches of rain. the

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