Innovation

Villagers vow to fight 'unfair' council tax rise

by John
written by John

Some residents of a group of villages in Telford have vowed to fight boundary reorganisation plans which could mean they pay more in council tax.

Dawley Hamlets brings together a number of villages, whose residents pay less council tax than residents in neighbouring areas.

However, a proposal has been made to abolish Dawley Hamlets Parish Council and divide villages into neighbouring towns and parishes in time for the 2027 local elections.

Telford and Wrekin Council said its boundary review was in the consultation stage, meaning residents could still influence the final outcome, and that decisions on future tax levels would be for newly formed councils.

"Splitting us up will hit people in their pockets," said Cllr Bob Wennington, chairman of Dawley Hamlets Parish Council.

"We're individual communities but we gel together and residents are happy with what we do for them.

"All of Little Dawley and Aqueduct could be part of Great Dawley Town Council, but we feel like we don't have much in common with the town, although we do rely on them for some services," he added.

Councillor Bob Wennington said most residents were not aware of the proposed changes

The fee added on to council tax bills for 2025/26 by Dawley Hamlets Parish Council, known as the precept, is around £29 for a Band D property.

It is spent on local services, such as litter picking and the management of two nature reserves, and also organising annual events like remembrance services and summer parties.

However in the Great Dawley area to the north, residents paid £317 in town council precept, which contributes towards the running of the town hall, library, weekly market and Christmas lights switch on, to name a few of the services it provides.

The boundary change would increase the council tax of more than 6,300 voters.

'We could lose our identity'

The proposals also include moving the Small Hill area of Dawley Hamlets into Lawley & Overdale Parish Council, and Horsehay and Doseley into The Gorge Parish Council.

Lawley and Overdale Parish Council's precept fee was £108 this financial year, while The Gorge Parish Council added about £64.

"My fear is that we'll become part of the Ironbridge Gorge and lose some of our identity," said Angela Porteous from Horsehay in Dawley Hamlets.

"Ironbridge is a World Heritage Site, which is fantastic, but how much focus will be put on an area like Horsehay?"

Telford and Wrekin Council did not answer the BBC's specific questions on why it is proposing to abolish Dawley Hamlets Parish Council.

However, in a statement, it said its draft proposals were aimed at better reflecting community identities, addressing electoral imbalances, and ensuring effective local representation.

"The final outcomes of the Community Governance Review may yet change, depending on the feedback we receive," said Cllr Giles Luter, Chair of Telford and Wrekin Council's Boundary Review Committee.

"We would remind residents of Dawley Hamlets, and across the Borough, to make the most of our drop-in information sessions and complete the online survey," he added.

It challenged claims that council tax would necessarily rise, saying: "It would be the responsibility of any new parish council to set their council tax precept, so speculating around levels of precept in parish councils which do not yet exist is unhelpful and potentially misleading."

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Tech

IOM electorate offered a choice of where to vote

by Gabriel
written by Gabriel

Voters heading to the polls next week on the Isle of Man will, for the first time, be able to choose where in their constituency to cast their ballot.

Polling stations will be open from 08:00 until 20:00 BST on Thursday in five local authority general elections – Castletown, Douglas South, Patrick, Peel, and Ramsey North.

Following the successful trial of an app developed by the Government Technology Service at the 2021 House of Keys general election in Douglas South, people will be able to vote at any polling station in their constituency.

The software is used to check voters in at polling stations. A live link into the electoral register will ensure that voters can only cast one ballot.

'Accessibility needs'

In addition to offering convenience for voters, the elections team said the move would "allow voters with additional needs to identify a venue that best suits their accessibility needs".

Those with additional accessibility requirements have been advised to check the facilities of their polling station online or contact their deputy returning officer for advice.

There are 21 local authorities on the island and elections take place every four years.

All registered voters within the five contested local authorities or districts will receive a polling card by post.

This will detail their designated polling station as well as alternatives within the constituency.

Voters have been advised that while they do not need to bring their polling cards to vote, those who have not received one should contact their deputy returning officer.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 17:00 on Wednesday.

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Global Trade

Headlines: Pat Lam's future and pioneering surgery

by Luke
written by Luke

Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media.

Our pick of local website stories

Burnham-on-Sea.com reported on the fire which spread across two homes on Wednesday.

There are renewed appeals to find a 22-year-old man who has been missing from Yeovil since Boxing Day, reports Somerset Live.

Bristol Bears' Pat Lam is being discussed on Wales Online, as news emerged that the Welsh national team approached him about his availability.

And the story about the woman who had her eyesight saved in time for her wedding with pioneering surgery was reported on by ITV News West Country

Our top three from yesterday

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Economy

Mexican mayor arrested over alleged links to cartel training camp

by Abigail
written by Abigail

Prosecutors in Mexico have arrested the mayor of Teuchitlán in western Jalisco state as part of their investigation into a nearby cartel training site.

The mayor, José Murguía Santiago, is suspected of colluding with the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG), which he has denied.

The investigation was launched after activists discovered bone fragments and hundreds of discarded shoes, backpacks and items of clothing at the Izaguirre ranch outside the town in March.

Rights groups said that they feared the ranch had been used as an "extermination camp", where people were forcedly recruited and trained, and those who refused were tortured and killed.

The discovery by people searching for their missing relatives of what appeared to be evidence of mass killings at the site shocked the country, where cartel violence is rife.

  • Read: Ovens and bone fragments – BBC visits Mexican cartel 'extermination' site

Mexico's Attorney-General Alejandro Gertz gave a news conference last week updating journalists on the federal investigation into the ranch.

He confirmed that the site had been used as a training centre for recruits of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most feared and powerful transnational drug trafficking gangs, which has its power base in Jalisco.

However, he said that there was no evidence that it had been used as an extermination and cremation site.

According to the attorney-general, bone fragments discovered there were not recent and forensic tests suggested that the fires lit at the ranch would not have been hot enough to dispose of human remains.

Gertz's statements caused anger among "searchers", the name given to relatives looking for the more than 120,000 people who have been reported missing in Mexico over the past two decades.

Reuters
Activists searching for missing relatives said they want a "real" investigation into what happened at the ranch

They said that his news conference raised more questions than it answered and failed to address to whom the many abandoned shoes found at the ranch belonged and what had become of those people.

Gertz insisted that the authorities would continue looking into whether there had been any collusion between the CJNG and local officials.

The arrest of Mayor Murguía Santiago is part of that ongoing investigation.

Prior to his arrest, the mayor had said that he had nothing to hide. "If they want to investigate me, let them, I'm clean and willing to say what I know," he told local media.

But prosecutors allege that he knew of the existence of the training centre and did not act on that knowledge.

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Economy

Dog walker has fractured collar bone after attack

by Kristen
written by Kristen

A pensioner who was walking his dog was attacked by another dog walker and has been left with a fractured collar bone and facial injuries.

The man, in his 70s, was injured in the attack on parkland near Margaret Road, Penwortham, at about 17:00 BST on Tuesday, Lancashire Police said.

The force has released an image of a man detectives would like to speak to, who was wearing a distinctive yellow t-shirt and walking a very small dog off the lead.

Officers said he was aged between 30 and 40, about 6ft 2ins (1.8m) tall and had a large build.

BBC Sounds

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Business

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame picks Outkast but not Oasis

by Evan
written by Evan

Innovative rap group Outkast, pop star Cyndi Lauper and 1960s pioneer Chubby Checker have all won places in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

This year's inductees were revealed live on American Idol, with the UK represented by hard rock band Bad Company and gravel-voiced eccentric Joe Cocker, 11 years after his death from lung cancer.

However, Manchester bands Oasis and Joy Division/New Order failed to qualify from the shortlist.

Performers become eligible for inclusion 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording. The nominations are voted on by more than 1,200 music historians, industry professionals and previously inducted artists.

The full list of performers to be inducted this year is:

  • Bad Company
  • Chubby Checker
  • Joe Cocker
  • Cyndi Lauper
  • Outkast
  • Soundgarden
  • The White Stripes

Salt-N-Pepa, the first commercially successful female rap group, will also receive the musical influence award, alongside Warren Zevon – a cult singer-songwriter who was revered by Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.

The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on 8 November, and will be streamed live on Disney+.

Getty Images
Mariah Carey and Oasis both lost out on a place in the Hall of Fame, despite two nominations in separate years

"Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of Rock & Roll forever," said the Hall of Fame's chairman John Sykes.

"Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps."

However, equal amounts of attention will be paid to the artists who didn't make it into the hallowed hall, which encompasses all genres of popular music.

Mariah Carey's omission, in particular, will be seen as an egregious oversight.

With 19 US number one singles, she is second only to The Beatles in terms of chart success.

Her self-titled debut album spent 11 weeks at the top of the Billboard chart in 1990, and her Christmas classic, All I Want For Christmas Is You, is the 11th best-selling single of all time.

This is the second time she has been overlooked by the Rock Hall's voters.

Asked for her thoughts on being snubbed last year, Carey said: "My thoughts are, I didn't get in."

A second snub will embolden critics who say the Hall of Fame has a poor record of admitting women.

Lauper, who did make it through the voting process, was the only other woman on this year's main ballot.

Getty Images
Chubby Checker waged a long campaign to win his induction to the Hall of Fame

Oasis were also passed over for a second time, having been nominated in 2024.

But singer Liam Gallagher has previously criticised the institution, saying he wasn't interested in receiving an award from "some geriatric in a cowboy hat".

Veteran jam band Phish also missed out on a place – despite winning a fan vote that counted towards this year's ceremony.

However, losing a nomination doesn't mean an artist is disqualified from future ceremonies.

Nile Rodgers and Chic have famously been included on the ballot 11 times. Although the band still hasn't been inducted, Rodgers was honoured at the 2017 ceremony with the Award for Musical Excellence.

Chubby protest

A similar story emerges this year for Checker, whose song The Twist became a global phenomenon in 1960.

The star, now 83, was ignored by the Rock Hall for years, even as contemporaries like Sam Cooke, Bill Haley, Wilson Pickett and Fats Domino were admitted.

In 2001, Checker took out a full-page ad in Billboard magazine calling on the Rock Hall to recognise him for the song that, he said, became "the biggest dance of the century".

"I want my flowers while I'm alive," he wrote. "I can't smell them when I'm dead."

Demanding a statue in the courtyard of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he added: "I will not have the music business ignore my position in the industry."

That wish has finally been granted.

Getty Images
The White Stripes were inducted on their first nomination

This year's other inductees include Outkast – aka André 3000 and Big Boi.

Known for hits like Ms Jackson, Rosa Parks and Hey Ya!, their swampy Southern rhythms and bohemian take on hip-hop changed the sound of the genre in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Soundgarden, best known for grunge anthem Black Hole Sun, have also earned a place; as have The White Stripes – the garage rock band formed by Jack and Meg White in 1997, whose hits include Seven Nation Army, Hotel Yorba and Fell In Love With A Girl.

Fans will speculate about whether Meg, who hasn't been seen in public since 2009, will attend the induction ceremony.

There are also musical excellence awards for Thom Bell, an architect of the Philadelphia Soul sound, and English pianist Nicky Hopkins, who contributed to records by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and The Who.

US guitarist Carol Kaye, whose fretwork can be heard on classic tracks like You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling and the theme to Mission: Impossible, receives the same honour.

Finally, record executive Lenny Waronker, who helped develop acts like Madonna, REM and Prince, will receive the Ahmet Ertegun award, given to non-performers who have had a major influence on rock music.

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Tech

Coup leader seeks win in first vote since Gabon army takeover

by Roman
written by Roman

People are heading to the polls to pick the next president of Gabon, where for the first time in decades a Bongo family member is not on the ballot.

Former President Ali Bongo was forced from power 19 months ago by coup mastermind Gen Brice Oligui Nguema, who in turn has changed the constitution to allow him to run in Saturday's election.

A total of eight candidates are in the running to become president, with only one woman in the race – Gninga Chaning Zenaba.

Other presidential challengers include former Prime Minister Alain Claude Bilie-by-Nze, who served under the Bongo regime, as well as two stalwarts of the former ruling PDG party, Stéphane Germain Iloko and Alain Simplice Boungouères.

Election results could start being announced on Sunday, but officials can continue the count into next week.

Close to one million people are expected to vote in Gabon and its diaspora.

  • Who is Gen Brice Oligui Nguema?
  • Why Gabon's coup leader is bucking a trend by embracing democracy

The small oil- and timber-rich central African nation is home to just 2.5 million people. Despite its resources, about 35% of the population still live below the poverty line of $2 (£1.50) a day.

During the two-week campaign period, most of the candidates prioritised reacing voters in the interior while rallies in the capital, Libreville, were limited.

Yet large numbers of posters and billboards for Oligui Nguema dominate Libreville's streets, with very few of his rivals' adverts visible.

"I will vote for the builder Oligui Nguema," reads a campaign message on the top of taxi driver Landry Obame-Mezui's vehicle, who likes the junta leader because he "came in with a new way of doing things – action before speeches".

But critics of Oligui Nguema say he has presided over an unfair transitional and electoral process, ushering in a new constitution and electoral code designed to favour his own candidacy in the election, despite his promise to hand over power to civilians.

An upper age limit was also introduced, making one of Oligui Nguema's most popular opposition rivals Albert Ondo Ossa ineligible.

Go "back to the barracks," was the jibe from the man seen as Oligui Nguema's closest rival in the vote, Bilie-by-Nze. He considers himself the change the country needs, but his closeness to the ousted regime still attracts criticism from some.

After 55 successive years under President Omar Bongo and his son Ali Bongo, Gabonese people have told the BBC that all they have wanted is an end to the embezzlement, cronyism, indebtedness and unemployment they have endured.

"Our expectation is to have a new Gabon that is well-governed, well-managed, where there is social justice, equity and equal chances," said registered voter Noel Kounta. "We want a developed and prosperous Gabon".

"I would like the [next] president to focus more on jobs," said 30-year-old pharmacist Shonnys Akoulatele, who also said she was underpaid in her current profession.

"The unemployment rate is so high, so they should at least show some compassion towards this issue, especially in the private sector."

Polls are set to close at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Saturday.

More BBC stories on Gabon:

  • Why does France have military bases in Africa?
  • Self-medicating gorillas may hold new drugs clues
  • Gabon's predators on the pitch: Inside a paedophile football scandal
Getty Images/BBC

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Economy

Bus fares kept below national cap, council says

by Emily
written by Emily

Bus fares will continue to be discounted from later this month, Brighton & Hove City Council has confirmed.

Short and medium length trips across the city will be capped below the national £3 single-journey price, which rose earlier this year.

Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport, said the cap was "really good news for thousands of people who use the city's buses".

Prices for medium journeys will be subsidised from 28 April until autumn, the council said, while "short-hop" travel will remain at £1 until "at least the end of the year".

From 28 April, medium length journeys will drop from £2.80 to £2.50, the council said.

The type of trips covered by the fare include journeys from Seven Dials to George Street in Hove, or Palmeira Square to Brighton railway station in Queens Road.

Longer journeys will still be capped at the national £3 limit.

Student all-day fares will also be capped at a lower rate from the autumn, dropping to £4 from £4.40.

Added discounts will be paid for through additional funding from the Department for Transport, the council added.

Mr Muten said: "We've worked very hard with the city's bus operators to reduce the cost of medium length journeys, fares for students and extend the £1 short-hop fare offer until at least the end of the year.

"Making bus travel more affordable means we can connect residents and students with work, education and communities. It also makes bus travel more enticing, meaning people can make more sustainable travel choices.

"But this is just the start of an exciting 12 months with improvements to make bus journeys better for everyone."

Bus fares were previously capped at £2 per single journey but this was raised to £3 at the start of 2025.

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Economy

Second person dies after fatal crash

by Luke
written by Luke

A second person has died following a fatal crash in Carmarthenshire.

Dyfed-Powys Police responded to the incident on the A4183, between the Llangennech and Crematorium roundabouts, at about 22:50 BST on 2 April.

The crash, between a silver BMW and a black Peugeot 208, resulted in both drivers' deaths, with the BMW driver dying at the scene and the Peugeot driver dying in hospital on 5 April.

"Our thoughts remain with the families at this difficult time," Dyfed-Powys Police added.

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Business

Man charged with attempted murder after gang feud arrests

by Amy
written by Amy

A man has been charged with attempted murder in connection with two deliberate fires in Edinburgh thought to be linked to an ongoing gangland feud.

Kurtis Young made no plea to charges of wilful fire raising, danger to life and attempted murder on separate occasions on 23 March and 4 April following incidents on Hay Drive in Niddrie.

Police believe the attacks are related to two groups targeting each other in a series of incidents in the east and west of the country.

A 24-year-old man was also arrested and charged in Edinburgh for a breach of bail conditions on Friday, Police Scotland said.

Det Ch Supt David Ferry described the attacks, which have centred on residential and business premises in Edinburgh and Glasgow, as "dangerous and abhorrent".

He said: "I want to make it clear that we will not stop until we bring those responsible for this criminality to justice.

"Local officers continue to reassure the public with intelligence-led patrols to disrupt the activities of criminals in our communities."

Young, 41, of no fixed abode, was initially arrested by another police force and was remanded in custody to appear again at Edinburgh Sheriff Court within eight days.

There have now been 26 arrests in connection with a series of firebombing attacks, assaults and reports of shots being fired in Glasgow and Edinburgh since March.

Officers are also investigating whether two other incidents on Tuesday morning are connected to the feud.

Two vehicles were set on fire on Gorgie Road at about 04:40 and a house on Bellenden Gardens, in the Liberton area, was vandalised at about 08:50.

Police said inquiries into both incidents were ongoing.

How the gang feud developed

A series of attacks began on 2 March when a car was set on fire in Edinburgh's Parrotshot area.

A beauty salon in Leith and a garage in Portobello were also targeted over a 10-day period.

Later, shots were reported as being fired at two properties in Niddrie and Pilton in separate incidents.

Further firebomb attacks were reported on another house in Niddrie at the start of April, just as the first property in Glasgow was targeted in the Robroyston area.

A carpet business in Bishopbriggs and another commercial premises in Kirkintilloch were also hit, alongside homes in Glasgow and Stepps.

In April, a 72-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy were assaulted at a house in Egilsay Crescent in Milton, Glasgow.

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