BBC News quiz of the week: What's the one-letter codename for MI6's new spy chief?
This week saw further conflict in the Middle East, MPs vote to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, and another SpaceX rocket go up in flames.But how much attention did you pay to what else happened in the world over the past seven days?Quiz collated by Ben Fell.
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Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
'Don't kill the ill' vs 'What a relief': Two terminally ill people on the assisted dying vote
Over the past year, Sky News has been following the journeys of two people who are terminally ill and on opposite sides of the assisted dying debate. Philip, a Christian pastor, views it as suicide and says supporters of the bill need more faith. Clare, a former counsellor, thinks it should be a personal choice, which for her could offer a good death. Philip died two days before Friday's historic vote, which saw MPs vote in favour of assisted dying. "Kill the bill, don't kill the ill," he told Sky News days before he died. Philip said better palliative care can make all the difference. "I still believe it's because of money. It would save millions and millions if they bump off people like me and Clare and others." Philip was resting in a bed in his living room when we spoke to him. Doctors had told him he had just days left. He was struggling to eat and experiencing hallucinations. "Just now, I went to kiss [my wife] Pauline and she's not there." He pointed to a corner of a biscuit he'd been eating over the last three days that's "not even as big as my thumb". "That's the maximum amount of food I can eat because I'm blocked with cancer." "Logically, I should be screaming and ranting and shouting. But I've been organising things like the funeral," he said, explaining that his belief in Jesus means he's at peace with death, however it comes. At times he cries and very often, he winces in pain. Asked what it would mean if the vote was passed, Philip said it would be "a terrible step downwards". Assisted dying would desensitise the British public to death, he explained. "I personally am totally against it, because you're missing out on what God's planned for you. "Because even now, he knows what's going to happen in me, he knows what's going to happen in the other people." He added: "You'll miss the support of people who love you. Because there are people who love you. If you just reach out to them." Philip died on Wednesday morning, two days before the bill's third reading and ascension to the House of Lords. Clare is sitting in her friend's garden in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, surrounded by nature and absorbing the news that the vote has passed. She tells Sky News: "Oh what a relief! Thank goodness. Thank you to all those people who were brave." Clare has breast cancer which has spread to her bones. Her doctors say her lungs have hardened, making it more difficult for her to breathe. "I'm breathless all the time especially if I'm talking. I can't walk very far without being breathless. Now my heart has to work very, very hard to keep my oxygen levels up." Clare has supported the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill from its inception and calls it a "difficult subject". "People are very fearful," she says, before acknowledging that concerns remain for vulnerable people at risk of coercion. "Lots of people have been in controlling relationships, and I really understand how that works. "I've got daughters and I can understand situations where people are thinking, 'oh, I don't want to be a burden on somebody else' and all of that. But I think it's [worth] remembering that this is one choice out of many." Clare is aware it is unlikely the law will change before she dies. "It won't for [be there] me and it hasn't come in time for lots of people, has it?" she says. "All the people that have gone before that would've liked this choice to avoid suffering and indignity." Clare turns 60 this year and is marking her birthday with 60 memorable days. "I'm enjoying life," she says with a big smile. "I don't want to die, but we all have to go."
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Target to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050 has been set - but how likely is it?
Wales's government has set the aim of having one million Welsh speakers by 2050 - along with a doubling of the daily use of the language by then - but is that target achievable? Figures from the latest census in 2021 showed a fall in the number of people who could speak Welsh compared to a decade earlier. An estimated 538,000 people in Wales - or 17.8% of the population - said they could speak Welsh, compared to 562,000 in 2011 (or 19% of the population). Some efforts to increase the prominence of the language in recent years, including the Brecon Beacons National Park's decision to refer to itself only by its Welsh name Bannau Brycheiniog, have faced criticism from some quarters. But a YouGov poll of more than 1,300 Welsh people earlier this year found two-thirds (67%) were in favour of efforts to increase the use of the Welsh language, compared to a fifth (20%) who were against. Efa Gruffudd Jones, the commissioner tasked with promoting the use of the language, published her manifesto for next year's Senedd election on Friday. She told Sky News the Welsh language's position had "stayed fairly constant over the last 20 years". "If we really want to change anything going forward, we need to change some of the things that we do," she said. "[Targets] are inspirational, they can inspire people to do more. But, on its own, setting a target doesn't mean that you achieve it. "So I really think we need to think hard about how we increase the numbers of Welsh speakers and how we ensure that more people can use it in their daily lives." Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage told ITV Wales last month that he would scrap the target if the party forms the next Welsh government. In her manifesto, Ms Gruffudd Jones has five key proposals for the next Welsh government as people in Wales prepare to head to the polls in May next year. They include increased use of the language in workplaces, more public services available in Welsh and mandatory Welsh language training for newly-qualified teachers, with the commissioner insisting such a move would not "alienate" potential new recruits to the profession. "It's about creating the opportunity for everyone who wants to come into the workforce to be able to develop their skills and to be able to make sure that every child who wants Welsh-medium education in Wales [is able] to receive it," she said. At Welsh-medium secondary schools, at least 60% of learners have a minimum of 70% of their lessons in Welsh, according to Welsh government criteria. And at Welsh-medium primary schools, at least 80% of pupils' school activities will be in Welsh from the age of seven onwards. 'Nothing to be afraid of' The Welsh language commissioner published a report last month which found young people's use of the language socially, including on social media, was "limited". Gwynedd Council, in northwest Wales, has outlined plans to make Welsh the "principal language" of education across the county, in an effort to boost the number of people who leave school speaking the language. The proposals, which are subject to public consultation over the coming months, are set to "remove bilingualism and bilingual teaching" from its schools' policy. But Councillor Dewi Jones, the cabinet member for education on Gwynedd Council, has insisted English-medium education "is not being phased out". He told Sky News that pupils moving to Gwynedd from outside of Wales would be given support with their Welsh through the county's language immersion units. "There's nothing to be afraid of here, I'm completely confident that any latecomers to the county will be able to fully integrate and become fully bilingual," Cllr Jones added. He said the council was "very proud" to have a "very high number of Welsh speakers" in the area, "especially among young people". "But we're ambitious to go beyond that and ensure that all young people in Gwynedd are fully bilingual so that they have the benefits of both the Welsh language and the English language," he said. 'Academic language' In Ysgol Cwm Rhymni, a Welsh-medium secondary school in Caerphilly, Year 12 students have just finished their exams and are starting to think about the next steps after school. Mili, who speaks Welsh at home with her family, said the language was an "integral part" of her life. "For many students, their parents don't speak Welsh, so they don't hear Welsh on a more social level, it's more of an academic language for them," she told Sky News. Another student Megan said there were "a lot of people" who wanted to use Welsh outside of school but there were "a lack of things for them to be able to use Welsh". "People would be willing to speak Welsh if there are things there to allow them to speak the language once they've learned it," she added. Student Ben said there was a "lack of places where you can speak Welsh in the south that aren't schools or festivals". Meanwhile, fellow student Maisie said there were already "a lot of opportunities" to use Welsh outside of school, such as in Welsh-speaking groups, but they weren't "advertised" enough. On the streets of Cardiff Bay, opinions were mixed over the target to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050. "I think we could [reach it] because there are a lot of Welsh schools now, and all the schools are learning to speak Welsh," one woman said. "I don't know if you will get to a million, but I certainly would aim for that, as close to that as you can," another added. One man said it was unrealistic as Cardiff was "not a Welsh-speaking capital" but that the language was spoken more widely in other areas. What do the political parties say? Plaid Cymru's Welsh language spokesperson Heledd Fychan said the party has "a range of progressive and radical policies" on the Welsh language and that Wales needed "a government that is willing to act". Tom Giffard, the Welsh Conservatives' shadow Welsh language secretary, said "neither language should be squeezed out of any area" and it must be ensured that "additional bureaucratic strain is not placed on the health or education services". Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said the party supports the vision to "expand the use of Welsh across public services, workplaces, and education" but that the proposals should be delivered in a way that is "fair" and "inclusive".
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Trump's top spy confirms worst fears about Iran after public rebuke from president as US prepares military strike
Tulsi Gabbard finally responded to claims that she said Iran did not have nuclear capabilities after Donald Trump called her 'wrong' on the issue. Trump's Director of National Intelligence had testified in March that the U.S. intelligence community 'continues to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.' She posted to X Friday that 'The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division. America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' Gabbard included video of her testimony from March that while the intelligence community suggests that, the Iranians appear clearly to have 'enriched uranium stockpiles at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.' She also noted that Iran 'contains a wide range of threats' to the United States and Israel. Gabbard said that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had 'not authorized a nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.' Trump said earlier Friday that Gabbard was wrong when she said that Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon. 'Well, then my intelligence community is wrong,' he said Friday at Joint Base Andrews, to a question about what evidence he had that Iran was building a nuclear bomb. But Trump said Friday as he was departing for his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club 'it looked like I'm right about the material that they've gathered already.' 'It is a tremendous amount of material and I think within a matter of weeks or certainly within a matter of months they will be able to have a nuclear weapon and we can't let that happen,' Trump said. After landing in New Jersey for an evening fundraiser for his super political action committee, Trump was asked about Gabbard's comments to Congress in March that U.S. spy agencies believed that Iran wasn't working on nuclear warheads. The president responded, 'Well then, my intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community said that?' Informed that it had been Gabbard, Trump said, 'She's wrong.' Still, disavowing Gabbard´s previous assessment came a day after the White House said Trump would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military would get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. It said seeking additional time was 'based on the fact that there´s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.' But on Friday, Trump himself seemed to cast doubts on the possibility of talks leading to a pause in fighting between Israel and Iran. He said that, while he might support a ceasefire, Israel's strikes on Iran could be 'very hard to stop.' Asked about Iran suggesting that, if the U.S. was serious about furthering negotiations, it could call on Israel to stop its strikes, Trump responded, 'I think it´s very hard to make that request right now.' 'If somebody is winning, it´s a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing,' Trump said. 'But we´re ready, willing and able, and we´ve been speaking to Iran, and we´ll see what happens.' The president later added, 'It´s very hard to stop when you look at it.' 'Israel´s doing well in terms of war. And, I think, you would say that Iran is doing less well. It´s a little bit hard to get somebody to stop,' Trump said. Earlier Friday, reported that Gabbard has been the target of a smear campaign from 'deep state' intelligence officials seeking to undermine her influence through strategic leaks as President Trump ponders whether to join Israel's war against Iran, those close to her tell the Daily Mail. Gabbard is in the room, helping the president and his team determine an informed path forward, these officials stressed, pushing back against multiple reports indicating that she's been sidelined. In fact, the president is calling on her, the sources claim. Multiple intelligence officials spoke with the Daily Mail about Trump's spy chief's schedule and work since Israel launched an attack on Iran last week, shedding light on a normally clandestine affair. 'All the National Security Council meetings she's in on, and then, I mean, there's lots of impromptu ones where he's calling her into the office,' one senior intelligence official shared. 'She's in there at all the key junctures,' the source added. 'She's been in every meeting,' a White House official told the Daily Mail, adding the DNI 'has not been sidelined whatsoever.' Reports have suggested that Trump has been advised by a smaller cohort, including VP J.D. Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine. They say Gabbard and Pentagon Sec. Pete Hegseth are on the outside looking in. But these Gabbard allies told the Daily Mail the DNI has attended practically every crucial meeting at the White House and Situation Room since the conflict began. Vice President Vance also threw his weight behind Gabbard with a glowing social media post: 'She's an essential member of our national security team, and we're grateful for her tireless work to keep America safe from foreign threats.' The White House official added that Hegseth has also been an integral member of ongoing military discussions regarding the Middle East. Trump campaigned on decrying 'endless wars' and has vowed to be an international peacemaker. That's led some, even among conservatives, to point to Trump´s past criticism of the U.S. invasion of Iraq beginning in 2003 as being at odds with his more aggressive stance toward Iran now. Trump suggested the two situations were very different, though. 'There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. And that was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was, it was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today,' Trump said of his past criticism of the administration of President George W. Bush. He added of Iran´s current nuclear program, 'It looked like I´m right about the material that they´ve gathered already. It´s a tremendous amount of material.' Trump also cast doubts on Iran's developing nuclear capabilities for civilian pursuits, like power generation. 'You´re sitting on one of the largest oil piles anywhere in the world,' he said. 'It´s a little bit hard to see why you´d need that.'
