Elderly man drives down Rome's historic Spanish steps after mistaking monument for a road
This is the moment an elderly man drove his car down Rome 's historic Spanish Steps, later telling police he thought he was on his way to work.
The 81-year-old, wearing a suit and tie, was seen behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan as it descended the 18th-century monument at dawn on Tuesday, 17 June.
Speaking to municipal police at the scene, the man reportedly said he did not realise where he was. He tested negative for alcohol, but authorities are now considering whether to revoke his driving licence.
Firefighters later removed the vehicle with a crane, while experts from Italy 's culture ministry are assessing possible damage to the landmark.
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BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
How Belarus dissidents in exile abroad are pursued and threatened
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The man immediately changed his tone to a more official one, saying criminal cases were not his responsibility, but he could ask the relevant he made a request: could she, in exchange for help, share information about Belarusians fighting for Ukraine, especially since she had written about them before?Ashurkevich blocked Belarus itself, tens of thousands of people have been arrested in the past five years for political reasons, according to human rights group hundreds of critics of Lukashenko's 31-year rule have also faced persecution and Belarusian state media often accuse opposition activists of "betraying" the country and plotting a coup with assistance from the West. Authorities have justified targeting activists abroad, arguing they are trying to harm national security and overthrow the people the BBC has spoken to have received messages and phone calls, sometimes seemingly innocuous, sometimes with thinly veiled threats - or promises with a catch. Anna Krasulina, 55, receives them so often she has become used to putting her phone in flight mode before going to bed."I can see who's handling me - it's a couple of people. Or maybe it's the same one using different accounts," she says. She's convinced the authorities are behind this. Ms Krasulina works as a press secretary for Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, an opposition leader believed by many to have won the 2020 election, now living in women have been sentenced in Belarus to 11 and 15 years respectively in trials held in absentia. Charges included preparing a coup and running an extremist organisation. Since such trials against exiled political opponents were made possible by a decree by Lukashenko in 2022, more than 200 cases have been opened, according to Viasna, with last year seeing a record allows authorities to raid the homes of the accused and harass their are being identified on photographs and videos made in opposition gatherings have now stopped taking part in them, fearing for their loved ones who remain in Belarus, says Ms opponents choose jail and exile, claims LukashenkoBelarus ruler claims landslide in "sham election"Several people the BBC spoke to report their relatives being visited by the authorities."It's terrifying when you can't help them. You can't go back. You can't support them," says would go on record or even reveal any details anonymously out of concern that their families could be fears are not unfounded. Artem Lebedko, a 39-year old who worked in real estate, is serving a three-and-a-half year jail sentence for "financing extremism". He had never spoken out in public, but his father was an opposition politician living in the ties between Belarusians who have fled and those who stayed behind is a deliberate strategy by Lukashenko's government, says journalist and analyst Hanna Liubakova, also sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison."Even if someone in Belarus understands everything, they'll think three times before talking to a 'terrorist'," she says, referring to a list of "extremists and terrorists" which the authorities populate with names of their critics. The BBC sent a request for comment to the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs, but had not received a response by the time of of Liubakova's own relatives have also received visits from the security services, she says, and property registered in her name has been the BBC has spoken to believes the Belarusian authorities are seeking to exert maximum pressure on those who left in order to crush all opposition, wherever it Liubakova believes the persecution of dissidents stems from Lukashenko's personal revenge for the 2020 protests: "He wants us to feel unsafe even abroad, to know that we're being watched."One country that has proved particularly unsafe for Belarusian exiles is Russia. According to authorities in Minsk, in 2022 alone Russia extradited 16 people accused of "extremist crimes", a charge usually associated with Lukashenko critics."The methods used by Belarusian security forces are very similar to those of the Soviet KGB, just updated with modern technology, says Andrei Strizhak, head of Bysol, a group that supports Belarusian messages or promises of rewards for co-operation may not work on everyone, he adds. But by casting a wide net, the authorities may get a few who agree to share some useful calls the regime's efforts to hunt dissidents abroad a "war of attrition" that leaves many activists exhausted and wishing to get on with their lives."We're doing everything we can to stay resilient," Strizhak says, "but every year, it takes more and more effort."
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
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Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
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A puzzle-setter turns sleuth in a quirky British crime series. Stop me if you think you've heard this one before. Murder Most Puzzling is trying to be Ludwig, which was a hit for the BBC last year. But it's a pale imitation. While that one was a five-star treat starring David Mitchell, this one is a two-star rip-off starring Phyllis Logan. The missteps start as soon as we are introduced to her character, Cora Felton. Cora is The Puzzle Lady, a crossword compiler whose job has made her so famous that she has her own range of biscuits and TV adverts. Let's not pause to ponder how unlikely that is. She is called in to investigate the case of a young woman found murdered in a churchyard, with a mysterious crossword clue in her pocket. Unfortunately, Cora can't make head nor tail of the clue when she first sees it because she's still sozzled from the night before. When we first meet her, she is passed out at the wheel of her car after a spot of drink-driving. Drink-driving? Really? We're supposed to find this quirkily amusing, but it strikes the wrong tone right away. It's a sign that the show doesn't quite know what it's supposed to be. This is cosy crime, yet having someone at a town hall meeting ask if the murder victim was sexually assaulted belongs in a grittier police drama. At least the mystery is wrapped up in a feature-length episode rather than being dragged out. The show is based on a book series by Parnell Hall and the failings of the TV series are odd because its writer, Dominique Moloney is a veteran of Father Brown and The Sister Boniface Mysteries. Some bits do conform to the cosy crime template: jaunty music, a picturesque setting in the fictional market town of Bakerbury (it's Lisburn in Northern Ireland), and the odd silly character, such as the blustering mayor in a cravat who runs the local police force. The programme's saving graces are the three lead performances. Logan, best known as Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey, is a safe pair of hands and does her best with the material. Charlotte Hope is a bright spot as Cara's niece and right-hand-woman, Sherry. And Adam Best is, well, the best thing here as DCI Derek Hooper, who has never worked a murder case before and reluctantly turns to Cora for help. There is a twist halfway through relating to Cora's job, and if you didn't see it coming then I'm afraid your sleuthing skills are a little below par.
