Industry

Funding secured for county's £2.1bn tram project

by Kayla
written by Kayla

A project to bring trams back to West Yorkshire has received a major funding boost from the government.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that £2.1bn of local transport funding would be allocated to the county.

According to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the grant would mean "spades in the ground" by 2028, with the first trams operating before the mid-2030s.

Following the announcement, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: "It is time for trams. Today is a huge moment for our region."

The first phase of the £2.5bn mass transit programme is expected to see the creation of two tram lines.

A Leeds line will run from St James's University Hospital through the city centre to the White Rose Centre, while a Bradford Line will connect Bradford and Leeds city centres.

Brabin said the funding meant that "other vital projects" could also go ahead, such as new bus stations for Bradford and Wakefield.

That would "help us create a better-connected region that works for all", she said.

WYCA
According to the latest plans, the first phase of the network will create a tram route between Leeds and Bradford

The combined authority is expected to publish its preferred route options for the tram system later this year, with a full public consultation planned for 2026.

According to the authority, the scheme would improve local transport for 675,000 people and benefit West Yorkshire's most deprived communities.

James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "Delivering a tram system will transform connectivity across our city, and between Leeds and Bradford, bringing jobs and opportunities within easier reach of thousands of local people."

Analysis: Spencer Stokes, BBC Yorkshire business and transport correspondent

Today's announcement is a big leap forward for those who have long campaigned for trams to return to West Yorkshire's streets.

But political leaders will understand voters' scepticism after the failure of two previous schemes.

The proposed Supertram network was given the go ahead by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in 2001.

Early building work got under way, but the project was cancelled by Transport Secretary Alastair Darling in 2005 due to rising costs.

A proposed electric bus system with overhead wires, known as New Generation Transport, was then promised – before it was also axed after a planning inspector ruled it was "not in the public interest".

The new tram network – being called a mass transit scheme – is a region-wide proposal serving Leeds and Bradford initially, with the ambition to extend it to other towns and cities in West Yorkshire.

The money pledged by government today will allow work to start.

But with an estimated cost of at least £2.5bn, additional finance will be needed.

Listen: Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, explains what the changes mean for South Yorkshire and further afield

Meanwhile, the government has also allocated £1.5bn of local transport funding to South Yorkshire.

About £530m of the money is expected to go towards renewing the county's tram network, providing a fleet of new vehicles and modernising tram stops.

A £350m cash injection is also expected to see the reform of bus services, with franchised buses operating in Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham by 2027, and across the whole of South Yorkshire by 2029.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard called the investment "game-changing" for communities.

"It will mean new and better buses, new electric vehicles, integrated ticketing and better information," he said.

"It will mean new trams and better tram stops and lays the foundation for extending the tram network.

"It will mean that our young people will be able to get to jobs and opportunities; that we can all access services, see friends and family, or go for a day, or a night out, without worrying how to get home."

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

Economy

Investigation work set to begin on Gorey Pier

by Kevin
written by Kevin

"Intrusive" investigation work is set to get under way at a listed pier after cracks were discovered.

Ports of Jersey said work would begin at Gorey Pier, St Martin, on Tuesday 27 May, subject to planning permission being granted by the Government of Jersey.

A report showed parts of the historic pier were cracked due to a combination of age and the effects of Storm Ciarán in November 2023, with specialist company Terra Firma set to be on site for between four and six weeks.

"Every effort will be made to minimise disruption and complete the work before the peak summer season," a Ports of Jersey spokesperson said.

"These investigations are essential to gather detailed information on the condition of the pier, which will inform the best method for its stabilisation."

A series of trial pits and boreholes would be opened on the pier arm, pier head and the base of the wall on the harbour side but no work would be undertaken along the bulwarks where the restaurants and residences were located, they said.

Following this work, planned repairs include replacing the concrete landing deck, reinforcing the western wall, repairing a stress crack in the pier road and demolishing the terminal building.

The initial investigations work has been timed to coincide with the upcoming spring tides, when low tide will go down to 1.35m (4.4ft).

"The challenges of working in a tidal zone mean we are scheduling the digs at low tide to reduce the risk of sea water filling the holes through the pier," the spokesperson said.

They said as the tide comes in, water might need to be pumped out through a filter basket into the harbour.

The work is due to involve intermittent access restrictions for vehicles, parking bays and the public.

Tech

Invasive plants increase area flood risk – council

by Michael
written by Michael

Invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam could increase the risk of flooding in West Yorkshire, a council warned.

The non-native species can spread rapidly but die back in the winter, leaving bare ground that floodwater moves across quickly, a Calderdale Council spokesperson said.

People are encouraged to report any sightings of invasive plants and to clean their boots after walking in the countryside to stop species from spreading.

Scott Patient, the council's member for climate action and housing, said: "Managing invasive species is crucial for reducing flood risk and creating a more biodiverse Calderdale."

Invasive plants can cause a particular problem in Calderdale, the council said, as water can flow rapidly down its steep hillsides and into the borough's rivers.

Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed require professional treatment, it added, but Himalayan balsam could be easily removed.

Calderdale Council
Endangered white-clawed crayfish are found at Luddenden Brook

Boot cleaning stations have been installed at Jerusalem Farm in the Luddenden Valley in a bid to protect endangered white-clawed crayfish from invasive species.

The population is under threat due to the introduction of the non-native North American signal crayfish – which spread a disease which kills the native white-clawed crayfish.

The cleaning stations have also been put in place at Baitings, Ryburn, Withens Clough and Scammonden reservoirs.

Patient added: "Simple steps like using boot cleaning stations or reporting sightings of the most problematic invasive species can make a big difference."

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

Economy

Further structural survey on closed river walkway

by Jose
written by Jose

Further investigations are to be carried out on the condition of a wooden walkway alongside the River Hull.

Parts of the ageing boardwalk on the west bank between Myton Bridge and Drypool Bridge were shut in July 2021 over safety concerns.

An inspection found the structure was in a "poor condition", Hull City Council said.

The authority has appointed an engineering firm to carry out a structural survey and to draw up a plan for its future.

The work will take two years and the final proposals will be put out for consultation.

Gillian Osgerby, interim assistant director for major projects and infrastructure at Hull City Council, said: "The River Hull Walkway is a key part of Hull's maritime history and a vital connection between Myton Bridge and Drypool Bridge.

"We are pleased to appoint Mason Clark Associates, and we trust they will deliver comprehensive investigations and surveys.

"Their support will help determine the future of the structure."

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

Innovation

US judge denies Mahmoud Khalil's release

by Sofia
written by Sofia

A federal judge has denied Mahmoud Khalil's request to be released from detention, ruling on Friday that the US government is not violating his previous court order by holding him.

On Wednesday, Judge Michael Farbiarz decided Mr Khalil could not be deported or detained based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio's determination that his presence "would compromise a compelling US foreign policy interest."

But the US government told the court that Mr Khalil is being detained for a different reason – that he was "an alien inadmissible at the time of entry or admission".

Acknowledging that argument, Judge Farbiarz said Mr Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, would have to remain in detention.

In a letter to the court on Friday, the justice department said Judge Farbiarz had "expressly noted" that his order would "have no impact on efforts to remove [Mr Khalil] for reasons other than the Secretary of State's determination".

Along with holding Mr Khalil because he had been deemed a threat to US foreign policy, the government detained him because of alleged inaccuracies on his application to become a permanent resident.

In his response to the government's letter on Friday, Judge Fabiarz agreed and said Mr Khalil had not provided any "factual evidence" or any "meaningful legal arguments" as to why he may not be detained on the immigration charges.

Judge Fabiarz had addressed those charges in his Wednesday decision, saying that it was unlikely the government would hold anyone solely for alleged inaccuracies on an application and the primary reason behind Mr Khalil's detention was Secretary Rubio's determination.

But he did not say it was illegal to hold someone only on those charges.

Mr Khalil's arrest in March was the highest-profile in President Donald Trump's crackdown on international student protesters, as video of his arrest whipped around social media and the birth of his first child in April, while he was still detained, made global headlines.

Born in Syria to Palestinian refugees, Mr Khalil moved to the US in 2022, where he earned a master's degree at Columbia University and married an American citizen, Noor Abdalla,

In response to the judge's decision on Friday, Mr Khalil's lawyer Amy Greer said the government "is now using cruel, transparent delay tactics to keep him away from his wife and newborn son ahead of their first Father's Day as a family".

"Instead of celebrating together, he is languishing in ICE detention as punishment for his advocacy on behalf of his fellow Palestinians. It is unjust, it is shocking, and it is disgraceful," she said.

ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Trump has repeatedly alleged that pro-Palestinian activists, including Mr Khalil, support Hamas, a group designated a terrorist organisation by the US, and pledged to deport them.

Mr Khalil has contended he was exercising his right to free speech while demonstrating in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

In his Wednesday decision, Judge Fabriarz had written that Mr Khalil's "career and reputation are being damaged and his speech is being chilled — and this adds up to irreparable harm".

He had also written that he expected Mr Khalil to win his case in court.

Business

Police played 'crass' game with sex worker photos

by Violet
written by Violet

Police officers used photos of sex workers to play a "crass and inappropriate" game of "snog, marry or avoid", an employment tribunal heard.

The game came to light as part of an unsuccessful claim of racial discrimination brought by former probationary police constable Shafarat Mohammed against Derbyshire Police.

Mr Mohammed sued the force claiming colleagues had discriminated against him when he served as an officer in Derby between March 2022 and his resignation in October that year.

A report on the findings of the tribunal, published on Thursday, said Mr Mohammed, an Asian Muslim, alleged he was subjected to acts of direct discrimination because of his race and religious beliefs.

Among his claims were that, in May or June 2023, a colleague asked him to look at pictures of black female sex workers and comment on whether he liked them.

The claimant said the game, where players pick people they would prefer to kiss, marry or avoid, left him offended and embarrassed and was racially motivated.

In a report, tribunal judge Stephen Shore said the game could have constituted sexual harassment but Mr Mohammed had not made such a claim.

The judge said: "The 'game' was crass and inappropriate. It casts no one who participated in it in a good light."

Google
Mr Mohammed was based at Pear Tree Police Station in Derby

A panel, led by the judge, dismissed all of Mr Mohammed's claims which also included that he had been ostracised and excluded from team and social events and that colleagues ordered and ate bacon sandwiches, knowing he was a Muslim, to further exclude him.

Mr Mohammed said he had also been called a "Road Man", a slang term for a drug dealer, by a colleague during one of his first shifts at Pear Tree Police Station in Derby in March 2022.

The panel heard evidence from the complainant during a five-day hearing at the Nottingham Tribunal Hearing Centre, in July last year.

"Our analysis of the facts of each, claim led us to the conclusion that many of the claims were weak and not founded in fact," the panel's report said.

The panel report said Mr Mohammed had "weakened his case by withdrawing allegations" and had retrospectively refitted facts to fit his discrimination claims.

The panel also found he had fabricated facts to bolster his claims, some of which were contradicted by his own contemporaneous statements.

The panel said evidence presented to the tribunal found the claimant "struggled" as a probationary officer while working at a "pressurised" police station.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said: "We are pleased with the outcome of the employment tribunal.

"As a force, we investigate thoroughly when reports are made, and we will not tolerate racist and discriminatory behaviour.

"Following any judgement, if relevant, words of advice, organisational and departmental learning is issued to the workforce to ensure that unacceptable practices are rooted out."

Innovation

Arts centre has £285k of improvements approved

by Samuel
written by Samuel

A £285,000 revamp of an Oxfordshire town's arts centre has been approved, along with an improvement plan for the venue.

The money from Vale of White Horse District Council will be spent on refurbishing the Beacon Arts Centre, in Wantage.

As part of the action plan, food and drink offerings will be reviewed and "more co-ordinated" marketing will be carried out to boost ticket sales.

But the council said fees and charges had already been increased at the venue – and would be reviewed again in the middle of the year to "assess if any further commercial opportunities exist".

The money will also pay for improving the venue's reception area, refurbishing toilets and creating a more attractive entrance.

Vale of White Horse District Council
The Beacon Arts Centre in Wantage will see £285,000 invested to revamp the venue

Originally a Civic Hall built in 1973, The Beacon now has a theatre, dance studio and three function rooms.

The improvements are the second phase of an action plan – and the council said it had already done things like start National Theatre Live screenings and re-introduce a cafe.

Councillor Helen Pighill said the authority had to balance The Beacon's "dual role" as an entertainment venue, aiming to be more commercial, and the "valuable public service" it offered for things like training and education.

She said: "The first phase action plan for the Beacon, adopted in February 2024, laid the groundwork for improvements and this next phase addresses outstanding actions, while introducing a comprehensive set of new initiatives."

The council said it was also developing a "Culture, Heritage and Creative Industries Strategy" for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse.

Market

Hectic two weeks leaves Russia confident – and peace in Ukraine feeling no closer

by Louis
written by Louis

It's 2:30am.

Inside the Kremlin walls I'm wandering alone through the vast grounds trying – and failing – to find my way out.

I spot a checkpoint, approach and show my passport.

"Nyet vykhoda!" ["No exit!"] replies the guard. He points in the opposite direction.

I walk back and, eventually, come to another checkpoint.

"No way out!" says the sentry.

I'm lost. Inside the Kremlin. In the dead of night.

It's like being in a John le Carré novel.

It's been quite an evening. I arrived at 5pm. Along with a small group of journalists, I'd been invited to "an event with President Putin". What kind of event? To begin with the Kremlin wouldn't say. Eventually we were told Vladimir Putin would be taking questions.

Eight hours later, the president strode into the Malachite Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace and sat at a desk.

But there'd been a change of plan. No press conference. No questions. Instead, live on Russian TV, Putin delivered a statement in which he proposed direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.

Event over, I walk out of the Kremlin Palace but take a wrong turn. Finally, I locate the correct exit and, bleary-eyed, take a taxi home.

This was the start of what has turned out to be a real rollercoaster of a fortnight. What began with a late-night Kremlin statement continued with peace talks in Turkey and then a two-hour telephone call between Putin and Donald Trump.

But, at the end of it, are we any closer to peace in Ukraine?

It doesn't feel like it.

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
Trump has, in the past, referenced his "very close relationship" with Putin, but more recently wondered if he is "just tapping me along" on peace talks

Although there is talk about more talks, and of а possible future "memorandum" on a "possible future peace", it all sounds rather vague.

For now, the fighting goes on.

Russia is still refusing to sign up to an unconditional comprehensive ceasefire. It has no intention of returning any of the Ukrainian land it has seized, occupied and claims to have annexed. On the contrary: it's pushing for more.

Right now, the Ukraine peace process resembles being lost in the Kremlin late at night.

It's hard to see the exit.

The Kremlin side-step

And yet the past two weeks have revealed a lot.

First, how Russia neutralises potential threats and pressure points.

Kremlin critics would put this another way: how Russia plays for time.

On 10 May (a few hours before I got lost in the Kremlin), after a phone call with Donald Trump, European leaders had issued an ultimatum to President Putin: agree to an unconditional long-term ceasefire in Ukraine in two days or face crushing new sanctions.

Since March the Trump administration has been calling on Russia and Ukraine to accept a 30-day comprehensive ceasefire. Kyiv agreed. Moscow hasn't.

The Kremlin leader sidestepped the European ultimatum with his counter proposal of direct talks in Turkey. The idea was greeted with scepticism in Ukraine and across Europe. But it was enough to placate Trump and convince him Russia was serious about wanting peace. He was all for the talks. "Crushing" new sanctions were delayed.

Ahead of the Istanbul meeting on 16 May, President Trump gave the impression that Vladimir Putin might attend. The Kremlin leader did not, sending instead a comparatively low-level delegation that once more rejected the idea of a long-term ceasefire. But, again, the modest results of the talks were sufficient to persuade the US president that progress was being made.

Then came the Trump-Putin phone call on 19 May.

By the end of it, Russia had still not agreed to an immediate comprehensive cessation of hostilities. Instead, according to President Trump, "Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War".

But Moscow is already casting doubt on whether it would sign any future peace treaty with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. For a year now the Russian authorities have been attempting to delegitimise Ukraine's president since the expiry of his presidential term. However, Ukraine's Constitution prohibits the holding of elections in wartime.

And the reason for martial law in Ukraine is Russia's invasion.

"Would Russia sit down and sign a peace agreement with President Zelensky?" I asked Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday.

"You're putting the cart before the horse," Mr Lavrov replied. "First we need to have a deal. When it's agreed, then we will decide. But, as President Putin has said many times, President Zelensky does not have legitimacy… Probably the best option would be new elections…"

Watch: Steve Rosenberg asks Sergei Lavrov: Is Russia ready to sign deal with Zelensky?

Confident Russia

The Russian media has concluded that, after two weeks of diplomacy, Moscow has strengthened its hand.

"Russia has won the latest round of global poker," declared the Izvestia newspaper last week.

"Donald Trump's stance couldn't be more advantageous to Moscow," wrote Kommersant. "In effect he backed Russia's position of 'Talks first, ceasefire later' and refused to strengthen sanctions against Russia."

A social scientist told Kommersant: "Donald Trump, at least for now, is our ideological partner on certain issues. His views are much closer to Russia's than to Europe's."

And the ultra pro-Kremlin Komsomolskaya Pravda had this message for European leaders:

"You were warned. Don't wave threats and ultimatums in the face of the bear. Don't try to impose conditions in talks that have nothing to do with you.

"Just sit in the lobby and breathe in the smell of the new world order."

Moscow's confidence is also fuelled by the belief that, in Ukraine, it holds the initiative on the battlefield.

Reluctant Trump

Back in 2023 Donald Trump had promised that, if he won the presidency, "we will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled… I'll get them both. I know Zelensky, I know Putin. It'll be done within 24 hours, you watch".

Trump has been in the Oval Office for more than four months now, but the "horrible war" goes on.

On rare occasions, he has publicly rebuked the Kremlin and threatened further sanctions. Last month he said: "…there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?'"

But there's been no follow-through. The US president appears reluctant to ratchet up the pressure on the Kremlin, instead signalling to Moscow that he's keen to reboot US-Russia relations.

Office of the President of Ukraine via Getty Images
Trump and Zelensky spoke face-to-face on the sideline of Pope Francis's funeral at the Vatican in April

Following the presidents' telephone conversation, Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, who'd sat in on the call, told journalists: "Trump spoke rather emotionally about the prospects for [bilateral] relations. Trump sees Russia as one of America's most important partners in trade and economic matters."

President Trump seems determined to push on with his rapprochement with Russia, whatever happens on Ukraine.

And Moscow senses that.

"President Trump does not link continued US-Russia dialogue to the Ukraine peace process," was a headline in the Russian government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta this week.

That doesn't mean the Kremlin has headed off the danger of additional restrictions completely. The US Senate has threatened tough new sanctions against Russia if Moscow doesn't get serious about diplomacy.

Up to this point the Kremlin has been able to deflect or to sidestep whatever pressure it's come under to make compromises and concessions regarding its war on Ukraine.

It seems confident it will continue to do so.

Global Trade

Police probe pub disorder involving machetes

by Gabriel
written by Gabriel

An investigation has been launched following a disorder that involved machetes in Wolverhampton.

West Midlands Police said they were called to a pub on Moseley Road in Bilston at about 14:45 BST on Monday.

When officers arrived, those involved were no longer at the scene, they added.

A 38-year-old woman was later taken into custody on suspicion of assisting an offender, and officers were sent to two nearby schools to provide reassurance.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the force.

Innovation

Man dealt drugs and breached sexual offences order

by Charles
written by Charles

A Ramsey man has been jailed over drugs and breaching a Sexual Offence Prevention Order (SOPO).

Between January and September 2024 Matthew Williams, 22, was involved in supplying over £3,500 of cannabis, and was found with up to £2,030 of ketamine.

Williams had on five occasions breached the SOPO, which banned him from deleting his internet search history, by using snapchat, which automatically deletes messages.

Jailing him for four years, Deemster Graeme Cook said he was "amazed" that Williams had not been remanded in custody earlier.

On 28 May, Williams' fingerprints were identified on wraps of cannabis seized by the police.

'Cannot go on like this'

On 28 August, police searched Williams' house, where they found weighing scales with traces of cannabis and wraps the size of golf balls containing white powder, later found to be ketamine, with a street value of up to £2,030.

On 10 September he was found with a number of wraps containing cannabis, later discovered to be worth £540, along with a grinder and plastic tube.

Douglas Courthouse heard Williams has been on remand since 11 September.

When he was in prison, a guard heard him on a call with a friend, speaking in code about a package.

The next day a purple envelope suspected to contain drugs was intercepted at the post office. It was addressed to Williams' home, and included three vapes and six gummies all containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in cannabis.

His defence advocate told the court Williams' involvement in supplying drugs was to fuel his own habit.

The court heard while it was not known what the content of the Snapchat messages had been, it did "appear to be in line with drug dealing".

Williams pleaded guilty to three counts of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, concerned in importing THC, possession with intent to supply of ketamine, possession of intent to supply of cannabis and possession of criminal property.

He also pleaded guilty to five counts of being in breach of the SOPO he was given in September 2021.

Deemster Cook issued an updated Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will be in place for ten years.

"You cannot go on like this", he told Williams, noting he was still comparatively young and "lacking in maturity".