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BBC News presenter Martine Croxall taken off air amid bias claims

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BBC News presenter Martine Croxall has been taken off air amid claims she showed bias after Boris Johnson pulled out of the Tory leadership contest.

During her introduction to Sunday night’s edition of The Papers, in which members of the press and experts look at how the main stories of the day were covered, she said: “Well this is all very exciting, isn’t it?” adding: “Am I allowed to be this gleeful? Well I am.”

The programme started at 10.30pm on Sunday, around 90 minutes after Mr Johnson pulled out of the Tory leadership race.

In her first question to her guests, Croxall also remarked: “Can we even show you the front pages just yet, have they arrived? No they haven’t arrived.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson
Former prime minister Boris Johnson (Gareth Fuller/PA)

“It’s all a little bit, you know, lastminute.com isn’t it? Because all the front pages were probably out of date by the time we received them.”

Some viewers, including several Tory MPs reacting to a clip on social media, complained it displayed bias.

A statement from the broadcaster said: “BBC News is urgently reviewing last night’s edition of The Papers on the News Channel for a potential breach of impartiality.

“It is imperative that we maintain the highest editorial standards. We have processes in place to uphold our standards, and these processes have been activated.”

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries said on Twitter: “This lack of impartiality demonstrates how deep seated the bias is.”

Sale of Jeff Koons sculpture funds rehab centres for wounded Ukrainian soldiers

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Millions of pounds raised by the sale of a Jeff Koons sculpture have helped fund a network of rehabilitation centres for injured Ukrainian soldiers.

Balloon Monkey, a towering magenta work, made more than £10 million when it went under the hammer at Christie’s in June.

It was donated by Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Victor Pinchuk and his wife Olena as part of a fundraising effort following the Russian invasion.

Jeff Koons: Now exhibition – London
Jeff Koons (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The Pinchuks are using the money to create the Recovery network, which will initially contain six rehabilitation facilities in the Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro and Vinnytsia regions.

The project is currently working on designing the centres and purchasing equipment, and each location will offer physiotherapy and special physical rehabilitation facilities.

Seriously wounded soldiers and civilians will also be sent abroad for complex prosthetics.

The first seven wounded soldiers have already begun treatment in partner private medical clinics Oberig and RMED.

This month the first two soldiers will travel to Poland to receive complex prosthetics.

Mr Pinchuk said: “The Recovery project is a very important opportunity for us at least partially to express our gratitude to our heroes who were seriously wounded in the war against the ‘rashists’ for the independence, freedom and future of Ukraine and the whole world.

“It is our responsibility to help them return to a full life. I wish them to recover as soon as possible. They are the best of us, we are proud of them and incredibly grateful.”

Mrs Pinchuk added: “The war takes away thousands of lives – both civilian Ukrainian men and women, and, above all, soldiers. A lot of our soldiers are seriously injured and wounded.

“This is the price they pay, protecting each of us, our lives, our state, our freedom. In the Recovery project, we involve the experience of modern medicine and the latest rehabilitation technologies, so I believe and hope that our heroes will return to normal life as soon as possible.”

Mr Pinchuk established his charitable foundation in 2006, since when it has funded the installation of free contemporary art in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, while Olena’s foundation, established in 2003, has worked to fight the spread of Aids in the country among other initiatives.

Since Russia’s invasion began in February, both foundations have worked to support hospitals, medical workers and those injured while fighting on the frontline.

Lady Leshurr charged with assault after early morning incident

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Rapper Lady Leshurr has been charged with assault following an incident in east London.

Police were called out to reports of a fight in Knotts Green Mews in Walthamstow on Saturday at about 5.08am, Scotland Yard said.

Two women, both aged 27, were taken to hospital and have since been discharged, police said.

Leshurr, real name Melesha O’Garro, 34, was charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Sherelle Smith, 28, was charged with one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

They are both due to appear at London’s Thames Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The Sun reported the rapper, who has appeared on Dancing On Ice, was seen being led away from the scene by police in the early hours of Saturday.

Rangers ‘elated’ by birth of baby bison in ancient woodland

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Rangers were surprised to be greeted by the UK’s first Wilder Blean bison calf as part of a “groundbreaking” rewilding project.

Three female bison were released into West Blean and Thornden Woods, near Canterbury, in July for the Wilder Blean project, an initiative by the Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust aiming to combat the climate and biodiversity crises.

The addition to the herd, also a female, “loves to play in the rain” in the ancient woodland and was unexpected for the rangers, as bison conceal their pregnancies to avoid being hunted by predators.

“When the bison took their first steps into the wild just weeks ago, it was hard to imagine that anything could come close to the elation we felt in that moment,” director of zoo operations at the Wildwood Trust Mark Habben said.

Rangers were surprised by the birth (Donovan Wright)
Rangers were surprised by the birth (Donovan Wright)

“But here we are celebrating the arrival of a bison calf.

“Groundbreaking projects like this, by their nature, always carry an element of the unexpected but this addition to the herd has come as a significant surprise, albeit a very welcome one.

“We are delighted that mother and calf are both doing well and look forward to watching the herd continue to grow and flourish in the coming months.”

Baby bison
Three female bison were released into the woodland in July as part of the Wilder Blean project (Donovan Wright)

Bison act as ecosystem engineers – creating light and space for wildlife to thrive through their natural behaviours – making the baby bison “an exciting development” for the project.

The announcement of the birth, which was discovered on September 9, was delayed after the Queen’s death on September 8.

“These animals are wild, so we want to remain as hands-off as possible, but their welfare is at the absolute heart of what we do,” ranger Tom Gibbs said.

“She is being observed by experts and we are constantly monitoring the whole herd to ensure their wellbeing.

Wilder Blean calf
The calf is the UK’s first Wilder Blean bison birth (Donovan Wright)

“We always hoped that the bison would breed, but it is fair to say we were not anticipating it quite so soon.”

The bison are due to be joined by a bull within the next two months.

Paul Hadaway, director of conservation at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: “This is an exciting development within a pioneering project.”

“European Bison are an incredible species, which were on the brink of extinction after the First World War.

Baby bison
The mother and baby are ‘doing well’ (Donovan Wright)

“To think that their numbers now swell beyond 9,000 is a true testament to the commitment and dedication of international breeding efforts and, as an organisation, Kent Wildlife Trust are privileged to now be part of that journey.”

The Kent Wildlife Trust is currently raising funds for the Wilder Blean project.

To find out more, go to: www.justgiving.com/team/wilderbleanproject

Former EastEnders actress Josephine Melville dies backstage after play

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Former EastEnders actress Josephine Melville has died backstage after performing in a play at Nottingham Playhouse.

The theatre said Melville, who played Tessa Parker in the BBC soap opera, died on Thursday after appearing in their production of Nine Night.

She received assistance from first aiders and an audience member who was medically qualified until paramedics arrived but she died at the scene, the venue confirmed.

A statement shared by the theatre said: “We are deeply saddened to announce that last night the actor Josephine Melville, passed away backstage at Nottingham Playhouse following the performance of the play Nine Night, in which she was performing.

“Josephine’s family have been informed, and our thoughts and deep condolences are with them.”

Paying tribute to Melville, Nottingham Playhouse described her as a “truly wonderful and well-loved person” and a “revered and deeply respected performer, director, producer, archivist and writer”.

It added that all the company and staff of Nine Night, which is a co-production between Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse, are in a “state of shock”.

The actress made her first appearance in EastEnders in 1986 and she also featured in Casualty and The Bill.

During her career, she also performed often on stage including in productions of Sleeping Beauty in 2018 and Sinbad The Sailor in 2016 for Theatre Royal Stratford East, where she also sat on their board.

Theatre Royal Stratford East said they were “devastated” to learn of the death of their “dear friend and colleague” in a tribute posted to Twitter.

Sharing photos of Melville’s time at the theatre, they added: “She has long been part of the Stratford East family and will be greatly missed by all of us.

“Our deepest condolences go out to her friends and family at this difficult time.”

The chief executive of Nottingham Playhouse, Stephanie Sirr, said: “We send our love and condolences to Jo’s family and friends.

“On a deeply tragic and extremely difficult evening we want to pay tribute to the company of Nine Night and to the whole Nottingham Playhouse team who managed the situation with empathy and professionalism.”

The chief executive and artistic director of Leeds Playhouse, James Brining, added: “We are profoundly saddened by Jo’s passing and add our condolences to her family and loved ones.

“We were truly honoured to work with her on this wonderful co-production of Nine Night and are doing everything we can to support her family, the company and staff across both theatres.”

All remaining performances of Nine Night at Nottingham Playhouse have been cancelled.

Handwritten John Lydon Sex Pistols lyrics sell at auction for over £50,000

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A sheet of handwritten lyrics by Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon has sold at auction for over £50,000 in a special sale of memorabilia from the infamous UK punk band.

The page features original working lyrics to two of the band’s hit singles, Holidays In The Sun and Submission, which are believed to have been penned by Lydon, known as Johnny Rotten, in 1977.

The lyrics were part of a private collection of artwork, posters and documents which were sold at Sotheby’s auction house on October 21 for a total of £354,567.

Stolper-Wilson collection – Sex Pistols memorabilia auction – Sotheby’s
John Lydon’s lyrics for Holidays In The Sun (Sotheby’s/PA)

Lydon’s lyrics for Holidays In The Sun and Submission fetched a total of £50,400, having previously been estimated at between £15,000 to £20,000.

The collection was assembled during the 1990s by contemporary art dealer Paul Stolper and critic Andrew Wilson, who was formerly the senior curator of modern British art at the Tate.

It highlights how the influential punk band, fronted by Lydon, led a revolution in popular music and culture in the 1970s alongside manager Malcolm McLaren.

Stolper-Wilson collection – Sex Pistols memorabilia auction – Sotheby’s
Jamie Reid’s God Save The Queen poster, owned by the late Sid Vicious, sold for £44,100 (Sotheby’s/PA)

Another sheet of working manuscript of lyrics to No Feelings by Lydon sold for £44,100.

The Stolper/Wilson collection went to auction in London from October 10 to 21 after being exhibited at locations around the world including the Villa Medici in Rome, the Musee De La Musique in Paris and the Kunsthalle Vienna.

The collection also featured the work of artist Jamie Reid, who McLaren met at Croydon School of Art in 1968 and designed the band’s logo and their instantly recognisable cover art.

Reid’s God Save The Queen poster, owned by the late Sid Vicious, also secured a hefty sale price of £44,100.

Sex Pistols court case
The Sex Pistols, fronted by Lydon, centre, led a revolution in popular music and culture in the 1970s (Ian West/PA)

His torn Union flag for the band’s first single Anarchy In The UK in 1976, held together by bulldog clips and the official Silver Jubilee portrait photograph of the Queen “desecrated” in 1977 by a safety pin through the mouth and featuring ransom lettering reading God Save The Queen, were also included in the sale.

The story of the Sex Pistols’ high-octane and often tumultuous history was documented in the recent Disney+ drama Pistol, directed by Danny Boyle.

Last year, members of the band became embroiled in a High Court legal battle after guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook sued Lydon, to allow their music to be used in the series.

In a ruling, Sir Anthony Mann found the pair were entitled to invoke “majority voting rules” against Lydon in relation to the use of Sex Pistols material in the series, under the terms of a band member agreement.