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| | 'Our troops tortured Ukrainians' | |  | | | | | | | | | Allegations of brutal interrogations, where Ukrainian men were shot and threatened with rape, have been made by a former Russian military officer - the most senior to talk openly. In an exclusive interview, Konstantin Yefremov told the BBC's Russia editor Steve Rosenberg that Russia now sees him as a traitor and defector. He said at one site in southern Ukraine, interrogations and torture continued for about a week - sometimes happening twice a day. He says he is "anti-war" and that he tried to resign from the army several times but has now been sacked and has fled Russia.
Using photographs and military documents supplied by Mr Yefremov, the BBC has verified he was in Ukraine early in the war - in the Zaporizhzhia region, including the city of Melitopol. The former senior lieutenant, who was deployed to Ukraine last year, says his comrades looted occupied areas of Ukraine. He described brutal interrogation sessions, led by a Russian colonel. The BBC was unable to independently confirm Konstantin Yefremov's specific allegations of torture, but they are consistent with other claims of abuse of Ukrainian prisoners. The UN's Human Rights Office has been documenting cases of mistreatment during the war in Ukraine and has interviewed more than 400 prisoners of war - both Ukrainians and Russians. Russia's Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. | | | | | |
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| | Avian flu spreads to mammals in UK | | | | | | | | | The largest ever outbreak of bird flu in the UK is spilling over into mammals, including otters and foxes. It's thought the disease has led to the deaths of about 208 million birds so far, according to figures shown to the BBC, and there have now been at least 200 recorded cases in mammals. The mutated form of the virus, found in mammals, could also spread to humans but public health bosses say the risk to the public is very low. There's now going to be more targeted surveillance or animals and people exposed to the virus in the UK as well as increased testing. The UK Health Security Agency still advises that avian flu is mainly a disease of birds. Worldwide it's been found in different kinds of mammals, including grizzly bears in the US and mink in Spain. | | | |
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| | Australia's new $5 note won't show King | | | | | | | | | King Charles won't feature on Australia's new $5 note, which will instead pay tribute to "the culture and history of the First Australians", the country's central bank says. A portrait of the late Queen is on the current note, but when she died last year, Australia said the new monarch's image wouldn't automatically replace her on its $5 banknote. The Reserve Bank of Australia said it would take several years for the new note to be designed and printed so it won't be in circulation any time soon. Much of its currency already features Indigenous Australian figures and artworks. | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | Days after the prime minister sacked his party chairman, another staffing time bomb is ticking under his government. Ministers tell us privately they expect Rishi Sunak's deputy, Dominic Raab, to be the next senior figure to be shown the door. The deputy prime minister and justice secretary has a senior lawyer crawling over his conduct in three government departments. He is the subject of eight formal complaints. The trade union the First Division Association, which represents civil servants, has said it understands dozens of people are involved in those complaints. Mr Raab has repeatedly denied being a bully or breaking the ministerial code.
Plenty of people who have worked with Mr Raab speak highly of the experience, although even those that do often describe him as "robust". Right now, all of this is being looked into by Adam Tolley KC, the lawyer appointed by the prime minister to interview witnesses and write a report about what has happened. The inquiry, which is speaking to witnesses right now, means people, including those with the strongest views and most arresting personal experiences of working with Mr Raab, are very reluctant to talk publicly about it. But we wanted to share with you what people who have worked for Mr Raab, serve alongside him in government and in the Conservative Party are saying to us privately. And explore why it is that the prime minister appears to have a persistent human resources problem: a party chairman sacked, a loyal supporter in Sir Gavin Williamson, a former minister, resigning over bullying allegations he said he refuted, and now this. | | | | | | | | | | | | Chris Mason and Nick Eardley | | BBC Politics | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | Thursday's front pages have a variety of different stories - The Times leads with its investigation into forced installation of prepayment meters in vulnerable people's homes. It says a company employed by British Gas had broken into people's homes to fit them - British Gas has now suspended the force-fitting of the meters. Another exclusive is featured on the front of The Guardian, which says spending watchdog officials are looking at how Boris Johnson's legal advice in the Partygate inquiry was funded. Several papers cover the ongoing search for missing woman Nicola Bulley, from Lancashire. And The Sun reports on what it calls "the biggest shake-up to football ownership in years". Read the paper review in full. | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | Folic acid More needs to be added to all flour and rice - scientists | | | | | | | Water Bills set to get biggest increase in nearly 20 years | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you watch one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you listen to one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you read one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | Need something different? | | | | | | | | | Why, why, why are choirs being banned from singing Delilah at Cardiff's Principality Stadium? Well, the answer's pretty simple - it's because of its "problematic" lyrics, as the Tom Jones classic refers to a woman being killed by a jealous partner. It's long been a favourite of rugby fans but it's now going to be sung no more. It had already been removed from half-time playlists, back in 2015.
Someone who will be performing at that stadium later this year is Beyonce - it's where she will kick off the UK leg of her first solo tour since 2016. Ticket demand is expected to be huge, with a pre-sale starting today at 10am.
And from singing in stadiums to singing on the street - a schoolboy who busks in Manchester has been awarded a special grant by ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. John Denton, 12, hopes to break into the music industry after being awarded £1,000 which will pay for guitar and singing lessons. Online videos of his performances - including Smiths covers - have had thousands of views. | | | | | |
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| | | | | 1979: Sid Vicious dies of a heroin overdose in New York, aged 21 | | | | | | |
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| | | Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing bbcnewsdaily@bbc.co.uk. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | | | | | |
