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Festival boss says Kanye West has 'legal right' to perform in UK
One of the organisers of Wireless Festival has defended the decision to book Kanye West as its headline act - and is calling for the public to "forgive" the controversial rapper.

Melvin Benn, managing director at Festival Republic, that promotes Wireless, described West's previous comments as "abhorrent" but added that he will only be performing and will not be given a platform to voice any opinions.

He said in a statement: "What Ye has said in the past about Jews and Hitler is as abhorrent to me as it is to the Jewish community.

"Ye's music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country.

"He is intended to come in and perform. We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions."

Mr Benn went on to ask "people to reflect ... and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do".

In his statement, he added: "I am a deeply committed anti-fascist and have been all my adult life. I lived on a kibbutz for many months in the 1970s."

The executive also said he is "pro the Jewish state, while being equally committed to a Palestinian state".

Pepsi and Diageo pulled out of sponsoring London's Wireless Festival at the weekend - following the announcement that West would top the bill for all three nights of the event in July, playing to about 150,000 people.

Sir Keir Starmer criticised the booking, saying it was "deeply concerning" that the 48-year-old musician was headlining the festival "despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism".

The US rapper's last UK performance was his Glastonbury headline set in 2015. In the years since, he has drawn criticism for antisemitic posts on social media, a Super Bowl advert directing people to a swastika T-shirt, and a song referencing Hitler, which saw Australia cancel his visa for the country in July.

Such statements have seen him barred from social media platforms, including X, several times.

In January, West took out a full-page advert in the Wall Street Journal to apologise for his behaviour, titled: "To Those I've Hurt."

"I am not a Nazi or an antisemite," it said. "I love Jewish people."

He attributed his previous outbursts to his bipolar-1 disorder, writing: "In early 2025, I fell into a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life.

"I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret."

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Politicians, including Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, and Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, have called for the government to consider banning West from coming to the UK, as have Jewish community organisations and the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA).

Last week, the Jewish Leadership Council condemned the organisers for booking Ye after a rise in attacks on Jewish people and Jewish targets.

The Conservative Party has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, urging her to ‌ban him from coming to Britain.

As the calls for him to be banned grow, Sky News understands ministers are considering whether to allow the singer to enter the UK, while the Home Office is yet to receive his application to enter the country.

Live Nation, the co-organiser of the festival, and Ye's managers have been contacted for comment.


UK weather: 'Unusually warm' temperatures are on the way - but it isn't good news for everyone
The UK is going from Storm Dave to sunny days - and could have the warmest start to April in six years.

Temperatures could climb as high as 24C (75F) today and will be well above the average for this time of year in most parts of the country.

Western parts of Wales are forecast to get the best of the weather, eclipsing the peak of 20.9C (70F) recorded in Worcestershire last week.

Tomorrow is expected to be even warmer, but temperatures are expected to plunge to 10C to 13C (50F to 55F) as we head into Thursday.

Check the weather forecast where you are

All of this is a stark contrast to the Easter weekend, when Storm Dave's 70mph winds caused widespread damage and disruption.

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said the weather is "unusually warm" as average temperatures should normally be about 15C (59F) in early April.

He added: "The wind is coming in from a southerly direction, and with not many clouds around, it should be well above the early April average.

"The last time we saw similar temperatures this time of year was in 2020, when we reached 26C (78.8F) in Cornwall."

Hayfever sufferers might not welcome the warmer weather with open arms, as a "very high" red pollen warning is in place across England and Wales.

A particularly high tree pollen count is expected nationwide, exacerbated by light winds.

Looking ahead to the rest of the week, a Met Office spokesperson explained: "It's all purely down to the wind direction at this time of year.

"For the next couple of days we're dragging in that warm, southerly wind, which will allow us to see temperatures reach the mid-20s.

"As we go into Thursday, we'll see temperatures return to normal for the time of year as we see the weather turn more changeable with advances of rain and showers."

Over the weekend, temperatures are set to hover at about 10C (50F) in the North, and 14C (57F) in the South.


E-bike and e-scooter fires have hit a record high - this is why
E-bike and e-scooter fires reached a record high last year, new figures suggest.

There were 432 blazes involving e-bikes during 2025 - a 38% jump compared with a year earlier.

Meanwhile, 147 e-scooter fires were reported, up 20% from the 123 seen in 2024.

These incidents are often caused by failing batteries, conversion kits and chargers.

Products bought from online marketplaces are at a greater risk of malfunctioning, because they aren't subject to the same regulation as established retailers.

Nick Bailey from BatteryIQ said the e-scooters and e-bikes involved in fires are "always cut-price products" manufactured with lax quality control.

He added: "There's also a growing black market in DIY and counterfeit batteries, particularly for delivery riders, built using battery cells reclaimed from disposable vapes.

"I wouldn't keep a battery in my home without continuous monitoring - regardless of what the manufacturer's sticker says."

The PA news agency sent Freedom of Information requests to all 49 fire brigades in the UK and asked for the number of incidents recorded between 2021 and 2025.

London Fire Brigade recorded the greatest number of fires by far, with Greater Manchester and Nottinghamshire identified as hotspots outside of the capital.

Fires involving lithium batteries used for e-bikes and e-scooters can spread rapidly and produce a toxic vapour.

Electrical Safety First has warned this issue is "swiftly becoming a runaway train that needs to be stopped" - with incidents surging over the past five years.

The charity's chief executive, Lesley Rudd, warned: "Poorly made batteries and accessories are of huge concern, and are a major route through which dangerous devices are entering people's homes.

"Without strong and enforceable changes, lives are at serious risk and further loss of life is, sadly, inevitable."

The London Fire Brigade's deputy commissioner, Spencer Sutcliff, has said he is "extremely concerned" about the "worrying amount" of cases in the capital.

E-scooters and e-bikes have now been banned from the Tube because of the fire risk they pose.

Although private e-scooters have been banned from being used in public areas nationwide, they are often ridden illegally in many urban areas.

Which? has warned unsafe products are "increasingly saturating" online marketplaces, which undercut responsible businesses that comply with the law.

The government launched a consultation last week that is designed to boost product safety in the UK.

Under the plans, online marketplaces would be legally required to "prevent, identify and remove dangerous products being sold via their platforms".


Woman's birth in mid-air creates tricky legal situation
A passenger flying from Jamaica to the US has given birth in mid-air.

She went into labour as the Caribbean Airlines flight was on its final approach from Kingston to New York City.

Both the mother and newborn received medical attention when the plane touched down.

One air traffic controller quipped the baby should be called "Kennedy" because the flight had landed at John F Kennedy International Airport.

Caribbean Airlines said in a statement: "The airline comments the professionalism and measured response of its crew, who managed the situation in accordance with established procedures, ensuring the safety and comfort of all onboard."

A spokesperson went on to confirm that an emergency was not declared.

Such incidents are exceedingly rare, with figures from the National Library of Medicine suggesting just 74 infants were born on flights between 1929 and 2018. Of those, 71 survived the delivery.

Caribbean Airlines allows pregnant passengers to fly without medical clearance until the end of their 32nd week, and prohibits travel after the 35th week.

Brad Bernstein, an immigration lawyer, says the birth creates some pretty interesting legal questions.

In a video on his YouTube page, he explained: "Now the big question is… is that baby a US citizen?

"Here's the answer - depends on one thing: where exactly that plane was in the sky at the moment of birth.

"If the baby was born in US airspace, then under the 14th Amendment and State Department regulations, that child is automatically a US citizen.

"But if the baby was born even a few minutes earlier outside of the United States airspace, not a US citizen."


Man dies after attack outside bar in Bournemouth - as three people arrested on suspicion of murder
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man died following an attack outside a bar in Bournemouth, police say.

Officers were called to a report of an assault outside MyBar in Charminster Road at about 3am on Monday.

A man in his 40s, from Christchurch, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dorset Police said two men, aged 37 and 46, from Bournemouth and a 34-year-old man from Poole have been arrested.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicky Jenkins said: "Our thoughts are with the family of the man who sadly died and a detailed investigation is under way to establish what happened.

"An extensive cordon has been put in place and I would like to thank the public for their understanding while vital work at the scene is carried out."

The officer added: "We know there were a number of people in the area at the time who may have witnessed what happened and we would ask them to please get in touch.

"I am also appealing to anyone who was driving in the area and has dashcam fitted to their vehicle to please check it for any relevant footage."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police.


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